Air Mobility Rodeo 2011 will fill Washington State's skies
July 26, 2011, 12:09 pm
This week, pilots across the state of Washington will need to keep their wits about them as they fly. They'll be sharing the skies with massive U.S. Air Force planes like C-17s and C-130s and smaller craft like the T-1 Jayhawk, all of which are competing in an international military flying competition.
The joint Army and Air Force base Lewis-McChord is hosting pilots and airmen from around the world in the Air Mobility Rodeo 2011. Events in the competition focus on active duty readiness, ranging from airdrops to mid-air refueling.
Colonel R. Wyn Elder, USAF, expects this year's event to be the largest one ever. Teams from 20 nations have come to observe more than 150 teams and 3,000 individuals of the USAF, Air Force Reserve and allied nations compete against one another.
"We want you all to focus on the competition at hand," Col. Elder told the assembled crowd at the beginning of the competition. "We're excited to open the doors to Joint Base Lewis-McChord to you and I look forward to the best rodeo competition ever. Let camaraderie define victory."
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