Category Archives: Fighter Pilot

Stanley McChrystal to Retire, Scott McChrystal Preaches On

Never one to miss a controversy, the media is expressing shock that “the Army” would let only three hand-picked journalists attend General Stanley McChrystal’s retirement, scheduled this Friday.  They fail to fully understand that a military retirement is not a government ceremony, and the retiree can do as much or as little as he chooses, and invite whomever he pleases.

A military article also notes the continuing ministry of his brother, Chaplain (Colonel) Scott McChrystal, US Army (retired).  He recently spoke at a prayer breakfast at Read more

TSA: No Grenades on Commercial Flights

In case you were wondering, the Transportation Security Administration has issued a reminder to US military members that explosives are not allowed on commercial flights.

TSA spokesman Lauren Gaches said agency workers occasionally encounter servicemembers who have packed inert grenades or other prohibited items in their luggage, often as a keepsake from the battlefield.

While this may seem intuitive on some level, the situation is understandably complex for military members.  Unlike past conflicts with mass, dedicated-military transportation, many servicmembers travel to and from the combat zone on commercial aircraft (or they transfer from a military theatre flight to a commercial flight), and they bring their weapons, combat gear, etc, with them.

It is not unheard of for a representative of a chartered commercial flight to brief a planeload of Soldiers about what’s not allowed onboard — only to have all of them start asking what they’re supposed to do with the Gerbers on their belts and the knives in their boots.

At least the TSA is confiscating the contraband, rather than arresting the military member as might happen if a civilian tried to board a flight with a similar item.

The Army Air Force, 2010

A common “gotcha” question among the American military services is Which branch has the most aircraft?

The answer:  The US Army.

While most people think the Army Air Forces ceased to exist just after World War II (at the birth of the Air Force), the US Army retains a large air force of its own.  Granted, most of its aircraft are rotary (helicopter) rather than fixed wing, but its total number of aviation assets exceeds that of the Air Force, which is generally the assumed answer.

Still, the US Army does retain some fixed wing assets.  The Mississippi National Guard — not the Air National Guard — recently flew out to document some of the Gulf oil spill incident.  The aircraft was a C-23 Sherpa, and it was flown by the typical Army aviator: a Warrant Officer.

The Army had been planning to acquire the C-27 to replace the C-23, though funding for the Army’s allocation of C-27s was previously in doubt.

New Ejection Seat Improves T-38

The Air Force has announced that the 50 year old fleet of T-38 Talons, the AF’s primary jet trainer, is being upgraded with a new ejection seat.  The Martin Baker seat will reportedly be a vast improvement over the prior version, integrating the parachute with the seat (so it no longer has to be carried to the jet by the pilot) as well as giving the T-38 a zero-zero ejection capability.

The modification includes sequenced ejection; in the original version of the T-38, each cockpit ejected independently of the other.  Now, either cockpit can command ejection, both seats will go, and the rear seat will always go first.

This is not an insignificant change.  In 2009, a rear seat crew member ejected while the front seat pilot did not.  Since the seats were independent, the front seater remained in the aircraft to impact.

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