Extra! IFR Magazine Takes You into the World of Combat IFR

Extra! <i>IFR</i> Magazine Takes You into the World of Combat IFR

Editorial Staff

Monday, December 29, 2008 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Major Ken Holston discusses the challenges of flying C-130 missions in combat zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
These missions involve instrument flight (IFR) through clouds, navigating temporary runways, and dealing with unreliable weather reporting.
Pilots face additional dangers, including the threat of shoulder-fired missiles, making "flying on the gauges" significantly more perilous than standard IFR operations.

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Think you’re working hard when you fly on the gauges? Try doing it in a war zone. IFR magazine editor Jeff Van West talks with Major Ken Holston about what it’s like to fly missions in the venerable C-130 through the clouds over Iraq and Afghanistan and shoot approaches where the local hazards include temporary runways, sketchy weather reporting, and shoulder-fired missiles.

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