Weekend Operation Surveyed Downed Power Lines, Kept Eye Out For
Insurgents
Aero-News has learned the Iraqi air force flew its first mission
without the assistance of American forces over the weekend. Iraqi
pilots flew a mission to survey and monitor the power lines in Iraq
in a mission called "Operation Power Line" August 25, said Brig.
Gen. Sati, commander of the Iraqi air force's Taji Wing.
"We did our duties today for the very first time, and it was a
100-percent Iraqi mission," said Sati, who asked to be identified
only by his last name. He announced the mission at a partnership
dinner later that day between the Iraqi air force and the US Army's
1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.
The mission came about because insurgents have been causing
unrest throughout Iraq by cutting power lines, thus cutting off
electrical power to the Iraqi people, said US Air Force Lt. Col.
Bryan Bartlett, commander of the 770th Air Expeditionary Advisory
Squadron and the Coalition Air Force Transition Team.
"There's (a proposed) Iraqi law about people keeping their
distance from power lines, since there are so many dropped," said
Bartlett. The Iraqi air force is taking action on this problem by
surveying for downed lines and watching for anyone violating the
stand-off distance, he said.
"The mission is to go outside and patrol the Iraqi power lines
and to get the word out that the Iraqi air force is flying,"
Bartlett said.
Sati cited two reasons why the Iraqi air force has had this
recent success.
"No. 1 is because of the ability of our Iraqi pilots to
understand and digest the information and because of their
(aviation background)," the Iraqi general said proudly. "The second
reason is because of the continuous day and night help from our
American brothers, who did everything we asked them for. They
didn't deny us any efforts to accomplish what we wanted."
Sati said the first unaided mission represented an important
milestone. "The whole base is very happy today -- extremely happy.
We feel like a graduate who just graduated and got his diploma," he
said.
The progress is obvious when one looks at the numbers, Bartlett
said.
"To put it in context, last year this wing flew a total of 300
hours. Most of those hours were on a couple of these (Bell 206) Jet
Rangers," he said. "Last month, they flew 200 hours just in the
(Bell UH-1H) Huey II alone. So far, they've got about 700 hours on
the aircraft, and they've only really been flying them since the
end of February, first of March."
Along with keeping a watchful eye over the power lines, the
Iraqi air force also has moved soldiers, dignitaries and visitors
across Iraq. "They've moved about 500 passengers so far this year,"
Bartlett noted.
Sati and other officers of his command commemorated their
milestone mission with their American partners. The Iraqi pilots
and crewmembers set up three helicopters in a hangar. US pilots
crawled in and out of the helicopters with an Iraqi aviator close
by to answer any questions, and aviators from both nations talked
about their common bond of flying. Afterward, the mix of Iraqi and
US aviators went to the US side of the forward operating base for a
celebratory dinner.
(Aero-News salutes Army Spc. Nathan Hoskins, Public Affairs
Office of 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.)