Category Archives: Fighter Pilot

Military Pilots Sleeping in Flight?

An article at MSNBC talks about the controversy of pilots sleeping while in flight.  The discussion about airline pilots is a separate issue; the article specifically mentions military pilots, however:

Even a 10-minute nap can improve a pilot’s performance, said Scott Shappell, a Clemson University professor who as director of the Human Factors Institute helped write the flying policies that govern military pilots.

In the military, pilots flying alone have been allowed for decades to take naps, Shappell said. “I can tell you absolutely, but good luck trying to find proof of this, in the military we have single-seat pilots take naps,” he said. Read more

New Bomber on the Air Force Docket

Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz and Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley have reportedly called for a new bomber to be added to the fleet.  The goal would be for it to work in a variety of regimes (asymmetric to conventional to nuclear) and the aircraft would be “optionally manned.”

The Air Force currently relies on a very small number of B-2s, an ever-aging number of B-52s, and the B-1.

Supreme Court to Review A-12 Contract Dispute

According to an Associated Press report, two contractors in the A-12 program, Boeing and General Dynamics, are fighting to avoid a government-demanded repayment of $1.35 billion (plus interest) from the failed aircraft acquisition.  The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the contractors’ complaint that the government invoked a state secrets defense that has prevented them from adequately defending their position in the decades-long running contract dispute.

Most people under the age of 40 probably don’t know what the A-12 Avenger even is.  The over-budget, behind-schedule program to replace frontline Navy aircraft was finally cancelled in 1991.

USAFA Drones Overtaking Jets

The Colorado Springs Gazette, local to the US Air Force Academy, has an interesting article on the rise of UAVs at “Zoom U,” the military Academy most stereotypically known for its association with fighter jets.

Last year, the Air Force ordered more drones than fighter jets, and the Air Force Academy became the first service academy in the nation to launch a program to coach cadets in their use.

“Unmanned aircraft are here, and they are the future of the Air Force,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Dave Latham, an experienced pilot who directs the academy’s extracurricular drone program.

UAVs are becoming an integral part of the US Air Force, even from the beginning.

Pilots Eject from T-6, Indian MiG-27. Commuter Jet Slides In…

In a seemingly rough week for aircraft, a student and instructor successfully ejected from their T-6A Texan II near Laughlin AFB, Texas, late last week.  As usual, it will be more than 30 days before a report is released on the cause.

In India, a pilot successfully ejected from his MiG-27 before it crashed.

And according to FoxNews, a commuter jet had an unsafe gear and scraped a wing down the runway in New York.  (Video on YouTube.)

Air Force Birthday Re-Inspires Age Old Question

The Air Force celebrated its birthday on 18 September; the “celebration” inspired some to repeat the frequently asked question: Are pilots becoming obsolete?

But that specter of obsolescence is beginning to haunt some of the most tech-savvy men and women in America – Air Force pilots – as the service looks toward an unmanned air fleet capable of any and every kind of combat and support role, from close air support to cargo and refueling; a fleet “smart” enough to work together, even “swarming” to carry out tactical and strategic missions.

More at Military.com.

Australia to Receive First Export EA-18G Growler

The US government has reportedly agreed to allow the export of Boeing’s EA-18G Growler to Australia.  The Growler is an electronic attack aircraft built on an F/A-18 frame, though it replaces some of the offensive kinetic capability with electronic attack/defense suites instead.

See the prior discussion on the approval of full rate production (and the name) of the Growler, as well as other fighter pilot aircraft.

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