Olympic gold medalist in soccer Abby Wambach recently received a flight in an F-15 Eagle, courtesy of the Air National Guard in Montana.
“She was in the back seat, flying with Lt. Col. Larry Gardner, and she got to see some of the physical demands it takes to be a fighter pilot,” [Maj Cody] Smith said.
She also spoke to troops on diversity, encouragement, and “empowerment of women in the military.”
The US Air Force has reported that an F-15C Eagle from Nellis AFB crashed near Alamo, NV, yesterday afternoon. The pilot ejected and had “started walking” when he was picked up by a rescue helicopter about 30 minutes later.
As usual, the AF will investigate the mishap and report on it some months from now.
The F-15C Eagle, the US Air Force’s only dedicated air superiority fighter, has just seen its last class of students graduate, at least on the active duty side. The five-man B-course graduated May 14th. The Oregon National Guard will continue to train Guard pilots, at least until the Air Force finally retires the Eagle.
Their graduation speaker was retired Brigadier General Steve Ritchie, the only Air Force officer to become an ace in Vietnam.
The Tyndall B-course was also the scene for American Fighter Pilot (reviewed here), a short-lived “reality” series following a trio of students through training.