Home Blog Page 112

The Starjet Might Have Been America’s First Jet Powered Fighter

Bill Walton
-
0
The Starjet Might Have Been America’s First Jet Powered Fighter

Lockheed’s L-133 Starjet Could Have Been a Contender!

A blended body with aft-mounted laminar flow wings and forward mounted canards. Slotted flaps to enhance lift. Tricycle landing gear. Twin axial flow turbojet engines with afterburners fed by advanced aft-mounted NACA-type intakes reducing frontal area and therefore drag. Four nose-mounted 20 millimeter cannons for armament. Does this remind you of any 1950s or 1960s jet fighters? How about something even more modern? Would you be surprised to know that the jet I just described never flew at all? Would you be surprised to find out the Starjet was in development…in 1939?

download 13
Lockheed L-133 Starjets. Image via YouTube screen capture

Lockheed began working on their Model L-133-02-01 in 1939. By 1940 the company-financed jet was on the drawing board. The brainchild of none other than renowned Lockheed “Skunk Works” engineers Clarence L. “Kelly” Johnson, Willis M. Hawkins and Hall L. Hibbard, the L-133 might have been, could have been, maybe even should have been, this country’s first jet-powered fighter aircraft. The design was proposed to the US Army Air Corps in 1942. So what happened? Remember-this was 1942. The USAAC (after March 1943 the US Army Air Forces) simply wasn’t prioritizing jet fighters over bombers and propeller-driven figthters. Not yet anyway.

download 17
Lockheed L-133 Starjet. Image via YouTube screen capture

Of course Germany and the Brits were designing and building jets by then. Lockheed’s L-1000 axial flow turbojet engine (designated J37) would have been a robust powerplant for the L-133 Starjet, but developmental priorities placed the J37 on the back burner for many years. It wasn’t until 1953 that the plug was pulled on the J37 after three of them had been built.

LockheedL 1000
L-1000 engine by Sturmvogel 66 [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], from Wikimedia Commons

Meanwhile, Lockheed focused on another much simpler design for their first production jet fighter. Still using the laminar flow wing (stolen from the P-38 Lightning) but powered by the centrifugal flow Allison J33 engine, the P-80 Shooting Star was said to have benefited from the exercise of working through the kinks Johnson and his team experienced while developing the design of the Starjet.

Lockheed P 80A 1 LO Shooting Star 44 85004
Lockheed P-80A Shooting Star. Image via USAF

The L-133 would have come in at about 48 feet in length with a wingspan of nearly 47 feet. With a wing area of 325 square feet and a total of more than 10,000 pounds of thrust from those twin L-1000 engines, the Starjet was expected to be capable of a maximum speed of 625 miles per hour!

Red Tails Legacy Flight Honors Tuskegee Airmen of Yesterday and Today

Charles Atkeison
-
0
Red Tails Legacy Flight Honors Tuskegee Airmen of Yesterday and Today

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The legacy of the Red Tails of the Tuskegee Airmen was honored recently as the warbirds of yesterday and today soared together during a special flight across the blue skies of central Alabama.

Two Red Tailed F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 100th Fighter Squadron near Montgomery took off from Dannelly Airfield to join an F-22 Raptor and a Red Tailed P-51C Mustang for a special tandem flight on September 6. Of historical interest, each aircraft was piloted by American-American.

42938808360 cbab9687e5 k
The Red Tails Legacy pilots include Maj. Paul Lopez (L), Brad Lang (3rd from L), and Maj. Rich Peace (R). (Charles Atkeison)

The Montgomery air base continues to honor the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen who became the first group of African-American military aviators, maintainers, and navigators who held support jobs at the start of World War II. On the flight line of the 100th FS rests four gray F-16 jets painted with the famous Red Tails on it vertical stabilizer.

“The 100th Fighter Squadron was one of the Tuskegee Airmen squadrons during World War II, a famous all African-American squadron from the 332d Fighter Group, activated on Feb 19, 1942 at Tuskegee Army Air Field, Alabama,” Spokesperson SSgt. Jared Rand explained. “It was returned to duty in 2007 as a replacement of the Alabama Air National Guard’s 160th Fighter Squadron so the state could honor the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.”

Major Paul “Loco” Lopez is the commander and pilot of the F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team based at the 301st Fighter Squadron at Langley AFB. Last November, he earned the distinction of becoming the team’s first African-American leader.

