The NTSB released initial findings (full NTSB report here) regarding the July 7th midair between a US Air Force F-16 and a civilian Cessna 150.
The F-16 pilot was apparently on a single ship instrument sortie, practicing approaches first at Myrtle Beach, then at Charleston AFB. The Cessna took off from a local field and was not in contact with Air Traffic Control, and he was not required to be. ATC called out the (unknown) Cessna Read more
Update: An Associated Press article adds additional information, indicating the F-16 was single-ship, operating under ATC control practicing instrument approaches:
At the time of the collision, Maj. Johnson was flying solo, practicing instrument approaches to a military base and was communicating with Charleston air traffic controllers, according to Col. Stephen Jost, commander of the 20th Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base.
Jost said he thought it was overcast at the time of the collision, but he was not aware of any weather-related problems.
A Shaw AFB-based F-16 collided with a civilian Cessna in South Carolina, resulting in the ejection of the F-16 pilot and the deaths of the two people on board the General Aviation aircraft. Using their Facebook page, the base announced: Read more
Textron/Cessna’s Scorpion — an industry produced military-jet hopeful previously noted — continues to progress through its flight test, according to a local press release:
Recent flights have been gathering data about the aircraft’s performance at various speeds, altitudes and climb rates, and the responsiveness of its avionics, flight controls and landing systems, the Read more
A press release notes Textron Airland, a joint venture between Cessna and an industry group, has self-produced an aircraft it intends to market as a low-cost irregular warfare aircraft. The “Scorpion”
is well matched to the Air National Guard’s missions such as irregular warfare, border patrol, maritime surveillance, emergency relief, counter narcotics and air defense operations,” the joint venture’s website says…
The Scorpion will be able to carry 3,000 pounds of weapons at speeds up to 517 mph, according to the company’s website. The plane’s ceiling is 45,000 feet.
Airland is a group made up of “formed by former defense and aerospace executives,” including former Secretary of the Air Force F. Whitten Peters. One of the Scorpion’s primary selling points is that it has been developed without government funds to date, making it an “off the shelf” and economical purchase.
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The blog of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) describes how the group took a 1980 Cessna 206 and broke it down to its smallest components in an extensive rebuild effort:
[The] 1980 Cessna TU206, named HC-BMO, served 20 years in Ecuador… After accumulating almost 10,000 flight hours (about 1.4 million miles) we reassigned it to Africa. But first, we routed it through Nampa for a new engine and a major airframe overhaul…
We drilled out and replaced over 11,000 rivets to expose and check every square inch of every surface. We inspected each Read more
The US Air Force recently announced opportunities for three Air Force teen summer camps in 2012. The camps are intended to inspire future careers in space and aviation and are open only to dependents of active duty, National Guard, Reserves, retirees, and Air Force civilians. More information can be seen at the Air Force Services website: www.afyouthprograms.com.
These events are free — including flight time in a Cessna, rope courses, and space center tours. The only cost is the travel necessary to get to the camps, presenting a very affordable opportunity to have some unique experiences.
The camps are as follows: Read more