Revisiting a historic event

The US Air Force Reserve landed a C-130 on US 287 north of Rawlins in September 2021, the first time one has done so in history. The operation was conducted as part of a week long “Rally in the Rockies” training exercise that had events throughout the Mountain West.

MSgt. Scott Klobucher (center) and Maj. Nick Hainsfurther (right) visited Rawlins, Laramie and Cheyenne in March to thank WYDOT for our help in the Rally in the Rockies military training exercise. They can be seen with Tim Morton, District 1 Maintenance Engineer.

Revisiting an historic event

Looking back at a “Rally in the Rockies”

By Jordan Achs

Despite the rain and cold, there was a sizable crowd on the pavement of US Highway 287 the morning of Sept. 13, 2021.

There isn’t usually a crowd – or much of anything – on this section of highway, but a special event drew a number of spectators, including local officials, military dignitaries and even Gov. Mark Gordon.

That morning, the U.S. Air Force Reserve landed a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft on the highway, an historic event as it was the first time a cargo aircraft had landed on a U.S. Highway. The event was one segment of a week long “Rally in the Rockies” training exercise that took place throughout the Mountain West.

In an August press release about the event, Director Luke Reiner said was “happy to support the Air Force in this important training endeavor.”

While it seems simple enough to land a plane on a highway, it took months of work behind the scenes by the Air Force, WYDOT and other stakeholders like the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security, Carbon County and other agencies to make the historic event a reality.

MSgt. Scott Klobucher, the principal organizer of the exercise, and Maj. Nick Hainsfurther, 913th Operations Support Squadron pilot and lead exercise planner, came back to Wyoming in March to say thanks to the department that was such an integral part of the successful operation. WYDOT worked through many different details, including removing signs and other obstacles from the highway to make room for the wings, closing the highway for a few hours, administrative work and more. “The Air Force was impressed with the strength of our highway, and the Governor was pleased with the successful exercise,” Reiner said in a September all-staff email. “More than just a cool event (and it was pretty cool), it’s important as an organization and as citizens to support our military and our nation’s defense.”

Klobucher and Hainsfurther gave WYDOT a flag that was flown on the plane during the exercise as a token of their appreciation.

The exercise was a great example of WYDOT’s strong partnerships with local, state and federal agencies, as well as our eagerness to support the armed forces.

“With the help of the Wyoming Department of Transportation, we were able to successfully demonstrate our versatile combat airlift capabilities,” Hainsfurther said in a US Air Force news release after the event. n

Chief Engineer Mark Gillette, Director Luke Reiner, Public Relations Specialist Jordan Achs and Wyoming Office of Homeland Security Deputy Director George Nykun stand with MSgt. Scott Klobucher and Maj. Nick Hainsfurther in March to celebrate a successful training exercise in September.