30878107228 81c31da2c0 k
The Red Tails Legacy Flight lead by the P-51C Mustang and included the F-22 Raptor and twin F-16 Fighting Falcons. (Charles Atkeison)

“We all stand on the shoulders of giants,” Maj. Lopez said from Dannelly Field prior to the historic flight. “If you look around on the ramp (here) you see how the military, particularly the Air Force, values preserving our legacy and honoring our heritage by painting Red Tails on to the F-16s of the 100th Fighter Squadron.”

An Army Air Corps program started in 1941, the Tuskegee Airmen was an experiment begun to train African-American men to pilot, navigate, and maintain military aircraft. As war spread across Europe, the Red Tail aircraft was woven into the Allied armies.

Air Force Maj. Rich “Sheriff” Peace of the 100th FS piloted the lead F-16 during the legacy flight that Thursday afternoon. His F-16 served as the lead with a second Fighting Falcon in flight to photograph the historic event.

“The legacy flight was to honor the memory of the Tuskegee Airmen, and to bring visibility and light to the sacrifices they made then, what we’re doing now, and how they paved the way forward to the future,” Maj. Peace said following the flight. “To see what their work and sacrifice led to today was a pretty amazing thing. I was honored and proud to be part of it.”

42938489980 9649fa9c73 k
The Red Tails Legacy Flight was a popular event at the 187th Fighter Wing, Alabama Air National Guard Base, on September 6, 2018. (Charles Atkeison)

Commemorative Air Force Red Tail Squadron leader Brad Lang is an African-American pilot who preserves the memory of the Tuskegee Airmen. Built in 1944, and served as a trainer during the final months of the second World War, Lang piloting the P-51C Mustang Tuskegee Airmen was the perfect aircraft to represent the fighters of yesteryear.

“The Tuskegee Airmen trained right down the road at Moton Field flying various aircraft back in the day in the 1940s,” Maj. Lopez added as we stood near two gray F-22 Raptors. “For me it’s just very humbling knowing that a lot of people went through great sacrifices that we can all be here and for me to be doing this and share the airplane (F-22) and my team with the community means the world to us.”

Today, Lopez is closing in on the completion of a very busy and successful first air show season with the team. He will continue to command and perform with the demo team during the 2019 season. For Lopez, Lang, and Peace, they are but a few of today’s pilots who carry the torch forward and the legacy of the Red Tails.

(Charles A Atkeison was the only journalist to capture the Red Tails Legacy Flight from the flight line. He reports full time on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)

 

The First Delta Airlines A220-100 Rolls Out of the Airbus Paint Shop

Bill Walton
-
0
The First Delta Airlines A220-100 Rolls Out of the Airbus Paint Shop

On 13 September 2018 the first Airbus A220-100 wearing Delta Airlines colors rolled out of the paint shop at the Airbus assembly line in Mirabel, Quebec in Canada. The jet looks sharp in its colors, but isn’t quite finished yet. The aircraft will be completed on the final assembly line at Mirabel before it is test flown later this fall and delivered to Delta for service beginning early in 2019. You might recall these jets were previously known as the Bombardier C-Series (CS100 and CS300) before the Airbus deal earlier this year.

44623697282 a74d170e70 o
A220-100 reg N101DU rolling out of the paint shop at Mirabel. Image via Delta

Airbus Mirabel paint ship supervisor Julie Léveillé remarked, “It’s a tremendous feeling of accomplishment to know we just outfitted North America’s first A220 from tail to tip. I’ve been working in the paint shop for 15 years. It can be a challenging job, but seeing the finished product makes it worth it.” Delta program manager Larry Cato, who works on Delta’s Fleet Management team, said, “There’s nothing like seeing years of planning come together in the shape of a freshly painted aircraft. “It’s a major milestone for the future of our fleet.”

43954689304 de066b54f8 o
A220-100 reg N101DU wears Delta colors. Image via Delta

Reportedly the paint job took a total of nine days to complete. And if you don’t think paint adds weight to an aircraft, do the math: 165 gallons were applied to N101DU. Paint weighs about 11 pounds per gallon. That’s a guideline because paint is thinned for spraying, but trust us- if you had to move all 165 gallons of that paint you would have gotten a serious workout! The 200 rolls of masking tape and several rolls of plastic they used don’t count. Delta will be the first United States operator to take delivery of the new Airbus twinjet. The carrier ordered 75 of them. Other US airlines have ordered several hundred more. We’ll see quit a few of these jets in American skies beginning next year.

