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Patrouille-Suisse-F-5-Bird-Strike
Airshows

Video shows the moment a Patrouille Suisse F-5 Tiger II hits a flock of birds during Radom Air Show

by Till Daisd
written by Till Daisd

The video in this post features a Patrouille Suisse F-5 Tiger suffering a bird strike with a flock of birds crossing its path

Filmed by our friend Dafydd Phillips during Radom Air Show, the video in this post features an F-5 Tiger II belonging to the Patrouille Suisse, the Swiss Air Force aerobatic display team, suffering a bird strike with a flock of birds crossing its path.

Phillips explains;

‘A phone camera moment at Air show Radom 2023 captured a bird strike. As the Patrouille Suisse F-5 Tiger 2 turned off his flares after a single ship pass a flock of birds can been seen crossing its path. Luckily no mechanical damage was done and the canopy and cockpit were undamaged. I’ve repeated the clip in slow motion and cropped in.’

As already reported, bird strikes by aircraft are not uncommon. According to the US government program Department of Defense Partners in Flight (DoD PIF), every year, about 3,000 wildlife-strike incidents are reported for military aircraft and another 2,300-plus for civil craft.

Various prevention programs, including the Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard program, have been put into place in an effort to reduce these bird-strike incidents.

“Habitat modifications and scaring birds away from the runways is an integral part of the answer, but understanding the behavior and movements of birds in relation to the airfield environment and military training routes by pilots and aircrews is also a critical factor in reducing bird strikes,” the DoD PIF says.

Photo by Dafydd Phillips

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Concorde-1
Civil

Here’s why a photo of a Concorde flying at Mach 2 doesn’t exist

by Till Daisd
written by Till Daisd

While operational, it was effectively impossible to intercept to all the jet fighters of its generation barring a stripped Electric Lightning pushed to the limit – including F-15, F-16 or F-104

The studies for the Anglo-French Concorde supersonic airliner started in 1954, and France and the UK signed a treaty establishing the development project on Nov. 29,1962. Construction of the six prototypes began in February 1965, and the first flight took off from Toulouse on Mar. 2, 1969.

Powered by four Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593 turbojets with variable engine intake ramps, and afterburner for take-off and acceleration to supersonic speed, the Concorde had a speed of Mach 2.04 at an altitude of 60,000 ft.

But, as far as is known not a single photo of Concorde flying at Mach 2 exists..

‘Concorde seems cute and familiar because it was used for transportation and designed in the 60s, but it was an absolute beast. Supercruising at Mach 2.0 for hours to traverse the Atlantic, it could effectively outrun a nuclear blast and catch up with the sun,’ says Andrei Kucharavy, an aviation expert, on Quora.

‘While operational, it was effectively impossible to intercept to all the jet fighters of its generation barring a stripped Electric Lightning pushed to the limit – including F-15, F-16 or F-104. Just to take the only known supersonic picture of Concorde [HERE you find the full story of the only known supersonic photo of Concorde], a completely stripped RAF Tornado had to be pushed to its limit to be able to rendez-vous with a super-cruising Concorde. And yet in the end Concorde had to slow down to Mach 1.5 to allow for a good picture to be taken.

‘Think about this picture. A state-of-the-art fighter jet, specialized interceptor, stripped to the bones and pushed to its maximum is rapidly running out of fuel, operational altitude and range. In the meantime, about a 100 people inside the aircraft it was trying to rendez-vous with are being served champagne, as it slowly climbed to its operational altitude and accelerated towards its cruising speed that it would maintain for the next couple of hours.

Not a single photo of Concorde flying at Mach 2 exists. Here’s why.

‘Even the F-22, developed almost 50 years after the Concorde and the reigning undisputed air supremacy fighter can only supercruise at Mach 1.8 and its top speed – Mach 2.2 – is the same as for a Tornado. If Concorde was still flying, it is unlikely it would be able to photograph it at Mach 2.0. Even if the Soviets back at the time were willing to lend the Mig-25/Mig-31, it is not entirely clear if it would be able to sustain the level flight with Concorde at Mach 2.0 for long enough to have a picture taken.’

Could the SR-71 Blackbird reconnaisance aircraft have gotten a picture of it easily, as it cruised at up to Mach 3?

Kucharavy explains;

‘Realistically, Mach 2.0 at 60 000 feet is well within the operational envelope of an SR-71, but it’s more the logistics of a double refueling that would have been a problem. SR-71 take-off logistics were quite something. Right after the take-off it had a couple of minutes to get to 25 000 ft and find a tanker and then had at most 2.400 NM to get do the round trip. Significantly shorter if it performed an excursion into the supersonic range and used its afterburners. I believe for a NY-London traverse an SR-71 had to refuel once in the middle, but for the rest of it sustained close to the Mach 3.2. So a parallel flight with Concorde was not out of question, but definitely would have been quite a mission to organize.’

