Category Archives: Fighter Pilot

Aviation Museum Celebrates First F-16 Air to Air Kill

The Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor recently rolled out a freshly repainted F-16A with the name of retired Air Force Gen Gary “Nordo” North on the cockpit. Gen North — then a LtCol and squadron commander of the 33FS — was flying an F-16 when he shot down a MiG-25 violating the Southern No Fly Zone over Iraq in 1992.

The kill marked the first-ever air-to-air kill by an F-16, and also the first-ever air-to-air kill with an AIM-120 AMRAAM — much to the chagrin of the F-15 Eagles whose sole role was air combat, and who carried the AMRAAM as their exclusive active radar guided missile.

There’s one issue, however. We can forgive Read more

Air Force Pilot Dies in Crash of Classified Aircraft

After the Wednesday crash of two A-10s made news last Thursday, the military revealed on Friday that another aircraft had crashed on Tuesday. US Air Force LtCol Eric Schultz died in the crash of an “unspecified” aircraft:

Lt. Col. Eric Schultz was flying an unspecified aircraft at about 6 p.m. over the Nevada Test and Training Range, approximately 100 miles northwest of Nellis Air Force Base, a spokeswoman at the air base said Friday…

“Information about the type of aircraft involved is classified and not releasable,” Maj. Christina Sukach, chief of public affairs…

The tragic death of Doc and the impact on his family — his wife and five kids — has been overshadowed by the secrecy of the news report. The Aviationist speculated on the existence Read more

Future USAF Pilots Sing on America’s Got Talent

A US Air Force article highlights three AF pilots-in-training who were also part of In the Stairwell as cadets — which began as an unofficial and impromptu singing group at the US Air Force Academy.

This would normally be fair fodder for criticism and jokes to follow them throughout their pilot careers (see, for example, the “crushworthy” KC-135 pilot).

But, in all fairness, they’re actually pretty good: Read more

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