Civilian pilots like Rick Hotchkiss have opportunity to serve their country through an arrangement commercial airlines have with the military. The program is called Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF).
By Diane Tartaglia
Rick Hotchkiss is a fortunate man.
He recently returned safely from a successful mission flying troops from the United States into Kuwait (via Germany) and he’s not currently in the military.
Civilian pilots like Mr. Hotchkiss have the opportunity to serve their country through an arrangement many commercial airlines have with the military. The program is called Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF). This service provides the Department of Defense extra airlift capacity to move U.S. troops and military cargo.
In times of military conflict, civilian pilots and support staff can volunteer for this duty when called. When not volunteering for CRAF, Mr. Hotchkiss is a commercial pilot for American Airlines and lives in Hopewell Township with his wife and their two daughters, Rachael and Elizabeth.
A quick search of CRAF found that as of Feb. 8, the Secretary of Defense had given authority to the US Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) to activate Stage 1 of CRAF. A news release from the Pentagon stated: "The authority to activate CRAF Stage 1 involves 22 US airline companies and their 78 commercial aircraft-47 passenger aircraft and 31 wide body cargo aircraft. While this authority is for all 78 commercial aircraft in the CRAF stage 1 program, USTRANSCOM commander Air Force General John W. Handy is only activating 47 passenger aircraft."
Mr. Hotchkiss and the rest of the crew with which he works volunteered their time.
Few people knew Mr. Hotchkiss had been called for this assignment. Before many of his neighbors and friends realized, he was off to Kennedy Airport. From there he flew a 777 empty to Fort Drum in Watertown, N.Y. His mission: to transport troops from the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum to Frankfurt, Germany. This included over 200 men and women, their ammunition and chemical gear. From that point troops would need transport to Kuwait. "All four pilots that flew on this five-day mission are military trained. There were nine flight attendants as well. There is no shortage of volunteers," explained Mr. Hotchkiss. In addition, the flight attendants all wore American flag patches on the arms of their uniforms. "That’s not standard American Airlines dress code," he said.
The dedication to his country is evident and the ties run deep for many of the crew members who flew this mission. One of the flight attendant’s daughters is a Marine helicopter pilot who has yet to see action.
Commercial airline pilots have a level of commitment that many average citizens might not understand. "It carries over into my job. I will do what it takes to keep people safe," said Mr. Hotchkiss. In this post-Sept. 11 world, volunteer military service is a natural extension of the job pilots do, every time they go to work.
Mr. Hotchkiss doesn’t know when he will be called for another CRAF assignment. He does know the troops will need transport home. So, if given the opportunity, he and his crew probably will be taking off again.

