Heavy Airlift Wing reaches 3,000 flight hours

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  • Heavy Airlift Wing Public Affairs
PÁPA AIR BASE, Hungary --  The multinational Heavy Airlift Wing has had a busy year full of missions. The missions for the 12 participating Strategic Airlift Capability nations are running on a routine basis to many areas of combat operations. In addition to that, the HAW has been able to conduct rapid response missions for both Haiti earthquake and Pakistan flood relief. The HAW also supported partner nation Poland with the dignified return of victims from the Polish air crash.

On Dec. 7, the HAW reached one more milestone: the statistics shows that all together 3,000 flight hours were reached by the wing's three C-17s.

"The amount of flight hours shows that the HAW is definitely becoming a fully operational unit. We have well-trained crews and the maintenance of the planes is running smoothly," said U.S. Air Force Col. John Zazworsky, the HAW commander.

According to the planned flight schedule, December is the busiest month since the HAW started operations, with the total of 378 flight hours expected by the end of the month.

"Such intensity is not, with the current manning and experience, what we can execute every month on a regular basis. It has only been possible since we are supporting the Dutch redeployments from Afghanistan following a standard flight routing in and out from the Afghan theatre," said Royal Norwegian Air Force Lt. Col. Tom-Ivar Punsvik, the HAW Command and Control Branch chief.