By David J. Hill dave.hill@niagara-gazette.com
Niagara Gazette
NIAGARA FALLS —
City of Tonawanda Mayor Ron Pilozzi took an eventful ride during an annual public event at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.
The mayor was among a group of people taking a flight on a C-130 Friday morning as part of the 914th Airlift Wing’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Boss Lift event. The plane was scheduled to fly over various Western New York landmarks but the ride was cut short a bit when one of the plane’s four engines failed.
It prompted some routine response from the crew on board, and the plane landed safely back at the Niagara Falls air base, where fire trucks greeted the plane upon landing as a precaution. “They handled it very, very well. Their expertise in handling it was evident,” Pilozzi said, adding, “They were in total control.”
An Army veteran who was in a helicopter that was shot down during the Vietnam War, Pilozzi said he took part in the event to show his support for the 914th. As part of the schedule, employers of reservists were invited to check out some displays before boarding a bus to the tarmac.
“They said, ‘The following four people stay behind, you four are going to be in the cockpit,’ and they pointed at me,” Pilozzi said.
During the flight back, Pilozzi noticed something a bit unusual. “I see the pilot tapping the gauge and I said to myself, this is not good.”
As it turns out, nobody on board panicked, nor was anyone in jeopardy, 914th Airlift Wing officials said. “The passengers were never in any danger,” said Master Sgt. Peter Borys with the station’s public affairs division.
“It was mainly a precaution to cut the flight short,” he said. “The aircraft is perfectly capable of flying on three engines just fine.”
The C-130 is the prime mode of transport for air dropping troops and equipment into hostile areas, according to a fact sheet on the plane. It can also airdrop loads up to 42,000 pounds and accommodate a variety of cargo, including utility helicopters and armored vehicles. It’s capable of traveling at speeds up to 366 mph.
Borys said the 914th Airlift Wing hosts the ESRG event each year to show employers what reservists do. “It gives the employers an opportunity to see what their employees do out here on the weekends or when they’re deployed. It gives them a better understanding of what they do,” Borys said.
Contact reporter David J. Hill
at 693-1000, ext. 115.
