‘I didn’t think I would enjoy my XO tour. Turns out I loved it because you are in the middle of (and in control of) everything in the submarine’s operations!’…
The cost of the Raptor today would be comparable to that of the F-15EX Eagle II if the F-22 production line hadn’t been torn apart years ago
‘It may very well be the biggest procurement blunder in the history of the Air Force, the Army Air Force, the Army Air Corps, and even the Balloon Division of…
SR-71 pilot recalls when his RSO ‘gave the birdie’ to a French Air Force Mirage III pilot
‘My RSO had given him “the bird” with his middle finger: I lit the afterburners and left that Mirage standing still. Two minutes later, we were crossing the Channel,’ Lt.…
After the radome came off during an ACM encounter, the pilot managed to land his Tomcat aboard the USS Eisenhower
‘We started an ACM engagement and as soon as I got a little G on the airplane, that [radar dome] failed…’ Joe Edwards, VF-142 F-14 Tomcat Pilot Established on August…
Why the Blackbird had engine and afterburner fuel control cable pulleys and its inlets had to be labeled “L” and “R”
The SR-71’s engineering was so advanced that new tools had to be created in order to build the Blackbird The SR-71 Blackbird collected intelligence in some of the world’s most…
Luftwaffe Bf 109 pilot Erich Hartmann did not fire until the enemy was as close as 66 feet
Erich Hartmann would only have barely a second to get out of the way before colliding with the enemy Erich Hartmann, a German fighter pilot during World War II and…
Sturgeon class submarine Sonar Technician explains how a sub can surface through the ice cap at the North Pole and recalls the first 3-Submarine rendezvous at the Geographic North Pole in history
‘Once Sonar has found a potentially good surfacing spot, the boat will hover (station-keeping maneuver), then slowly rise until the top of the sail (fairwater) is resting against the ice,’…
The F-4G had a small likelihood of surviving a DACT engagement with the F-15 Eagle, but had no chance against the F-16 Viper
‘The small chance we had against an F-15 Eagle was gone against the F-16 Viper. Not even putting down the landing gear and letting him fly by us worked!!!’ Jim…
After Almost 6-Year-Long Refueling Overhaul Aircraft Carrier USS George Washington Leaves Newport News for sea trials
The different maintenance schedule, the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on HII’s workforce and delays in funding the mid-life maintenance period contributed to USS George Washington extended repair period After…
Nuclear Submarine Officer recalls when his submarine’s periscope hit a small one-man fishing boat knocking the fisherman overboard
‘I’m sure that he’s still telling the story of “something” hitting his boat, knocking him overboard, but then never appearing,’ James Mowrey, US Navy Nuclear Submarine Officer Mention the word…