The C-27J Spartan lives up to expectations in Peru A C-27J Taking off with a high rate of climb from a small airport  A C-27J of the Fuerza Aérea del Peru February 2019, the Peruvian Government officially declares a state of emergency for the northern coastal regions of Peru. An unusual amount of seasonal rainfall has triggered severe flooding and mudslides throughout the northern regions destroying roads, collapsing bridges and forcing school closures. Entire towns are being evacuated.  The advanced glass cockpit of a Peruvian C-27J The Sistema de Atención Móvil de Urgencia (SAMU) and the Seguro Integral do Salud (SIS) Health Department call in the C-27J Spartan for urgent transportation of patients, including premature babies and badly injured people out of the otherwise unreachable area of Huánuco, 1,900 mt above sea level. A timely action and long hours of activity were key to saving lives and the suite of advanced avionics that equips the Spartan with the increased night vision capability provided by the Night Vision Goggles (NVG) have given pilots the possibility of landing and taking off throughout the night.  A FAP Spartan C-27J during a rescue mission In 2017 the Peruvian government sent a C-27J in support of disaster relief following the earthquake in Ecuador and again to support evacuations during the raging fires in Chile. The Fuerza Aérea del Peru has successfully flown over 5,000 hours with their Spartans since the first aircraft landed in March 2015 at the International Jorge Chavez airport in Lima, home of the Grupo Aereo N°8 (transport wing). In these 5,000 flight hours the C-27J has bravely met the most challenging conditions moving comfortably between coastal areas at 19°C to forests at 38°, to mountains at 5°C, landing smoothly on semi-prepared strips at either 100 feet or 11,500 feet above sea level. The versatility of the aircraft was also challenged by the diversity of missions required: from delivering humanitarian assistance to medical evacuations, monitoring of illegal activities and support to firefighting duties in areas that would otherwise be reached only by river navigation in over 6 days! |
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