Category Archives: Fighter Pilot

Flying to Resume at Vance AFB

According to reports, the labor union on strike at Vance AFB has reached an agreement with its parent contractor that will enable them to resume support of pilot training operations.

Part of the reason given for contracting maintenance, rather than having active duty military duty do it, is the cost savings to the military.  Given the recent events–which included having to bring in support from other bases for life-saving functions and sending aircrew to other bases to accomplish their training–one wonders if the military saved much money (or if the contractor will cover the bill for not fulfilling its contract over the two week strike).

The contractors will now have to prepare aircraft for flying that have been sitting idle for two weeks.  This is unlikely to be a pleasant endeavor for either them or the aircrew, as aircraft are notorious for not liking being idle for so long.

Afghan Pilot Finishes USAF Training

An Afghan military officer completed the US Air Force’s Aviation Leadership Program and was awarded his wings.  Lt. Faiz Mohammed Ramaki was selected to attend the training last year.  It appears Lt Ramaki finished the program by flying the T-6, rather than the T-38 or T-1 that USAF pilots fly.  Lt Ramaki is said to be going to fly the C-27 Spartan for the Afghan Air Force.

UAV Trainees Outnumber Combat Pilot Trainees

According to the Air Force Times, the Air Force will train more UAV pilots than fighter/bomber pilots this year.  While the current number of fighter and bomber pilots still dwarfs the number of UAV pilots, the Air Force will train 240 UAV pilots, though only 214 fighter and bomber pilots, this year.

The article does not distinguish between Predator and Global Hawk UAVs, which might be a similar distinction between fighter/bomber and airlift/tanker pilots.

UPT Planes Grounded

Many logistics functions, like support, aircraft maintenance, and administration used to be largely conducted by enlisted Airmen.  As a result of budget decreases and manning decisions, however, much of these jobs are now done by civilian contractors.  This adds some complexity to the issue of conducting military operations, as when a labor strike recently grounded the fleet at Vance Air Force Base.  (Operations are still suspended at the base.)

The Air Force isn’t even a party to the labor conflict, as the dispute is between two external organizations.  Still, it is the victim of the work stoppage.

The base even had to bring in augmentees from other bases just to man basic life-saving functions like the Fire Department.  Officially, however, the Air Force remains “neutral” in the labor dispute.

Youngest Predator Operators Graduate

The first pilot training graduates to go straight to Unmanned Air Vehicle training for the Predator (as noted previously) have recently graduated from the Predator training course.

Some have described the actions as necessary given the high demand for UAV missions in the ongoing conflicts.  Others have worried that removing pilots from their pilot role (of actual aircraft) when they have little to no experience may doom their ability to return to the cockpit after 3 to 4 years of the non-flying tour.

T-38 Crashes at Edwards AFB

Update: The pilot, Capt. Mark P. Graziano, a student at the USAF Test Pilot School, has been reported killed in the crash.  The backseater of the two place aircraft, Maj. Lee V. Jones, a navigator training as a flight test engineer, was injured.

Edwards AFB reported the crash of one of its T-38 aircraft in the Southern California desert.  The status of the crew was reported as unknown.

An F-22 crashed at Edwards just under 2 months ago, killing the contract Lockheed pilot.

F-22A Crashes in California

As noted at a variety of sources, including the official AF news outlet, an Air Force F-22A has crashed while performing a test mission near Edwards AFB, CA.  The condition of the pilot has not been released.

UPDATE: CNN, Fox, and Edwards AFB public affairs now report that the pilot was a Lockheed Martin civilian (Air Force veteran) who did not survive the crash:

Lockheed Martin said the test pilot, David Cooley, 49, of Palmdale, California, joined the company in 2003 and was a 21-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends, amidst the tragic reminder of the danger of the fighter (and test) pilot profession.

Fighter Pilot Speak: “B-LOC”

B-LOC:  Pronounced “bee-lock,” it is a play on the term “G-LOC,” or g-induced loss of consciousness, which is a blackout caused by loss of blood to the brain during high-g maneuvering.

B-LOC, on the other hand, is boredom-induced loss of consciousness, and may be the result of hours of mandatory briefings or even briefed as a potential threat for a very, very low-intensity sortie.

See more fighter pilot terminology at Fighter Pilot Speak.

1 … 96 97 98 99 100 … 104