Budget constraints have made senior Air Force leaders start openly talking about retiring the venerable A-10, again.
Hostage said he had already talked to Army officials about losing the A-10 and using other jets to take over the close-air support role. The Army was “not happy” about the possibility, Hostage said.
Every decade or so a push has been made to mothball Read more
The 552nd Air Control Wing, which flies the E-3 Sentry, went out of its way to find 19 female Airmen to fill the flight deck and mandatory crew positions of the AWACs. They “made history…by fielding an all-female flight crew.” The wing pulled women from every unit, including Reserves, to find enough female Airmen:
The crew, comprised every operational flying squadron within the wing, took to the air on Aug. 23, in what is believed to be the first sortie flown by an all-female crew from the wing.
The “all female” flight routine has been done — and lauded — several times before, in other units and at other levels. It appears precedent has been set for every unit and airframe to make a “historic” gender-specific flight.
In an awkward twist, the four men onboard the aircraft appear to have been ignored so it could be called an “all female” crew: Read more
Being a fighter pilot is like being in a motorcycle gang…
…but your mother is still proud of you.
This ministry aims to take that on:
Christian Bikers Convene for ‘Camp Meeting Revival’ In Tennessee
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After their last reunion in April, the remaining four Doolittle Raiders will privately gather for their final toast November 9th at the National Museum of the Air Force.
Today, just four of the men survive: Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, co-pilot of crew No. 1; Lt. Col. Robert L. Hite, co-pilot of crew No. 16; Lt. Col. Edward J. Saylor, engineer-gunner of crew No. 15; and Staff Sgt. David J. Thatcher, engineer-gunner of crew No. 7…
Each year, the remaining Raiders have toasted their comrades and turned over the goblets of those who passed away the prior year. The original plan had been for the final two to open a celebratory bottle of cognac in a last gathering. Due to age and health concerns, they decided to make this their final year.
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Active duty officers who are eligible and interested in becoming aicrew have until November 29th to submit applications for the “UFT Selection Board:”
The board will review candidates for fiscal year 2014/2015 training requirements in the pilot, remotely piloted aircraft, combat systems officer and air battle manager categories.
Applicants must meet age and commission date criteria – born April 1, 1984 or later and total federal service commissioned date after April 1, 2009 – and must have squadron commander or equivalent endorsement, said Maj. Andrew Larson, AFPC assignments officer.
One of the age-old questions is whether someone who wants to be a pilot can increase his chances of selection by saying he’ll also volunteer for RPAs Read more
The Air Force Times reports on the Air Force investigation that determined Capt James Steel was flying visually when he impacted a mountain during his recovery to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, in April of this year:
The report released by Air Combat Command officials at Langley Air Force Base, Va., says 29-year-old Capt. James Michael Steel crashed April 3 about 12 miles outside Bagram Air Field…
The report says Steel flew into a mountainous area obscured by poor weather conditions and that he did not attempt to eject before slamming into the mountain. The report says Steel was flying below the minimum safe altitude at the time of the crash.
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US Air force Col Bradley Hoaglan wrote a report from the Brookings Institution saying the Air Force can’t fill its annual requirements for unmanned remotely piloted aircraft (UAV/RPA) operators. As reported at the Stars and Stripes,
In 2012, the Air Force filled only 82 percent of its remotely piloted aircraft, or RPA, training slots, while virtually all manned aircraft slots were filled. And as of early this year…the Air Force Academy had only 12 volunteers for its 40 RPA training slots.
The Air Force apparently attributes the problem to a lower Read more
A Bagram Air Base press release highlights the derring-do of two A-10 pilots who “save[d] 60 Soldiers during [a] convoy ambush.”
The pilots continued to fire 30 mm rounds, but the enemy force refused to fall back. …The convoy’s commander approved the pilots to engage “danger-close.” The term is meant to clearly communicate to the ground and air forces that the need for support is so grave the ground commander is willing to accept the potential risk to the friendly unit Read more