Tag Archives: Aircraft

Military Aviation, God Willing

Stars and Stripes penchant for finding religion in a story continues with its headline “Wing and a prayer.”  The title is evidently a reference to the Islamic “cultural view” cited in the article:

The members of the air corps are “the cream of the cream of the crop” when it comes to the Afghan army, Rennell said. Still, an “inshallah” (God willing) mind-set dominates the ranks, a cultural view that clashes with the strict protocols required for operating highly technical aircraft.

While insha’allah is traditionally compared with the Southern Baptist “Lord willin’,” others have considered it more a statement of realism or fatalism.  In what may be an urban legend based on stereotype, stories have been told about Islamic pilots Read more

US Air Force Flies “Beast of Kandahar”

Military.com and FoxNews are two of several sites repeating articles that say the US Air Force has acknowledged a new UAV “shrouded in secrecy.”

Grainy photos show what appears to be a flying-wing aircraft, which was reportedly initially photographed flying over Afghanistan in 2007.

If nothing else, it is worth remembering that the US military is in a constant effort to field the best systems and weaponry.  Because such systems are often developed and employed in secrecy, sometimes that’s an easy thing to forget.

Dream Jobs in the US Air Force

The Air Force Times carried a short article on “Dream Jobs” in the Air Force.  While it appears to have been a slow news day, it is worth noting that Air Force members can often participate in some very unique, challenging, and downright fun career fields–some that they may not even have considered or knew existed.  As a recent article pointed out, one AF pilot even went to fly with the US Marines.

The AF Times article lists Aggressor Pilot, Test Pilot, and Thunderbird among a list of other career fields that include Enlisted Aide and VIP Flight Attendant.

Not every job in the Air Force, or the military, is as “cool” Read more

Yearning for the Wild Blue Yonder

The Washington Post chronicles the story of Colin Banks, a high school senior who dreams of going to the US Air Force Academy and becoming a fighter pilot.

While the article has the unfortunate tendency of focusing on race, Banks’ story is a good one.  He has an avid interest in all things aeronautic and has an unbelievably supportive mother.  His mother has taken him to Air Force Day at the National Air and Space Museum’s Dulles annex (a pilot heaven, and home of the space shuttle Enterprise), researched Air Force jobs, and drives him to his flight lessons.

As a result of a Tuskegee Airman program called Youth in Aviation, Read more

General: Fighter Pilots’ Jobs Safe, for Now

Lt. Gen. David Deptula, Air Force deputy chief of staff for ISR and a strong advocate for UAVs, recently stated that “we haven’t even seen the horizon yet” on the last manned tactical aircraft.

While many have forecasted the “unemployment of the fighter pilot” as UAVs have become more ubiquitous, Deptula’s reason for saying fighter pilots have some job security is fairly simple: 

There is no sensor package capable of “360-degree situational awareness that can process information” and decide on how to act upon it better than the human brain.

The article notes that Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said he is “inclined to believe” that the F-35 will be the last manned fighter.

White House Staff Swaps F-22 for F-15

In an interesting “behind the scenes” look at a Presidential speech, The Cable, a blog of Foreign Policy magazine, says that White House staffers asked an Air Force squadron to remove its F-22 from President Obama’s speech location and replace it with an F-15.  The story was corroborated by an Elmendorf AFB public affairs officer.

The blog reports that some of the local troops who fly and maintain the Raptor “took offense” and were bewildered that the White House wouldn’t want to showcase the Air Force’s premier front line fighter.

It is highly unlikely that Obama personally had anything to do with the decision.  Such political “staging” matters are frequently made at levels well below the Oval Office (as noted by the article saying aides made the request).  As the Foreign Policy article shows, though, sometimes the decision to use what might seem like an innocuous stage piece (in this case, two Air Force fighter aircraft) may have a significant backstory.

Crew Mistake Led to F-15E Crash in Afghanistan

The Air Force and the Air Force Times have published articles releasing information on the crash of an F-15E Strike Eagle in Afghanistan in July.  The crash claimed the lives of the both the fighter pilot, Capt Mark McDowell, and the WSO, Capt Thomas Granith.

The investigation determined that the two-man crew was executing a simulated attack for training on their way back to base.  The planned attack was a high-angle night strafe against a ground target.  After their flight lead aborted a simulated attack Read more

1 … 24 25 26 27 28 … 32