Photo by Adrian Meredith / Crown Copyright

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F-14-Phoenix-MiG-23
F-14 Tomcat

US Navy F-14 Tomcat pilot who fired a Phoenix missile against an Iraqi MiG-23 explains why the AIM-54 missed its target

by Till Daisd
written by Till Daisd

Using their F-14 Tomcat (much-improved) Link-16 datalink, LCDR Coby ‘Coach’ Loessberg and his RIO obtained their targeting data from the supporting E-2C powered up their APG-71 and quickly set up an AIM-54C launch…

In the aftermath of Operation Desert Fox, Saddam stated that he no longer recognised the legitimacy of the No-Fly Zones and brazenly challenged patrolling Operation Northern Watch/Southern Watch (ONW/OSW) aircraft by moving mobile SAM batteries and AAA weapons into the exclusion zones. Both were used in the coming months, and Iraqi combat aircraft also started to push more regularly into the ‘Box’.

As explained by Tony Holmes in his book US Navy F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the adoption of this more aggressive stance by the Iraqi Air Force (IrAF), almost resulted in a US Navy Tomcat claiming its first Phoenix missile kill when, on Jan. 5, 1999, two F-14Ds from VF-213 fired two AIM-54Cs at two MiG-23s that had penetrated the No-Fly Zone. The Iraqi jets had already turned back north and were making a high speed run for home by the time the Tomcats got to fire their missiles at very long range. Although neither hit their targets, one of the MiG-23s crashed because it was critically short on fuel.

Iraq’s open defiance to OSW meant that coalition aircraft patrolling in the ‘Box’ were now regularly locked up by fire-control radar and engaged by AAA and unguided SAMs on a near-daily basis. In the post-Desert Fox world, these violations provoked a swift, but measured, response. Retaliatory missions, dubbed Response Options (ROs), allowed No-Fly Zone enforcers to react to threats or incursions in a coordinated manner through the execution of agreed strikes against pre-determined targets such as SAM/AAA and command and control nodes.

F-14D-Hornet
.030528-N-0295M-012.ABOARD USS CONSTELLATION (May 28, 2003) ñ During a practice air and sea power demonstration for Constellation’s Tiger Cruise, an F-14D Tomcat and a F/A-18C Hornet make a fly-bye of the Constellation before a bombing and strafing demonstration. Constellation is currently returning from a deployment with in which it supported Operations Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Daniel J. McLain .

On Sep. 9, 1999, following significant opposition to recent patrols, CVW-2, embarked in USS constellation (CV-64), launched Operation Gun Smoke. Some 35 of 39 AAA and SAM sites targeted for destruction in the ‘Box’ were eliminated in a series of precision strikes that saw the largest expenditure of ordnance in a single day since Desert Storm. The F-14Ds of VF-2 played a leading role in this campaign, from dropping LGBs to lasing for AGM-65s fired from F/A-18s.

The unit also got to fire a single AIM-54C at long range against an IrAF MiG-23.

As explained by Tom Cooper in his book In the Claws of the Tomcat: US Navy F-14 Tomcats in Air Combat against Iran and Iraq, 1987-2000, on Sep. 14, 1999 VF-2 launched a single F-14D – BuNo 164349, Modex NE102 – crewed by LCDR Coby ‘Coach’ Loessberg with LCDR Michael `Spock’ McMillan. Acting as a wingman was a single F/A-18C from VFA-151, piloted by LT Ron ‘Semi’ Candiloro. The two jets had spent three hours on the CAP station when two MiG-23MLs appeared out of Tammuz AB. Loessberg turned into the threat, accelerating, as he went – while trying not to leave the slower Hornet too far behind. Then, using the (much-improved) Link-16 datalink, he and his RIO obtained their targeting data from the supporting E-2C powered up their APG-71 and quickly set up an AIM-54C launch. Because his jet was not yet equipped with Link-16, Candiloro was taken by surprise when he saw the big Phoenix missile separating from the Tomcat and stampeding up and away. Finally recognising the threat, both MiGs promptly broke and turned away towards north, doing their best to exit the engagement envelope of the AIM-54. Loessberg concluded:

“The Phoenix missed because they turned and ran not long after we fired. This was confirmed via IRST. The shot was not taken a in the heart of the envelope. Had we been able to achieve the optimum speed and altitude at launch we might have been able to improve our probability-of-kill.

“The MiGs headed north, we were approaching the border of the NFZ, and I knew my wingman was rapidly approaching bingo fuel state. We were a defensive counter-air mission so we accomplished our mission.