43954684894 8d8917dda7 o
A220-100 reg N101DU will fly for the first time later this fall. Image via Delta

Owensboro Airshow to Soar with Blue Angels, top Aerobatics this Weekend

Charles Atkeison
-
0
Owensboro Airshow to Soar with Blue Angels, top Aerobatics this Weekend

OWENSBORO, KY — The rush of six blue and gold jets in a delta formation arrived high above the Ohio River heralding the arrival of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels on Thursday in time for this weekend’s Owensboro Air Show.

Landing one after another on the regional airport’s asphalt runway, the six F/A-18 Hornets were greeted by one of the most distinguished aircraft maintenance teams in the military. Having arrived earlier, the Blue’s maintenance team quickly began fueling and preparing the aircraft for their next flight to begin the team’s twenty-fifth airshow of their 72nd season.

river closure map
Glover Cary “Blue” Bridge will close on Saturday and Sunday during the air show. (City of Owensboro)

Guests can enjoy great viewing locations for the free show along either bank of the Ohio River. Air show center will be over the west side of the Glover Cary “Blue” Bridge. City officials said the bridge will close for the air show during brief windows on Saturday between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., and on Sunday between 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

The Blue Angels will fire up their aircraft and taxi out to perform at about 3:10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Their 42-minute flight demonstration will see the first four jets break away from the twin solos as each performs high speed passes and high climbs.

“The fastest speed is about 700 m.p.h. during the popular sneak pass, and the slowest speed is about 120 m.p.h. during the Section High Alpha, both flown by the solo pilots during the show,” Blue Angels spokesperson LCDR David Gardner states.

Lead by Commander Eric Doyle in Angel 1, Doyle is Boss to his fellow Angels. The Diamond Team includes LCDR Damon Kroes flying Angel 2 on the right wing, Major Jeff Mullins flying Angel 3 on the left wing, and LCDR Nate Scott flying Angel 4 in the slot position. The two solo pilots in Angels 5 and 6 — the two Hornets pushing the envelope of what the Hornet can do — are lead solo LCDR Tyler Davies lying Angel 5 and opposing solo LCDR Brandon Hempler piloting Angel 6.

44676316101 22d7a25a9c k
Class of ’45 pilot Jim Tobul will pilot his F-4U Corsair during the Owensboro Airshow. (Charles Atkeison)

Top civilian aircraft scheduled to perform include national aerobatic champion Rob Holland, pilot Matt Younkin piloting his Beech 18 aircraft, and the popular Class of ’45 aircraft duo of Scott Yoak’s P-51D Mustang Quicksilver, and Jim Tobul’s F4U Corsair nicknamed The Korean War Hero.

Known as the BBQ capital of the world, Owensboro is home to great food found along the riverfront. Guests arriving into the downtown district will want to arrive for an early lunch and to locate that special viewing spot. Parking will also fill up early.

“Parking is available throughout downtown Owensboro both in garages, surface parking lots, and on-street parking,” Owensboro Special Events Coordinator Erica Pedley said on Thursday. “The majority of the parking downtown is free, however some private lots or garages may charge a minimal fee.”

(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)

Bug Out: Most Military Aircraft Are Now Out of the Florence Zone

Bill Walton
-
0
Bug Out: Most Military Aircraft Are Now Out of the Florence Zone

The Navy and Marine Corps are not taking any chances with scores of aircraft based at East Coast air stations before the arrival of Hurricane Florence. Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola in the Florida panhandle has already received more than 60 aircraft from NAS Oceana, NAS Patuxent River, and NAS Norfolk in Virginia and Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort in South Carolina- all facilities in or close to the expected Flo Zone.

VFA 106 Line
VFA-106 Oceana flightline. Image via US Navy

So far roughly sixty aircraft are parked on Forrest Sherman Field at NAS Pensacola and the totals will likely go higher. The Navy Boeing F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornets, Grumman E-2C and E-2D Hawkeyes, Grumman C-2A(R) Greyhounds, Marine Corps Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning IIs and Lockheed C-130 Hercules began arriving at the Cradle of Naval Aviation on Tuesday 11 September.

