Spartans Over The Sonoran Desert!
Rob Kolinsky
A large shadow races over the parched desert floor as the tell-tale hum of twin turboprops recedes in the distance. Suddenly, the faint sound of “Pop! Pop! Pop!” can be heard overhead as dozens of parachute canopies open. One by one, students adorned in international orange jumpsuits touch down at the Yuma Proving Ground’s Phillips Drop Zone in Arizona, some gracefully, others not. Before the last of the Military Free Fall School’s parachutists touch down, the cargo aircraft that delivered them will have already landed at Laguna Army Airfield and prepared to do it all over again.
In Flight USA recently gained unprecedented access to the U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command to witness firsthand a day in the life of the UFD (USASOC Flight Detachment) at Yuma.
YUMA UFD 01: The Alenia C-27J Spartan on the ramp at Laguna Army Airfield, Yuma, Arizona. Photo- Rob Kolinsky
YUMA UFD 02: C-27J Spartan, callsign Desert 7, taxis to the terminal for an early morning parachute drop mission. Photo- Rob Kolinsky
“Primarily, we own and operate three Alenia C-27J Spartan aircraft at the UFD,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 David Jones, the UFD Commander. He explained that even with a relatively small number of personnel assigned to the flight department along with many highly-skilled maintainers, all directly contribute to the unit’s impeccable safety record and mission accomplishment. “Additionally, we have succeeded in creating an enhanced flight profile for the mission that minimizes turnaround time and fuel consumption.”
We were able to witness that flight profile in action as we met the crew planeside at 0500 the next morning. The crew, comprised of CW4 Marv Mueller (Pilot in Command), CW2 Drew Robbins (pilot and Operations Officer), and SGT Carlos Nieves-Perez (Flight Engineer & Unit Trainer), gave us our safety brief as we got seated and strapped in. The three crewmembers have a combined 11,000 flight hours in various Army aircraft, more than 55 years of active military service and have dropped in excess of 65,000 parachutists. Additionally, they are the only fully Military Free Fall qualified crew in the UFD. We were in good hands!
The C-27J Spartan, aircraft 27027 and call sign ‘Desert 7,’ started up the two powerful Rolls Royce AE2100-D2A engines, each generating 4637 shaft horsepower and turning a Dowty R-391 six-bladed propeller. Soon, after loading the first set of Military Free Fall parachutists, we took off into the early morning sky.
YUMA UFD 03: A C-27J Spartan crosses runway 36 at Laguna Army Airfield, Yuma, Arizona. Photo- Rob Kolinsky
Sergeant First Class Tim Brosnihan, the UFD’s NCOIC, explained, “The mission of the UFD is to provide the Military Free Fall School with a reliable airborne platform which allows the school to teach a very wide variety of students, both conventional and top tier operators, the combat-oriented capability of deploying from an aircraft. This allows mission commanders the flexibility to insert those forces into denied enemy territory. The UFD here at Yuma has never failed to deliver a mission!”
As we reached our assigned altitude of 14,000 feet, SGT Nieves-Perez opened the rear cargo ramp and the cooler air whipped through the cabin. “Two minutes!” he called out to the jump master. The instructors gathered their students and hand signals were given and understood. As soon as the light turned green, they were off! In pairs of two and sometimes three, they jumped from the rear cargo ramp. As soon as the last jumper was away, CW4 Mueller immediately lowered the nose, brought the engines back to flight idle and introduced flaps, giving an almost weightless sensation. At the desired altitude, he then pulled up and sharply banked the aircraft to almost 2 G’s as he set up the approach to runway 36 back at Laguna Army Airfield. We witnessed five more lifts flown precisely the same way before reluctantly exiting the aircraft. Another C-27J took over flying duties as aircraft 27027 was serviced and prepared for a future mission.
YUMA UFD 04: Aircraft Commander CW4 Mueller manages the power settings for a recent parachute mission over Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona. Photo- Rob Kolinsky
“Hands down, being assigned to the UFD has been one of my most rewarding assignments,” said CW5 Jones. “I attribute that to the professionalism and great working relationships of the members assigned here and the wonderful flying qualities of the C-27J. It is truly an honor.”
Fast Facts:
Alenia C-27J Spartan
Manufacturer: Leonardo’s Aviation Division
First Flight: 24 September 1999
Max. Speed: 374 mph
Cruise Speed: 362 mph
Service Ceiling: 30,000 ft
Ferry Range: 3,636 miles
