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aircraft

WWII fighter pilot who flighted the first P-38 Lightning gets a glimpse on the F-35 Lightning II

by Till Daisd April 8, 2023

The P-38 absolutely purrs out there with 1300 hp in each engine, making flying it feel like you were driving a Cadillac

On October 3, 2016, retired Maj. Earl Conrad Jr., a World War II (WWII) fighter pilot who flew the original P-38 Lightning, went to Luke Air Force Base (AFB) to see the F-35 Lightning II, which bears the name of the storied fighter jet that ruled the skies over the Pacific during his time in service.

The 62nd Fighter Squadron (FS) pilots welcomed Conrad during his visit and gave him a tour of the flightline to get a closer look at the aircraft. They also gave the 97-year-old veteran a briefing on the mission capabilities of the Lightning II and the experience, equipment, and training of present-day Lightning pilots in honor of the heroic service he and others like him rendered in the fight against Hitler’s Germany and Imperial Japan.

Conrad’s dedication to serving his country, like that of many other young people who joined in the armed forces at the time, was inspired by the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Conrad, who was enrolled in San Jose State University’s engineering program, interrupted his studies that same month to enlist in the Army Air Corps.

“Much better than being a gravel cruncher,” Conrad said.

Conrad had a private pilot’s license at the time, which he had purchased for $25 during his first year of college.

“I was kind of interested and my friends were all doing it so I did it,” Conrad said. “They threw a little Piper J-3 Cub at me and let me fly it around for a bit and then I had my license.”

Conrad completed his primary Army Air Corps pilot training in June 1942. After being chosen, he was dispatched to Tallahassee to begin training to fly the P-39 Airacobra, but the demands of the war slightly derailed his plans.

“They needed pilots over in the Pacific, so they cut the training short,” said Conrad. “We took a train over to San Francisco and then a boat over to Hawaii and checked out of there in old, beat-up P-40s for about two or three weeks before flying to New Caledonia and getting back into P-39s.”

Conrad and the other new pilots flew their Airacobras to Guadalcanal after receiving a brief substitute training course there to ensure they could take part in combat operations. There, they experienced their first taste of fighting before even landing.

“As we were coming around the end of the island, there were a whole bunch of ships parked in the water, and they all took a shot at us,” Conrad said.

Not only did he not know who they were, but neither did they.

“They couldn’t tell one plane from the other,” Conrad said. “Fortunately, we all landed safely.”

Retired Maj. Earl Conrad Jr., a World War II fighter pilot who flew the original P-38 Lightning, visited Luke Air Force Base on Oct. 3, 2016, to get a glimpse of the F-35 Lightning II, the namesake of the legendary fighter aircraft which dominated the skies over the Pacific during his time in service.

Conrad describes another episode in which American Navy ships took out a Japanese battleship just off the coast of the airfield where he was stationed. The ship was mostly operational, but it was immobile, and those on board must have realized it was doomed just as well as those ashore.

“We were going to sink it right there,” Conrad said. “That night, [the battleship] shelled all up and down the runway and knocked out almost all of our planes, both the Navy’s F-4Fs and our P-39s.”

One of Conrad’s friends and a colleague pilot rallied up a small four-ship to fly a protection detail after a couple of the least-damaged aircraft were promptly restored into flying condition the following day.

“They went out to fly and he mistook that same battleship as one of ours, and they ran protection cover for it all day,” Conrad said with a laugh. “You can tell how easily things got snafued.”

Even within the borders of “friendly” territory, the situation on the ground was not much prettier.

“There was a Japanese guy we called ‘Wash-machine Charlie’ who had a cannon,” said Conrad. “He would go up in the hills at night about three or four times a week and he would shoot down at us so you’d have to dive into the trenches to get away from him. He was awfully upsetting.”

Conrad flew about 130 missions throughout his roughly one year in the Pacific during four tours, initially in the P-39 with the 67th FS and then in the P-38 with the 39th FS. His squadron would strafe enemy ships, conduct close air support for charging Marines, and escort bombers on lengthy missions.

“It was just like you were driving along in a Cadillac,” Conrad said of the P-38. “It just purrs out there with 1300 horses in each engine.”

The P-38 was a unique twin-engine aircraft that excelled in performance, especially at high altitudes, and had an astonishing amount of speed and power. Because of how well it was designed, it was used continuously throughout the conflict.

Conrad talks about one specific flight he made in his P-38 on an aerial patrol. One of the few true “mano a mano” aerial engagements he claims to have seen throughout his time in the Pacific, his flight came face to face with the ultimate Japanese dogfighter, the Mitsubishi “Zero.”

“All of a sudden my element leader yells, ‘There are 30 or 40 Zeroes up here right above us, about a thousand feet!’” said Conrad. “They’d come down and fire at us and then go right back up. I don’t know why they didn’t stay on us, they could have taken us, but I said, ‘To hell with this,” and I went way out and circled back around and came back right up behind four Zeroes.”

Conrad instructed his flight leader to descend low and hit the deck while he and his wingman lined up a Japanese target because his flight leader couldn’t reach the same location without taking a significant risk.

“He was toast,” Conrad said. “We had eight 50-caliber guns on him and he just became spaghetti.”

Conrad gained many honors and decorations for his service, including the Distinguished Flying Cross and two Air Medals. In 1946, he received an honorable discharge.

“I’m proud of him,” said Jarolyn Allen Jerry, Conrad’s daughter. “I’m proud of all that he’s done. I’m proud of the man that he’s been, the service member that he’s been, and the father that he’s been. He’s our hero.”

Conrad heard it and disputed the story.

“Oh, there were a thousand guys who did just what I did!” argued a grinning Conrad.

“Not everyone could do what you did,” Jerry argued back, eyes rolled. “He’s got a lot of medals to prove it.”

Jerry’s point of view is shared by Maj. Jondavid Hertzel, the 62nd FS F-35 pilot.

