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Cadet Staff Sgt. Josiah Coleman takes in a view of the falls during the flight.
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A view of Niagara Falls from the Air National Guard plane as it circles the area.
Photos by 2nd Lt. Kevin Geiss, National Capital Wing
2nd Lt. Kevin Geiss
Public Affairs Officer
Mount Vernon Composite Squadron
National Capital Wing
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This wasn’t the normal cadet orientation flight.
For one thing, the view was unusually scenic.
On Oct. 13, 31 cadets from the National Capital Wing’s Mount Vernon Composite Squadron received an orientation ride to Niagara Falls, N.Y., with the District of Columbia Air National Guard.
Pilots from the 201st Airlift Squadron at Joint Base Andrews, Md., flew the cadets on a C-40 – the military variant of a commercial Boeing 737.
The flight from Andrews to Niagara Falls took about 50 minutes. Once over the famed falls, the C-40 circled for about 15 minutes, giving the cadets a chance to see the sights and take photos.
“It was the first time I had done anything like that,” Cadet Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Geiss said afterward. “It was awesome! I had never been to Niagara Falls.”
The 201st Airlift Squadron provides worldwide air transportation for the federal government's executive branch, congressional members, Department of Defense and high-ranking U.S. and foreign dignitaries.
