The 54th Helicopter Squadron at Minot AFB, N.D., has added new rescue hoists to two UH-1N Huey helicopters, enabling them to make rescues from terrain—and water—where the helicopters cannot land. SrA. Danny Monahan reports that all the unit needs now is to train more personnel with the new hoist. Last week, it had qualified only one pilot and one flight engineer. The qualification requires a “live hoist.”
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.