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“Hanoi Taxi”–The Ultimate Freedom Bird Was A Very Special C-141 Starlifter

Bill Walton
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“Hanoi Taxi”–The Ultimate Freedom Bird Was A Very Special C-141 Starlifter

Operation Homecoming returned POWs from North Vietnam. Tail number 66-0177 held a unique place in the hearts of wartime heroes, aircrew, entertainers and avgeeks.

On March 12th 1998, a United States Air Force Lockheed C-141B Starlifter transport (Air Force serial number 66-0177, AKA the “Hanoi Taxi”) departed Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. A C-141 flight out of Wright-Pat was a common enough occurrence, but this one was special. Onboard were more than 50 former American prisoners of war. The Starlifter’s destination was Randolph Air Force Base in Texas, the site of the 25th Annual Reunion of the Freedom Flyers.

That particular C-141 had flown some of these passengers before. On February 12th 1973 the very same aircraft flew the first mission to repatriate the first 40 American prisoners of war released by North Vietnam from Gia Lam airport in Hanoi.

People travelling in the C-141 Starlifter.

From February 12th through April 4th 1973, C-141s flew 54 Operation Homecoming missions out of Hanoi returning 591 prisoners of war to their country and families. Air Force Technical Sergeant James R. Cook, who suffered severe wounds when he bailed out of his stricken aircraft over North Vietnam in December of 1972, saluted the American Flag from his stretcher as he was carried aboard the aircraft.

Also on the first flight was Navy Commander Everett Alvarez Jr. The first American pilot to be shot down in North Vietnam, Alvarez was the longest-held POW, having spent more than eight years in captivity. Celebration broke out aboard the Hanoi Taxi when it lifted off on its way out of North Vietnam, as the former POWs experienced their first taste of freedom.

C-141 on the runway.

Speaking to the crowd that lined the tarmac at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines to welcome the aircraft on its first stop, returning POW Navy Captain Jeremiah Denton was cheered as he thanked all who had worked for their release and proclaimed, “God bless America.” Denton continued his naval career, eventually rising to the rank of Rear Admiral. He was later elected to represent Alabama in the United States Senate.

United States Air Force Captain Larry Chesley recalled that “everything seemed like heaven” after having spent seven years as a prisoner of the North Vietnamese. “When the doors of that C-141 closed, there were tears in the eyes of every man aboard,” he said.

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The senior officer at the Hanoi Hilton, Air Force Colonel Robinson Risner, choked back his emotions as he arrived at Clark on the second C-141 flight from Hanoi. “Thank you all for bringing us home to freedom again,” he told the gathered crowd.

The last Vietnam POW to serve in the Air Force, Major General Edward Mechenbier, recalled the emotion of his own Operation Homecoming flight out of North Vietnam on February 18th 1973. “When we got airborne and the frailty of being a POW turned into the reality of freedom, we yelled, cried and cheered,” the General said.

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The first group of 20 former POWs to make it all the way home arrived at Travis Air Force Base in California on February 14th 1973. News clips of their arrival and the tearful scenes planeside revealed the emotions of the freed POWs.

Navy Captain James Stockdale remarked, “The men who follow me down that ramp know what loyalty means because they have been living with loyalty, living on loyalty, the past several years — loyalty to each other, loyalty to the military, loyalty to our commander-in-chief.” Though permanently injured before and during his ordeal as a POW, Stockdale continued his naval career rising to the rank of Vice Admiral.

Starlifter 66-0177, later named Hanoi Taxi, continued to serve the country after Operation Homecoming. The aircraft was reworked with the standard C-141A upgrades and modifications, such as a lengthened fuselage and the addition of aerial refueling capability, resulting in designation changes to C-141B and later to C-141C. 177 even flew entertainer Bob Hope to Vietnam for his USO tours.

