BFM is “Basic Fighter Maneuvers.” In the simplest terms, its dogfighting. Two aircraft fight one-versus-one in scripted setups, starting from positions of advantage, disadvantage, and neutrality.
The objective is to teach a fighter pilot “close quarters” combat with his aircraft, though with the advent of high off-boresight missiles, the era of drawn out “BFM” (a la the last few minutes of Top Gun) may be fading.
See more terminology and jargon at Fighter Pilot Speak.
The ceremony for a unit change of command is steeped in tradition, consistent with the history that is often cited at the ceremonies. The formal event was originally an opportunity for members of a unit to see their old commander relinquish his authority and transfer the flag of command to the new leader.
A unique and fairly modern twist on this ceremony sometimes take place in aviation squadrons. As the ceremony is conducted on the ground, the incoming commander flies overhead on the wing of the outgoing commander. As the two aircraft Read more
Several sources report that Rear Admiral Larry Rice’s February 1 retirement has been put on hold while his role in the USS Enterprise “XO Movie Night” video brouhaha is investigated. Rice was one of two commanders of the Enterprise, and CAPT Honors superior, when the videos that caused Honors’ dismissal were aired.
The USS Enterprise, in the meantime, has left on its scheduled deployment. CAPT Dee Mewbourne reportedly promised to boost morale by other means:
The new commander of the USS Enterprise on Thursday promised karaoke and video games to boost crew morale instead of the raunchy videos…
After a scandal involving “inappropriate” photos in a commercial airline cockpit, this site covered the fighter pilot tradition of putting risqué photos in cross country mission planning materials. It appears the Apollo astronauts did the same thing.
On January 13th an auction house is planning to start selling off artifacts from a variety of space missions, including a Playboy centerfold:
Vintage color calendar photo of Playboy Playmate Miss August 1967, DeDe Lind, which was stowed away in the Apollo 12 command module Yankee Clipper during its November 1969 voyage to the moon…
The topless image is an original taken from one of the 1969 calendars published by Playboy and features the month Read more
According to an Air Force press release, the Air Force has removed the restriction that Air Liaison Officers (ALOs) must be rated aircrew. ALOs are the Air Force members who deploy on the ground with the Army to coordinate with Air Force assets during airstrikes, among other purposes.
This was presented as an “opportunity” for non-aviators: Read more
There’s been much ado lately regarding the normally secretive Chinese allowing photos and videos of their new “stealth plane” to make its way onto the internet.
Interestingly, it comes as the current administration has cancelled the F-22 future acquisitions, is planning to shrink the Defense Department’s budget, and may potentially cancel some portions of the F-35. The Stars and Stripes repeats speculation the administration has been “caught flat-footed.”
According to the Air Force Times, the US Air Force determined that the November 2010 flyby of a University of Iowa football game was below the minimum altitude required by regulation.
The pilots involved may face some form of disciplinary action.
It was disturbing this weekend to see the attempted assassination of US House Rep Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) — in which a 9 year old girl lost her life — devolve into a game of political gotcha within minutes.
Because Giffords was a pro-abortion Democrat who defeated a “Tea Party” candidate just a few weeks ago, some pointed at right-wing “AM radio-listening” pro-life extremists. When the alleged shooter’s internet ramblings started to become public — in which he appears to be a confused socialist and ambiguously anti-religion — the speculation went from “conservative fundamentalist” to “lunatic.” Apparently because to Read more