Tag Archives: Fighter Pilot

Air Force Tanker Pilot Awarded 19th Air Medal

A US Air Force article highlights the story of Major Josh Brown, a KC-135 pilot who has earned his 19th Air Medal:

Brown flew his final combat sortie for this deployment July 30, qualifying him to receive the 18th oak leaf cluster for his Air Medal.

The Air Medal is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievements while participating in aerial flight in support of operations…

In layman’s terms, Air Medals are handed out for one of two things:  unique, heroic events…or for flying a certain Read more

Navy: T-34 Crash was Avoidable

The report on the T-34 crash that occurred in New Orleans in January 2010 says the incident, in which the instructor pilot was killed, could have been prevented.

According to the Navy Times, the aircraft descended below required minimums without visually acquiring the runway.  The aircraft then impacted the water.  Both crewmembers climbed out; they didn’t have water survival gear.  They became separated, and the instructor pilot’s body was found a few days later.  The student Read more

F/A-18 Crashes Off San Diego

The US Coast Guard reported that a Marine F/A-18 flying out of Miramar went down late Wednesday night.  The two crew members ejected and spent four hours in the (relatively chilly) Pacific waters, finally being rescued by Coast Guard assets at around 0230.

After notification of the downed aircraft at 10:15 p.m., the Coast Guard launched assets to begin the rescue mission…The Coast Guard MH-60 Jahawk’s…aircrew maneuvered into position, and the rescue swimmer deployed to recover the Marines, who were hoisted into the helicopter and flown to a hospital.

The rescue effort was substantial:

The Coast Guard Cutter Edisto…, the Coast Guard Cutter Morgenthau…, a C-130 Hercules aircraft from Air Station Sacramento — the first asset on the scene — and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Sector San Diego responded.

The names of the crew were not released.  As is usual practice, the military will investigate and report on the mishap in the coming months.

Homosexuality and Religion in the Military: The Right to Be Wrong

The Journal of Faith and War reprints a well-written commentary on the repeal of the policy most commonly known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the US military.  Written by retired Cols Al Shine* and Don Snider, “The Right to be Wrong” forwards a simple premise:  If homosexuality is to be permitted in the military, the military must have a decidedly — and explicitly — neutral stance between both opposing ideologies:  Read more

F-16 Runs Off Runway at Oshkosh

A formation of Alabama Air National Guard F-16s landed at Oshkosh’s EAA AirVenture 2011 last week.  Important safety tip:  If you’re landing in front of a crowd at an airshow on a minimum-length runway, don’t land hot.  Number 2 couldn’t quite get it stopped before the concrete ran out and ended up folding a nose gear in the mud.

Amateur video at YouTube. 

Even the crowd was critiquing his landing.

Report: Single Keystroke Almost Destroys UAV

In a bit of sensationalist headlining, a few news articles noted the Defense Department report blasting the acquisition program of the Navy’s MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned helicopter.

According to a June 24 report from the Defense Department’s director of operational test and evaluation, the critical error came when the drone’s operator accidentally pressed the spacebar with a wire from his headset — launching the self-destruct mechanism on the vehicle.

As the articles later note, there’s no such thing as a single-button Read more

In Face of DADT Repeal, US Air Force Bans PDA

Can you hold hands while in uniform?  How about a kiss or embrace?

Believe it or not, those are some of the most often asked questions by new officers and enlisted — and in most cases, the answer wasn’t clear.  Now, however, it’s in plain English:  If you choose to do those things in uniform, you may well be in violation of the new Air Force regulations.

Last year, the Report of the Comprehensive Review of the Issues Associated with a Repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, otherwise known as the report on the DADT survey, noted the ‘sensitivities’ of public displays of affection with respect to homosexuality.  The working group made this observation:  Read more

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