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The Hanoi Taxi had been maintained by the Air Force as a flying tribute to the POWs and MIAs of the Vietnam War. When the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III replaced the venerable machine, the Air Force wanted the aircraft to be preserved. After her final missions of mercy evacuating victims of Hurricane Katrina, C-141C Air Force serial number 66-0177, the Hanoi Taxi, and the last operational C-141C in Air Force service, was officially retired to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Pat on May 6th 2006.

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B-1 Bone Shreds Cadet Ears Prior to Recognition Event

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B-1 Bone Shreds Cadet Ears Prior to Recognition Event

Flyover kicked off three days of intense training before freshman cadets get recognized.

The B-1B Bone flew a loud, afterburner-fueled low-pass that kicked off recognition.  For freshman cadets who were about to endure a relentless three-day exercise known as recognition, the flyover gave them hope.  The next three days of their life would suck, but one day it could be them flying an instrument of our nation’s power.

What’s recognition?

Freshman at the Air Force Academy go through an eight-month long training program that is designed to prepare them for battle.  The purpose of the intense (somewhat open for debate these days) training is to instill a sense of confidence and fortitude such that no physical pain or mental distress in combat could dissuade an airman.

The regimented life involves running on certain pathways (known as ‘the strips’) to classes, requiring every freshman to greet upperclassmen by name and rank, and keeping dorm rooms in inspection-ready shape at all times. Afternoons after class frequently involve training sessions with upperclassmen requiring the “four degrees” to recite knowledge under stressful mental and physical conditions.

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Air Force photo showing the Run To the Rock.  Taken by Bill Evans in 2015.

The training culminates in a three-day exercise known as recognition.  The event is meant to physically and mentally drain every freshman such that teamwork and a positive attitude is the only thing left.  At the conclusion of the training, the cadets ‘run to the rock’.  When they arrive at the rock, they are recognized by their upperclassmen as peers.

The flyover took place on Thursday March 9th. Video is by the Air Force Academy’s Facebook page.

Hog Pilot Jots Down His Twelve Greatest A-10 Memories

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Hog Pilot Jots Down His Twelve Greatest A-10 Memories

A-10 Pilot Don Ramm Recalls the Ups and Downs of Flying the Best Close Support Aircraft Ever Built.

By Don Ramm

Welcome to the flying memories of a peace time pilot. I started pilot training in September of 1973 and dropped my last practice bomb in 1989. The closest I got to anything resembling combat was orders to Korat, Thailand, in 1976. Those were cancelled, and I went to England AFB, Louisiana in the A-7.

In 1978 at the ripe old age of 27 with less than 1000 hours under my belt I was offered the opportunity to fly the A-10. The truth is, I wanted to fly F-16s but didn’t want to endure a tour as an ALO (Air Liaison Officer), a standard “follow on” assignment for many first-assignment attack pilots.

I called MPC (Military Personnel Command), asked the fighter assignments guys what my options were, and was offered an A-10 IP (instructor pilot) job at Davis Monthan AFB near Tucson, AZ.

I spent 1975 – 76 at DM checking out in the A-7 and flying with an operational squadron and liked the area. I was glad to go back. By June 1981 when I left active duty I had logged just over 1000 hours in the Hog.

A-10 banking hard to the left while popping a flare.
(U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Robert Wieland)

1.) Conversion Course and IP School

After a transition course to learn how to fly the “Hog” and drop bombs and shoot bullets from its well known GAU-8 30 mm cannon, I attended the IP course to learn how to instruct. The A-7 was the finest bomb and bullet delivery platform during its heyday in the 70s.

Its computed weapons delivery system was a technological miracle that, when employed by a pilot who knew how to make it work, was capable of unparalleled accuracy. The USAF-wide bombing competitions of the 70s and early 80s were dominated by the A-7.

Moving from that to the A-10 which had no computer (at that time; it does now) took some getting use to. Flying slower and with a nice “hard sight” HUD (heads up display), I was able drop some pretty good bombs in the “low angle” events, but a 45 degree dive delivery (release at 3 or 4 thousand feet as I recall = slant range of more than a mile) was a challenge.

