Test Pilot First “Passenger” in Single-Seat QF-16

Boeing Test Pilot Jason Clements recently announced to his “fellow Viper drivers” that the beginning of an era is at hand — and the F-16 community will soon see their planes take to the air without pilots.

Clements is part of a team that has been converting F-16s to QF-16s, or pilotless drones.  He recently rode in the cockpit as a passenger for the entire sortie, never once touching the controls.

The QF-4 has long filled this role — so long, in fact, they need to be replaced.  This will apparently be the first time the US Air Force has turned an aircraft into drones while it was still fielded operationally.  In other words, it is conceivable that an F-16 pilot will get to shoot down a QF-16 — a feat heretofore unheard of.

The first “no pilot” QF-16 sortie is scheduled for Friday the 13th, next week.

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Fort Hood Shooter Forcibly Shaved

The Associated Press reports that US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan* was forcibly shaved upon his inprocessing at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he has joined the US military death row after being convicted for the Fort Hood massacre:

Lt. Col. S. Justin Platt, an Army spokesman, said in a statement Tuesday that Hasan had been shaved. Officials at Fort Leavenworth previously had said Hasan would be subject to Army regulations.

His decision to flaunt those regulations — claiming his Islamic faith suddenly required him to grow a beard — led to the first trial judge being dismissed.

*Though convicted, Hasan is technically still in the Army while his dismissal and sentence are being processed.

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Air Force Highlights Family’s Religion

A Davis-Monthan official article highlighted US Air Force SSgt Asad Abdul Muhammad, apparently for no other reason than he is a Muslim and his wife is not:

Abdul Muhammad, being the only Muslim in his household, was the only one who participated in Ramadan.

“The kids didn’t notice it much,” Abdul Muhammad said…

Abdul Muhammad’s wife is a Catholic, who is very interested in other religions, and teaches their children about the different options they have.

The article notes the family teaches all religions at home:  Read more

Grant Lets Soldiers Become Truck Drivers

As was noted here years ago, Air Force student pilots are often “tempted” to quit their training (or encouraged to continue, depending how you think about it) with the placement of truck driving school ads in conspicuous places.  The ads hanging on pilot training walls are only half-joking.

Now it seems a federal grant has enabled Soldiers from Fort Bragg — many of whom were transpo drivers in the Army — to get a commercial drivers license as they transition to civilian life:  Read more

Air Force UPT Packages Due November 29th

Active duty officers who are eligible and interested in becoming aicrew have until November 29th to submit applications for the “UFT Selection Board:”

The board will review candidates for fiscal year 2014/2015 training requirements in the pilot, remotely piloted aircraft, combat systems officer and air battle manager categories.

Applicants must meet age and commission date criteria – born April 1, 1984 or later and total federal service commissioned date after April 1, 2009 – and must have squadron commander or equivalent endorsement, said Maj. Andrew Larson, AFPC assignments officer.

One of the age-old questions is whether someone who wants to be a pilot can increase his chances of selection by saying he’ll also volunteer for RPAs Read more

Explosion Damages War Memorial Cross

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has been on the prowl for the slightest hint of religion in the public square, targeting as obscure monuments as Jesus at a ski resort and a war memorial in Coos Bay, Oregon.

Apparently, someone didn’t think they were moving fast enough and tried to blow it up:

An unknown individual detonated the IED near the memorial, located at Mingus Park in the City of Coos Bay, sometime late night between last Thursday and last Friday.

For its part, the FFRF naturally denounced the violence.

“We expressly do not Read more

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