OWEGO, N.Y. –
Defense Contract Management Agency Lockheed Martin Owego employees recently met the secretary of the Navy.
On Sept. 29, Richard Spencer, the 76th secretary, visited the facility. At Spencer's request, a LM Owego flight crew received approval from the DCMA Aircraft Operations directorate to fly a Navy MH-60R helicopter, also known as a Seahawk, to the local airport in Binghamton to pick up the secretary and fly with him to the Lockheed Martin facility.
After a procedural briefing and putting on his flight gear, Spencer, himself a former Marine Corps helicopter pilot, took his position as the copilot of the Seahawk. The secretary and DCMA flight crew flew from the Binghamton Regional Airport to the heliport located here, a 15-minute flight.
During the flight, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Dustin Robbins, the DCMA chief of flight operations who served as the aircraft commander, demonstrated the sensor capabilities of the helicopter to the secretary.
“The secretary then took the controls and flew the helicopter, in which he was able to experience firsthand the handling characteristics of the aircraft,” said Navy Cmdr. Mark Angelo, the commander of LM Owego.
“After taking the controls back, Lt. Cmdr. Robbins executed a fly-by for the crowd waiting for the secretary to arrive. A safe landing was then executed and the secretary disembarked the helicopter and was greeted by everyone here,” added Angelo. “It was an honor to meet the current secretary of the Navy. He was appreciative of DCMA’s mission and how we support the Navy.”