The gun, on the other hand, was point and shoot. Yes, some Kentucky windage was required on a long distance shot but in close it was hard to miss. And, oh, the sound of that gun! Not so much from in the cockpit, but from the ground it was a thrill to hear and watch it work.

One of the nice things about the A-10 which is true to this day: There are no two-seaters. How does one instruct without a two-seater? Of course, all of the trainees were already pilots who had flown at least one airplane that is harder to fly than the A-10 – that is, the T-38.

So, we as instructors did not teach our charges how to fly as much as we were in their subconscious (via FM radio which was used for airplane to airplane communications) as we coaxed them through maneuvers. In the early flights where they just got the feel of the A-10 and in the early air-to-ground rides we would fly a close “fighting wing” position so we could tell what their airplane was doing.

In later flights, the student would fly wing and be pretty much on their own; we would lead the flight and drop our own bombs and shoot our own gun. So I had 600 or 700 hours as an IP and never once had to share the stick with the student.

Two-seater A-10 hog.
image via national archives

2.) Two-Seat A-10

Actually, there was one two-seat A-10. It was built by Fairchild and pitched by them as a close support platform that could operate in marginal weather and at night. The Air Force evaluated it in the early 80s but didn’t buy it. I ran across this lone two-seater in 1997 when Tracy (my wife and pilot) and I flew into Edwards AFB.

After doing a touch and go on their 5 mile long runway in our rented T-41, we landed near the Edwards Aero Club in a quiet corner of the base. On the ramp next to the club was one of just about every late model USAF airplane including an F-16, F-4, A-7, even an SR-71, and the only two-seat A-10 ever built.

Not only did we walk among the museum pieces, we climbed on them and no one seemed to mind which is where this picture of Tracy came from.

Two-seater A-10 at the airfield.
image via national museum of the us air force

3.) Bicycle Lake

One of the more enjoyable TDYs (temporary duty) we had was a three-week “Red Flag” at Fort Irwin in California. Ft Irwin is about 50 miles northeast of Barstow CA which if you are familiar with that neck of the woods is pretty much in the middle of no where.

As an Army fort it had seen better days. There must have been a hundred houses on base – all were empty. We stayed in the “Q” (Visiting Officer Quarters) – as opposed to the Army troops who were participating in the same exercise; they left on Monday morning and spent the week living in pup-tents “in the field”.

The nice thing about the exercise, of course, was the flying. We flew off of Bicycle Lake next to Fort Irwin. It wasn’t like the WWII days when the Spitfires and Hurricanes took off any direction they pleased. There was a runway plowed out of the dry lake bed. We always took off single ship.

Lead would start a turn right after take off and do a wide 360 over the lake at about 500 feet while his wingman took the runway. It was easy for lead to time his turn so that he rolled out about a mile wide in line abreast from the wingman so the flight was in “tactical formation” immediately after takeoff.

We would routinely fly the entire mission at under 500 feet. (This was in the days when low altitude was thought to be the best way to fly the A-10 – under the radar.)

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4.) Nose Low

One day, the squadron ops office was leading a two ship on a typical mission. His aircraft had just been worked on by the maintenance folks – something which involved putting the gear handle in the up position while on the ground. They did put it back down (it was down when he did his before start checks said the pilot) but apparently not down far enough and for some reason the nose gear was not pinned per standard procedures.

As he fired up the #1 engine, as soon as there was enough hydraulic pressure, the nose gear obeyed what it was commanded to do and folded up. For some reason the mains didn’t retract (perhaps they were pinned) so the A-10 nose hit the hard dirt ramp area driving the gun into the ground. Somehow they picked the nose up, dropped the gear and pinned it.

Except for the dirt in some of the seven barrels of the GAU-8, it looked like all of the other A-10s. The exercise ended a few days later and we flew it home with the landing gear down. (I flew on the crippled Hog’s wing on the way home. I anticipated having lots of fun making “high speed” passes on the stiff-legged A-10, but it wasn’t mean to be.

