Now that KC-135 Stratotankers will be the primary aircraft used by one of the units at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, calls are being renewed to install a KC-135 simulator on the base. Senator Charles Schumer appeared in Niagara Falls Monday, joining local base advocates and urging the Department of Defense to act.
In February, the 914th Tactical Airlift Wing welcomed the return of KC-135s to the local base, which are replacing the C-130 Hercules aircraft the unit had used for years. Two of eight planes scheduled for stationing in Niagara Falls are now there and, according to one base advocate, the others are expected to arrive one at a time, once per month as the 914th Tactical Airlift transitions into an Air Refueling Wing.
Supporters of the local installation, who campaigned to have a C-130 training simulator built at the base, are now calling on the Pentagon to put a KC-135 simulator on the grounds, to train pilots from Niagara Falls and from other bases.
"It's a mission attached to the ground here for Niagara," said John Cooper, chairman of the Niagara Military Affairs Council, or NIMAC. "It also would be bringing in pilots from all over the Northeast to train here."
In addition to the 914th's changing mission, the 107th Airlift Wing recently became the 107th Attack Wing, with its personnel now focusing on the piloting of remote-controlled aircraft in combat and tactical situations. While base advocates say this has helped secure the future of the base, adding a ground-based mission will only strengthen its long-term prospects.
The facility to house the simulator was dedicated last summer. Now, Senator Schumer says, it's a matter of installing the equipment directly dedicated to KC-135 training.
"The facility they built is state-of-the-art," said Schumer outside the main entrance to the base Monday afternoon. "We've outlined to the military why this is such a great base for the 135s and the simulator. We need it, we need it now. I'm going to fight hard to get it."
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, New York's other representative in that congressional chamber, sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Given her influence, and Schumer's as the Senate Minority Leader, the latter was asked on Monday why they have not yet been able to get action on the simulator.
"It takes a long time with the military. They're rather slow in making a lot of decisions," Schumer replied. "We keep pushing and pushing until we get it. That's what we're doing. I'm very hopeful we'll get it here, but we're not resting until we do."
The Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station is Niagara County's largest employer. An estimated 3,000 people work there. It's estimated yearly economic impact, according to Schumer's office, is $143 million.
