Category Archives: Fighter Pilot

Former President Bush Greets Returning Troops in Texas

Former President George W. Bush repeatedly said that serving as the Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces was one of his highest honors.  His actions demonstrated his devotion to the military, and they continue to do so.  Even in the absence of the press or publicity, he continues to treat the troops as special to him.

See pictures and a link to a video of Bush’s visit to DFW on 11 August 2010 to greet returning troops.

Whether or not one agrees with his politics, his sincere, continuing appreciation of and devotion toward the US military is admirable, and appreciated.

UAV Gets Lost, Flies to DC

According to the Navy Times, a US Navy UAV got “lost” and entered the restricted airspace around Washington, DC.

According to a Navy statement, the incident took place Aug. 2 when, about 75 minutes into a routine test flight, an MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned helicopter operating out of the Patuxent River test facilities in southern Maryland lost its control link with ground operators.

The aircraft then flew about 23 miles on a north-by-northwest course and entered the National Capital Region restricted airspace, part of the Air Defense Identification Zone surrounding Washington, D.C.

Most UAVs are programmed with “lost link” procedures that command the UAV into a preplanned flight profile if it loses contact with its ground station.  According to the article, an “anomaly” prevented this failsafe.

Callsigns, Traditions, and a Naval Officer’s IG Complaint

Though a few days older than the original story on the Naval officer who filed a complaint over his naming, a Time Magazine story contains more details on “callsigns” in the military, with some interesting, stereotypical (and likely accurate) comments:

In the testosterone-laden world of military aviation, call signs for pilots and other squadron personnel can be really sticky — the more an aviator complains about the moniker his colleagues bestow upon him, the tighter its grip will be.

Over the years, that has led to lots of embarrassing call signs beyond the famous one brandished by Read more

Navy Officer Files IG Complaint Over Naming

FoxNews has an article about Ensign Steve Crowston, a Navy officer who said he was the victim of sexual discrimination:

The harassment began in August 2009, says Crowston, 36, when his fellow officers called him into a room for a review of call signs, a military moniker that easily identifies a service member. He says his name was written on a whiteboard with a list of call sign recommendations: “Cowboy,” “Gay Boy,” “Fagmeister,” “Cowgirl,” “Romo’s Bitch,” “TO, “Terrell Owens” and “Redskins.”

Call signs can be used in official military correspondence and Read more

US to Sell F-15s to Saudi Arabia, Israel Expresses Concerns

In an interesting revelation of behind-the-scenes maneuvering, the US has said it will sell Saudi Arabia “very capable” F-15s, though they will reportedly be ‘less capable’ than some purchased by South Korea and Singapore.  Reportedly, this would appease the concerns of Israel about its military advantage in the region.

Of note, Saudi Arabia already has F-15s; this weapons buy would simply be a purchase of newer, more advanced versions of those aircraft.

1 … 73 74 75 76 77 … 104