WPAFB, Ohio -- A group of Miami Valley Air Force reservists is making a flight to Texas Friday to help take people out of the path of Hurricane Rita.

The reservists are part of the 445th Airlift Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. They left Friday morning less than 24 hours after being told they were needed.

The group hopes to beat Rita to Texas and take dozens of people to safety.

On board the C-141, the pilot, engineers and an aeromedical flight crew packed their gear and plan for their relief flight. The crew is headed to an airport in southeast Texas.

Officials said a number of hospital and care facility patients need to be moved. They said probably about 1,700 and 2,200 in all.

The plane is configured to take 60 patients that are bedridden or on gurneys. Another 80 people who are capable of moving under their own power can also be put on board.

Crews from the 445th have already made many flights for Hurricane Katrina relief.

As the pilots put their huge cargo plan into takeoff territory, the wing’s commander believes this may be the last relief flight ahead of Rita.

The crew is going to fly evacuees to an Air Force base near Atlanta. The commander said because of all of the committments his reserve unit is meeting, his maintenance crews took a plane scheduled to be retired and pressed it into service for Friday's flight.