According to Garmin, the inReach Messenger Plus goes beyond cell service as the two-way satellite communicator has a lithium-ion battery that can last for 600 hours. The device can be used as a stand-alone tool or paired with a smartphone app, allowing the sharing of group texts, photos, and voice messages along with location information. 

The device has the ability to send an interactive SOS message to Garmin Response, an emergency assistance coordination center that is staffed 24/7. According to Garmin, inReach has contributed to more than 14,500 SOS activations.

“The new and enhanced messaging capabilities of the inReach Messenger Plus gives users a more personal and emotional way to communicate with friends and family when cell service isn’t available,” Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of global consumer sales of enhanced messaging and navigation, said in a statement. “Tell your family you’ll be home late, send a photo of the epic view to your friends, or simply exchange voice messages to hear the person on the other end of the line. Plus, with a rechargeable battery that can last for weeks, safety charging to help restore a depleted phone, and the ability to trigger an SOS message, the inReach Messenger Plus is an invaluable tool for any adventure.”

The Technology

In addition to the long-lasting battery, Garmin notes that when out of cell service range, the Messenger app will automatically switch to satellite technology. The device can send 30-second voice messages or texts with up to 1,600 characters, as well as emojis.

The inReach Messenger Plus can also be used to check weather and operate as a fully functional, stand-alone, palm-sized device. When paired with the Garmin Explore app on a compatible smartphone, inReach can be used to plan a trip, seek the route, and view a course showing the remaining distance to your destination.

The unit is temperature resistant and able to withstand incidental water exposure of up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes, according to Garmin.

The inReach Messenger Plus has a suggested retail price of $499.99. An active satellite subscription ($14.99 per month) is required to communicate using the device.

For more information be found here.

The post Garmin inReach Messenger Offers Off-Grid Emergency Connectivity appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The aircraft with Tail Number 89-0280 was flown to the “Boneyard”—the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. There, it—along with 17 other MC-130Hs—will undergo regular maintenance, including anti-corrosion maintenance, in case it needs to one day return to service, USAF said.

The facility is the largest aircraft storage and preservation facility in the world, according to USAF.

• READ MORE: Air Force Special Ops Testing Amphibious MC-130

The flight marked the end of an era for the Air Force Special Operations Command, which has operated the tanker for more than three decades for operations that included infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of special operations forces and equipment, as well as air refueling operations. Those operations will now be performed by the MC-130J Commando II, which is also replacing an aging fleet of MC-130E and P aircraft.

The tanker has played a vital role in AFSOC operations, according to the service. It was used to evacuate American civilians from times of conflict in Liberia and the Republic of Congo. 

“In 2001, MC-130Hs were employed to seize an airfield in southern Afghanistan, delivering U.S. Army Rangers to commence ground operations in Operation Enduring Freedom,” the U.S. Air Force said. “Later in 2003, the MC-130H was the first U.S. aircraft to land at Baghdad International Airport to initiate missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.” For the past 20 years, it has been used extensively in humanitarian and combat operations, it said.

• READ MORE: Air Force Special Ops Testing Amphibious MC-130

Before aircraft 89-0280 took off for the last time, the ground crew at Hurlburt Field did one last ritual of rubbing its rounded nose.

“There’s special things you do whenever a plane leaves,” U.S. Staff Sgt. Kevin Rutkowski, a former crew chief with the 15th Aircraft Maintenance Unit at Hurlburt Field, said in a statement. “With the MC-130H, I used to give it a big hug on the nose and tell it goodbye and to keep my friends safe. I did that every single time.”

The post USAF Special Ops Sends Last MC-130H to the ‘Boneyard’ appeared first on FLYING Magazine.