Pentagon Calls Up Civilian Planes

[Delta3]

They did it just today.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/02/09/sprj.irq.civil.fleet.action/index.html

I was wondering do all crewmebers have to be ex military? What planes have been called up before?

 

[skyboat]

Someone needds to tell CNN that Reno Air disappeared years ago.

 

[justApilot]

I believe at AA the 777's will be doing this and the trips will either be in the bid or in open time to trade for. And no you do not have to be ex military. I understand that they can be very long duty days...18-20 hours.

 

[RightBettor]

Dirtbag reporters do not care about accuracy in reporting anymore. Especially when it comes to aviation. The more I read some of the garbage reporters write, the more skeptical I am about all the news that I read and hear. I think they are just pulling information out of their a$$es most of the time. (I'm surprised, CNN forgot to mention all the airplanes being provided from Pan Am, Eastern, Braniff, Western, and PSA!!) Dumba$$es!!

 

[Tim47SIP]

A little late!

They have been flying the CRAF aircraft for a couple month now. I see several a week leave a military base right next to my house. All different carriers, not just the contract carrier. Not to mention, the C-17's, 141's and C-5's consantly departing. I just pray that they all come back in one piece. I remember going to SA on TWA and coming back on United. Great bunch of guys and gals that volunteer to do this. I was devistated when I found out that the TWA crew was killed in a crash one month later. I got to know them fairly well as I sat up front and helped with the navigation. I personally wish that I could be involved supporting our military like that.

 

[TurboS7]

I have flown 45 hours in the last 6 days. I am home now as our airplanes are getting a phase check then we go back to it. The Northern Lights the last couple of days across the North Atlantic have been wonderful. Busy, busy, busy but that is war, loving life. With the CRAF program they want civilian pilots.

 

[*42*]

(I'm surprised, CNN forgot to mention all the airplanes being provided from Pan Am, Eastern, Braniff, Western, and PSA!!)

You mean this one from Pan Am?

 

[TurboS7]

International Supplemental 121 max 12 hours in 24 with no duty time limit with augmented crew. After the Kalitta accident AMC wants flight and duty to be per supplemental 121. We have our union rules that are stricter than any 121, they can be waived with crew and committe approval for CRAF missions.

 

[Beantown]

I am sure that I missed this some where, but are the airlines and crews NOT paid for this mission? Thanks, -Bean:

 

[Snoopy58]

regarding Tim seeing airline jets at an Air Force base...
airlines can & do fly charters to move troops or cargo from place to place. Not at all the same thing as CRAF. Some level of charters for the military happens all the time, and obviously can be stepped up as things warrant. CRAF involves far more "control" by the military of the jets & crews than just a charter. It is also a signal to the world for interested nations to observe.

 

[Tim47SIP]

Snoopy

You are correct, but I didn't give you all of the info. I pesonally went to the airhead (which I have freinds there and in Ops) and talked to the crew. They were in fact CRAF air craft (which I was also surprized). As you can see by my background, I have a little experience with the military. The point here is that evidently, the CRAF aircraft have been used as well as charter for the past few months. It is just now that the mil is activating a greater number of CRAF aircraft. Hope things work out for the best.

 

[TurboS7]

We can go 7.0 hours with a 39,000 pound payload, usually this amounts to one stop to Europe and two to Kuwait from any of our bases in the U.S. Stops are random and are at approved places on the globe.

 

[greg20]

CRAF Fleet

For those who may be interested, the entire CRAF fleet (by carrier and tail #) is available at this link:

http://www.rspa.dot.gov/oet/craf/TA000103.xls

It's an Excel spreadsheet.

 

[TriStar_drvr]

I am sure that I missed this some where, but are the airlines and crews NOT paid for this mission? Thanks, -Bean:

At my airline, captains are paid an extra $15 an hour and FOs and FEs are paid an extra $12.50 an hour for CRAF flights.

We're busting our butts, much like Turbo is, and many of our crews are running up against the pay cap. I just got home last night, after being up for 24 hours of operating flights and riding in the back of one of our airplanes to get home a day early. I'll be heading out again in a few days. The days can be long, like when a scheduled two hour turn in Kuwait turns into five or six. But I love it. It's the most fun, interesting, exciting, wierd, and many times exhausting flying I'll ever do. Oh, and the Guiness tastes great too!

 

[ATA1011]

Hey Tim, you are wrong about the CRAFT program. Before two days ago all civilian aircraft flying for the military were doing AMC charters, on a mission per mission basis. These aircraft were chartered by choice of the operator. These same aircraft and others are dedicated to CRAFT if activated. When activated the Department of Defense takes these aircraft full-time regardless if the operator wants to or not. This is the second time Craft has ever been activated. All crews work for the company that owns the aircraft. I have been flying AMC charters since 9/11, now im flying the same routes and aircraft under CRAFT. Research it, it's a fact. Cheers

 

[nimtz]

Maybe someone should point out to the Bush Adminstration that all the 'old dinasour airlines' are the ones giving this capacity. I don't see any airplanes from a certain airline with 'sh*t colored tails' hauling the GI's to the desert. Guess the old network carriers have their worth too, huh Georgie!