Press Release
☷MQ 9 Reaper Lands at Shaw AFB in Historic First
National Guard ( By Press Release office)
Feb 28,2024
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Airmen from the 50th Attack Squadron and Air National Guardsmen from the 163rd Attack Wing made history by successfully landing an MQ - 9 Reaper at Shaw Air Force Base using satellite control . This method is becoming the norm for MQ - 9 operations and eliminates the need for extra ground control stations , aircrews , and maintenance support . Lt . Col . Zachary Clarke emphasized the coordination and planning involved in the process , highlighting the hard work of Capt . Ryan Beach and the 25th Operations Support Squadron . 1st Lt . Julio DiMaggio , the MQ - 9 pilot , shared his excitement about piloting takeoffs and landings , calling it his favorite part of the job . I think getting off the ground , taking off and landing is really exciting . Senior Airman Zachery Cherry , the 50th ATKS sensor operator , was "in the seat" during the return landing at March ARB . "It ' s definitely something to fly over the United States and into a new airspace . " Cool thing , " he said of his experience . "Everything went smoothly , just like I expected . "An Air National Guard MQ - 9 pilot from the 163rd Attack Wing came to Shaw Air Force Base on a temporary mission to instruct aircrews to land at March Air Reserve Base for their return flight on February 15 , Cherry said . " He came out and taught us a little bit about the local airspace procedures , and then we went to the simulator , " Cherry said of the preparation . "We loaded up the routes in the airspace , and then he stayed with us today , I was out the entire hour and a half until landing . As the MQ - 9 flew over Albuquerque , New Mexico , Cherry stepped into the cockpit . "I was here when we first started training for satellite launch and recovery and its first phase , " Cherry said . “Now , I’ve been teaching the entire squadron how to do it . We ' ve been using it on field missions overseas , but now , it ' s a strange feeling to have the confidence and see the program and capabilities grow , first with the landing , which isn ' t in the desert , but in California . Still , it ' s definitely something to be proud of knowing we ' ve made it this far and that we can rely on our abilities . " Cherry said he ' s excited for the opportunity to demonstrate what he calls an awe - inspiring capability . "It shows that here at Shaw , there are Airmen who are having a direct impact on missions around the world , and they do it six to eight hours a day . , and then 30 minutes later , they ' re still home , " Cherry said . "I think that shows the importance of this aircraft and the importance of developing our new features and procedures and demonstrating the new features and procedures that we ' re still improving . . "
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