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Air Attack Fleet And Pilots Made A Big Difference In CA Wildfires

Joe Vaeth
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Air Attack Fleet And Pilots Made A Big Difference In CA Wildfires

Air attack pilots deployed to support firefighting operations in Napa and Sonoma counties. They have employed a variety of equipment necessary to fight these massive fires that have killed over 40 people. We take a look at the planes and the requirements to fly these demanding missions.

You Can’t Drop If You Can’t See The Target–Decent Visibility Is Critical

Smoke and thick haze created very low visibility in an area of rough and high terrain making it extremely risky to coordinate the drops at a low enough altitude for them to be effective.  For the early parts of the blazes most of the tanker pilots were required to wait out the weather for conditions to improve.

Without the effort of a relentless air attack the Nuns fire merged with the Adobe, Norbbom, Patrick and Pressley fires producing an inferno that has scorched over 54,000 acres.  Today that fire is mostly contained, due in no small part to the efforts of aerial firefighting.

CAL FIRE has led the effort in coordinating a massive statewide effort fighting over 13 large wildfires currently burning that have consumed over 210,000 acres.  They are employing multiple aerial assets in the effort to contain these fires including helicopters, scout aircraft, air tankers and military drone aircraft.  The civilian deployment includes 37 helicopters and 36 planes which have been assigned to the fires in Sonoma, Napa, Lake and Mendocino Counties.

The Tools of Their Fleet

Helicopter Drops

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A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462 (HMH-462), Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) collects water in a bambi bucket during aerial firefighting efforts, May 14, 2014. 3rd MAW aircraft partnered with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to conduct aerial firefighting against several wildfires ablaze in San Diego County. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Carl Atherton 3d MAW COMCAM/RELEASED)

Aerial firefighting pilots launched throughout the day to attack these fires from the air, and went all in to fight these fires.  Military style Hueys UH-60s and chinooks CH-47, could be seen visibly dropping water on fires over the ridges above the vineyards.  Smaller helos were sighted filling their buckets at lakes near wineries in the region.

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A Bell 212 with a helicopter bucket. (Wikipedia)

Command & Control Scout Planes

The CAL FIRE scout OV-10A is a light attack plane operated out of Chico, CA that orbits over the fire area for hours searching for hot spots and coordinating the fire retardant and water drops to maximize the impact of the air attack, giving firefighters on the ground the best shot at saving lives and protecting property.

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An OV-10 lead plane flies with a crew of two, a contract pilot and the California Fire Air Tactical Group (CAL FIRE ATGS) Supervisor, whose job it is to coordinate all aerial assets on a fire with the Incident Commander on the ground. The OV-10 also leads firefighting air tankers through their intended flight path photo by Mike McMillan. (Wikipedia Commons)

The Global SuperTanker

Air Tankers DC-10s, C-130s and now a 747 are flying drop missions with full loads out of McClellan Air park in Sacramento and Charles M. Schultz-Sonoma County airport. There was one highly publicized air tanker drop on Monday 9 October a Jumbo jet was sent in by CA Department of Emergency Services over the fire area in Sonoma County.

The 747 Global Supertanker commenced its service in the United States just last month over the Railroad Fire near Yosemite National Park.  Nationally the operator Global Supertanker LLC only has contracts to operate within the state of California. However, the aircraft was used to fight fires in Chile and Santo Domingo.  In late September the Global Supertanker was employed over Butte County, Madera County and Los Angeles County.

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The converted B747-400, based in Colorado Springs, can be dispatched at speeds of 600 mph carrying nearly 20,000 gallons of water or fire retardant and can respond to wild fires anywhere in the western U.S. within three hours, according to Global SuperTanker Services. The Peterson Air Force Base Fire Department will provide emergency response services for the aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Robb Lingley)U.S. Air Force photo by Robb Lingley

The Global SuperTanker is CAL FIRE’s largest weapon in the fight it carries over 19,000 gallons and can drop a line of retardant that is mile & half long. In its first week of service the 747 put up some very impressive numbers.  7 Days, 13 trips, 21 drops, 219,470 gallons.  It carries twice the amount of water/retardant than the DC-10 the next largest air tanker in the CAL FIRE arsenal.

MQ-9 Reapers

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Two MQ-9 Reapers were activated to support CA state firefighting efforts. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force

Airmen from the CA Air National Guard 163rd attack wing and two MQ-9 Reapers at March Air Reserve Base were activated the week of Oct 12 Oct to fight the fires.  The Reaper’s infrared sensor was used to map the fire region and provide “mission critical thermal imagery on the afflicted area in real time to CAL FIRE and the CA Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.”  The reapers were deployed over the Nuns and Atlas fires.

