El PC, parte del proceso del desarrollo cognitivo.

There are a variety aircraft that are capable of performing the AE mission. They include, but are not limited to, the following:

C-9A Nightingale

Mission: The C-9A is a twin-engine, T-tailed, medium-range jet aircraft specifically designed for aeromedical evacuation. It is used in PACAF and USAFE as well as in the CONUS.

Features: The Nightingale is a modified version of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9. It is the only aircraft in the inventory specifically designed for moving litter and ambulatory patients.

The C-9A's airlift capability to carry 40 litter patients, or 40 ambulatory and four litter patients, or combinations thereof, and provides the flexibility for Air Mobility Command's worldwide

aeromedical evacuation role. A hydraulic folding ramp allows efficient loading and unloading of litter patients and special medical equipment.

The plane has:

Ceiling receptacles for securing intravenous bags.

A special care area with a separate ventilation system for patients requiring isolation or intensive care.

Eleven vacuum and therapeutic oxygen outlets, positioned in sidewall service panels at litter tier locations.

A 28 VDC outlet in the special care area.

Twenty-two 115 VAC-60 hertz electrical outlets located throughout the cabin permit the use of cardiac monitors, respirators, incubators and infusion pumps at any location within the cabin. A medical refrigerator for preserving whole blood and biological drugs.

A medical supply work area with sink, medicine storage section and worktable, fore-and-aft galleys and lavatories.

Aft-facing commercial airline-type seats for ambulatory patients.

A station for a medical crew director that includes a desk communication panel and a control panel to monitor, therapeutic oxygen and vacuum system.

An auxiliary power unit that provides electrical power for uninterrupted cabin air conditioning, quick servicing during stops, and self-starting for the twin jet engines.

Note: The C-9A has no defensive capabilities and is not likely to be sent into an unsecured hostile environment.

C-130 Hercules

Mission: The C-130 Hercules primarily performs the tactical airlift mission. The aircraft is capable of operating from rough, dirt strips and is the prime transport for airdropping troops and equipment into hostile areas. C-130s operate throughout the U.S. Air Force, serving with Air Mobility Command (stateside), theater commands, Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve

Command, fulfilling a wide range of operational missions in both peace and war situations. Basic and specialized versions of the aircraft airframe perform many roles, including airlift support, Arctic ice resupply, aeromedical missions, aerial spray missions, firefighting duties for the U.S. Forest Service and natural disaster relief missions.

Features: In its personnel carrier role, the C-130 can accommodate 92 combat troops or 64 fully equipped paratroopers on side-facing seats. For medical evacuations, it carries a maximum of 74 litter patients and medical attendants, 92 ambulatory patients or a combination of the two. Paratroopers exit the aircraft through two doors on either side of the aircraft behind the landing- gear fairings. Another exit off the rear ramp is for airdrops.

The C-130 Hercules joins on mercy flights throughout the world, bringing in food, clothing, shelter, doctors, nurses and medical supplies and moving victims to safety. C-130 Hercules have served other nations, airlifting heavy equipment into remote areas to build airports and roads, search for oil and transport local goods.

The C-130J is the latest addition to the C-130 fleet and will eventually begin to replace retiring C- 130E's and C-130H's. The C-130J incorporates state-of-the-art technology to reduce crew requirements, lower operating and support costs, and provides life cycle cost savings over earlier C-130 models. Compared to older C-130s, the C-130J climbs faster and higher, flies farther at a higher cruise speed, and takes off and lands in a shorter distance. Currently, there are six aircraft in the test program.

C-141B Starlifter

Mission: The C-141B Starlifter is the workhorse of the Air Mobility Command. The Starlifter fulfills a spectrum of airlift requirements through its ability to airlift combat forces over long distances, deliver those forces and their equipment either by air, land or airdrop, resupply forces and transport the sick and wounded from the hostile area to advanced medical facilities.

