Edwards loadmasters bring supplies, warfighters to world Published June 11, 2007 By Senior Airman Jason Hernandez 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- One person is vitally important to ensuring our troops and supplies are moved aboard military transports to destinations all over the world -- the loadmaster. The loadmaster is the individual responsible for on and off-loading cargo, supervising passengers and performing weight and balance operations on aircraft that vary in size from the C-130 Hercules to the C-5 Galaxy. "Loadmasters play an integral role as part of the crew," said Tech. Sgt. Steven Marzec, 418th Flight Test Squadron C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 aircraft loadmaster. "The C-17 has a three-man crew, while a C-130 or C-5 may have five to eight crewmembers. We are a required member of the crew for the aircraft to fly." A typical day for a loadmaster consists of performing test mission briefs, which are followed by pre-flight duties for on-load operations and performing in-flight tests, said Master Sgt. Timothy Gonzales, 418th FLTS C-17 flight test loadmaster. "Typically, here at Edwards, our flight test missions can consume an entire day, even with only four to six hours of flying," Sergeant Marzec said. "For a standard proficiency flight, one loadmaster will fly with the aircraft. For airdrop missions or in theatre missions, the aircraft may have two loadmasters. In the air, we are responsible for all that happens in the aircraft from the bulkhead back and all in-flight emergencies." A crew with more than one loadmaster is called an augmented crew, Sergeant Gonzales said. An augmented crew consists of three pilots and two loadmasters, which is required for missions that lasts more than 16 hours. This allows the aircrew to perform a 24-hour crew duty day. "Typically, within the Air Force, every individual loadmaster is specifically trained on only one type of aircraft," Sergeant Marzec said. "Due to the multiple projects here, Edwards has some of the most skilled loadmasters in the Air Force." Edwards is one of the only places in the Air Force where loadmasters can be qualified on more than one aircraft, he said. "I am primarily qualified on the C-130, and the C-17 is my secondary aircraft," Sergeant Marzec said. "Many of my co-workers are also qualified on two types of transport aircraft." In the operational world, loadmasters are responsible for getting supplies to warfighters and for humanitarian missions, he said. However, at Edwards, they're focused on test missions that aim to expand the capabilities of transport aircraft and their operating envelope. "As early as next week and throughout the summer, we will be conducting semi-prepared runway operations," Sergeant Marzec said. "This testing will expand the landing envelope of the C-17 on different soil types and will allow us to certify landing on a broader range of short fields. This will be conducted at different airfields all over the country. The testing will focus on helping determine the minimum stopping distance of the aircraft on different soil." Our flight testing also ensures new and legacy systems are up to specifications and do what they are designed to do, he said. "What I enjoy most about my job is that my shop is less traditional than most Airmen's," Sergeant Marzec said. "I would highly recommend this job to anyone in the Air Force. I do something different every day, and each day is a challenge. I've been able to see the entire world because of this job."