CAL FIRE Team Effort

When other planes fly out these planes fly in.  It takes a team effort with coordination between the firefighters on the ground and in the air to deliver an effective counterpunch at just the right spot and aid in containment these wildfires.  Avgeekery proudly salutes the efforts of these aerial firefighters.

CAL FIRE

Additional Resources:

CAL FIRE – Incident Page
http://www.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents/?page=1

Video – aerial fire attack – cool scenes of air attack aircraft drops

Video – Air Tanker Tracking

Culpepper Air Fest Gave DC Area Avgeeks Many Reasons To Smile

Randy Jennings
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Culpepper Air Fest Gave DC Area Avgeeks Many Reasons To Smile

The 19th annual Culpeper Air Fest provided a day of entertainment for the assembled crowd. Located just ninety minutes from either Washington D.C. or Richmond, the location is an easy drive. The show is the City of Culpeper’s largest event, and is free to attend, plus offers free parking with bus service from local high schools.

Held at the Culpeper Regional Airport, the field boosts a 5,000 foot runway that can accommodate light jets and larger twin engine propeller aircraft. Also located at the airport is the Capital Wing of the Commemorative Air Force. This explains the good turnout of warbirds at the show, plus the chance to go on a warbird ride for a price.

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The airport also lies within the area where the Civil War’s largest cavalry battle took place, that being the Battle of Brandy Station. This site and other nearby battlefields offer the history buff additional attractions to visit.

The weather cooperated as the solid overcast started to breakup when the Air Fest started at noon. The crowd had much more a sense of community with maybe 4,000 in attendance, as compared to tens of thousands at larger shows. The show started off with a parachute drop featuring the flag and the singing of our national anthem.

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The Grumman TBM Avenger battled with the replica Japanese Aichi “Val”. This performance accompanied by a pyrotechnics display which was a first for the show. Various vintage trainers, liaison, and spotter aircraft flew throughout the day. The C-47 “Placid Lassie” was a special treat, as she is the only flyable Dakota that actually took part in the D-Day drops of June 6, 1944.

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Several stunning acrobatic demonstrations were carried out by several powered aircraft. Though for myself, the most interesting flight of the day was performed by Manfred Radius in his aerobatic rated sailplane. His skill in maximizing the energy management capabilities of his Salto glider was both graceful and fascinating.

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The show featured a couple of fast movers, those being the Czech built L-39 and the only privately owned British Sea Harrier. Both aircraft are owned by Art Nalls, who showed off the unique capabilities of each plane. Hopefully next year he will have his other Harrier, a two seat model, flying at the show.

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The Culpeper Air Fest is truly a unique air show. With its location at a relatively small airport, it gives the audience a closer view of these stunning aircraft as compared to shows at larger airports or air bases. It also has a fairly large and varied collection of aircraft taking part. So if you are within driving distance of Culpeper next fall, I highly recommend attending this show.

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Watch: This Vought A-7 Corsair II Promo Film Attempted To Make Mighty SLUF Sexy

Bill Walton
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Watch: This Vought A-7 Corsair II Promo Film Attempted To Make Mighty SLUF Sexy

During the 1960s and 1970s military aerospace companies like Vought, or Ling-Temco-Vought, or Douglas, or McDonnell-Douglas…well let’s just say the companies that built military aircraft produced promotional films for their products. Some of these films were impressive and many were outstanding- especially those that featured aircraft that could “sell” themselves. We’ve brought you a few films like these before. Vought produced their promo film, “In Corsair Tradition”, when their latest A-7E Corsair II had recently entered service. The film was uploaded to YouTube by PeriscopeFilm and features Vought’s Short Little Ugly…Fellow. SLUF for short.

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Official US Navy Photograph

Owing some of their design characteristics to Vought’s F-8 Crusader series of supersonic carrier-based air superiority fighters, Navy SLUFs served for about 24 years. From Vietnam to Desert Storm they were in the thick of every one of the Navy’s engagements during their service. The A-7E was powered by the more powerful Rolls-Royce Spey (license-built by Allison as the TF-41) engine used in the United States Air Force’s (USAF’s) A-7D variant. The E also benefitted from improved avionics and targeting systems as well as increased firepower thanks to the adoption of the same M61 Vulcan 20 millimeter six barrel rotary cannon as the one present in the A-7D.