The ground crew, instructed to leave the gear pinned on the injured A-10, did the same to mine. When I raised the gear handle nothing happened, and I flew home with gear extended as well.)

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(U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. William Greer)

For More Ramm Remembrances Bang NEXT PAGE Below.

F-22 Raptor Demo Team releases 2017 airshow schedule

Charles Atkeison
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F-22 Raptor Demo Team releases 2017 airshow schedule

LANGLEY, Va. — The only operational fifth-generation fighter aircraft will launch into the start of its 2017 air show season in March with a schedule highlighted by popular visits across America and include four international show sights.

The Aerial Combat Command, based at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, released their official F-22 Raptor schedule on Thursday, one week prior to the official start of the air show season. The news gave the selected show sites cause to celebrate as they took to social media to celebrate the news.

Air Force Major Dan Dickinson will again lead the 19-member F-22 demo team this season as the lead pilot — the only pilot — of the $140 million aircraft of the demo team. To date, Maj. Dickinson has logged nearly 900 hours flying the F-22.

The schedule will see a pair of Raptors visit 23 cities between March through November, and a fly-over only of the Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson AFB in September. Four international stops will include Quebec, Canada in June; RAF Fairford, UK in July; Toronto, Canada in September; and Seoul, South Korea in October. The Raptor’s public affairs officials did add that visits to the UK and Korea are subject to change at this time.

In the United States, the F-22 Demo will launch their season on Georgia’s warm golden coast as the team performs over the Wings Over the Golden Isles air show. The inaugural show was a major triumph for the Brunswick community.

“The F-22 Raptor joins the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, the AeroShell Demonstration Team and many other performers to give the Wings Over Golden Isles event a world-class lineup,” John Cowman, president of JLC AirShow Management, said following the announcement. “We couldn’t be more excited about hosting this amazing team in Brunswick.”

The next show stop April 22 and 23 will see the Raptor soar over the proclaimed “Home of Air Dominance”, Tyndall AFB, located just east of Panama City Beach, Florida. The two day air show will include the Air Force Thunderbirds.

“For this year’s show we’ve pulled out all the stops and will feature performances by the Thunderbirds, the F-22 demonstration team, and many more,” Colonel Michael F. Hernandez, Commander of Tyndall’s 325th Fighter Wing said. “On behalf of the more than 5,000 Airmen of Team Tyndall, it is my pleasure to invite you to the 2017 Gulf Coast Salute open house and air show.”

Two weeks later, the fully fueled F-22 will perform over the McEntire JNGB near Colombia, S.C. on May 6 and 7. An F-16 and F-15 will join the Raptor for the free air show event.

Summertime will later usher in demonstrations over Pittsburgh, Miami Beach, Seattle, Chicago, and Jacksonville. The Raptor team will conclude its ambitious season with the Thunderbirds at the Nellis AFB Open House in November.

For the F-22 Raptor’s complete schedule, visit http://www.acc.af.mil/Home/AerialEvents/F-22ADemoTeam/F-22Demoschedule.aspx.

Hero Skyraider Pilot Lands On Destroyed Runway, Saves Downed Pilot, Earns Medal Of Honor

Bill Walton
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Hero Skyraider Pilot Lands On Destroyed Runway, Saves Downed Pilot, Earns Medal Of Honor

Spads Were Tough Old Birds and This Medal of Honor Recipient Was Cool Under Pressure.

On 10 March 1966, United States Air Force pilot Major Bernard Fisher was flying a close air support mission with five other A-1E Skyraider pilots over the A Shau valley, near the Laotian border west -northwest of Da Nang in South Vietnam. Fisher was supporting a Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) / US Army Special Forces camp located in a position to interdict traffic along the Ho Chi Minh trail that was in danger of being overrun by more than 2,000 North Vietnamese regular troops who were surrounding it.

