[dragoon500ly]

I've been reading, with a great deal of intrest, all of the postings for the Aviation arm of the Project. Here are a few observations:

The Project itself is supposed to be a small group focused on rebuilding America. The more personnel pulled from the teams and into support functions is that many fewer personnel able to assist the surviving population.

Planning for the Project was based on a 5-year wake-up after TEOTWAWKI. The Aviation section would have small numbers of helicopters and transports for immediate use, with a plan to secure additional aircraft from surviving airfields. I can see a large-ish supply of spare parts and a pool of engineers, mechanics and pilots to repair and use existing aircraft.

The Project is, for the most part a civilian organization with some military aspects....it would be doubtful at best, that the planners would deem it necessary for the Morrow Air Force to acquire its own fleet of combat aircraft. With a 5-year wake up, there is a real possibility that the US Air Force may still be in existence, why confuse things more?

Aircraft means airfields and support structures. I can see the Project planning for auto-gyros...helicopters and rough-field capable transports because these can be used for reconnaissance and transport of essential supplies/personnel, but there comes a point where the question becomes how many aircraft are necessary? A handful of auto-gyros and a couple of helicopters at a regional base, Prime Base with its handful of larger helos and transport aircraft is a reasonable number. Anthing more than 30-50 aircraft would require the diversion of personnel and supplies from assisting the survivors.