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Official US Navy Phjotograph

BREAKING: Another Close Call for Air Canada at SFO As They Ignore “Go Around” Instructions

Mike Killian
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BREAKING: Another Close Call for Air Canada at SFO As They Ignore “Go Around” Instructions

“Possible pilot deviation, I have a number for you when you’re ready.” — Words you don’t want to hear from a controller.

An Air Canada flight inbound to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) Sunday night lucked out and avoided a potential disaster, just months after another Air Canada flight mistakenly lined up to land on a taxiway instead of the active runway at the same airport.

The FAA confirmed the aircraft involved in Sunday’s close call as Air Canada flight 781, an A320, the same type involved in the near miss earlier this year.


SFO air traffic control initially gave flight 781 approval to land on the busy airport’s runway 28R, roughly six miles or so from touchdown.  The controller then called a Go-Around and repeated the order five times without a response.

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A view out towards SFO’s runways. Credit: Mike Killian

After giving the landing clearance, an aircraft on the rollout ahead of the Air Canada flight was vacating the runway slower than expected. The controller sensing an issue stated for Air Canada 781 to “go around”. Flight 781 was ordered multiple times to abort their landing.

But the flight crew never acknowledged any of the instructions, even after controllers started flashing the crew with a red light gun to give a visual signal of the go-around, which is standard protocol when a crew is not responding to radio coms.

Flight 781 landed shortly before 9:30pm local time, and fortunately, the plane on the ground was able to move in time, avoiding what could have been a disaster.

Not the first time Air Canada has had issues at SFO

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On July 7, 2017, AC flight 759 appears to fly directly overhead United flight 1. At this time, the United pilot openly queries tower saying “Where’s this guy going?”

This isn’t the first time that Air Canada has had issues at SFO. The first incident, which occurred on July 7, could have been the worst aviation disaster in history, with four planes on the taxiway as the Air Canada flight nearly landed right on top of them. Some 1,000 souls could have been killed in that case.

In the July 7 close call, the flight crew came within just 59 feet of disaster, saying later that they simply mistook the taxiway for the runway, but also acknowledged that “something did not look right”. Had it not been for the pilots on the ground signaling with their lights, the Air Canada crew likely would have landed on top of them.

As for this past weekend’s incident, the FAA is currently investigating. The Air Canada crew blames a radio problem, but that doesn’t explain why they ignored (or just didn’t see) the red light from the tower giving a visual signal to go-around.

We’ve reached out to Air Canada for further comment, and will update as soon as they provide further information.

– Follow Mike Killian on Instagram and Facebook, @MikeKillianPhotography 

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WATCH: The Ravens and Their T-28D Nomads Waged a Savage Secret War in Laos

Bill Walton
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WATCH: The Ravens and Their T-28D Nomads Waged a Savage Secret War in Laos

T-28s Made Excellent COIN Conversions

North American’s iconic radial-engine trainer, the T-28 Trojan, trained thousands of Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force pilots. Many of them fought in the skies above Vietnam and Southeast Asia. T-28s were also flown as forward air control (FAC) platforms and even as counter-insurgency (COIN) ground attack aircraft- not just by American and South Vietnamese pilots but in other wars by other countries as well. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) waged a war of their own in Laos, and they used T-28D Nomads for FAC and COIN missions there. This video, transferred from Super-8 millimeter film and uploaded to YouTube by PeriscopeFilm, was shot by the Ravens themselves.

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Official US Air Force Photograph via US Air Force Museum

War on the Down Low for the Ravens

Ravens were American fighter pilots who flew largely covert and “deniable” missions against the communist Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese in Laos. Often operating from austere facilities such as Pakse (where the ground footage was shot), the Raven T-28Ds were modified with modern gunsights, pod-mounted guns, and were capable of dropping bombs, napalm, cluster bomb units (CBUs), firing rockets, and in general throwing whatever ordnance was available to them at their targets. When they needed more firepower they called in airstrikes by other Air Force, Navy, or Marine Corps aircraft. The footage reveals some little-known aspects of the Ravens at war.  Notice the lack of national insignia on their T-28Ds.

Ravens on the runway.
Official US Air Force Photograph

Wings Over North Georgia Weekend Draws 83,000 Attendees

Charles Atkeison
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Wings Over North Georgia Weekend Draws 83,000 Attendees

ROME, Ga. — The Navy’s Blue Angels and a strong performer line-up drew over 83,000 guests through the gates of the Wings Over North Georgia Airshow over the weekend.

