US helicopter medics in Afghanistan

Danger Room has an article about US Air Force airborne medics in Afghanistan.

Each of these pararescue jumpers, or PJs, was not only trained as a kind of airborne emergency medical technician, stabilizing patients and offering basic trauma care. They could also perform battlefield surgery — inserting chest tubes, removing fluid from around the heart, even performing amputations, if need be. And they could do all that after parachuting into hostile territory to rescue a downed pilot, or scuba diving into murky waters, or squeezing underneath a wrecked vehicle, or rappelling from the helicopter into a free-fire zone. That’s what the sliding bar along the ceiling of the Black Hawk’s cabin was for.

SAS banned from RAF Puma helicopters

The Times reports that the RAF have "banned" the SAS from riding on its Puma helicopters, apparently because the SAS commanders encourage the pilots to fly dangerously.

They flew so close to the ground — even when the situation did not require it — that there would have been no time to make corrections had a fault occurred.

According to the inquiry, nobody in the RAF has felt confident enough to oppose the demands of the SAS men for high-risk manoeuvres.

US Air Force school for UAV pilots

The LA Times has an article about a US Air Force school that trains drone pilots.

Until recently, pilots would work on the Predators and Reapers, then return to their assigned aircraft. But the Air Force would like officers to make a career out of flying unmanned craft and become experts at operating the drones.

CF air operations in Afghanistan

The Torch has a post summarising Canadian air operations in Kandahar.

Most of the way to Afghanistan

The Whig Standard has an article about Camp Mirage, a Canadian base in a well known secret location near Afghanistan.

Staffed by about 300 people - 200 of whom are military -and with an annual budget of $19 million, the camp has dispatched nearly 5,000 missions since being established in 2001, carrying 150,000 passengers and 23 million kilograms of cargo.

CF to map Afghanistan

The Canadian Press reports that the Canadian Forces are to produce a digital map of southern Afghanistan. The Air Force will use Aurora reconnaissance aircraft which are normally used for maritime patrol.

The article includes these stats:

According to statistics provided Monday by Canada's air wing, during the first three months of this year its Chinooks and Griffons in Afghanistan flew nearly 4,000 passengers and about 90,000 kilograms of cargo.

The Hercules transports, which are normally based at Trenton, Ont., moved 38,000 passengers last year and lifted nearly five million kilograms of cargo.