“It was an honor to meet with such a great Airman from the past,” said Hertzel. “Even with the incredible accomplishments and the stories of fighting that are hard to imagine in today’s world, men like Maj. Conrad carried themselves with humility and dignity. I am very grateful for the opportunity to have shared with him his legacy in what we do here at Luke and in the F-35.”

As for the legacy of the Lightning, Conrad left Luke’s flightline impressed.

“They picked the right name,” Conrad said of the F-35. “My goodness, I sure wish I could’ve flown it.”

Photo by Staff Sgt Staci Miller and Senior Airman Marcy Copeland / U.S. Air Force

April 8, 2023 0 comment

Military

This is how A-10 drivers practise hunting and sinking “pirate boats”

by Till Daisd April 7, 2023

written by Till Daisd

A-10 pilots fired inert training rounds of 30-millimeter caliber at unmanned boats positioned in the Gulf of Mexico to make training more realistic

On February 6, 2017, fishing boats armed with improvised machine guns and weapons to mimic “pirate boats” swarmed the region near the Midbay Bridge between Niceville and Destin.

This scenario was from Combat Hammer, an annual multi-service exercise that the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron (FWS) conducts to assess weapon systems.

The 96th Operations Support Squadron hired about 35 local boat captains and mariners to practice realistic swarm attack formation maneuvers in the Choctawhatchee Bay while twin-engine jets, multi-role fighter jets, Navy helicopters, and Canadian F-18s targeted them from above to practice dummy “real-time kills.”

Local boat captains and mariners operating fishing boats equipped with makeshift guns and weapons invaded the Choctawhatchee Bay area on Feb. 6 during the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron exercise, Combat Hammer. The boat swarms helped create a realistic environment to provide exercise participants with an opportunity to train as they fight.

“We evaluate precision-guided munitions against realistic targets with realistic enemy defenses,” said Lt. Col. Sean Neitzke, 86th FWS commander. “There are plenty of places in the world where low-tech adversaries can mount 50-caliber machine guns and rocket launchers on small boats for use against us. They could also use other types of shoulder-launched weapons, all of which could be a threat to American assets.”

During the morning portion of the test, A-10 pilots fired inert 30-millimeter training rounds at unmanned boats stationed in the Gulf of Mexico to make training more realistic. The pilots also launched 500-pound GBU-12 laser-guided bombs, 2,000-pound Guided Bomb Unit-10 inert bombs, and GBU-54 laser-guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs).

Over 62 bomb drops were accomplished over the Eglin range during the training week. Units from the 96th Range Group acquire the data from the drops. Within the Central Control Facility at Eglin, the 96th Range Control Squadron (RNCS) provides real-time mission control and data processing capabilities for the Weapon System Evaluation Program (WSEP) exercise (CCF).

“The 96th RNCS CCF receives data from aircraft, weapons, targets, and a multitude of other range sensors and combines that information to provide full situational awareness to the WSEP engineers,” said Stan Pitchford, Director, 96th Range Control Squadron. “This allows them to make real-time decisions on the performance of various weapon systems.”

Digital data streams are gathered by ground telemetry facilities run by the 96th RNCS using telemetry kits placed on weapons. After being converted into information (such as targeting coordinates) and being sent across a fiber optic cable to the 96th RNCS CCF, the data is then made available to the WSEP customer for analysis. In order to improve situational awareness, the CCF also receives high-speed video and radar data from the 96th RNSS.

“At the end of the exercise, we package all of the mission data and deliver it to the WSEP customer. In a nutshell, we provide WSEP with decision quality data, so they can ensure the employment of the weapons work as intended before they go downrange,” said Pitchford.

This information evaluates the weapons’ suitability, dependability, accuracy, and maintenanceability. In order to help senior Air Force officials, combatant commanders, and operational planners make judgments about warfighter capacity, analysts have broken down those findings. Additionally, when munitions shortcomings are found, the data is used to support financing, training requests, hardware, and software requests.

According to Neitzke, the detection of flaws enables the Air Force to address any problems in the Air Force inventory prior to the deployment of the weapons to operational hotspots. The evaluation exercise also offers and improves operationally realistic training for the participating units and the squadron’s pilots and maintainers.

An A-10 Thunderbolt IIs with the 74th Fighter Squadron from Moody Air Force Base, Ga., flies over the Gulf of Mexico on Feb. 7 during Combat Hammer.

Combat Hammer is frequently the first opportunity aircrew men get to discharge a certain kind of munition from their aircraft. The objective is to give pilots who have never fired a weapon before the opportunity to get in the cockpit and drop a new weapon or a weapon that is often unavailable at their home base.

“We strive for 50 percent first-time shooters in the cockpit,” said Neitzke. “We get an allocation of more unique munitions than an operational fighter squadron typically gets at their home station.”

The 86th FWS Airmen examine every part of the weapons from the point of assembly to the point of impact to guarantee that the munition can be taken off the rack and used successfully in battle tomorrow.

“We want to ensure Americans have the best hardware and software possible. Our goal is to find problems, and fix them, to provide our warfighters the best capabilities we can,” said Neitzke. “We want to protect them and help them be more effective in accomplishing their mission.”

Story by By Ilka Cole, Team Eglin Public Affairs; Photo by Ilka Cole / U.S. Air Force

April 7, 2023 0 comment

History

How a college student scored the first gun kill for an Israeli F-4 Phantom II

by Till Daisd April 7, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Aviem Sella returned from missions over Egypt three or four times a week, flying low over Haifa to let his lecturers know he would soon be attending their classes

The astonishing story of the Israeli Phantom’s first gun kill. The McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II, which Israel purchased in 1969, immediately established itself as the mainstay of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) due to its payload, range, and bombing precision.

The 69 Squadron Hammers, which used its F-4s extensively for the first time in combat during the so-called Operation Blossom, a series of missions that targeted headquarters, logistical hubs, and training facilities throughout Egypt with the aim of convincing the nation to renounce the attrition war policy, was the second IAF unit to receive the Kurnass (as the Phantom was known by the Israeli Air Force).