“Once we were safely heading south and knew there was no longer a threat, I had to quickly get on the optimum flight profile to safely get Semi back to the S-3 tankers that were waiting for us. I do remember being a little concerned about that and communicating to the E-2 the urgency of having a tanker waiting for him.”

In the Claws of the Tomcat: US Navy F-14 Tomcats in Air Combat against Iran and Iraq, 1987-2000 is published by Helion & Company and is available to order here.

F-14D-VF-2-USS-Constellation-CV-64
A U.S. Navy Grumman F-14D Tomcat from fighter squadron VF-2 Bounty Hunters passing the bow of the aircraft carrier USS Constellation (CV-64) after having been launched from one of the waist catapults.

Photo by U.S. Navy and Tom Cooper

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Yellow-Shirt
Carriers

USS Ronald Reagan Yellow Shirt recalls when he was nearly killed by an F/A-18 that smashed on the flight deck after having inadvertently caught a wire during a wave-off

by Till Daisd
written by Till Daisd

‘I thought the jet was going to explode when it crashed back onto the deck, the blast killing us or sending us flying over the edge of the deck,’ Robbie Emberson, former Yellow Shirt aboard USS Ronald Reagan

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) is the ninth Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and is named in honor of the 40th president of the US.

As the US’ only forward deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan is the cornerstone of Carrier Strike Group 5. Together with Carrier Air Wing 5, the ship-air wing team forms one the most lethal fighting forces in the world.

Modern US Navy aircraft carrier air operations include the operation of fixed-wing and rotary aircraft on and around an aircraft carrier for performance of combat or noncombat missions.

On an aircraft carrier flight deck, specialised crew are employed for the different roles utilised in managing air operations. The different flight deck crews wear colored jerseys to visually distinguish their functions:

  • Yellow: Aircraft handling officer
  • Green: Catapult and arresting gear crew
  • Red: Ordnance handler
  • Purple: Aviation fuel handler
  • Blue: Trainee plane handler
  • Brown: Air wing plane captain
  • White: Quality Assurance
Yellow-Shirt

‘The flight deck is an exciting place to work,’ says Robbie Emberson, former Flight Deck Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) (ABH) aboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) on Quora. ‘During flight ops turning propellers can cut you thinner than sliced bread, jet intakes and exhaust can burn you crispier than well-done steak, or one wrong step can send you plunging 134ft down into the frigid water below. But none of these things happened to me.

‘The flight deck is separated into three work centers for V-1 (flight deck ABHs), FLY 1 is responsible for the bow, FLY 2 is responsible for the middle, and FLY 3 is responsible for the fantail.

Fly 3

‘This is a basic sketch of how the FLY’s are separated but there are a number of exceptions. For example, a FLY 3 yellow shirt will stand up in FLY 1 during recovery to “catch” birds when they land. Meaning, he will signal to the pilot to let off the brakes after the wires stop the plane’s forward momentum, when the wire has separated from his aircraft, to raise his tail hook, and direct him out of the landing area.’

Emberson continues:

‘One of the scariest things that happened to me on an aircraft carrier was when I was a U.I. [Under Instruction] yellow shirt in FLY 3. During recovery, FLY 3 sees little action because no aircraft can be sent back there while birds are landing, so most FLY 3 yellow shirts go down in the fly hole and listen to the flight deck radio, have a snack or whatever, and wait. Tonight, however, a friend and I were standing by the arresting gear shooting the s**t enjoying the night.

‘As we were standing there, an F-18 is coming in to land. What seemed like 10 feet away from the wires the aircraft’s nose rapidly swings up. The bird had been waved off; something had fouled the landing area and the green light signaling a clear landing area had turned red.

Wave-Off

‘This is approximately where we were standing and the bird was probably that close to landing when it had been waved off.

‘The aircraft was nearly perpendicular to the flight deck trying to climb back into the night sky but, unbeknownst to the pilot, the tail hook had caught a wire and he was attached to the deck.

‘So, here we are. My buddy and I standing there in FLY 3 by the arresting gear, an F-18 on full power, roaring, trying to gain altitude, streams of fire coming out of the exhaust, and the thick cables of the arresting gear not letting go, pulling the jet back towards the deck. We did what anyone would do, we ran.

‘I thought the jet was going to explode when it crashed back onto the deck, the blast killing us or sending us flying over the edge of the deck. But, it didn’t. The jet did smash back on the deck causing damage to the aircraft and a lot of sparks, but no fire started. The pilot was bloodied up when he eventually got out of the plane but he walked away. Flight ops continued after a FOD walk-down.’