VFA 106 Line 2
VFA-106 flightline. Image via US Navy

NAS Pensacola Public Affairs Officer Patrick Nichols says the base has the excess room and capacity to host the evacuees without detrimental effect on Training Wing SIX (TW-6) based there. No schedule has been set for the return of the displaced jets and their crews to their home air stations yet but it’s likely they’ll be heading back as soon as it’s considered safe to do so.

VFA 32 Gaggle
VFA-32 F/A-18Fs hit the road. Image via US Navy

Also bugging out to locations on the Emerald Coast are a few adversary aircraft operated by Airborne Tactical Advantage (ATAC) contracted to provide training services for the fleet. In from MCAS Beaufort are a pair of Hawker Mk 58 Hunter fighters and a section of F-21 Kfir fighters along with at least 13 Marine Corps F-35Bs. These jets are staying at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) on the 33rd Fighter Wing (FW) apron for the duration.

KFIR
ATAC Kfir at Beaufort. Image via DoD

Other military air bases and air stations along the Eastern seaboard  are distributing many of their aircraft to locations with available room west, north, and south of the expected track of Florence. Joint Base Langley-Eustis near Hampton in Virginia has sent a large number of F-22A Raptor fighters and T-38 Talon trainers to Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base (ANGB) in south central Ohio- home of the 121st Air Refueling Wing (ARW). More than 30 Naval vessels have sortied from Norfolk Naval Station as well.

Joint Base Langley-Eustis T-38. Image via USAF

The Army’s 82nd Airborne Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade has bugged out to the Atlanta area with their AH-64 Apache attack helicopters and other rotorcraft. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has set up staging at Fort Bragg in the 82nd’s absence. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is preparing for the inevitable rescue work that will follow Florence. Some of those rescues might be required at US Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. A previously planned evacuation of the iconic Leatherneck base to the Atlanta area was cancelled. The Marines are holding their hallowed ground.

HH 65
USCG HH-65 Dauphin. Image via USCG

Star Wars Definitely Never Looked or Sounded as Awesome as This

Bill Walton
-
0
Star Wars Definitely Never Looked or Sounded as Awesome as This

There’s no music. There’s no commentary. Even the in and off radio calls are left for other clips. Nothing but fast jets making lots of thunderous freedom noises down in Star Wars Canyon. The aircraft are a cross-section of nearly everything fast in service today: A-10s, F-15s, F-16s, F-22s, F-35s, F/A-18s, EA-18Gs, and a few more thrown in. Foreign built jets appearing in the piece include the Panavia Tornado and the Eurofighter Typhoon. For you nostalgic jet fans there are appearances by one of the last living QF-4G Phantoms and a privately owned Northrop T-38 Talon. The video was uploaded to YouTube by Habujet. Enjoy with your sound system set to 11!

[youtube id=”yX3y1td75v4″ width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]

There’s nothing really secret about Star Wars Canyon. Technically it’s part of a published but restricted low-level training route (part of the R2508 Special Use Airspace Complex) meandering through Rainbow Canyon area on the western edge of Death Valley National Park in California. One reason photographers and videographers like the location so much is the variety of aircraft that use the place. Aircraft from Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake, the Air Force’s Plant 42 at Palmdale, Nellis AFB, NAS Lemoore, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar and Fresno Air National Guard Base (ANGB) all use the restricted air space for testing and training.

download 8
Image via YouTube screen capture.

The preferred location for capturing images and videos of the jets as they thunder by is a place called Father Crowley Point. It’s roughly four hours east of Los Angeles and sits on publically accessible land- so no hassles from the fun police. Upsides include the potential for unique perspectives from which to snap incredible pictures and real restrooms at the parking area. Potential gotchas include a lack of published flight schedules, meaning a day could go by without any jet action at all, and for certain parts of the year the weather- broiling hot or freezing cold. But if it’s worth a trip the weather’s not stopping you! Just remember that summer weather affects density altitude, which in turn affects jet aircraft flight performance. Short answer:  Fall and spring are probably your favorite seasons for this place resembling Tatooine on Earth. That’s how the place got its nickname. Somebody said the geography looked like the Star Wars planet of the same name and it stuck.

download 3
Image via YouTube screen capture.