Skyraider pilot with others in formation.
Official US Air Force photograph

Hairy Valley

The situation in the valley and at the SF camp was not exactly news to Fisher and his fellow pilots- Fisher had been awarded the Silver Star for his air support role in the same battle the day before. The weather had not improved either- with a solid ceiling lower than the tops of the 1,500 foot hills around much of the valley, close air support was a risky proposition indeed.

Skyraiders with the pilot visible.

Myers is Grounded

During one of several attack runs on the enemy emplacements one of the other Skyraider pilots, Major Dafford W. “Jump” Myers, was hit by ground fire and forced to land his crippled “Spad.” Using the 2,500 foot-long steel plank runway used to supply the camp by air, Myers was able to crash-land his A-1E and exit the aircraft on the ground with only slight injuries. He then found a spot in which to hole up and wait for a Jolly Green Giant rescue helicopter to pull him out of what was one enormous jam.

Skyraider pilot flying along with a helicopter.
Official US Air Force photograph

Desperate Situations Call for Heroic Measures

Meanwhile, as he orbited the downed pilot and took stock of the situation, Fisher realized that the closest helicopter was at least 30 minutes away. After witnessing the crash landing, Fisher believed that Myers was at the very least badly injured. Able to see the North Vietnamese troops closing in on Myers’ position and convinced that Myers would not last much longer on the ground, Fisher contacted the other members of his flight and notified them that he planned to land on the torn up airstrip and pick up Myers.

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Only 19 Bullet Holes…

While the rest of the flight pressed covering attacks on the enemy troops, Fisher managed to land on the airstrip and taxi most of the way back down the runway while avoiding holes and debris, under enemy fire, until he was close Myers’ position. Then, while still taking enemy fire, Myers bolted from his hide, climbed onto the Skyraider’s wing and Fisher pulled Myers head-first into the right seat of his A-1E. Despite continuous heavy enemy fire, Fisher was then able to take off from the now-ruined runway and return to his base at Pleiku. Mechanics found 19 bullet holes in Fisher’s Skyraider.

The First Living MOH Recipient of the War

For his heroic action that fateful day in March 1966, Major Bernard Fisher was awarded the Medal of Honor. President Lyndon B. Johnson presented the medal to Major Fisher on January 19th 1967. Fisher was the first living Air Force recipient of the Medal of Honor for action in the Vietnam War.

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For the Rest of the Story (Including a Video and a Surprise or Two) Bang NEXT PAGE Below

Operation Meetinghouse: LeMay Takes Charge and the B-29s Bore In Low.

Bill Walton
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Operation Meetinghouse: LeMay Takes Charge and the B-29s Bore In Low.

Jet Stream Winds Played Havoc with Bombs Dropped from 30,000 Feet Over Japan.

On 9 March 1945 the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) XX Bomber Command initiated Operation Meetinghouse. The Twentieth had been using their B-29 Superfortresses to bomb Japan from bases in the Marianas since November 24th 1944, and from bases in China since April of 1944. Results of their missions were unsatisfactory. A change was necessary. It was time for General Curtis LeMay.

468th Bombardment Group Boeing B 29s attacking Rangoon Burma
Official US Air Force photograph

The First Raids on the Homeland

America’s very first raid of the war on Tokyo took place on April 18th 1942, when USAAC Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle led sixteen twin-engine B-25B Mitchell bombers, launched from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8), to attack Japanese targets including Tokyo and Yokohama.

The bombers were to continue flying west after their attacks and land in China. Because the ships in the task force had stumbled upon Japanese picket boats, the bombers were forced to launch much earlier, and at much longer range from Japan, than planned.

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A Morale Boost More Than a Victory

While the raid did little real damage, it provided a much-needed morale boost for an America reeling after Pearl Harbor and the subsequent Japanese sweep through much of the Pacific. The fate of the bombers was sealed when they took off so far from their planned departure point.