The October 21st and 22nd airshow was highlighted by the inclusion of not only the Blue Angels, but seven-time champion aerobatic pilot Rob Holland; the AeroShell Aerobatic Team, the Smoke-and-Thunder Jet Car and jet truck, and the US SOCCOM Para-Commandos who kicked off the airshow.

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Photo by: Charles A. Atkeison

“While great weather certainly attributed to the growth, the involvement of leading world-class performers and air show headliners, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels generated even broader regional interest than past events,” JLC Airshows Management President John Cowman said late on Sunday. “The Rome, GA-based show was one of four remaining performances for the elite naval air demonstration team’s 2017 schedule.”

Video by Sean Bowen.

As the engines of the six blue and yellow jets of the Navy’s elite Flight Demonstration Squadron roared to life, time stood still along the crowd line as each attendee paused for their forty-minute flight demonstration. The popularity of the Blue Angels combined with great weather gave the Wings Over North Georgia their largest attendance days in six years.

And for the Blue Angels, the north Georgia event was a top show site on their busy schedule.

“If we were to attend the big shows every year, such as San Francisco or New York, we would get almost the same people every year,” said Blue Angels Commander Frank Weisser . “So it’s very important to us that we spread the wealth, and take naval aviation to places that do not have a big naval aviation experience or community.”

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Photo by: Charles A. Atkeison

CDR Weisser enjoys the smaller shows, such as north Georgia, because of the crowds unfimilar with the Blue Angels. “It’s important to us to get to the north west, the mid west, and the plains, because there are a lot of kids there who don’t think they can join the navy and fly airplanes, they think they have to join the air force.”

Aerobatic pilot Rob Holland, who can make his MXS-RH aircraft dance across the sky and then perform jaw-dropping gravity defying loops and turns, performed each afternoon above the Richard Russell airfield. Of his aircraft, Holland exclaimed, “I put it on like a pair of pants, and take it with me.”

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Photo by: Charles A. Atkeison

“I have a few maneuvers I like, like tumbling end-over-end, but it’s really about the whole performance,” Holland said on Friday as he stood poised near his red and black aircraft. “Putting together a good show from start to finish and making it all work. That’s what gets me excited.”

Smoke-n-Thunder Jet Car introduced their new Jet Truck to airshow attendees over the late-October weekend. Each performed with the thunder and flames produced by jet engines as they raced down the runway.

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Photo by: Charles A. Atkeison

Cowman and his staff will soon turn their focus toward planning the seventh annual north Georgia airshow. A tentative weekend date of October 13-14, 2018, will be firmed up in the coming months; and several headline performers will be announced following December’s airshow performer and officials meeting in Las Vegas.

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

Ejection Seats in Action: The USAF’s Gripping Training Story

Bill Walton
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Ejection Seats in Action: The USAF’s Gripping Training Story

When the Defense Audiovisual Agency (DAVA) and the United States Air Force (USAF) produced the film “Ejection Decision- A Second Too Late” in 1981 the services had been through a war (Vietnam) and years of operational experience with ejection seats.

The film was made as a training film for aircrews to ingrain proper decision making about ejection seat use, and the timing thereof. It’s an eye-opening piece of work that features pilots and crews who had to “punch out” and in so doing joined the Martin-Baker Ejection Tie Club when their aircraft were no longer in controlled flight. Thanks to YouTuber PeriscopeFilm for uploading it.

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Ejection seat testing utilizing a Douglas JD-1 Invader aircraft. Official US Navy Photograph

Ejection Seats Were a Game Changer

Ejection seat technology was pioneered by the Germans and the Swedes. The first operational aircraft with an ejection seat was the German Heinkel He 162A Spatz jet. Ejection seats first appeared in American aircraft when prototype jets began to appear during the mid-1940s. These initial ejection seats were manufactured by the Martin-Baker company. Convair’s F-102 Delta Dagger was the first aircraft to be equipped with a rocket-propelled ejection seat.

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Ejection seat testing using a F-4B Phantom II cockpit. Official US Navy Photograph

Since that time the rocket-propelled ejection seat has become standard equipment on the majority of jet-propelled aircraft. In the film the Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, General Dynamics F-111, McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) F-15 Eagle, and General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon jets are all featured as aircraft from which ejection in a timely manner was the correct decision.