When on February 8, 1970, after a strike against a logistical facility at Helwan, a pair of MiG-21s took off to pursue a pair of Kurnass piloted by Avihu Ben-Nun with Achikar Eyal and Aviem Sella with Shabtai Ben-Shoa, the 69 Squadron achieved its first-ever air-to-air kill.

It’s a fascinating story of how Aviem Sella managed to shoot down the first enemy fighter in the Hammers’ history by being in the right location at the right time. A narrative that starts prior to the IAF Phantom purchase, as recalled by Sella in the book Hammers Israel’s Long-Range Heavy Bomber Arm: The Tale of 69 Squadron by Shlomo Aloni & Zvi Avidror:

“Circa 1968 I was planned for conversion to the Mirage, but I already realized that flying was not enough. I initiated academic studies at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, immediately after the Six-Day War. The Mirage conversion course was at Ramat David, and the implication was that I would have had to discontinue my studies, so I turned down this offer. A fighter pilot turning down an offer for Mirage conversion was an unheard-of event, and I was summoned by the IAF Commander. The general attitude at the time was that a pilot did not need to study any further than he did during his flying training. I insisted upon studying, renounced the opportunity to fly the Mirage, and for this reason I was later assigned to 69 Squadron.”

The IAF acquired the Kurnass and reactivated the 69 Squadron while Aviem Sella was still pursuing his studies, which had the effect of allowing Sella to fly throughout the Attrition War while still attending his academic classes. Working as Deputy Commander, he returned from missions over Egypt three or four times every week, flying low over Haifa to notify his lecturers that he would soon be attending their classes. After landing in Ramat David, he traveled an hour to Haifa to attend class.

Sella completed his first Kurnass conversion course at Hatzor after which he was assigned to the 69 Squadron. On December 25, 1969, with a little over 30 flying hours under his belt, Sella launched an attack on a SAM battery.

When he shot down the first MiG in 69 Squadron history in February 1970, he only had 20 more hours left on the type: “In February 1970 I shot down my first MiG. I am not sure if I practiced air-to-air gunnery prior to that combat. I launched the first AAM – the wrong missile, as I confused the switches; instead of launching a heat-seeking missile, I launched a semi-active radar-homing missile. I launched the second missile beyond the effective range. I had only flown some 50 flying hours in the Kurnass until then and I hardly knew the cockpit, but luckily for me the Egyptian pilot had plenty of patience for me to do all possible errors until I shot him down.”

The Egyptian pilot actually flew slowly over the Nile Delta, and Sella was able to shoot him down with his seventh cannon burst after coming into cannon range. During that sortie, he finished his air-to-air training, and he undoubtedly created history when he achieved the first gun kill for an Israeli F-4 and the first air-to-air kill in the history of the 69 Squadron. Also, after the Attrition War was completed, Sella was granted nine months of leave to complete his studies.

Photo by Bukvoed via Wikipedia and Israeli Air Force

April 7, 2023 0 comment

Accidents and equipments

If you’re an F-16 fighter pilot wannabe consider checking this equipment

by Till Daisd April 6, 2023

written by Till Daisd

“We have done our jobs right if when they have to eject out of the aircraft because a mission went south, and our equipment worked, we saved their life,” Staff Sgt. Faitha Brookins, 35th Operations Support Squadron

Delivering sorties requires more work than simply donning a flight suit and taking off, and those who work with flights on a regular basis are aware of how crucial each step is for successful mission completion.

Pilots get ready in the flight equipment room before boarding the aircraft, where they were greeted by aircrew flight equipment (AFE) specialists who had prepared everything they would need for the day.

“The AFE personnel are imperative to the mission,” said Col. Travis Rex, the 35th Fighter Wing vice commander at Misawa Air Base (AB). “The amount of gear qualifications and items they maintain on a daily basis is massive. By keeping track of the pilot gear and the egress system, along with other items, they ensure we can safely get back home if anything were to happen during the flight.”

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Dominic Cicci, a 35th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment technician, verifies a compass’s magnetic pull is pointing north at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Feb. 8, 2017. Along with water, flares, and fire starters, a pilot’s survival vest contains different components to sustain them if they become stranded and need to be rescued.

Although there may appear to be only a few pieces of equipment inside from the outside, AFE experts are aware that there is more than what is immediately apparent.

The life preserver survival vest, parachute harness, a Joint Mounted Cueing System Helmet (JHMCS), display unit, MBU 20/P oxygen mask, and anti-G-LOC suit are all given to the pilots by the technicians, who also check them for functionality before and after each flight.

For an F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter pilot to be able to observe and lock on targets during air-to-air combat, necessities like the helmet system must be available at all times, according to Staff Sgt. Faitha Brookins, 35th Operations Support Squadron (OSS) AFE NCO in charge.

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Dominic Cicci, right, and Senior Airman Coty Buckley, left, both 35th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment technicians, perform pre-flight and post-flight inspections at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Feb. 8, 2017. The AFE shop oversees pilots’ item serviceability and restocks their uniforms with supplies like water and food if needed.

“Fitting one pilot’s display mask to their face takes approximately four hours for us,” Brookins said. “We have to measure all sides of their face and account for large or small jawlines and then shave off the plastic slowly. This [ensures] the display mask is made to fit them perfectly while they are flying and prevents it from being too loose and moving around while they’re in combat.”

The egress system, which consists of the ejection seat and parachuting gear in the cockpit of the aircraft, is added to the list of essential items of flight equipment. To make sure it won’t malfunction when deployed, the egress system is put through a rigorous inspection process.

