Military Photograph Advances Stereotype
A picture on the US military’s DoD Live website recently highlighted a fascinating, if often misconstrued, photo of flight:
The caption:
An F/A-18C Hornet…breaks the sound barrier Read more
Tag Archives: supersonic
Sailor Re-Enlists at Mach 1
AM3 Alfonso Tulavillanueva had a unique opportunity to re-enlist at sea when he was given a flight in an F/A-18 Hornet. His pilot (or “naval aviator”), Cmdr Mitchell Conover, administered the re-enlistment oath during the flight.
Interestingly, Tulavillanueva’s commanding officer had apparently offered flights to anyone who was willing to take it upon themselves to get the necessary training. CAPT Paul Sohl said only two ever took him up on the offer.
STOVL F-35B Goes Supersonic, but Not First
The Military Times recently pronounced that the F-35 became “first US STOVL aircraft” to go supersonic.
They were, of course, wrong.
In 2001, Lockheed Martin’s ineptly designated X-35B — the prototype of the STOVL F-35 — not only achieved supersonic flight, but it did so on the same sortie that it achieved a short field take off and vertical landing. This was a first not only for a US aircraft, but a first in history.
An article by Marine Major Arthur Tomassetti, the test pilot on one of the sorties, describes the event. (Interestingly, he notes that the sortie had to work around a memorial service at Edwards Air Force Base. Test pilot Major Aaron “C-Dot” George and civilian flight photographer Judson Brohmer were killed just 3 days prior during a test sortie.)