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Ejection seat testing utilizing a F-4S Phantom II aircraft. Official US Navy Photograph

Ace Maker: Lockheed’s T-33 Trainer Produced Top-Notch Aviators

Bill Walton
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Ace Maker: Lockheed’s T-33 Trainer Produced Top-Notch Aviators

This Remarkable Jet Trainer Has Withstood the Test of Time

When Lockheed developed the T-33A Shooting Star jet trainer from their P-80 fighter it was first referred to as the TP-80C. Lockheed stretched the P-80’s fuselage more than three feet in order to fit a second seat and the other equipment necessary to create a two-place version of the company’s first jet-powered fighter. First flown in 1948 by famed Lockheed test pilot Tony LeVier, the “T-Bird” served with the United States Air Force (USAF) as an advanced trainer and later as a proficiency trainer, threat simulator, and target drone for nearly 50 years. Here’s a nice HD video of a T-33 warbird showing off uploaded by our friends at AirshowStuffVideos

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Official US Air Force Photograph

Making Pilots and Memories

In United States Air Force (USAF) service the “Ace Maker” was used primarily as an advanced trainer until it began to be replaced by the Cessna T-37 Tweet and the Northrop T-38 Talon. The last T-33A used in advanced training was replaced during February of 1967 at Craig Air Force Base (AFB) in Alabama. USAF T-33As trained thousands of the jet fighter pilots who fought in the skies over Vietnam during the 1960s and 1970s. Their memories of the T-Bird are fond indeed.

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Official US Air Force Photograph

Service Awards and Versatility

Still able to earn their keep as drone controllers and target tugs, USAF T-33As kept right on serving after they were replaced as trainers. Assigned to Air Defense Command (ADC), Tactical Air Command (TAC), and National Guard squadrons then flying jets such as the McDonnell F-101 Voodoo, Convair F-102 Delta Dagger and Convair F-106 Delta Dart and later the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, the Ace Makers just wouldn’t go away. The last operational USAF T-Bird was an NT-33 variant used for flight control research and retired in April of 1997.

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Official US Air Force Photograph

In the Navy

In United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) use the T-33 was first designated TO-2 (The P-80 was the TO-1/TV-1), then as TV-2, and finally as T-33B. The USN and USMC T-Bird trainers were common sights along the Gulf Coast near the Naval Air Stations (NASs) like NAS Kingsville and NAS Corpus Christi during the 1950s and early 1960s. The Navy also procured 150 of the T2V-1 (later designated  T-1A) Seastar, a highly-modified version of the T-33 equipped and strengthened for use aboard aircraft carriers.

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Official US Navy Photograph

Ever Wonder Where Those Rescue Arrows Came From?

Navy TV-2s were some of the first aircraft to wear the large RESCUE arrow markings to assist crash crews with extrication of crew members from wrecked aircraft, the life-saving markings having been pioneered by Navy Advanced Training Squadrons TWO ZERO ZERO (ATU-200) and ATU-202 at NAS Kingsville during the late 1950s. TV-2s served as Navy and Marine Corps Station proficiency training aircraft even after Naval Air Training Command (NATC) replaced them with Rockwell T-2 Buckeyes and Douglas TA-4J Skyhawks.

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Photo From Author’s Collection

To Combat in a Trainer

T-33As were also developed for foreign allies under the Military Assistance Program (MAP). Variants were created such as the AT-33A (equipped with underwing pylons and hardpoints for carrying ordnance) and RT-33A (with nose-mounted cameras and one seat occupied by reconnaissance equipment). These joined the DT-33A (drone controllers), NT-33A (test aircraft), QT-33A (drones), and even more specialized variants used by the USAF. T-33s often retained two .50 caliber machine guns for gunnery training but could mount six .50s. Cuba actually used them in combat- the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias scored kills with them during the Bay of Pigs Invasion.

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Official US Air Force Photograph

Service in the Great White North

First designated as T-33AN, the Canadair CT-133 Silver Star differed primarily from the T-33 in the propulsion department. T-33As were powered by the Allison J33 turbojet engine. CT-133s utilized the Rolls-Royce Nene 10 turbojet engine. The Canuck CT-133s too were modified to enable particular capabilities. The CE-133 was and upgraded electronic warfare training aircraft variant. CX-133s served as ejection seat testbeds. The ET-133 was a dedicated aerial threat simulator variant, while the TE-133 simulated anti-ship threats.