The system examination, which entails disassembling each component, inspecting the F-16 seating system, making any necessary repairs, and reassembling it, can take one to two days.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Faitha Brookins, the 35th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment NCO in charge, cleans a joint-mounted cueing system helmet at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Feb. 8, 2017. Every day the AFE shop maintains the cleanliness and functionality of the pilot’s equipment while performing thorough routine checks during their shift.

An experienced, high-level chute rigger does this check at least once a year, whether or not the system will be used that year.

“We take a long time during this inspection because we are not allowed any margin of error,” said Staff Sgt. Travis Tillman, 35th OSS AFE technician. “If pilots have to use the system in an emergency situation, it has to deploy without a problem in order to save their life. That is why this system, as well as the inspections we perform, are so important.”

In addition to the parachute system, daily inspections are performed on all flying equipment.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Richard Smeeding, the 35th Fighter Wing Pacific Air Force F-16 Demonstration Team pilot, puts on his boot at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Feb. 8, 2017. The aircrew flight equipment personnel fits each pilot’s G-suit to their size and ensures all equipment is serviceable before their departure.

“When we do a preflight inspection we make sure everything in their locker is ready for use,” Brookins said. “We want to make sure it’s 100 percent reliable because if anything happens with the aircrew members once they leave through those doors, we are held responsible since our names are on those pieces of equipment.”

Even disused components are frequently inspected, giving pilots more safety protection.

“Some of the crew members don’t fly daily so they don’t receive a pre-flight and post-flight inspection,” Brookins said. “So we want to make sure every 30 days we get eyes on that equipment for a thorough inspection to make sure nothing is compromised in the pilot’s equipment.”

Brookins outlined how they disassemble each component for inspection during this period. They can then determine whether a piece of equipment needs to be changed if there is a probability that it will malfunction.

U.S. Air Force Col. Travis Rex, the 35th Fighter Wing vice commander, left, receives a pre-flight inspection by Staff Sgt. Faitha Brookings, right, the 35th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment NCO in charge, at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Feb. 8, 2017. After donning flight equipment, AFE personnel jolt and tug their suits ensuring survival amenities are secured and no tears or holes formed in their uniform.

“Everything we inspect and touch is life-saving equipment,” Brookins said. “When these pilots perform the mission, they have a sense of security knowing they received functioning gear.”

The 35th OSS aircrew flight equipment shop is in charge of providing the pilots with all the tools they need for a safe flight from takeoff to landing.

“We have done our jobs right if when they have to eject out of the aircraft because a mission went south, and our equipment worked, we saved their life,” Brookins said. “That means the pilot comes home to their family and flies another day.”

U.S. Air Force Capt. Jason Markzon, a 13th Fighter Squadron pilot, tests his MBU 20/P breathing mask at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Feb. 8, 2017. Before take-off, a preflight check is performed by aircrew flight equipment Airmen, ensuring all equipment functions properly.

Story by Airman 1st Class Sadie Colbert, 35th Fighter Wing; Photo by Cory W. Bush and Airman 1st Class Sadie Colbert / U.S. Air Force

April 6, 2023 0 comment

Cold War

A Jaguar attack aircraft completing motorway trials

by Till Daisd April 6, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The British Aircraft Corporation chose to conduct a series of trials on the unopened section of the M55 motorway near Blackpool, Lancashire, because the Jaguar was the only conventional aircraft that could be used from unprepared strips or motorways

Consider the intriguing video in this post, which depicts Tim Ferguson, a test pilot for the British Corporation (BAC), landing a Jaguar fighter bomber in Lancashire on April 26, 1975, just before the M55 was made accessible to the general public. The landing proved the aircraft’s ability to take off and land in unusual locations distant from major airbases during combat.

Notably, the idea behind these trials was that important airfields would be among the first Warsaw Pact (WARPAC) and NATO targets to be damaged or destroyed in the event of a conflict. This was something that was already taken into account in the design of the majority of Soviet combat aircraft but was not in the West, and would clearly benefit WARPAC forces. The British Aircraft Corporation chose to conduct a number of experiments on the closed section of the M55 motorway near Blackpool, not too far from the Warton factory, as the Jaguar was the only conventional aircraft that could be used from unprepared strips or motorways.

In his book SEPECAT Jaguar In Action, Glenn Ashley writes that “on 26-27 April 1975 a single Jaguar GR.1, XX109, was used to make a series of landings and take-offs from the M55 carrying a full weapon load, after all an unarmed aircraft would prove nothing. Landing took just over 400 yards to complete with the assistance of a braking parachute whilst take-off was carried out in 500-600 yards.

“The first landings were undertaken with only a centerline tank fitted and the aircraft was turned around, fuelled, and armed with four cluster bomb units before taking off again. The pilot for these trials was Tim Ferguson, the Deputy Chief Test Pilot, who stated that the trials threw up no major problems.

“The aircraft had to make a steep approach and high-angle landing using the bulk of the aircraft as well as the braking chute to bring the aircraft to a halt in the short length of the motorway. He stated that as the Jaguar had excellent steering and handling the landing was not overly complicated.

“Following the success of the trials four RAF Germany aircraft from No. 31 Sqn undertook similar trials on an unopened stretch of autobahn between Bremerhaven and Bremen in September 1977.

“Another series of trials were undertaken by the A&EE at Boscombe Down using a landing strip that crossed a runway, two taxiways with various elements added to make the surface very uneven. It seems the pilots soon became capable of taking off and landing on this strip with a feeling described as being like a ‘well-sprung limousine with four-wheel drive’.”

The F-35 Lightning II is one of the aircraft (capable of taking off and landing in tight spots) that BAE Systems, the company that succeeded BAC, is currently working on.

Photo by BAE Systems

April 6, 2023 0 comment

History

The “Black Jet” finale, when the USAF retired the F-117 Nighthawk

by Till Daisd April 5, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The F-117, which was hailed as the first airplane in the world to deploy stealth technology, never ceases to amaze and confound anybody who sees it

The first six examples of the renowned F-117A Nighthawk were decommissioned by the United States Air Force (USAF) on March 13, 2007.