The experts say the best places to set up for righteous viewing are:

36° 21.278’N / 117° 33.694’W: A head on view of the jets diving into the canyon, still above the rim, followed by nice shots of the aircraft’s undersides when they roll to the left and dive into the canyon itself.

36° 21.324’N / 117° 32.583’W: A clear view of the jets as they keep rolling left, then pulling level for a short straight before a sharp right turn.

36° 21.557’N / 117° 32.119’W: A low level view (below the canyon rim) of the jets as they  begin rolling left in preparation for egress. Many of the jets exiting the canyon pull up, but nearly as many remain low as they exit into Panamint Valley.

download 4
Image via YouTube screen capture.

All of these spots are short hikes from the parking area. Bring water, sandwiches, a good tripod, your favorite trusty photographic tools (with a long lens), extra storage media, extra batteries and/or a solar battery charger, some shade generating device, and a scanner- tuned to 315.90 MHz. Bear in mind that you’re setting up at the Jedi Transition, which is essentially a shortcut between a couple of points (Charlie and Juliet) along the longer R2508 low-level training route. The R-2508 complex handbook refers to the canyon as Star Wars Canyon and the path through the canyon connecting Owens Valley in the west and Panamint Valley in the east as the Jedi Transition. Whatever you call it, listen for jets calling in. Subjects usually enter from the west and egress east, but not always. And yes…the pilots know when photogs are there and often show off just a little bit more than usual. You’re welcome.

download 10
Image via YouTube screen capture.

Watch: VMFA-211 is One of the Oldest, Now Flying the Very Newest

Bill Walton
-
0
Watch: VMFA-211 is One of the Oldest, Now Flying the Very Newest

The United States Marine Corps (USMC) has been operating the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II from amphibious assault ship decks for some time now. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron TWO ONE ONE (VMFA-211) Wake Island Avengers have been flying the new short takeoff vertical landing (STOVL) attack jet since 2016. VMFA-211 was the second Leatherneck squadron to gain operational capability with the F-35B after VMFA-121 Green Knights. This video, recently shot aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD-2) gives us a glimpse of the power and the noise associated with STOVL F-35B ops. The clip was uploaded to YouTube by Gung Ho Vids.

[youtube id=”AzxnR-gsWzc” width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]

VMFA-211, also known as the Bastion Defenders, is normally based at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma in southwestern Arizona. VMFA-211 is a part of Marine Aircraft Group ONE THREE (MAG-31) of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW). While assigned to the Essex the Avengers are part of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). VMFA-211 can trace its history clear back to 1937 when Marine Fighting Squadron 4 (VF-4M) was activated at Naval Air Station (NAS) San Diego. Known through the years before World War II as VF-8M and VMF-2, the squadron moved to MCAS Ewa in Hawaii and was designated Marine Fighter Squadron 211 on I July 1941.

170819 N XN518 512
VMFA-211 F-35B. Image via US Navy

During those months in Hawaii before the war began VMF-211 pilots included some future Medal of Honor winners like Henry Elrod, Robert Galer, and Gregory “Pappy” Boyington. In November of 1941 VMF-211 sent half of their F4F-3 Wildcat fighters and just under half of their pilots to Wake Island to bolster the meager defenses there. We all know how things turned out at Wake, but VMF-211 took as many Japanese ships and planes from the enemy as possible. While half of VMF-211 was fighting at Wake, the remainder of the squadron lost all but one of its Wildcats at Ewa on December 7th 1941.

180824 N NB142 0737
VMFA-211 F-35B. Image via US Navy

When the squadron was reformed (with aircraft this time) the Avengers first flew the obsolete Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo. They quickly re-equipped with F4F-4 Wildcats and once they transitioned to the Vought F4U Corsair they flew them for the rest of the war while fighting in the Treasury-Bougainville Campaign, Battle of the Bismarck Sea, Northern Solomons, Battle of Leyte Gulf, and Southern Philippine campaigns. After the war ended the Avengers pulled China duty until 1948 when they returned stateside and began flying the Douglas AD-4N Skyraider as VMA-211.

A 4M Skyhawk VMA 211 at MCAS El Toro
VMA-211 A-4M. Image via US Navy

The aircraft perhaps most often associated with VMA-211 was the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk which the Avengers began flying in 1957. They flew every major version of the diminutive attack jet, many of them in combat during the Vietnam War, between 1957 and 1989. VMA-211 brought home the last overseas-deployed Leatherneck A-4s and transitioned to the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Night Attack Harrier in 1990. VMA-211 was named the Marine Corps Aviation Association “Attack Squadron of the Year” three times while flying Harrier jump jets. Since then the Avengers have been in the thick of the action wherever Marine Corps attack pilots have been called to serve.

