The Air Force reactivated the 48th Airlift Squadron Dec. 5, to establish the first active-duty C-130J Hercules training squadron in the Air Force. The reactivation of the 48th AS, the third flying unit attached to the 314th Airlift Wing here, will train crews in the newest generation of C-130s. "The mission of the reactivated 48th Airlift Squadron will be to bring to the active-duty Air Force the C-130J and to join its sister units in producing the world's best C-130 aviators," said Col. Joseph Reheiser, 314th AW commander.

At the far north end of the static line sits perhaps the second oddest-looking aircraft around. The Wright Flyer would hold first place in that category. In spite of that, the longest line at Kill Devil Hill was to take a quick walk through the aircraft. It's a V-22 Osprey. The revolutionary tilt rotor wowed the crowds in a 10-minute demo on Monday…for Tuesday, it was back, sitting static, until it wowed the crowd again with a departure pass. HX-21 is now operating a total of 7 aircraft at the Navy's Patuxtent River Air Station. 2 more are flying with the Air Force flight test program at Edwards AFB, and two more aircraft going through workups at VMX-22 at MCAS New River.

Raytheon Aircraft has been awarded a $228 million contract by the US government for 47 T-6A aircraft and associated program training devices.  This is the 11th straight option year exercised, out of a potential total of 19 for the entire program. The current option exercise extends deliveries through 2007. The JPATS program, which is the primary pilot training program for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy, calls for nearly 800 aircraft through the year 2017. To date, the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy have ordered 301 aircraft, and 149 have been delivered -- 120 to the U.S Air Force and 29 to the U.S. Navy. The total value of the acquisition program to date, including options, is $2.3 billion.