The F-117 was scheduled to be retired by the service in 2011, however, due to expected budget cuts, early retirement was estimated to free up more than $1 billion to purchase additional F-22s.

In order to meet an Air Force demand for a single-seat aircraft that could attack high-value targets without being seen by adversarial radars, the Lockheed F-117A was created. Engineers were able to create an airplane with radar-evading or “stealth” characteristics thanks to new materials and methods discovered in the 1970s.

The end result was the F-117A, the first stealth aircraft in use in the world, which made its maiden flight on June 18, 1981. A total of 64 aircraft were produced, 59 of which were full production models and the remaining five were demonstrators or prototypes. The 4450th Tactical Group, which became the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing in October 1989, was the first unit to receive the aircraft. It gained initial operating capability (IOC) in October 1983.

A total of 558 pilots flew the fighter when it was in use, according to Arlan Ponder, 49th Wing Public Affairs, in the article Nighthawk returns to Heritage Park. After their initial flight, they were given a bandit number, and they referred to themselves as “bandits.” Maj. Al Whitley Jr. was the first “bandit” (number 150), and Gen. David Goldfein was the last “bandit” (number 708).

The Collier Trophy, one of the most coveted awards in aviation, was given to the F-117A in 1989. On December 19, 1989, two F-117As from the 37th TFW bombed military objectives in Panama as part of Operation Just Cause.

When the 415th and 416th squadrons of the 37th TFW relocated to a base in Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Shield/Storm in 1990–1991 the F-117A saw action once more. The F-117As participated in 1,271 sorties during Operation Desert Storm, completing 80 percent of its missions successfully while sustaining no casualties or battle damage.

The Nighthawk also took part in Operation Allied Force, a NATO bombing campaign designed to stop the humanitarian catastrophe that was then engulfing Kosovo. On March 27, 1999, an SA-3 Goa surface-to-air missile fired by the 3rd Battalion of the 250th Air Defence Missile Brigade of the Army of Yugoslavia, under the command of Colonel Zoltan Dani, brought down an F-117A, Air Force serial number 82-0806, callsign “Vega 31”.

The airstrikes by the F-117s over Baghdad on March 19, 2003, signaled the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIR). The Air Force’s decision to speed up the F-117’s retirement resulted in the F-22A Raptor, another stealth “fighter,” arriving at Holloman in June 2008.

The last F-117s departed Holloman in April 2008 and traveled to Tonopah Test Range, Nevada, for their final resting place after making a stop in Palmdale, California, the city where they were built. In case they were ever called back into service, the aircraft were put in Type 1000 storage (there have been numerous reports of sightings and images of the aircraft flying since then). Because of the dangerous components employed in its manufacture, one Nighthawk paid the ultimate price in late 2008 when it was mechanically destroyed to determine whether it could be repurposed or scrapped.

Former wing historian, Rick Shea, said, “The F-117A served its creator Ben Rich, itself, the USAF, and the ‘Bandits’ it carried into combat beyond their wildest expectations. The F-117A’s list of accomplishments rates with those of the Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, and the Bell X-1. What began as a thought evolved into the world’s premier fighter aircraft.”

The F-117A Nighthawk hailed as the first stealth aircraft in the world has a 27-year history that is chock-full of incidents that actually put it on par with some of the most illustrious jets in history. The “Black Jet” continues to astound, excite, and confound anybody who sees it, from its maiden combat bombing mission in Panama to night strikes in both Iraq Wars until its retirement in 2008.

Source: U.S. Air Force; Photo by Senior Master Sgt. Kim Frey; Senior Airman Darnell Cannady / U.S. Air Force

April 5, 2023 0 comment

History

Historic C-119 Flying Boxcar which took part in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir saved

by Till Daisd April 5, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The only remaining aircraft from the operation that airdropped mobile bridge sections to Marines during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir is C-119B Flying Boxcar #48-0352

According to Senior Airman Zachary Cacicia of the 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs, who wrote the article AMC Museum rescues historic airlifter, a true piece of American history that had been abandoned in the Mojave Desert for years and was about to be scrapped has found a new home at the AMC Museum.

From December 16 to December 19, 2016, a team from the AMC Museum and a C-5M Super Galaxy operated by the 709th Airlift Squadron traveled to Edwards Air Force Base, California, to transport pieces of the Fairchild C-119B Flying Boxcar #48-0352 “Am Can Co Special” to the AMC Museum at Dover AFB for restoration and display.

The C-119 was a military transport plane primarily used for transporting cargo, personnel, and equipment. It can also airdrop things and the United States flew them from 1947 through 1974,

A tail-boom from the Fairchild C-119B Flying Boxcar #48-0352 “Am Can Co Special” is loaded into a C-5M Super Galaxy on Dec. 19, 2016, at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. This C-119 airdropped mobile bridge sections during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War.

When this C-119 arrived at the AMC Museum, it was undoubtedly the most historic aircraft in the museum’s collection, says John Taylor, director of the AMC Museum.

“It’s the second-oldest C-119 in existence,” said Taylor, “and the only surviving aircraft from the operation that air-dropped mobile bridge sections to Marines during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir.”

The Battle of Chosin Reservoir, which took place from November 27 to December 13, 1950, is remembered for its fierce combat and cold weather. It was fought in the early phases of the Korean War. The North Korean Army had recently been driven out of South Korea and retreated north of the 38th parallel by United Nations forces, the majority of which were made up of South Korean, American, and British troops. The UN soldiers didn’t stop at the border; they kept moving north to eliminate any North Korean Army remnants that still existed. They quickly approached the China-North Korea border. As a result, China, a communist country and ally of North Korea, was prompted to engage in the conflict by sending hundreds of thousands of troops to the south to halt the UN forces’ advance.

The tail markings on the tail section of the Fairchild C-119B Flying Boxcar #48-0352 “Am Can Co Special” Dec. 17, 2016, at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. C-119s were built at Fairchild’s Hagerstown, Md. Factory.