1 1
VMA-211 AV-8B. Image via US Navy

F-22 Raptor to Highlight Inaugural Red Tails Over Montgomery Airshow

Charles Atkeison
-
0
F-22 Raptor to Highlight Inaugural Red Tails Over Montgomery Airshow

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The thrust of a pair of Air Force F-22 Raptors heralded their arrival over central Alabama on Thursday as the nation’s top military and civilian aircraft began arriving for the inaugural Red Tails Over Montgomery Air Show.

Saturday’s open house event will be free to the public as the Alabama Air National Guard’s 187th Fighter Wing hosts their first air show. The squadron is giving back to the community as it celebrates its 65th year at Dannelly Field, and the 30th anniversary of receiving its first F-16 Fighting Falcon.

Low clouds and tropical moisture on Thursday morning provided a full vapor wrap over each F-22 as they practiced at high speeds over the air field. In contrast, the weather will be sunny and warm for Saturday’s display.

44523461251 dc45ab136e k
Moisture vapor wraps around the Air Force F-22 Raptor Thursday above Dannelly Field. (Charles Atkeison)

The F-22 Raptor will headline the full air show event, and demonstrate it’s maneuverability, including dizzying climbs and speeds over 400 m.p.h. Piloted by Major Paul Lopez, the F-22s performance will have crowds stopping on the tarmac to watch the nation’s fifth generation fighter, including the crowd favorite Heritage Flight with the P-51 Mustang.

“The Heritage Flight is a living memorial pairing up a modern fighter with a World War II or Korean-era airplane flying in formation,” Maj. Lopez said moments after landing at Dannelly Field. “Paired with great narration and great music, it captures that feeling of how import the Air Force legacy is in the military.”

43798427774 49fd3254b6 k
187th Fighter Wing commander Col. Ed Casey and F-22 Raptor pilot Maj. Paul Lopez pause during preparation on Thursday for the Red Tails Over Montgomery air show on Saturday. (Charles Atkeison)

Performances by the 187th’s own F-16 Viper and a P-51D Mustang — each sporting red tails — will honor the legacy of the Tuskegee Airman while inspiring future generations.

“We are so thankful for the support of our community and the legacy of the Tuskegee Airman of World War II,” Colonel Ed Casey, commander of the 187th Fighter Wing, said Thursday during a discussion on the flight line. “The vision going forward is to have a big aviation event for the city of Montgomery every few years.”

The air show will see performances by the Air Force Wings of Blue Parachute Team, the twin Trojan Phlyers aircraft, and civilian aerobatic pilots Gary Ward and Greg Koontz. Educational events and a special exhibit dedicated to the Tuskegee Airmen pilots and maintainers will be present during the family-fun event.

44523716751 3404784f23 k
187th Fighter Wing’s F-16 Viper’s red tail honors the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. (Charles Atkeison)

The air show will occur during a time of positive growth around Dannelly Field. Last December, the 187th received official word from the Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson that they will become a new home base for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lighting II in a few years.

The 187th Fighter Wing has had a storied history from defending the United States following the 9/11 attacks including multiple deployments to the Middle East, to protecting the nation after a natural disaster. The squadron is also home to a fleet of gray F-16C Fighting Falcons with painted red tails on their vertical stabilizer as the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen continues onward.

Col. Casey expressed the importance that guests arrive early. Gates will open at 9 a.m. and the first flights will begin at 11 a.m. You can follow updates on traffic and parking lot availability posted on the air show’s Facebook page.

There will be six off-base public parking locations divided into Blue, Green, Yellow, Red, Purple, and White lots where guests will catch a free bus ride onto the base. One parking lot on the base is designed for handicapped parking and requires drives to display an ADA sign.