Emberson concludes:

‘I thought I was going to be caught in the middle of a flight deck fire that night. It was pretty scary.’

Photo by US Navy

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Ohio-Class-1
NavalWarfare

US Navy Submarine Chief Petty Officer explains why it’s not true that Ohio-class submarines lack enough ballast to remain submerged after they fire all of their SLBMs

by Till Daisd
written by Till Daisd

‘Yes. If a Trident submarine launched all of its missiles the water that backfilled into the now empty tubes would not have enough weight to keep the submarine sufficiently negatively buoyant to remain submerged,’ James Clark, former US Navy Submarine Chief Petty Officer

The Ohio-class SSBN was conceived in the early 1970s and at 560 feet, they became the largest submarines ever built by the US Navy.

USS Ohio (SSGN 726, the first of her class of ballistic missile submarines [SSBNs] and guided missile submarines [SSGNs], and the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name) joined the US Navy on Nov. 11, 1981.

With the end of the Cold War, the first four Ohio-class SSBNs – Ohio, Michigan, Florida and Georgia – were scheduled to be decommissioned in the early 2000s. The other 14 would remain in service as SSBNs carrying the Trident II D-5 missile. But another plan was in the works – to use the versatile Ohio seaframe to carry Tomahawks or other payloads in lieu of ballistic missiles. The result would be four platforms capable of supporting strike or special warfare missions around the world.

Under then plan, 22 Trident launch tubes were reconfigured to carry either canisters containing seven Tomahawks each – for a total of up to 154 missiles.
Giving these unique features, the Ohio-class submarines provide the Navy with unprecedented strike capabilities.

But how true is the rumor that Ohio-class submarines lack enough ballast to remain submerged after they fire all of their submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs)?

James Clark, former US Navy Submarine Chief Petty Officer, explains on Quora;

‘This is a misconstrued statement.

‘Yes. If a Trident submarine launched all of its missiles the water that backfilled into the now empty tubes would not have enough weight to keep the submarine sufficiently negatively buoyant to remain submerged.

‘A Trident D5 missile has a mass of 59,000 kg. Water of the same volume has much less mass. The difference is so large that if multiple missiles have been fired then the trim system would be incapable of handling it, thus the existence of a separate system. That is why onboard the ship between the ship’s compartments are massive compensation tanks that extend from the top to the bottom of the ship and side to side and couple feet in length. Think of them as a giant spacer between the compartments.’

Clark concludes;

‘These are flooded during launch to bring on extra water to maintain proper buoyancy.’

Ohio-Class-1
Ohio-class guided missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728). Florida was the second of four SSBN submarines to be converted to the guided missile SSGN platform.

Photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Lynn Friant / U.S. Navy

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Top-Gun-Oscar-Cruise-Bush
Carriers

Top Gun: Maverick wins the Best Sound Oscar as Tom Cruise visits USS George H.W. Bush (Carrier Could Play Role in New ‘Mission Impossible’ Movie)

by Till Daisd
written by Till Daisd

If the Navy chooses to accept it, USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) could get its big screen debut in Tom Cruise’s next “Mission Impossible” movie

Top Gun: Maverick producer and star Tom Cruise, writer and producer Christopher McQuarrie, and editor Eddie Hamilton, along with Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham departed the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) after completing a visit, on Mar. 3, 2023.

The team led a Top Gun: Maverick viewing in the ship’s hangar bay and took time to visit with Sailors aboard the ship during their visit. The ship and its crew have been deployed since departing Naval Station Norfolk on Aug. 10, 2022.

Last week, entertainment trade publication Variety quoted the head of the Apulia Film Commission Antonio Parente that Cruise was aboard the carrier filming scenes for “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part Two.”

Tom-Cruise-Bush
Cmdr. Karrie Lang, Combat Systems Officer aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77), takes a selfie with Tom Cruise during a visit to the ship, Mar. 3, 2023. 

If the Navy chooses to accept it, USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) could get its big screen debut in Tom Cruise’s next “Mission Impossible” movie.

“We are proud that [the] Apulia [region] has been chosen as the operational base for this rather complex shoot,” Parente told the paper.

According to USNI News, it is unclear what brings Cruise’s character Ethan Hunt to an aircraft carrier in the film, which is expected to be the last in the “Mission Impossible” series. In the most recent Mission Impossible film, Cruise’s Hunt stopped an organization of rogue spies and ex-government agents from harming a major water supply.

Hannah-Waddingham
Hannah Waddingham takes a selfie with Lt. Sarah Faber center and Lt. Derek Watson during a meet-and-greet with the crew aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, Mar. 2, 2023.

“Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning” is being split into two parts with the first going to theaters in July. The trailer for the action film shows scenes of Cruise in Italy, including Venice, which may be connected to George H.W. Bush’s appearance in the second film. It is unclear if “Mission Impossible” will call the aircraft by a different name or have it in a different location in the film.

McQuarrie announced Waddingham was joining the cast via an Instagram post from the carrier that featured her on the flight deck of Bush wearing a Carrier Strike Group 10 ball cap.

It’s unclear the time between the two films as Cruise’s hair in Navy-released photos from his time aboard the aircraft carrier is longer than in the trailer for the first Dead Reckoning film.

McQuarrie

Throughout its deployment, the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (CSG) has worked alongside NATO allies and partners to increase interchangeability and increased capacity for the Alliance.

“I know our Sailors will never forget that night in the hangar bay, and I am equally as certain that neither will Mr. Cruise,” said Rear Adm. Dennis Velez, commander, CSG-10, George H.W. Bush CSG, in a US Navy news release. “The Sailors of the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group represent what is best about America. Their commitment and courage is on display every day, and I know Tom and his entire team left with a fuller appreciation of the capabilities and power of U.S. Navy’s carrier strike groups — and the dedication and grit of our Sailors that make it all possible.”

Velez was not the only leader aboard the ship who recognized the impact the visit had on everyone aboard.

“While Top Gun will always be an American and Navy classic, Tom, Chris, Eddie, and their team outdid themselves with Top Gun: Maverick!” said Capt. Dave Pollard, the aircraft carrier’s commanding officer, himself a Top Gun graduate and instructor. “Every minute they spent with the crew of our mighty warship paid dividends toward our crew’s morale from the top-down. It buoys my spirits to know that the leading entertainers and filmmakers of our day not only conceptually know what we do, but they can relate to what our nation’s warriors do on a daily basis through their personal experiences aboard USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77).”

Paramount Pictures’ Top Gun: Maverick earned nominations for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Original Song, Best Visual Effects and Best Sound at the 95th Oscars on Mar. 12 (The motion picture won the Best Sound Oscar).

Top-Gun-Maverick-Best-Sound-Oscar

“This is my first deployment, and it’s difficult sometimes to be gone from home and family for such long time,” said Aviation Support Equipment Technician 3rd Class Olivia Morton, the ship’s Blue Jacket of the Year who was promoted meritoriously during the visit. “Spending time with my friends at the hangar bay event and getting a photo with all of the guests – especially Tom Cruise – was the highlight of a memorable deployment.”

George H.W. Bush is the flagship of CSG-10, George H.W. Bush CSG. CSG-10 is comprised of George H.W. Bush, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26, the Information Warfare Commander, and USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55).

The ships of DESRON-26 within CSG-10 are the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Nitze (DDG 94), USS Farragut (DDG 99), USS Truxtun (DDG 103), and USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119).

The squadrons of CVW-7 embarked aboard the George H.W. Bush are the “Sidewinders” of VFA-86, the “Jolly Rogers” of VFA-103, the “Knighthawks” of VFA-136, the “Pukin’ Dogs” of VFA-143, the “Bluetails” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 121, the “Patriots” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 140, the “Nightdippers” of HSC-5, and the “Grandmasters” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 46.

For over 80 years, US Naval Forces Europe – US Naval Forces Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) has forged strategic relationships with allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability.

Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the US European Command (USEUCOM) and US Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. US Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations.

The George H.W. Bush CSG is on a scheduled deployment in the NAVEUR area of operations as part of the US response to the Russo-Ukraine War, employed by US Sixth Fleet to defend US, allied, and partner interests.

Photo by U.S. Navy and Paramount Pictures

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Prigozhin-plane-crash
Civil

Wagner chief Prigozhin dead in Embraer Legacy 600 corporate jet crash northwest of Moscow

by Till Daisd
written by Till Daisd

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of Russian mercenary group Wagner who staged a short-lived mutiny against Russia’s military leadership in June, was on board an Embraer Legacy 600 corporate jet that crashed northwest of Moscow on Aug. 23, 2023

The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency said that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of Russian mercenary group Wagner who staged a short-lived mutiny against Russia’s military leadership in June, was on board an Embraer Legacy 600 corporate jet that crashed northwest of Moscow on Aug. 23, 2023.

According to the official state news agency TASS, the Federal Air Transport Agency said in a statement that “An investigation has been launched into the crash of the Embraer aircraft, which occurred tonight in the Tver region. According to the list of passengers, among them is the name and surname of Yevgeny Prigozhin.”

The Russian Ministry of Emergency Services said that there were seven passengers and three crew members on board the private Embraer jet when it crashed near the village of Kuzhenkino, in the Tver region, on Wednesday. All on board were killed, according to preliminary information, the ministry said, adding that they “are conducting search operations.”

