MAFFS-7 Memorials
HM2 FMF-SW Ret felt guilty that when he sent us the link to the funeral of Air Force Major Ryan Scott David in Blowing Rock, North Carolina yesterday that he neglected the other members of the Mobile (or Modular – conflicting research) Airborne FireFighting System 7 (MAFF-7) who were killed in the crash the four killed in the crash were;
Lt. Col. Paul Mikeal, 42, of Mooresville; Maj. Joseph McCormick, 36, of Belmont; Maj. Rayan David, 35, of Boone and Master Sgt. Robert Cannon, 36, of Charlotte
The Departments of Interior and Agriculture memorialized the four crewmen, as well as the North Carolina Air National Guard.
Category: Blue Skies
May they never be forgotten, and forever rest in peace.
God Bless Your Families….We shall never forget!
All good men, it’s a damn shame that men like this give their lives every day, while the shitbirds from the tourney get to continue suckin air.
Its “modular” (Modular Airborne Firefighting System). I interviewed the crews of MAFFS #3 and #4 in Colorado Springs for an upcoming story a couple days before #7 crashed in SD. They actually have to turn off the onboard warning systems when they fly a MAFFS mission or they go off all the time. They completely max out the C130.
I was talking to one of the AF officers at the David funeral and he told me that the MAFFS missions fly at 100-200 ft above treetop slightly faster than stall speed. It takes a special breed to do that.
RIP all crew members. Agree with HM2, it does take a special breed to fly like that.