Features: The C-141B is a stretched C-141A with in-flight refueling capability. The stretching of the Starlifter consisted of lengthening the planes 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 meters), increasing the C-141 cargo capacity by about 1/3, or an extra 2,171 cubic feet (62.03 cubic meters). Lengthening the aircraft had the same overall effect as increasing the number of aircraft by 30%. The C-141A, built between 1963-1967, was AMC's first jet aircraft designed to meet military standards for a troop and cargo carrier. The development of the B model was the most cost-effective method of increasing AMC's airlift capability. The standard C-141 configuration can carry 103 litters, or 160 seats or a combination of the two.

A universal air-refueling receptacle on the C-141B, with the ability to transfer 23,592 gallons (89,649 liters) in about 26 minutes, means longer nonstop flights and fewer fuel stops at overseas bases during worldwide airlift missions.

The C-141 force, nearing nine million flying hours, has a proven reliability and long-range capability. In addition to training, worldwide airlift and combat support, the C-141 has amassed a laudable record in responding to humanitarian crises.

The C-141, with its changeable cargo compartment, can transition from rollers on the floor for palletized cargo to a smooth floor for wheeled vehicles to aft facing seats or sidewall canvas seats for passengers, quickly and easily, to handle over 30 different mission configurations.

C-17 Globemaster III

Mission: The C-17 Globemaster III is the newest, most flexible cargo aircraft to enter the airlift force. The C-17 is capable of rapid strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main operating bases or directly to forward bases in the deployment area. The aircraft is also able to perform tactical airlift and airdrop missions when required. The inherent flexibility and performance characteristics of the C-17 force improve the ability of the total airlift system to fulfill the worldwide air mobility requirements of the United States.

The ultimate measure of airlift effectiveness is the ability to rapidly project and sustain an effective combat force close to a potential battle area. The size and weight of U.S. mechanized firepower and equipment have grown in response to improved capabilities of potential adversaries,

significantly increasing air mobility requirements, particularly in the area of large or heavy outsize cargo. As a result, newer and more flexible airlift aircraft are needed to meet potential armed contingencies, peacekeeping or humanitarian missions worldwide. The C-17 was designed and built with this new scenario in mind.

Features: The operational requirements impose demanding reliability and maintenance burdens on the C-17 system. These requirements include an aircraft mission completion success probability of 92%, only 20 aircraft maintenance person-hours per flying hour, and full and partial mission capable rates of 74.7% and 82.5% respectively. The Boeing warranty assures these figures will be met.

The C-17 measures approximately 174 feet (53 meters) long with a wingspan of 169 feet, 10 inches (51.76 meters). The aircraft is powered by four fully reversible Pratt & Whitney F117-PW- 100 engines (the commercial version is used on the Boeing 757). Each engine is rated at 40,440 pounds of thrust. The thrust reversers direct the flow of air upward and forward to avoid ingestion of dust and debris. Maximum use has been made of off-the-shelf and commercial equipment, including Air Force-standardized avionics.

The aircraft is operated by a crew of three (pilot, copilot and loadmaster), reducing crew

requirements, risk exposure and long-term operating costs. Cargo is loaded onto the C-17 through a large aft door that accommodates military vehicles and palletized cargo. The C-17 can carry virtually all of the Army's air-transportable equipment.

Maximum payload capacity of the C-17 is 170,900 pounds (77,519 kilograms), and its maximum gross takeoff weight is 585,000 pounds (265,352 kilograms). With a payload of 160,000 pounds (72,575 kilograms) and an initial cruise altitude of 28,000 feet (8,534 meters), the C-17 has an unrefueled range of approximately 2,400 nautical miles. Its cruise speed is approximately 450 knots (0.74 Mach). The C-17 is designed to airdrop both equipment and 102 paratroopers. It can also carry 48 litters and 54 ambulatory patients and attendants.

The design of the aircraft lets it operate from small, austere airfields. The C-17 can take off and land on runways as short as 3,000 feet (914 meters) and as narrow as 90 feet (27.4 meters) wide. Even on such narrow runways, the C-17 can turn around using a three-point star turn and its backing capability.

AEROMEDICAL EVACUATION CHECKLIST