CNN reports that according to the list of passengers shared by the Russian aviation agency, among those on the plane were Utkin Dmitriy, a trusted lieutenant of Prigozhin’s since Wagner was formed, and Prigozhin’s senior aide Valeriy Chekalov.

State media outlet Russia 24 reported that the bodies of eight people have been found at the crash site. The plane “burned up” on impact after being in the air for about half an hour, TASS reported earlier.

A criminal case following the crash has been initiated by Russian investigators. A team was on the way to the scene to “establish the causes of the crash,” the Russian Investigative Committee said.

Prigozhin
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of Russian mercenary group Wagner

Prigozhin launched a brief rebellion that posed an unprecedented challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authority a few months ago. Then it was suddenly called off in a deal that required the Wagner chief and his fighters to relocate to Belarus.

Wagner forces were heavily involved in capturing the eastern Ukrainian cities of Soledar and Bakhmut following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. Prigozhin then spent months criticizing Russian military leadership and the support it was giving his troops before he called for the armed rebellion.

The plane that crashed north of Moscow “is a manifestation of Putin’s Russia,” a senior Ukrainian official close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN on Wednesday.

The senior Ukrainian official was echoed by US President Joe Biden who suggested Putin may have been behind the crash. “You may recall, I was asked about this,” Biden told CNN.

‘System Putin’ is behind the crash according to #AW# contributor and world famous modern military aviation author Tom Cooper:

“The guy fell out of the window… or down the stairs….or down the stairs and then out of the window…. or crashed in an aircraft….or fell out of a window of an aircraft…or he was falling so fast, the guys shooting at him couldn’t hit him any more…. or not at all….nobody can know for sure: that’s System Putin.”

As news of the crash broke, Putin was taking part in an event hundreds of miles away from the site, in the Kursk region, to mark the anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany there.

Prigozhin-aircraft-crashing
A still from the video showing Prigozhin Embraer Legacy 600 corporate jet crash

Video published by Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti showed a plane falling out of the sky with one wing missing. As CNN reports is impossible to confirm the authenticity of the video, but RIA Novosti claimed it was the moment that an Embraer jet fell from the sky over the Tver region.

A separate footage, also released by RIA Novosti, purports to show plane engine debris at the crash site. Visible on the still-burning engine debris are the last four digits of a registration number: 2795. Prigozhin’s plane is registered as RA-02795.

Russian officials said that the aircraft stopped transmitting data shortly after 6 p.m. local time and crashed near the village of Kuzhenkino. It departed Moscow and was en route to St. Petersburg.

Flight data shows the Prigozhin-linked plane reached an altitude of some 28,000 feet before publicly available flight tracking data suddenly stopped transmitting southwest of the city of Tver.

However, according to FlightRadar24 data is “likely incomplete” due to the way flight data near Moscow is collected.

The business jets Legacy 600 and Legacy 650 are based on the Embraer ERJ 135 regional airliner. The ERJ-135 is a shortened development of the 50 seat ERJ-145 and seats 37 passengers.

It’s a twin-engine regional jet. The Long Range (LR) version of the ERJ 135 can carry a full load of passengers up to 1,750 nm (3,243 km).

Prigozhin-aircraft-crash-site
Prigozhin Embraer Legacy 600 corporate jet wreckage
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MD-90-into-X-66
Civil

Boeing to transform this MD-90 jet into X-66A Sustainable Flight Demonstrator to test Transonic Truss-Braced Wing configuration

by Till Daisd
written by Till Daisd

The MD-90 will be modified to test the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) configuration as part of NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project

Boeing has ferried an MD-90 airplane to the company’s site in Palmdale where it will be modified to test the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) configuration as part of NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project.

NASA and Boeing previously said the aircraft produced through the agency’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project has been designated by the US Air Force (USAF) as the X-66A.

NASA and Boeing sought the X-plane designation shortly after the agency announced the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project award earlier this year. The Air Force confers X-plane status for development programs that set out to create revolutionary experimental aircraft configurations. The designation is for research aircraft. With few exceptions, X-planes are intended to test designs and technologies that can be adopted into other aircraft designs, not serve as prototypes for full production.

As Boeing, NASA and community leaders gathered at the company’s facility on Aug. 17, 2023 to recognize the milestone in development of the experimental X-66A aircraft, Boeing released photos of the jet’s journey from Victorville, Calif., to Palmdale.

MD-90
Boeing will modify this MD-90 to test the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing configuration as part of NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project.

The X-66A is NASA’s first experimental plane focused on helping the US achieve its goal of net-zero aviation greenhouse gas emissions. Modification will begin soon and ground and flight testing is expected to begin in 2028.