(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)

 

BUFFs On the Move Are a Feast For Avgeek Eyes and Ears

Bill Walton
-
0
BUFFs On the Move Are a Feast For Avgeek Eyes and Ears

Just because we here at Avgeekery.com love BUFFs as much as Avgeekery Nation does, we’d like to share a special tribute to the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. We’ve combed the interwebs and uncovered a quadruple pack of awesome videos featuring BUFFs. In our first clip, a B-52H makes three sweet-sounding passes over EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh 2018. Not the longest clip but definitely a must for Stratofortress fans. The video was shot and uploaded to YouTube by Nigel Woolley. Enjoy with you speakers set to 11!

[youtube id=”kW1sdR79q-g” width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]

This multi-angled look at Barksdale AFB BUFF operations features great audio and crisp video. Aerial refueling, takeoffs and landings, multiple cameras and shots…you won’t miss much here. The video was uploaded YouTube by AiirSource Military. And don’t turn it down- close the door instead!

[youtube id=”oPDR8Qmaopg” width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]

A minimal interval takeoff (MITO) scramble exercise at Minot AFB shows off the BUFF’s ability to get moving quickly and impressively. Looking pretty spry for aircraft that are approaching mandatory retirement age (if not there already)! The video was uploaded to YouTube by USA Military Channel. “I know it’s loud but It’s OK honey…it’ll be over in just a little while.”

[youtube id=”5xO3lYa1bEc” width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]

When the Tomcat Deployed for the First Time it Was a Happening

Bill Walton
-
1
When the Tomcat Deployed for the First Time it Was a Happening

The film “F-14A Tomcat Progress Report 7- The Tomcat Deployed” was produced by Grumman Aerospace Corporation in 1974 to tout the Navy’s newest fleet defense interceptor- the Grumman F-14A Tomcat. During the making of the film Fighter Squadron ONE (VF-1) Wolf Pack and VF-2 Bounty Hunters were preparing for their first deployment with Carrier Air Wing ONE FOUR (CVW-14) aboard the carrier USS Enterprise (CVNA-65). The film was uploaded to YouTube by sdasmarchives.

[youtube id=”ukUXUgUrQ1s” width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]

The Tomcat first flew on 21 December 1970. The twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter was developed to meet the Navy’s Experimental (VFX) program after the ill-fated F-111B program was dropped. Developed using the experiences of fighter crews fighting MiGs in the skies over Vietnam, the F-14A reversed the no-gun mindset that produced the Navy versions of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. Of course the Tomcat went on to serve for 32 years as the ultimate fleet defender, reconnaissance platform, and later as a highly effective ground attack platform when adapted to do the job. Tomcats compiled a 5-1 composite win/loss ratio in US Navy use (Navy 4 Libya 0). The only other country to operate the F-14A, Iran, claims a composite win/loss ratio of 130-8.

1
VF-1 F-14A. Image via US Navy

During their WestPac deployment aboard the Big E for Operation Frequent Wind (from 17 September 1974 to 20 May 1975) CVW-14 consisted of VF-1 Wolf Pack and VF-2 Bounty Hunters flying the Tomcat, VA-27 Royal Maces and VA-97 Warhawks flying the Vought A-7E Corsair II, VA-196 Main Battery flying the Grumman A-6A and KA-6D Intruder, VAQ-137 Rooks flying the Grumman EA-6B Prowler, VAW-113 Black Eagles flying the Grumman E-2B Hawkeye, RVAH-12 Speartips flying the North American RA-5C Vigilante, Detachment 65 from VQ-1 World Watchers flying the Douglas EA-3B Skywarrior, HS-2 Golden Falcons flying the Sikorsky SH-3D Sea King, and a Detachment from HC-7 Sea Devils flying the Sikorsky HH-3A and SH-3G Sea King.

f14packbig
VF-1 and VF-2 F-14As on deck. Image via US Navy

The Variety of Aircraft Flown by the Guard Was Astounding

Bill Walton
-
0
The Variety of Aircraft Flown by the Guard Was Astounding

The Army National Guard and the Air National Guard (ANG) are portrayed performing many of their wide variety of duties in the Vietnam-era film “The Men and the Minute.” The film features the Tennessee ANG flying their Boeing C-97G Stratofreighters, Puerto Rico ANG flying North American F-86H Sabres, Massachusetts ANG flying their Convair F-102A Delta Daggers, Illinois ANG flying their KC-97L Stratofreighter tankers, and New Jersey ANG flying their Republic F-105D Thunderchiefs. The film was uploaded to YouTube by PeriscopeFilm.

