Joe “Hoser” Satrapa Without a brace of Joe “Hoser” Satrapa stories, no dissertation on present-day section tactics—or naval aviation in general—could be considered complete. Hoser was a legendary figure in…
During a scramble, a pilot of a USAF F-86D remembers activating his Sabre Dog’s afterburner in the hangar to take off
The F-86D Sabre Dog To counter the growing Soviet threat, the US government and USAF started a massive effort in the late 1940s to establish an effective defense of US…
U-2 Avionics Technician explains why Dragon Lady pilots breathe pure oxygen for as much as 14 hours straight
The U-2 Built in complete secrecy by Kelly Johnson and the Lockheed Skunk Works, the original U-2A first flew in August 1955. Early flights over the Soviet Union in the…
KC-135 Crew Chief recalls when his Stratotanker low on fuel had to give 6,000 pounds of fuel to an F-4
KC-135 Stratotanker crew providing support of trans-pacific ferry missions In February 1977, while on deployment to Andersen AFB, Guam, and the Pacific Tanker Task Force, the crew of a KC-135…
A-10 Pilot explains why MANPADS are like Gollum, the Warthog like Frodo and why the Thunderbolt II is quite survivable against them
The A-10 Warthog The A-10 is the Air Force’s premier close air support aircraft, providing invaluable protection to troops on the ground. The A-10 offers excellent maneuverability at low airspeeds…
The SR-71 pilot remembers when his Blackbird was hit by a missile fired by a Soviet MiG-25 Foxbat
The MiG-25 Foxbat The USSR revealed the existence of the MiG-25 (NATO reporting name “Foxbat”), which looked to be the most lethal fighter aircraft in the world in the late…
CIWS on board USS Gravely shot down cruise missile fired by Houthis that came within a nautical mile of the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer
CIWS on board USS Gravely shoots down cruise missile fired by Houthis According to CNN a cruise missile launched by Houthis rebels into the Red Sea on the night of…
F-4 crew members discuss the problems with Phantom II and why, despite its flaws, they loved flying it
The F-4 Phantom II Constructed initially as a high-altitude interceptor, the F-4 Phantom II soon proved to be a unique aircraft, setting more than a dozen world records for speed,…
Naval Aviator recalls when an F/A-18 pilot made a night trap on a carrier having the Ball (Fresnel Lens Optical Landing System) turned off
It takes skills and nerves of ice for a US Navy pilot to land an aircraft on a carrier’s flight deck, essentially a miniature airfield, that is pitching, rolling and…
USAF F-102 pilot recalls being left alone in the cockpit of a KC-135 flying from the US to Okinawa
The F-102 Delta Dagger The F-102 Delta Dagger was designed primarily to intercept and kill hostile aircraft. It was the first operational delta-wing aircraft in the USAF’s history as well…