“This marks an important step in the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project, advances Boeing’s commitment to sustainability and brings us closer to testing and validating the TTBW design,” said Boeing Chief Technology Officer Todd Citron, in a company news release.

With ultrathin wings braced by struts with larger spans and higher-aspect ratios, the TTBW design and other expected technological advances could lead to reductions in fuel use and emissions by up to 30%. Boeing and NASA have collaborated for more than a decade on the concept through the Subsonic Ultra Green Aircraft Research (SUGAR) Program.

“We at NASA are excited to be working with Boeing on the X-66A Sustainable Flight Demonstrator making critical contributions to accelerate aviation towards its 2050 net-zero greenhouse gas emission goal,” said Ed Waggoner, deputy associate administrator for programs in the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.

MD-90-X-66
The MD-90 that will become the X-66A pictured at Boeing’s Palmdale site, where it will be modified to test the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing configuration as part of NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project.

“Aerospace Valley has a long and distinguished history as the cradle of aerospace innovation, and this unveiling is a continuation of that critical work. Palmdale’s talented workforce and infrastructure make it the perfect location for this important project,” said Congressman Mike Garcia (CA-27).

The Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project seeks to inform a potential new generation of more sustainable single-aisle aircraft – the workhorse of passenger airlines around the world. Boeing will work with NASA to build, test, and fly the X-66A, a full-scale demonstrator aircraft. The X-66A with extra-long, thin wings stabilized by diagonal struts, known as a Transonic Truss-Braced Wing concept.

NASA’s history with the X-plane designation dates to the 1940s, when its predecessor agency, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) jointly created an experimental aircraft program with the Air Force and the US Navy. The X-66A is the latest in a long line of NASA X-planes. Additionally, NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, has provided technical expertise and support for several additional X-planes.

According to a NASA press release, NASA and Boeing unveiled the livery at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh on Tuesday, July 25.

X-66
A rendering of the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing X-66A aircraft in NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator livery.

Photo by NASA and Boeing

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Concorde-Alpha-Delta
Civil

It’s not goodbye; it’s see you soon. New York’s Intrepid Concorde on the move for a three-month restoration

by Till Daisd
written by Till Daisd

The Concorde was craned out of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York for a three-month restoration at Brooklyn Navy Yard until spring 2024, in front of a crowd of eager aviation fans

A former British Airways Concorde Mach 2 airliner was on the move again on Aug. 9, 2023 – but not as you might imagine.

The supersonic airliner in fact was craned out of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York for a three-month restoration at Brooklyn Navy Yard until spring 2024, in front of a crowd of eager aviation fans.

The museum says on its website:

‘The Concorde experience is temporarily closed while Concorde is relocated offsite for necessary maintenance. The experience and exhibit will re-open to the public in Spring 2024. We apologize for any inconvenience.’

Concorde-on-the-move

According to Simple Flying, the aircraft, which has been an integral member of the Museum’s unique selection of aircraft and aerospace exhibits for the last 15 years, has not fared well, being exposed to the elements in the time it has been on display at the Museum.

Two hours were required to crane the Concorde from Pier 86 on to a barge, which then transported it down the Hudson River.

The plane will be stripped down to its bare metal, sanded, and then repainted in its original colours and markings.

The section of Pier 86 adjacent to where the jet was located at the museum will be renovated to create an additional 372 square metres of public space.

“We are stewards of some of the most important artefacts of the 20th and 21st centuries, and with that comes the responsibility to preserve, protect and perpetuate these icons for generations to come,” said Susan Marenoff-Zausner, the president of the Intrepid Museum.

She added: “Knowing how popular it is with our visitors, it’s difficult to see Concorde depart even for a short time.

Intrepid-Concorde

“But this necessary restoration will ultimately allow us to present this awe-inspiring technological marvel and continue to tell the stories behind it for the foreseeable future.”

The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum Concorde, serial no. 100-010 (G-BOAD), is on loan from British Airways, first flew on Aug. 25, 1976 and spent its entire career flying for British Airways where it became known as ‘Alpha Delta.’

The Concorde is a product of Anglo-French cooperation. When the Concorde entered Air France and British Airways transatlantic service in 1976, it was the only operational supersonic passenger transport in the world. With a crew of nine, the Concorde could fly at 1,350 mph (2,150 kph) at an altitude of 60,000 ft (18,181 m), high enough for its 100 passengers to see the curvature of the earth.

Concordes crossed the Atlantic Ocean in under three hours, or less than half the time of any other jetliner flying that route even today. Protests from environmentalists prevented its supersonic use over the United States and limited airport operation. A crash upon takeoff in July 2000 grounded the fleet until 2001. The Concorde flew VIP passengers until 2003, when both airlines retired their fleets from service.