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Official US Air Force Photograph

Worldwide Popularity

There were 6.557 T-33s (all variants) built, including the 656 built under license by Canadair in Canada and 210 built by Kawasaki in Japan. Foreign operators of the T-33 (all variants) include Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Canada, Republic of China (Taiwan), Colombia, Cuba, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Germany,  Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Libya, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, Uruguay, and Yugoslavia.

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Photo From Author’s Collection

Popular Jet Warbirds

Today there are no longer any operational military T-33s. Canada retired the last of their CT-133s in 2005 and many were sold off in 2008. Bolivia retired their last examples in July of 2017. Boeing operates two smartly-painted and pristine examples of the mark as chase aircraft out of their facility at Renton near Seattle in Washington. T-33s are more popular as warbirds than ever before, with several of the recently retired and nicely updated and equipped CT-133s having been acquired by private owners. There are about 65 T-33s (all variants) flying in private hands today.

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Official US Air Force Photograph

Watch Gary Sinise Fly a Growler to Visit the USS Theodore Roosevelt

Mike Killian
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Watch Gary Sinise Fly a Growler to Visit the USS Theodore Roosevelt

“One of the coolest experiences ever.”

That’s how actor Gary Sinise, one of the biggest advocates of America’s servicemen and women, described his ride in an E/A-18G Growler earlier this year, which took him from MCAS Miramar to the deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, somewhere off the coast of CA.

Sinise may be most famous for his Academy Award-nominated role as “Lt. Dan” in the landmark film Forrest Gump with Tom Hanks, but his work supporting those who serve the U.S. military (past and present) may be his ultimate legacy.

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Sinise with some of the crew of the USS Theodore Roosevelt. Credit: The Gary Sinise Foundation

Sinise isn’t just a vocal spokesperson and supporter of the military’s men and women, he does a lot to show his support and gratitude by giving back through various outreach programs too. He’s the spokesperson for many veterans organizations and serves on executive councils for the Medal of Honor Foundation, the USO and serves as an advisory board member for Hope for the Warriors.

He founded The Gary Sinise Foundation in 2011, which (among other things) builds custom Smart Homes for severely wounded veterans, and also performs nearly 50 shows a year around the world in support of servicemen and women as part of the “Lt. Dan Band”, which he formed in 2003. The foundation also hosts day-long festivals at military medical bases, and serves meals to deploying troops.

Above, watch as Sinise flies an E/A-18G Growler from Electronic Attack Squadron VAQ-129 to visit the USS Theodore Roosevelt in February 2017.

For his efforts over some 30 years, Sinise has received several awards including the Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment; the Spirit of the USO Award; the Dwight D. Eisenhower Award; and the Spirit of Hope Award.

He’s also a recipient of the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second-highest civilian honor awarded for exemplary deeds performed in service of the nation. He’s also been named an Honorary Marine, an honorary Chief Petty Officer by the Navy and was awarded the Outstanding Civilian Service Award.

This week, Sinise released some photos and videos on his Facebook page about his experience onboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, something he described as a “special opportunity” and “a trip I will never forget.”

More recently, Sinise and Lt. Dan Band performed two free concerts for airmen and their families who are based at Patrick Air Force Base and Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, as a way of thanking them for their tireless efforts providing relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.

Many of the rescue crews who flew weeklong relief efforts in Texas to rescue stranded victims trapped by flooding from Hurricane Harvey are also stationed at Patrick and Egin AFB as well.

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920th Rescue Wing, based out of Patrick AFB, in action rescuing flood victims in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Credit: USAF

The Gary Sinise Foundation launched a 2017 Hurricane Relief Fund to help veteran and first responder communities affected by the horrific storms, many of whom are still in the Gulf region helping those whose lives were devastated by this season’s hurricanes.

Matter of fact, many service members lost everything, and still went out to rescue others, putting others first as they always have.

“We will be raising funds to help the veterans, active duty, firefighters, police, and EMTs who have experienced loss due to these storms,” says the Foundation’s Hurricane Relief page. “We will offer grants to assist with anything from basic necessities to home repairs as well as helping our first responders who need damaged equipment replaced.”

ABOVE: Video from Gary Sinise flying onboard a VAQ-129 Growler (horizontal picture next time please Gary, ha).