None of the bombers reached the planned recovery airfields in China. However, Japan was forced to commit resources to the defense of the home islands, which had been thought to be safe from American attack, for the remainder of the war.

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Official US Air Force photograph

You Can’t Bomb From High Altitudes with High Winds

Fast-forward to 1945. Results of the high altitude precision daylight bombing of Japan by XX Bomber Command over the previous 11 months were unsatisfactory, due in large part to very strong high altitude winds aloft over Japan.

These winds, later to be recognized as the jet stream, made the approach to the target areas, the bomb runs, and egress from the target areas after bomb release over Japan problematic. In some cases, B-29 ground speeds were reduced to less than 100 miles per hour when bucking the strong headwinds. When bombing from high altitude, bombing accuracy was significantly reduced by the high winds affecting free-fall bomb trajectories.

The consistently cloudy weather over the Japanese islands also contributed to the overall lack of precision in high altitude precision daylight bombing.

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LeMay Makes the Call

General Curtis LeMay, the new commander of XX Bomber Command, took one look at the results of the bombing of Japan from China since April, and especially from the new bases on Saipan, Tinian, and Guam since November, and decided to change the tactics employed by the Twentieth.

There would be no more high altitude precision daylight bombing of Japan. LeMay’s crews would bomb from low to mid-level, and they would bomb at night. The B-29 aircrews tasked with flying the missions harbored misgivings about the changes LeMay instituted.

Attacking between 5,000 feet and 9,000 feet seemed suicidal, and removing all the defensive guns from their bombers except the tail guns made little or no sense to the crews.

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For the Rest of the Meetinghouse Story Bang NEXT PAGE Below

The Tiger: Grumman’s F11F Was the First Supersonic Cat.

Bill Walton
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The Tiger: Grumman’s F11F Was the First Supersonic Cat.

The Tiger Was Ahead of its Time, for a Time, But Time Caught Up Quickly

On 8 March 1957, United States Navy Attack Squadron ONE FIVE SIX (VA-156) Iron Tigers accepted the first Grumman F11F-1 Tiger aircraft to enter service. The Tiger came along at a time when supersonic speeds were suddenly a requirement and Grumman did indeed deliver its first carrier-based supersonic fighter. With advanced features like full-span leading edge slats, roll-control spoilers instead of ailerons, all-moving horizontal stabilizers, and area-ruled fuselage design, the Tiger was, at the time of its introduction, in many ways ahead of its time.

F11F 1 Tiger on USS Forrestal CVA 59 in April 1956

Developed From Another Legendary Grumman Cat

At first envisioned as an improved F9F-6/7 Cougar, the resulting design and the refinements made during the development process yielded a completely different aircraft. Ironically, the Tiger’s service life was much shorter than the Cougar’s.

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Close But Second to the Skyray

Even though on July 30th 1954 the prototype Tiger first flew without the afterburning engine for which it was designed, it nearly reached supersonic speeds on its maiden flight. When the second prototype flew with the afterburning engine, the Navy had its second supersonic aircraft (the Douglas F-4D Skyray was the first). The aircraft received the new designation F11F-1 in April of 1955.

Grumman F11F 1 Tiger in flight c1956

Headed to The Fleet on The Boat

Carrier suitability trials began on April 4th 1956. The carrier Forrestal (CV-59) hosted the Tiger for trial arrested landings and catapult launches. After successfully completing trials, the aircraft went on to equip several Navy squadrons. The Navy operators of the F11F-1 Tiger were VF-21 Freelancers and VF-33 Astronauts in the Atlantic Fleet and VA-156 Sundowners (VF-111 from January 1959), VF-24 Renegades (VF-211 from March 1959), VF-51 Screaming Eagles, VF-121 Pacemakers, and VF-191 Satan’s Kittens in the Pacific Fleet. Tigers operated from the Essex-class carriers Intrepid (CV-11), Hancock (CV-19), Bon Homme Richard (CV-31), Shangri-La (CV-38), and the Forrestal-class carriers Forrestal (CV-59), Saratoga (CV-60), and Ranger (CV-61).