Concorde-Alpha-Delta

Photo by Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum Facebook Page

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First-Air-National-Guard-Thunderbirds-pilot
Airshows

173rd FW ‘Eagle Driver’ becomes the first ANG fighter pilot selected to be a Thunderbird demonstration pilot

by Till Daisd
written by Till Daisd

Maj. Tyler Clark, a 173rd Fighter Wing ‘Eagle Driver’ is the first ANG fighter pilot selected to be a Thunderbird demonstration pilot

The US Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, known as the “Thunderbirds”, recently announced the latest addition to their team for the 2024-2025 season, and at the top of the list was Maj. Tyler Clark, a 173rd Fighter Wing instructor pilot and chief of scheduling.

As told by Senior Master Sgt. Jennifer Shirar, 173rd Fighter Wing, in the article 173rd FW Instructor Pilot selected as newest Thunderbird demo pilot, Clark is the first Air National Guard fighter pilot selected to be a Thunderbird demonstration pilot.

“Being a Guardsman is an opportunity to represent the Total Force and the ‘Land of No Slack’,” says Clark. “I am extremely thankful for the 173rd Fighter Wing and my leadership who enabled me to pursue this opportunity.”

‘Land of No Slack’ is the nickname given to the 173rd FW, which Clark has been a member of since early 2022. Clark says his time flying at Kingsley Field will help him fulfill his mission as a future Thunderbird pilot.

First-ANG-Thunderbirds-pilot
US Air Force Major Lauren Schlichting, #4 Thunderbird for the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Team, presents Major Tyler Clark, 173rd Fighter Wing F-15C Instructor Pilot, with a signed photo after his flight evaluation Jul. 6, 2023 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Clark was selected as one of the newest demonstration pilots for the US Air Force Demonstration Squadron in the 2024-2025 season.

“The ‘Land of No Slack’ creates top-notch fighter wingmen who earn the coveted ‘Eagle Driver’ patch,” says Clark. “With that comes a tremendous responsibility to maintain and constantly demonstrate a dedication to our mission and students…but it also extends well beyond the cockpit. We must possess an ability to build a rapport and connect with the student across the table.”

Clark started his career in the Air Force Academy, graduating in 2009. He went on to flight school, ending up at Kingsley Field as a student pilot where he learned to be an Eagle Driver. His time in Active Duty took him all over the world, serving in multiple leadership roles. In 2022 he decided to leave Active Duty and join the Air National Guard returning to Kingsley Field as Instructor Pilot.

“I look at the Thunderbirds as a unique opportunity to fulfill my dreams and passion for motivating others while getting to fly high-performance jets in airshows across the United States,” says Clark. “It’s really a fusion of everything I love!”

That passion started at a young age. “Going to airshows growing up sparked an interest in aviation that later led to fighter aviation,” he says. “Every year my family took me to see the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels. That always left me with a huge ‘WOW!’ factor and were always exciting to watch.”

He adds that his passion in life to have a positive impact on those around him.

“I’m really looking forward to interacting with the public, having a positive impact on communities, and inspiring that young kid…who used to be me!” Clark says.

The path to Clark’s selection wasn’t direct. In fact, the first time he applied, he was not selected. “I don’t like taking ‘no” for an answer, so I continued pursing my dream!!” Clark says with a laugh.

Clark is not the first Team Kingsley member to be a part of the Thunderbirds. In 1999, Tech. Sgt. Kim Long, a 173rd Fighter Wing F-16 crew chief, was selected to be a member of the maintenance team for the Thunderbirds, serving with them until 2002.

The Thunderbirds perform precision aerial maneuvers demonstrating the capabilities of Air Force high performance aircraft to people throughout the world. The squadron exhibits the professional qualities the Air Force develops in the people who fly, maintain and support these aircraft.

A Thunderbirds air demonstration is a mix of formation flying and solo routines. The four-aircraft diamond formation demonstrates the training and precision of Air Force pilots, while the solo aircraft highlight the maximum capabilities of the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

The pilots perform approximately 30 maneuvers in a demonstration. The entire show, including ground and air, runs about an hour and fifteen minutes. The season lasts from March to November, with the winter months used to train new members.

Photo by U.S. Air Force / Courtesy photo

First-Air-National-Guard-Thunderbirds-pilot
US Air Force Major Tyler Clark, 173rd Fighter Wing F-15C Instructor Pilot, stands in front of the Thunderbird F-16s Jul. 6, 2023 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Clark was selected as one of the newest demonstration pilots for the US Air Force Demonstration Squadron in the 2024-2025 season.
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