Archive for the ‘Air’ Category
Pentagon Puts Restrictions on USAF’s F-22 Fleet
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has ordered the Air Force to stop flying the F-22 in regions, such as Alaska, where it would be difficult for pilots to land the plane if they experience signs of oxygen deficiency.
We don’t know many of the details, but this sure seems to be taking a long time to resolve.
The Air Force doesn’t have specific details on numbers and locations of pilots who have refused to fly the F-22, said Maj. Brandon Lingle, an Air Force spokesman. “We are generally aware of a small number of pilots who have expressed reservations about flying the F-22, and each of those cases will be handled individually through established processes,” he said.
There are Air Force rules that say a fear of flying, “whether expressed in general terms or limited to a particular aircraft, is a professional dereliction that carries significant consequences,” Lingle said.
Ouch.
U.S. Marine Corps AH-1W Cobra helicopters assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 265 fly in formation after taking off from the flight deck of the amphibious transport dock USS Denver (LPD 9) in the Pacific Ocean April 4, 2012. Denver was part of the Essex Amphibious Ready Group conducting operations in the Western Pacific. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Raul Moreno Jr., U.S. Navy/Released)
A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey aircraft conducts maneuvers on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) during test operations, March 20, 2012. George H.W. Bush is in the Atlantic Ocean conducting carrier qualifications. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brian M. Brooks, U.S. Navy/Released)
Terrible news. Blogger Neptunus Lex was killed when the Kfir aggressor he flew at TOPGUN crashed yesterday.
I met Lex at one of the Milblogger Conferences a few years ago and stood by while he and Pinch traded Tomcat and Hornet barbs. Pinch posted a photo of the two of them from that evening.
There are a lot of comments over at Lex’s site and a lot of posts going up around the sphere. Look around and check them out.
He will be missed.
Cool angle on an F-16:
A U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft moves into position to refuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker, not pictured, during Exercise Cope North 2012 over the Pacific Ocean Feb. 23, 2012. Cope North is a multilateral aerial exercise, held once or twice yearly, designed to increase the combat readiness and interoperability of the U.S. Air Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, Royal Australian Air Force and other Pacific partner nations. (DoD photo by Airman 1st Class Mariah Haddenham, U.S. Air Force/Released)
A U.S. Navy aviation boatswain's mate handling taxis an AV-8B Harrier II aircraft on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu (LHA 5) during Iron Fist 2012 in the Pacific Ocean Feb. 7, 2012. Iron Fist is a three-week bilateral training event held annually between the U.S. Marine Corps and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force designed to increase interoperability between the two services while aiding the Japanese in their continued development of amphibious capabilities. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael Russell, U.S. Navy/Released)
UPDATE: Here’s another:
A U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II aircraft prepares to land aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu (LHA 5) during Iron Fist 2012 in the Pacific Ocean Feb. 7, 2012. Iron Fist is a three-week bilateral training event held annually between the U.S. Marine Corps and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force designed to increase interoperability between the two services while aiding the Japanese in their continued development of amphibious capabilities. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael Russell/Released)
A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 100th Air Refueling Wing prepares to fuel a flight of Royal Danish Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft in the U.S. European Command area of responsibility Feb. 1, 2012. (DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace, U.S. Air Force/Released)
Noticed this in Air Force Priorities for a New Strategy with Constrained Budgets (pdf):
More than 280 aircraft have been identified in the current budget submission for
elimination across all Air Force components over the next five years. This includes 123 fighters
(102 A‐10s and 21 older F‐16s), 133 mobility aircraft (27 C‐5As, 65 C‐130s, 20 KC‐135s, and 21 C‐27s), and 30 select ISR systems (18 RQ‐4 Block 30s, 11 RC‐26s, and one E‐8 damaged beyond
repair). [emphasis Murdoc's]
Wow. I’m not sure how exactly many are still in service, but I think that’s about a third of them.
A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey aircraft assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 261 (Reinforced) lands aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) in the Atlantic Ocean Jan. 27, 2012. The VMM-261 is part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and was conducting flight deck certification in support of Bold Alligator 2012. Bold Alligator is a joint and multinational amphibious assault exercise involving several foreign militaries and the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, designed to execute brigade-sized amphibious assaults against low-to-medium land and maritime threats to improve amphibious core competencies. (DoD photo by Cpl. Michael Petersheim, U.S. Marine Corps/Released)
