Grateful Cibola County Supports its Nation’s Servicemen
GRANTS, N.M. –
Four Apache Helicopters flew to Grants, New Mexico, giving area youth and residents the ability to engage with America’s Heroes. The event took place in the early afternoon of March 31. Servicemen in the United States Army were flying to California for training and stopped at the Grants-Milan Municipal Airport. Upon learning of their trip to the local airport, Airport Manager Lynn Cannon went straight to work in an effort to make them feel welcome. Teaming up with community leader Bobbie Little Bear, Cannon was able to display the spirit of Cibola and create a welcoming environment for the servicemen, who put on a small show for the onlooking citizens.
Four sets of Apache helicopters were originally going to land at the Grants-Milan Airport, but due to complications, the final three sets of helicopters were unable to arrive at the airport and had to fly south. The one set of Apaches that did land at the airport were manned by a kind crew of young men from Fort Collins, Colorado.
A small group of local kids had the privilege of seeing the Apache helicopters up close, joining a group of around 30 citizens who checked out the massive machines. “Oohs” and “ahhs”, along with some shuddering from the destructive nature of this machinery could be heard from onlookers. As with any military flight in the United States, the helicopters did not have live ammunition on board.
Refueling
After landing on the runway, the Apache crews taxied their way in front of the airport terminal, and readied their helicopters for refueling. Cannon drove a massive 3,000-pound fuel tank to each of the Apaches, fueling the four helicopters.
“When [servicemembers] fly over here, I want them to feel welcome. I don’t want them wondering if this community is going to be kind or if they need to be worried,” Cannon said. Being a former servicemember herself, she understands the feeling of being welcomed when at home. When servicemen return to their bases and have positive stories to tell of when they landed in Grants, the service will be more in clined to bring aircraft for refueling.
Apache helicopters have at least one 230-gallon fuel tank, allowing them to fly for around three hours. The soldiers from Fort Collins were headed to a training in California. The helicopters stopped at the Grants-Milan Airport not only or refueling, but because, had they gone directly to California from further south in New Mexico, they would have flown over the Grand Canyon, several soldiers explained that would be an unneces sary strain on the Apache helicopters so they decided to make a stop in Cibola County.
A Marvel of Machinery
The Apache is produced by Boeing.
Apache helicopters sport thick tires, allowing them to travel upwards of 400 miles-per-hour on the ground if necessary. Using a special design, the helicopters are designed to break at the bottom in the event of a crash, the bottom half of the helicopter is meant to cushion the top half and ammunition stores.
The Apaches sported two different missile launching systems. Pilots explained that the Apaches are equipped with one set of unguided rockets which could be fired from the cylindrical container on either side of the helicopter. The rectangular slot next to the cylindrical container is designed to hold Hellfire missiles, which are armor piercing and designed for anti-tank operations. The front of the helicopter is equipped with a 30-millimeter chain-gun. The marvelous machinery left on lookers with a sense of pride in the American craftsmanship, an extra sense of security, and for some, a sense of the danger America’s servicemen must face when defending the nation against those who would do harm to the country.
For her efforts making the servicemen feel welcomed and giving the public a chance to interact with their heroes, Cannon was given a pin by the servicemen for excellence.
Cannon has plans to make future events like this learning opportunities for Cibola’s youth. Starting slow, Cannon has a plan in the works to bring an Osprey helicopter to the airport with the intention of it being an educational experience for area students.
The Grants-Milan Airport is looking at significant and substantial upgrades under Cannon’s leadership, thanks largely to the work of former Airport Manager Ray Jenkins and State Representative Harry Garcia. Working with the Airport Advisory Board, Cannon seeks to modernize the airport and find new ways to make it an educational experience to visit the airport.
Cannon is the first woman to run the airport. She took over at the start of the year, after former Manager Jenkins retired from the position.