“During the battle, the Chinese blew the bridge up,” said Jon Andrews, AMC Museum board member. “This trapped all the United Nations forces.”

The blocked evacuation route was between Koto-ri and Hungnam.

The 30,000 UN soldiers who were besieged and surrounded by more than 120,000 Chinese soldiers were at a loss on what to do. Airdropping mobile bridge sections to these soldiers was decided upon in the hopes that they may be used to repair the bridge, thereby providing them with a means of escape. To perform this mission, eight C-119s from the 314th Troop Carrier Group stationed at Ashiya Air Base in Japan came together. Four of the eight bridge pieces that were dropped by the parachute were used to construct a functional bridge. UN forces were then able to retreat thanks to this.

On the crew that went to Edwards AFB to take up the C-119 was Les Polley, the chief of the AMC Museum’s aircraft restoration department. He was delighted that the plane arrived at the museum.

Staff Sgt. Martin Guy, 709th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, straps down portions of the Fairchild C-119B Flying Boxcar #48-0352 “Am Can Co Special” to a pallet during a mission to bring it to the AMC Museum via a C-5M Super Galaxy airlifter Dec. 17, 2016, at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Restoration work on the C-119 will take a minimum of two years.

“It would have been sold for scrap metal,” he said. “A big piece of history would have been lost.”

Even if the C-5M and 709th AS’s work may be finished, Polley and his restoration team’s work has just begun.

“We are going to go through a complete restoration on the airplane from the ground up,” said Polley.“ There’s a lot of corrosion, a lot of holes, and a lot of missing parts. We will be scrounging all over the country looking for parts.”

After the Korean War, this C-119 continued to be used. The 911th TCG at the Greater Pittsburgh International Airport in 1966 marked the end of its 17-year run.

“We are going to restore it to what it looked like during the Korean War,” said Polley. “They had done a lot of modifications and upgrades after the war. We want it to look like it did back then, complete with nose art and everything.”

Until the C-119 is ready for exhibition, according to Polley’s estimation, the entire repair procedure may take at least two years.

Fairchild C-119J Flying Boxcar at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

Photo by Senior Airman Zachary Cacicia and Ken LaRock / U.S. Air Force

April 5, 2023 0 comment

History

The XB-70 Valkyrie, the largest experimental strategic bomber in the world

by Till Daisd April 4, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The XB-70 Valkyrie, the largest experimental aircraft ever built, was meant to gather data while in flight for use in developing both military and commercial supersonic aircraft

The futuristic XB-70A Valkyrie was initially imagined in the 1950s as a high-altitude, nuclear strike bomber with the ability to fly at Mach 3 (three times the speed of sound), rendering any prospective foe defenseless.

But by the start of the 1960s, brand-new Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) posed a danger to the capacity of fast, high-altitude bombers to survive. So, Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), which are less expensive, were also going into service.

As a result, the pricey B-70 bomber program was abandoned in 1961 before any Valkyries were finished or sent into service. Nevertheless, the USAF purchased two XB-70As for use in joint flight research with NASA’s Flight Research Center (FRC), the forerunner to the present-day NASA Dryden Flight Research Center.

The first flight of the XB-70 was made on Sept. 21, 1964.

The XB-70 was designed by North American Aviation, which later became North American Rockwell and then a branch of Boeing. It had a long fuselage and a canard (or horizontal stabilizer) that was located directly behind the crew cabin. Its delta wing featured a 65.6 percent steep sweep. In flight, the wing’s outer section could be folded down to provide lateral-directional stability. There were also two windshields on the plane. For high-speed flying, a movable outer windshield was raised to save drag and lowered for better visibility during takeoff and landing.

Frames and skin made of titanium were riveted together to form the forward fuselage. The remaining parts of the aircraft were made primarily of stainless steel. The skin was made of honeycomb-shaped brazed stainless steel. The XB-70 was powered by six General Electric YJ93-3 turbojet engines, each with a thrust rating of 30,000 pounds. In order to retain the most effective airflow to the engines, the interior geometry of the inlets could be changed.

The XB-70, the largest experimental aircraft ever built, was meant to gather in-flight data to help in the construction of upcoming supersonic aircraft, both military and commercial. It was capable of Mach 3 flight at altitudes of 70,000 feet.

The XB-70 flight research program’s main goals included analyzing the aircraft’s stability and handling characteristics, analyzing how it responded to turbulence in the atmosphere, and figuring out how well it performed in terms of aerodynamics and propulsion. Secondary goals included calculating the levels and amount of engine noise during takeoff, landing, and ground operations. They also included measuring the noise and friction related to airflow over the aircraft.

During research flights, the aircraft was typically escorted by a TB-58 chase plane. This is due to the fact that the TB-58 (a prototype B-58 adapted as a trainer) was able to maintain close proximity to the XB-70 while it was doing its research maneuvers thanks to its dash speed of Mach 2. The slower TB-58 could often keep up with the faster XB-70 when it was flying at or near Mach 3 by flying lower and avoiding the curves in the XB-70’s flight path when they occurred.

In March 1967, NASA was given responsibility for program management of the NASA-USAF research endeavor. Notably, the first Valkyrie continued to fly and produce useful test data in the research program until its final flight on February 4, 1969, whereas the number two XB-70 was destroyed in an unintentional mid-air collision on June 8, 1966.

Photo by U.S. Air Force and NASA

April 4, 2023 0 comment

History

The first kills scored by RSAF (or USAF?) F-15 pilots

by Till Daisd April 4, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Following the interception of radio traffic between the F-15s and the AWACS, Iran later claimed — logically — that the pilots aboard the two Eagles were not Saudis, but Americans

In the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program Peace Sun, the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) ordered 16 F-15Ds and 46 F-15Cs (without some of the aircraft’s Tactical Electronic Warfare System components and sensitive radar modes). The purchase came after the Saudi monarchy made a concentrated effort to overcome a capability gap between the RSAF and the F-14 Tomcat aircraft of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF).

