An Air Force Times article notes the USAF F-22 fleet remains grounded over an oxygen issue. The F-22 fleet has been grounded since early May. The flight restriction has resulted in aircraft being completed at the Lockheed plant, but they cannot be flown for check out or acceptance.
A US Air Force fighter pilot is safe after ejecting from his QF-4 near Roswell, New Mexico. The QF-4s fly out of Holloman AFB.
The QF-4 is an optionally manned aircraft often used as a target drone for weapons testing.
A recent Army article noted the continuation of a longstanding aviation tradition: conducting sorties with American flags onboard the aircraft. These “combat experienced” flags are then given to any of a variety of organizations or requesting individuals back home.
The [Army aviators] fly the flag a bit differently. They fly their flags inside an Apache attack helicopter while patrolling the skies of Iraq. Read more
The US Air Force Academy has purchased new training aircraft to replace those it has leased for more than a decade. USAFA has not purchased a training fleet since the ill-fated T-3A Firefly killed 3 cadets and 3 officers from 1995 to 1997.
The Cirrus T-53A is a single engine propeller driven aircraft and will be used in USAFA’s flight training program. The T-53 acquisition will run $6.1M for the fleet of 25. The local article also notes the aircraft is equipped with a whole-aircraft parachute.
The aircraft will be evaluated by test pilots from Edwards Air Force base before its use as a cadet trainer.
An Air Force public affairs article described an officer’s deployment in support of mortuary affairs at Dover, a somber and honorable duty.
The article inadvertently touched on another historical tradition of the US Air Force (or, more accurately, the US Army Air Forces). The author published a photo of her grandfather with his A-20 Havoc in World War II:
A close up Read more
Lt Ryan McGuire, the pilot training student who lost his leg and won a fight to stay in training, has graduated and received his wings.
By becoming the first amputee to graduate from pilot training, First Lt. Ryan McGuire earned his spot among the elite group…
The new Air force pilot is reportedly headed to Altus AFB, Oklahoma, to learn to fly the C-17 Globemaster III. He has become the first amputee to earn his wings in pilot training.
The US Air Force and Navy appear to have been in an unspoken competition over their use of “green” or synthetic alternative fuels in their fighters — each vying for “firsts.”
It appears the Air Force Thunderbirds beat the Navy Blue Angels to be the first to use it in their demonstration team:
The Thunderbirds will use alternative fuel, unprecedented for any Department of Defense aerial team, at the [airshow] here May 20 and 21, officials said.
The team will fly with Camelina-based hydrotreated renewable jet fuel as part of the nation’s overall strategy to reduce reliance on foreign energy and establish greater energy security through conservation and use of “home grown” alternative energy sources, said Terry Yonkers, the assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics.
On a related noted, the Blue Angels apparently had an ‘incident’ Read more
Another US Navy fighter squadron conducted a change of command in the air recently.
The “Red Rippers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11 held an airborne change of command ceremony above the deployed aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) April 27.
Cmdr. Daniel J. Sullivan IV relieved Cmdr. Randy Stearns as VFA 11 commanding officer.
Sullivan and Stearns both flew Read more