Category Archives: Fighter Pilot

All Female AWACs Crew includes Four Males

The 552nd Air Control Wing, which flies the E-3 Sentry, went out of its way to find 19 female Airmen to fill the flight deck and mandatory crew positions of the AWACs.  They “made history…by fielding an all-female flight crew.”  The wing pulled women from every unit, including Reserves, to find enough female Airmen:

The crew, comprised every operational flying squadron within the wing, took to the air on Aug. 23, in what is believed to be the first sortie flown by an all-female crew from the wing.

The “all female” flight routine has been done — and lauded — several times before, in other units and at other levels.  It appears precedent has been set for every unit and airframe to make a “historic” gender-specific flight.

In an awkward twist, the four men onboard the aircraft appear to have been ignored so it could be called an “all female” crew:  Read more

Airman Delivers Daughter, Deploys

Airman First Class Timothy Pledger’s first flight out to deploy to Guam for six months was delayed, so he was able to spend a few more hours with his wife, who was due to have their child “any day.”  His daughter decided to make her arrival at that moment, so Pledger had to help:

So Pledger returned home to be with his pregnant wife…Around 9 a.m., his wife’s water broke…

“The baby was already coming out. I called [emergency services] so they could give me step-by-step instructions on how to deliver the baby…”

After applying what the emergency personnel told him, a few minutes later his daughter was completely out and breathing normally.

A few hours later, Pledger got on an airplane and left for six months:  Read more

Search Begins for New Air Force One

The Department of Defense has apparently begun the search for a replacement for the Air Force VC-25A — the Boeing 747-200 better known as “Air Force One” when the President of the United States is onboard. (There are actually two similarly configured 747s.)

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center on Sept. 9 released a Sources Sought Synopsis, a survey asking potential contractors about their ability to create a suitable replacement to the VC-25, the modified Boeing 747-200 that has carried presidents since 1990.

The program for replacement actually began several years ago, and there were rumors that Airbus would offer an A380 — though the spectre of the American Presidential airplane being a “foreign” aircraft stoked much criticism.  The replacement is almost certainly going to be a modern Boeing aircraft, though the contractor who modifies the aircraft may yet be another company.

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Doolittle Raiders Final Toast Scheduled for November

After their last reunion in April, the remaining four Doolittle Raiders will privately gather for their final toast November 9th at the National Museum of the Air Force.

Today, just four of the men survive: Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, co-pilot of crew No. 1; Lt. Col. Robert L. Hite, co-pilot of crew No. 16; Lt. Col. Edward J. Saylor, engineer-gunner of crew No. 15; and Staff Sgt. David J. Thatcher, engineer-gunner of crew No. 7…

Each year, the remaining Raiders have toasted their comrades and turned over the goblets of those who passed away the prior year.  The original plan had been for the final two to open a celebratory bottle of cognac in a last gathering.  Due to age and health concerns, they decided to make this their final year.

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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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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

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