The U.S. government had to take into account some very important political issues as a result of Peace Sun, not the least of which was how the sale was certain to be received by the ever-watchful Israelis. The RSAF Eagles were downgraded to make them less effective, especially against avionics and weaponry produced in the United States, in order to reduce such tensions.

Amid heightened tensions with Iran, the RSAF executed its first F-15 kill most extraordinarily. There is still debate about the incident today. A P-3F Orion from the IRIAF intercepted a merchant ship south of Lavan Island on the Saudi side of the Persian Gulf on June 5, 1984.

The strange case of the first kills scored by RSAF (or USAF?) F-15 pilots

In the ongoing conflict between Iran and Iraq, the Iranians had been waging an attrition war against Iraqi oil tankers, and now the IRIAF had been instructed to target vessels passing through Saudi Arabian and Kuwaiti ports as well since both nations were secretly supporting Iraq in its war against Iran.

Two IRIAF F-4E Phantom IIs from TFB 6 (61st TFW) were dispatched to attack the vessels, as detailed by Steve Davies in his book F-15C Eagle Units In Combat, but they were quickly spotted by an American Air Force (USAF) E-3 AWACS flying out of Saudi Arabia. Two RSAF Eagles from No 6 Sqn—an F-15C and an F-15D—were already in the air and engaged in a training flight with a USAF KC-10A Extender tanker. The AWACS controller directed the Eagles away from the tanker track and toward the threatening F-4s because he knew the merchant shipping was in immediate danger.

It took a lot of effort to get the RSAF Eagle pilots to intercept F-4Es. It’s thought that the controllers on the AWACS had to plead with the Eagle pilots to comply with their instructions. The Saudis didn’t agree to the job until USAF instructor Capt Bill Tippin sat in the back of the F-15D and urged them to go for the intercept. The two Eagles attacked the F-4Es head-on as they approached the Saudi island of Al-Arabia, which is located 48 miles north of the al-Jubayl naval base.

The Eagle pilots finally attained radar locks that allowed each to fire an AIM-7 Sparrow under Tippin’s direction and with the aid of a Saudi officer on board the AWACS. One F-4E was brought down in a massive explosion by both guided missiles while the other was seriously damaged. The latter aircraft limped away severely damaged, but its pilot was able to make an emergency landing on what is now Kish Island, an Iranian holiday resort. 1Lts Hamayoun Hekmati and Seyed-Cyrus Karimi, who were on board the lost F-4, died in the explosion because they failed to attempt to eject.

Iran later asserted that the pilots of the two Eagles were not Saudis but rather Americans after radio communications between the F-15s and the AWACS were intercepted. Capt. Bill Tippin may have played a bigger part in the combat than has been acknowledged, but neither the Saudi or American governments have ever provided a complete explanation for the episode.

Although there is no means to actually release ordnance from the back seat of the D-model, there is little doubt that it could only have been the front seat pilot who actually fired the AIM-7 that scored the kill. It is possible that Tippin was actually flying the F-15D during the engagement.

General Spencer M. “SAM” Armstrong, a highly decorated USAF command pilot with more than 4,500 flight hours, who commanded the U.S. Military Training Mission to the Royal Saudi Air Force from July 1983 to July 1985, has provided important additional information about the engagement. Around this time, Saudi F-15 Eagles and Iranian F-4E Phantoms engaged in aerial combat.

The general spoke quickly when he was questioned about the participation of USAF pilots. “In short, there were no USAF pilots involved except in reviewing the film for the RSAF.” In addition, Gen. Armstrong claimed to be familiar with the names of the USAF F-15 pilots under his command but was unable to recall Capt. Bill Tippin.

A verbatim account of what happened on June 5, 1984, as given by Gen. Armstrong to Donald J. McCarthy Jr. for publication in The Raptors All F-15 and F-16 aerial combat victories is given below.

“The war between Iran and Iraq was really hot during my two years. Shortly after I got there, the Iranians sunk an Iraqi oil tanker in the Gulf and the Iraqis struck back with their French-made Exocet air-to-surface missiles—the “tanker war” was well underway. The Iranians did not have us to maintain their aircraft anymore so their equipment was in poor shape. The Iraqis soon had the advantage in this war on the Gulf. The Saudis were concerned the Iranians might go after the oil facilities or the desalination plant on the Gulf since the Saudis were assisting the Iraqis. They wanted to maintain an F-15 Combat Air Patrol [CAP], but needed in-flight refueling. We obliged by sending two KC-10 tankers over and the 24-hour CAP was begun.

“Beth [Mrs. Armstrong] and I were having lunch at the Mission Inn in Dhahran when the chief of the Dhahran advisory detachment came hurrying over. He took me aside and said they had reason to believe there had been a shoot-down over the Gulf. Together we hurried dawn to the tactical operation center [TOC], where US personnel manned surveillance radar. He told me on the way it appeared two F-15s had shot down one or two Iranian F-4s. I found Col. [Prince] Turki standing by a radar display, talking to some RSAF F-5s. Iranian helicopters were on the Saudi side of the Gulf, apparently looking for survivors. The Saudis got a lot of their intelligence from people on the oil platforms out in the gulf, and one of them reported the helicopter appeared to have missiles. I was pretty sure they were mistaking the skid on the helicopter for missiles because these were helicopters we had sold to them years earlier. Turki looked at me and asked if I thought we should order the F-5s to shoot down the helicopter. Trigger authority had been delegated to Turki, although he had never had to use it. I shook my head and Turki ordered the F-5s to merely shoo the helicopter away.

