European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 8, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday november 8, 1986 the stars and stripes fags 3 to cmdr. Stewart Hoffman does a pre flight Check in one of the unit s c-130 Hercules aircraft. Cmdr. Pete Maxwell is the commanding officer of Fleet logistics support so 11, in Rola Spain. Airman Faith Hook an aviation machinist s male re fuels a c-130 Hercules on the night line. Support Squadron airlifts essentials to 6th Fleet Story and photos by Clenna Houston Rota Spain Day or night rain or Shine if a 6lh Fleet ship earner or Heli copter needs something sailors of Fleet logistics support so 22 deliver it the Squadron airlifts critical cargo and passengers thai can t he transported on regularly scheduled nights to places in Europe inc Middle East and North Afri Ca. Cargo is brought to Europe in air Force military a lift come or other regularly scheduled nights said it. Cmdr. Jon a. Stamets Pilot and Squadron operations officer. We move it to wherever a ship May be or to a helicopter or to a cod Carrier inboard delivery aircraft for trans port to a ship at  the people assigned to the Squadron maintain and operate five c-130 her Cules aircraft Wuh a sixth plane on the Way. The Crews know when they will Fly but not where or for How Long said cmdr Pete a Auwell Squadron com Mander. Each Day is an adventure. We operate from even Airfield Mili tary or civilian in the Mediterranean he said. Occasionally we re tasked to Fly farther. We be gone As far As Oslo Norway. Sometime we May haul Only 1,000 pounds of cargo because it is essential to a ship in the Mediterranean Max Well said. The cargo May be a repair part needed to gel that ship under  of the Squadron s Mulli engine Turboprop aircraft can carry 30,000 pounds of cargo or 92 passengers. The Rota based planes Fly Between 200 and 300 hours a in Only and transport 225 tons of cargo 700 passengers and 25 tons of mail. We Fly night or Day in any kind of weather and if a plane Breaks we Fin n and Fly Home Maxwell said. We Are subjected to varying air traffic control procedures and sometimes Crtalic navigational aids and air traffic control. The Hercules have a Crew of five to eight people Pilot and Mission com Mander co Pilot radio operator night Engineer one or More Load masters and some times a naval night officer As navigator some operations take us to such Iso technician work on one of the four engines of i cd 30 Hercules in the Squadron s hangar. Lated places thai there Are no pallets or in Klins and we have to move 1sooo or 20,000 pounds of cargo on Board Pilot it. Cmdr. Gary Schwarzrock said. The whole Crew helps the  normally the Squadron has two air Craft iwo or three Light Crews and a maintenance Crew in Simonella Sicily where about 80 percent of the missions originate. The Crews spend two weeks there and about a month in Rota. In less than iwo years the Squadron has doubled in personnel added the fifth Kc-l30 aircraft to its inventory taken Over medium As Well As heavy cargo air lift and been tasked with two additional missions in flight refuelling and sup port of special forces. The Squadron has inc Navy s Only land based in night refuelling operation serving aircraft in the Mediterranean is Peci Alfy inc ch-5j sea stallion Heli copters from helicopter combat support so 4 in Simonella. The in flight refuelling gives the Heli copters much greater logistics capability Stamets said. By increasing Pineir Range hey can belter support the Fleet. In left Patty it term Haumpo 3 by i uru Pulc Illet folic Fly. Tala Kaval Slaton