The Red Tails are the third ANG unit slated to transition to the F-35A Lightning II On December 5, 2023, three F-35A Lightning II fighter jets were delivered to the…
Civil
L-1011 TriStar pilot recalls when he and his crew were fired with no notice in the middle of a transatlantic flight
The L-1011 TriStar. The Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, also known as the L-1011 (pronounced “El-ten-eleven”) and TriStar, is an American medium-to-long-range, wide-body trijet airliner built by the Lockheed Corporation. It was…
History
How the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor could have been prevented with just one Arleigh Burke class DDG
The Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor One of history’s major turning points was the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. In a single, well-thought-out…
The SR-71 Blackbird The most sophisticated spy plane in the Blackbird family, the SR-71, which also included the A-12 and YF-12, was created by a group of Lockheed personnel under…
NavalWarfare
US Navy to deploy Tomahawk anti-ship missile on Los Angeles- and Virginia-class submarines in 2024
Tomahawk anti-ship missile The US Navy is gearing up to enhance its submarine capabilities with ship-targeting versions of the highly versatile Tomahawk missile, marking a strategic move to bolster military…
Cold War
When an F-16 crashed, hydrazine vapors forced all of the crews participating in a Red Flag sortie to remain inside their aircraft and prevent them from taking off
Exercise: Red Flag In order to lessen pilots’ susceptibility and high loss rate in their first five combat missions, the US Air Force planned to offer realistic operational training within…
Cold War
When a KC-135Q crew flew through a thunderstorm with their tanker’s throttles frozen to refuel a Blackbird
The KC-135Q It’s impossible to overemphasize the essential role played by the KC-135Q tanker crews, without whom successful prosecution of the SR-71 Blackbird mission would have been impossible. As told…
History
This aviator injured himself to show the North Vietnamese that he would rather die than surrender to their demands
James Stockdale James Bond Stockdale, US Naval Academy Class of ’47, is the embodiment of leadership and inspiration, as well as the perfect naval aviator. Admiral Stockdale is one of…
Helicopters
A Chinook pilot tasked to sling-loading a 15,000 lb Daisy Cutter to a safe area got scared and released the bomb 5 feet from the ground
The CH-47 Chinook In 1960, Boeing bought Vertol Aircraft Co., a helicopter manufacturer in Philadelphia, Pa. The company had three tandem-rotor helicopters under production: the Chinook for the US Army,…
Cold War
SR-71 pilot landed at Beale AFB almost a day before takeoff from Kadena AB due to the aircraft’s incredible speed
The SR-71 Blackbird One of the most sophisticated members of the Blackbirds family, the SR-71 (along with the A-12 and YF-12), was created by a team of Lockheed personnel under…