“When our F-15 pilots had a chance to review the tapes some interesting facts came out. Two Iranian F-14s were headed directly for Dhahran from Busheir while two F-4s had come around the north end of the Gulf and were heading down the Saudi side at a low level. The Saudi controller aboard a U.S. AWACS ordered Blue Flight to intercept the F-4s and ordered Yellow Flight—just taking off from Dhahran—to intercept the F-4s. The RSAF major leading Yellow Flight quickly sized up the geometry and ordered Blue Flight to take on the F-4s. The F-14s were merely a feint, as they turned around and went home in the middle of the Gulf.

“The two RSAF lieutenants turned hard left and descended for a head-on pass. The closure speed was about 1,200 mph. The F-15 wingman fired at maximum range for a radar missile and the leader must have had a case of “buck fever,” since he forgot to jettison his drop tanks and fired a missile at a minimum range of effectiveness. They observed two explosions, but they could not tell if the missiles hit the F-4s or merely impacted the Gulf. Since radar contact was lost for both F-4s it was reckoned both F-15s achieved kills. The water was shallow where the plane[s] went down, but very murky conditions prevented the discovery of the wreckage. They did find a seat cushion from an F-4. Each RSAF pilot was presented with a Mercedes 500 SEL as a token of appreciation from the king. Later at Taif, Prince Sultan asked me if they shot down one or two aircraft. I replied that it was one for sure and probably both. He replied they were claiming only one since they did not want to necessarily upset the Iranians any more than they had to.”

The Raptors All F-15 and F-16 aerial combat victories are published by Schiffer Publishing and are available to order here.

F-15C Eagle Units in Combat is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by Saudi88hawk and Shahram Sharifi via Wikipedia, U.S. Air Force

April 4, 2023 0 comment

Military

F/A-18 “Legacy” and U.S. F-22 5th Generation Fighters integrate their capabilities at RAAF Base Tindal

by Till Daisd April 3, 2023

written by Till Daisd

“Bringing together 4th and 5th generation aircraft is critical for Australia because we will have F/A-18s and F-35s working together,” RAAF 75 SQN commander Mick Grant

U.S. and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) fighter squadron leaders discussed interoperability and tactical integration at RAAF Base Tindal on February 24, 2017, as their combined Enhanced Air Cooperation (EAC) training continues, while the Australian International Airshow was taking place at Avalon airport.

In his article U.S., RAAF fighter squadron leaders discuss EAC joint training, Staff Sgt. Alexander Martinez of Headquarters Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs explains that EAC is a combined training activity established under the Force Posture Agreement between the U.S. and Australian governments. This EAC rotation brought together two units that have a long history of cooperating: the Royal Australian Air Force’s 75 Squadron (SQN) F/A-18A/B Hornets from RAAF Base Tindal and the U.S. Air Force’s 90th Fighter Squadron F-22 Raptors from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Alaska.

“We’re back together again operating in a really significant training exercise testing our integration and our interoperability,” said 75 SQN commander Mick Grant. “It’s no small effort to bring a squadron all the way down from Alaska and we’re really excited to have them operating here in our backyard.”

The RAAF’s future fighter capabilities as they get ready to receive F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft will depend on the exercise activity’s ability to bring together 4th and 5th generation aircraft, according to Grant.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. David Skalicky, 90th Fighter Squadron commander, and Wing Commander Andrew Tatnell, Royal Australian Air Force Base Tindal Senior Australian Defence Force Officer, discuss the combined capabilities of the RAAF F/A-18A/B Hornet and U.S. F-22 Raptor at RAAF Base Tindal, Australia, Feb. 24, 2017. Twelve F-22 Raptors and approximately 200 U.S. Air Force Airmen are in Australia as part of the Enhanced Air Cooperation, an initiative under the Force Posture Agreement between the U.S. and Australia.

“It’s critical for Australia because we will have F/A-18s and F-35s, 4th and 5th generation aircraft working together, and we need to be good at it,” Grant said. “We’re getting valuable training this week. We are taking the strengths of our 4th generation aircraft and combining them with the strengths of a 5th generation aircraft — we bundle those strengths into one package to deal with the threats in our current training scenarios.”

Although the squadrons have been able to collaborate in bigger capacities, this exercise activity provides for more intensive training on a smaller scale, according to Lt. Col. David Skalicky, commander of the 90th FS.

“This is the first time we’ve had the opportunity to integrate at the unit level which has provided us a unique opportunity to delve into the tactics and individual execution of each pilot and make us better as a team,” Skalicky said. “As we get better as a team, we’re better postured as a coalition to deal with the challenges of the future.”

A unique capability that has further integrated the two squadrons is the exchange pilot program. Currently, RAAF pilot Flight Lieutenant William Grady is nearing the end of his three-year tenure as an exchange pilot with the 90th FS.

From left: Royal Australian Air Force Flight Lieutenant William Grady, 90th Fighter Squadron exchange pilot; Wing Commander Andrew Tatnell, RAAF Base Tindal Senior Australian Defence Force Officer; U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. David Skalicky, 90th FS commander; and Wing Commander Mick Grant, 75 Squadron commander pose for a photo in front of a RAAF 75 SQ F/A-18A/B Hornet and U.S. 90th FS F-22 Raptor at RAAF Base Tindal.

According to Grady, the chance to work with the 90th FS is a great professional and personal opportunity.

“The premise of the exchange [program] is to gain a solid understanding of 5th generation fighter flying, and bring back tactics and techniques so [the RAAF] can stand up the integrated and technical force that we’re desiring,” Grady explained.

Wing Commander Andrew Tatnell, the RAAF Base Tindal Senior Australian Defence Force Officer, said “it’s an absolute pleasure to have the 90th Fighter Squadron visiting RAAF Base Tindal as they work and train with the 75 Squadron.”

Through the beginning of March, EAC exercise operations will continue in Northern Australia.

A Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18A/B Hornet taxies past a U.S. Air Force 90th Fighter Squadron F-22 Raptor at RAAF Base Tindal, Australia, Feb. 24, 2017.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Alexander Martinez / U.S. Air Force

April 3, 2023 0 comment

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