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– Follow Mike Killian on Instagram and Facebook, @MikeKillianPhotography 

 

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F-18s Help Develop Flight Control System for New Deep Space Rocket

Mike Killian
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F-18s Help Develop Flight Control System for New Deep Space Rocket

For the last several years work has been underway to develop NASA’s replacement launch vehicle for the agency’s retired space shuttle fleet, the Space Launch System (SLS for short). The mammoth rocket will be the most powerful and capable heavy-lift launch vehicle ever designed, and NASA F/A-18 Hornet research jets have played a critical role in testing and evaluating the rocket’s autonomous flight control system at Armstrong Flight Research Center in southern California, located at Edwards AFB.

“By flying a high-performance F/A-18 jet in a manner similar to our rocket, we’re able to simulate SLS’s flight conditions and improve our software,” said Tannen VanZwieten in a press release, SLS flight controls working group lead. “The innovative system that we are testing is advancing flight control technology by adding an adaptive element which is new for launch vehicles. We’re using this technology to expand the capabilities of the SLS a bit more than what is possible with a traditional design.”

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Illustration of NASA’s SLS rocket, expected to make its maiden voyage in early 2019. Credit: NASA

The  Launch Vehicle Adaptive Control (LVAC) experiment was conducted in five flights by the F/A-18 Hornet to test the Adaptive Augmenting Controller, which will allow SLS to respond to various conditions—such as winds and vehicle flexing—during the launch/ascent phase of the mission.

In those tests, the jet took to the skies over Edwards Air Force Base to simulate those launch conditions SLS might encounter as it thunders away from Earth. The flight tests are crucial in evaluating the SLS’s flight control system and help engineers to design a system capable of autonomous adjustments to unexpected conditions as SLS pushes toward space.

“We have 20 test cases, each simulating some abnormal conditions, like higher thrust than anticipated or the presence of wind gusts, to see if the algorithm responds as we designed it to do,” said Eric Gilligan, an engineer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center helping to develop the “brain” for the SLS. “The tests might reveal something we hadn’t thought about in our algorithm, which we can go back and modify as necessary.”

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“Our software that’s running on the F/A-18 doesn’t know that it’s flying an F/A-18. It thinks it’s flying SLS”

No previous NASA launch vehicle has had the capability to adjust autonomously during actual flight, and the SLS Adaptive Augmenting Controller’s ability to make real-time adjustments to the autopilot should make for enhanced performance and a safer flight.

SLS will launch astronauts on the agency’s Orion spacecraft.

The NASA F/A-18 simulated both normal and abnormal flight conditions which the SLS might encounter after liftoff, such as sloshing propellant, and “identified key aircraft vibrational characteristics,” according to NASA. Over 40 tests were conducted, flying trajectories similar to what SLS will perform, and the Adaptive Augmenting Controller system was evaluated in different scenarios for up to 70 seconds at a time, matching the rocket’s dynamics from liftoff to solid rocket booster separation.

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Photo: NASA

“This is an example of how advanced rocket technology can be checked out in flight without having to be launched into space,” said John Carter, project manager for the flight tests at Dryden. “Doing this work on the F/A-18 test bed allows for low-cost, quick-schedule tests that can be repeated many times in order to gain confidence in the advanced controls technology, providing some unique testing advantages for this type of control system validation.”

The data collected during the flight tests of the Adaptive Augmenting Controller system were used to refine software for the SLS and plans for following F/A-18 flight tests in support of SLS. The autonomous flight control system, according to NASA, will be ready for the first test flight of the SLS, which is currently scheduled to launch an unmanned Orion spacecraft in 2019.

Launching from former shuttle launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center, the SLS will send Orion to the moon and back to test the entire integrated system (launcher and spacecraft) as a whole, before NASA puts astronauts on top of the mammoth rocket for the next flight in the early 2020s.

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Orion crew recovery practice in NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. Credit: NASA

“The rocket has a set of equations that describe its motion,” said Jeb Orr, an engineer at Marshall’s Spacecraft and Vehicle Systems Department helping to develop the complex step-by-step equations that make an F/A-18 Hornet fly like the SLS. “It’s all just a math operation. When applied to the model of the rocket, it helps us predict the intended performance.”

“We’re expanding the capabilities of SLS a little bit beyond what we’d normally be able to achieve through a traditional analysis process,” Orr said. “With an adaptive algorithm, we can be a little more responsive to anomalies in flight, like unpredictable winds, to ensure the vehicle stays on its trajectory. Our software that’s running on the F/A-18 doesn’t know that it’s flying an F/A-18. It thinks it’s flying SLS.”