[youtube id=”mu4U7IA7XoI” width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]

One particularly interesting part of the film is the role of the Oklahoma ANG and their specially-equipped communications relay aircraft dubbed “Talking Birds.” These 137th Air Transport Wing C-97 aircraft were capable of deployment to anywhere in the world and often did just that. Crewed by nine and carrying up to 39 additional communications specialists, the “Talking Bird” aircraft were equipped with the latest in navigation equipment, avionics, and communications equipment of every type. Why? Because these aircraft kept the President in contact during the days when Air Force One was not equipped with its own mobile command communications capability as it is today.

F102A 04
F-102A. Image via USAF

The film begins with an eyeful of Tan Son Nhut during the mid-1960s. Also appearing in the film in supporting roles are a bevy of Army and Air Force ANG aircraft including the McDonnell Douglas RF-101 Voodoo, Lockheed C-130 Hercules, Fairchild C-123J Provider, Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, Lockheed Constellation, de Havilland Canada U-6B Beaver, Bell UH-1D and UH-1E Iroquois, Cessna O-1 Bird Dog, Douglas C-47 Skytrain, de Havilland Canada C-7A Caribou, North American F-100D Super Sabre, Helio U-10D Courier, a Lockheed P-2 Neptune from VP-18 Flying Phantoms, Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, Hiller OH-23 Raven, and the Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw. There’s even a UH-1D with sling loaded Cessna O-1 Bird Dog for those of you who hadn’t seen anything unusual today.

110216 F 7792W 024
Stratofreighter. Image via USAF

History Soars High as Blue Angels, Thunderbirds, Snowbirds Unite in Flight

Charles Atkeison
-
1
History Soars High as Blue Angels, Thunderbirds, Snowbirds Unite in Flight

CLEVELAND, Ohio — America’s two military flight squadrons joined with Canada’s own military jet team to form a historic flight of unity on Thursday high above the United States and Canadian boarder.

Under a mostly blue sky, the Navy’s Blue Angels departed Cleveland on a northeast heading and joined up with the Air Force Thunderbirds and Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds over eastern Lake Erie. Each team took a turn as the lead flight team during the nearly thirty minute rendezvous.

“We met the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the Canadian Snowbirds over our shared border near Lake Erie,” Thunderbirds spokesperson Maj. Ray Geoffroy said Thursday evening. “Not only is this a perfect example of strong inter-service friendships, it’s a testament to our international ties with our neighbors to the north.”

40458282 10156592257229246 6243239206781452288 o
Snowbirds, Blue Angels, and Thunderbirds soar for the first time together Thursday. (Glenn Watson)

The combined 21 jets exchanged goodwill and some humorous banter as they flew in a vertial stack formation and took turns in the lead. “It was great getting the fam(ily) back together,” Maj. Geoffroy added. “We’ll have to do it again soon!”

The Blue Angels, which fly the F/A-18 Hornet, are in northern Ohio for this weekend’s Cleveland National Air Show, while the Thunderbirds and Snowbirds are in Toronto for the Canadian International Air Show. The T-Birds perform in the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the Snowbirds perform aboard the CT-114 Tutors.

40397987 10156592257344246 913025642432299008 o
Smoke-On! The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds streak acoss Lake Erie on Thursday. (Glenn Watson)

“151 years of friendship summed up in one photo — three military jet teams from two countries sharing the skies over one common border,” Snowbirds spokesperson LT Michèle Tremblay announced. “Today, the Snowbirds joined our friends, partners, allies — the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and U.S. Navy Blue Angels — in a historic formation flight marking the first time all three North American jet teams have flown together.”

“Representing our respective militaries, this formation flight is even more poignant as we mark 60 years of NORAD and the bi-national agreement between Canada and the USA to protect North American skies,” LT Tremblay added.

40449263 2186151291425977 1738932902671941632 o
A historic flight of unity above eastern Lake Erie on August 30. (Glenn Watson)

The pilots of the six blue and gold jets of America’s Navy were all grins following the flight. “Your Blue Angels met up with a few friends today,” Blue Angels spokesperson LT David Gardner said on Thursday. “We were honored to share the sky with the Air Force Thunderbirds and Canadian Snowbirds.”

In 2017, the Thunderbirds visited the Blue Angels home base in Pensacola, and later, the Blues visited the Thunderbirds home in Las Vegas.

(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)

1...111112113...223Page 112 of 223