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Flight engineers stay proficient

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Krystal M. Garrett
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  Flight engineers with the 8th Special Operations Squadron are key players to successful CV-22 Osprey operations. They work with the ground maintenance specialists and crew chiefs to keep the aircraft flight worthy and assist pilots with monitoring system performance when airborne.

They perform pre-flight inspections to check for any issues that may interfere with missions and assist in rescue procedures, as they did for a training flight at Hurlburt Field, Fla., April 27, 2016.

The Osprey is a multi-mission tilt-rotor aircraft with vertical take-off and landing capability. The CV-22 is a versatile, self-deployable aircraft that offers increased speed and range over other rotary-wing aircraft, enabling Air Force Special Operations Command aircrews to execute long-range special operations missions.

The 8th SOS is one of the oldest units in the United States Air Force, originally organized as the 8th Aero Squadron, June 21, 1917, at Kelly Field, Texas.