Cadets from two South Dakota Wing squadrons and their chaperones were able to see a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper remote-piloted aircraft during its recent four-day visit to Ellsworth Air Force Base.
Members from the Rushmore and Lookout Mountain composite squadrons received a special invitation from the base for a first-hand look of the MQ-9 Reaper, piloted by the 89th Attack Squadron at Ellsworth.
The MQ-9 visit to Ellsworth marked the first time such a craft has landed at a Global Strike Force base, making it a rare opportunity for the Civil Air Patrol members.
MQ-9 missions around the world flown from Ellsworth include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, close air support, combat search and rescue, precision-strike, buddy-lase, convoy and raid overwatch, route clearance, target development, and terminal air guidance.
In some cases, Federal Aviation Administration rules don’t allow remote-piloted aircraft in civilian airspace without a crewed escort or “chase plane.” A Texas Wing aircrew escorted the MQ-9 to Ellsworth.
In addition to learning about the aircraft, the South Dakota cadets learned about the Aim High Flight Academy program. The AHFA is an aviation scholarship for a three-week introductory flight program at various universities around the world, designed to inform, influence, and inspire the next generation of aviators and leaders.
