Well done Air Force!

[Ooh-Rah]

So would this be PJ's performing this type of rescue?

The last paragraph in the story stuck with me, refueling helo's in midair?

Cripes, cannot be a whole lot of room for error there!

Air Force rescues 2 Germans from boat fire far out at sea

MIAMI — Air Force reserve personnel have rescued two German citizens after their sailboat caught fire far out at sea.

A news release Saturday from the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, said the German father and son were rescued about 500 miles (800 kilometers) from the South Florida coast using long-range aircraft that refuel during flight.

Their names and hometowns were not immediately released. A base spokeswoman said the 48-year-old son suffered burns on his legs. He and his 66-year-old father were taken to an Orlando hospital.

The Air Force aircraft arrived with the two men in a lifeboat and a freighter approaching to help out. A pair of HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters hoisted the victims from the freighter and flew them to Florida, refueling in midair.

 

[Deleted member 10816]

In order to match each other's airspeed, the 60 has to (practically) go full throttle while the 130 slows to a borderline stall. Major respect for these Airmen!

 

[Kraut783]

I hope there is more released on this story....good stuff

 

[AWP]

So would this be PJ's performing this type of rescue?

Yes. The 920th is a Reserve PJ unit.

 

[Blizzard]

Yes. The 920th is a Reserve PJ unit.

A couple pics (public) from the rescue - DBSL:

 

[SpitfireV]

If they're wearing red...aren't they the mighyt Coastguard??!

 

[AWP]

 

[Ooh-Rah]

That was a brilliant documentary!

 

[Devildoc]

In order to match each other's airspeed, the 60 has to (practically) go full throttle while the 130 slows to a borderline stall. Major respect for these Airmen!

The stall speed is just north of 110 mph for a C-130, a HH-60 has a cruising speed of 160. There's room to spare.

Regardless, that kind of command/control/communications to get all the moving pieces to work synchronously is nothing short of amazing. Talk about no margin for error.

 

[Gunz]

A couple pics (public) from the rescue - DBSL:

View attachment 19145

View attachment 19146

The PJs are in another C130.

 

[Devildoc]

I had read That Others May Live, mostly autobiographical by a guy who spent a billion years in pararescue. The stories, especially the one made famous in The Perfect Storm, were very intense. Before I read it I knew well what they did, but after reading it, that book, and these articles, really have hammered home what a tremendous asset they are.

 

[Blizzard]

The PJs are in another C130.

Those are the PJs.

 

[Blizzard]

I had read That Others May Live, mostly autobiographical by a guy who spent a billion years in pararescue. The stories, especially the one made famous in The Perfect Storm, were very intense. Before I read it I knew well what they did, but after reading it, that book, and these articles, really have hammered home what a tremendous asset they are.

Maybe they exist but I can't think of another active/reserve career field that regularly has both the DoD and civilian taskings of a Rescue squadron. They're a pretty remarkable asset.

 

[AWP]

Those are the PJs.

 

[Gunz]

And they're wearing their PJs