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– Follow Mike Killian on Instagram and Facebook, @MikeKillianPhotography 

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Eagle And Bunny Strike Forces Virgin Australia Emergency Landing in Melbourne

Kim Clark
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Eagle And Bunny Strike Forces Virgin Australia Emergency Landing in Melbourne

A Virgin Australia flight headed for Brisbane, Australia had to make an emergency landing Friday after hitting an eagle. The eagle was carrying a rabbit in its talons and collided with the plane’s landing gear, shorting after the passenger plane took off from Tullamarine.

The pilot of flight VA319 radioed the control tower with reports of engine problems. Virgin Australia said in a statement, “upon suspecting a bird strike, the pilot decided to return to Melbourne and the aircraft landed safely.” Melbourne Airport crews inspected the plane for damage and debris, temporarily shutting down the east-west runway. The Transport Safety Bureau is conducting an investigation. No one was hurt. All passengers safely deplaned after the emergency landing.

Bird is the Word: How Often Do Birds and Planes Collide?

While rabbit strikes are pretty rare, there have been other odd incidents including a US Air Force Gulfstream that hit a fish back in 2014. Bird strikes, though are more common than you might think. There were a whopping 16,069 bird strikes reported between 2006 and 2015 in Australia alone, according to the Transport Safety Bureau and in most cases, a high capacity domestic aircraft is involved. Significant damage to the aircraft only occurs in a fraction of cases, fortunately. Of the more than 16, 069 bird strikes, only 11 did real damage to the plane.

In one such instance, birds were actually sucked into the engine. AirAsia X Flight D7207 bound for Kuala Lumpur from the Gold Coast made an emergency landing in Brisbane this summer because the plane started uncontrollably shaking after taking off. Some passengers said they saw sparks coming from the engine mounts. Not surprisingly, upon landing, crews found two dead birds near where the plane had landed on the runway.

British Airline Pilots Association flight safety specialist Stephen Landells assures air passengers that bird strikes are usually not that dangerous and more often than not, damage is done to only one engine. Passenger aircraft can operate safely with just one engine so hitting a bird rarely leads to a crash. Landells points out that aircraft are “designed to withstand” these strikes and pilots undergo hours of training in preparation for eventualities such as bird strikes.

One of the most infamous examples of a near-crash was US Airways Flight 1549 in 2009. The pilot, Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger safely landed the plane on the Hudson River in Manhattan, a feat called the “Miracle on the Hudson” since in this case, both engines were damaged after the plane collided with a flock of Canadian geese.

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US Airways 1549 successfully ditched in the Hudson River. Photo by Greg L. (Wikipedia Commons)

Captain Sullenberger was credited with saving the lives of 155 passengers and the ordeal was made into a Hollywood movie. The renowned pilot retired from US Airways after a 30 year career in 2010 and took a position as an Aviation and Safety Expert with CBS News.

 

Watch: Leatherneck Close Air Support In Korea Drops The Hammer

Bill Walton
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Watch: Leatherneck Close Air Support In Korea Drops The Hammer

When the film “The Marine Corps and Close Air Support” was produced the United States and the United Nations were still embroiled in the Korean War. But the subject matter was well understood by the Marines. Having undertaken and then mastered close air support (CAS) during World War II in the Pacific, Marine aviation in Korea wasn’t that different from its zenith only five years before. Some of the aircraft were new, but many of the personnel were the same. This film, uploaded by YouTuber PeriscopeFilm, takes a look at the Marines delivering ordnance for CAS.

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Grumman F9F 2 Panther 1950 aboard CVB 42
Official US Navy Photograph

By the time the Korean War began the Marines were still flying later variants of Vought’s F-4U Corsair. As seen in the film, Leatherneck Corsairs played a large role in Marine CAS efforts in Korea. New to the Marine Corps arsenal for Korea were the Douglas AD Skyraider (also known as the Able Dog) and the Grumman F9F Panther jet-powered fighter-bomber. These three aircraft flew the majority of Marine CAS sorties. VMA-223 Bulldogs F9Fs are featured in the film. A couple of major-league baseball players served in Korea with the Marines. Both Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR) Captain Gerald F. “Gerry” Coleman of the New York Yankees and USMCR Captain Theodore S. “Ted” Williams of the Boston Red Sox flew CAS missions in Korea. Coleman flew Corsairs with VMA-323 Death Rattlers and Williams piloted Panthers with VMF-311 Tomcats.

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Official US Marine Corps Photograph

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