F11F 1s VF 21 NAN1 61

Up Against Two Legends

The last Tiger was delivered to the Navy on January 23rd 1959. The aircraft only lasted four years in front-line service. Unfortunately its performance was vastly inferior to both the Vought F-8 Crusader and the McDonnell F-4 Phantom II, both of which were being delivered to the Navy in roughly the same timeframe. The Tiger’s J65 engine also proved unreliable. Coupled with limited range and insufficient endurance, the Tiger was craned off all carrier decks by the end of 1961. The Navy cancelled all orders for the F11F-1 and a proposed reconnaissance version (the F11F-1P) on the books. Only 199 Tigers were built.

Grumman F11F 1 Tiger in flight c1950s

For the Rest of the Tiger Story Bang NEXT PAGE Below

So Low You Could Reach Out And Touch The Mad Dog

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So Low You Could Reach Out And Touch The Mad Dog

V1…Rotate.  Dude, C’mon…Rotate!

We’ve posted a few videos of arrivals at St. Maarten.  We’ve even had one of our own avgeeks profile his trip down to the island.  It’s a magical place with pristine beaches, beautiful weather, and (of course) gorgeous low flying planes.

Most of the videos out there though show the beach arrivals.  While departures toward Maho Beach aren’t unheard of, they aren’t as frequent due to the prevailing winds at the field. Departures towards the beach are a treat.  Who could forget that KLM 747 departure video?

This Insel Air MD-80 video rivals that KLM 747 video.  The MD-80 looks to be fully loaded or the pilots are just showboating. We’re not sure. Either way, it makes for an impressive and slightly hair raising departure video.  In the video you can clearly see inside the main gear wells on departure.  It can’t be more than 15-20 feet over the beach.  The videographer sure was jazzed about this departure. His choice language at the end shows just how “wow’ed” he really was.

About the MD-80

The MD-80 is twin engine, single aisle, narrow body commercial jet airliner, manufactured by McDonnell Douglas, and later by Boeing. It is a mid size, medium range airliner. This slender aircraft has a number of variants, including the MD-81, the MD-82, the MD-83, the MD-87, and MD-88. The MD-80 can seat anywhere from 130 to 172 passengers, depending on the variant. Each variant also features upgrades in the cockpit and avionics.

The aircraft took its maiden voyage on October 18th of 1979. However, two MD-80 aircraft were severely damaged during the test flights. Despite the early design issues, the MD-80 underwent improvements. The first variant of the MD-80 was introduced with Swissair in October of 1980. The MD-80 series was eventually modified into the MD-90 series.

Almost 1,200 MD-80 aircraft were built between 1979 and 1999, at a unit cost in the 40 million dollar range.

SR-71 Final Flight — Col Yielding Flew It Across the US in an Hour, Then He Gave It To a Museum

Bill Walton
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SR-71 Final Flight — Col Yielding Flew It Across the US in an Hour, Then He Gave It To a Museum
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How Could Such a Forward-Thinking Piece of Machinery Like The SR-71 End Up in a Museum?

On 6 March 1990, pilot Colonel Ed Yielding and reconnaissance systems officer (RSO) Colonel Joseph Vida departed Palmdale in California flying U. S. Air Force SR-71 (serial number 61-17972). This was not just another Senior Crown SR-71 flight. Yielding and Vida landed one hour, four minutes, and 20 seconds later at Dulles International Airport outside Washington DC. The last operational flight of the SR-71 set a new Los Angeles to Washington speed record averaging a scorching 2,124 miles per hour (3,420 kilometers per hour), along with three other records. 972 was then delivered to the National Air and Space Museum for display. It was the final flight of the Air Force’s SR-71 program.

SR 71A taking off with afterburner RAF Mildenhall 1983

What’s in a Name?

Derived from the Lockheed A-12, the development of which is worthy of its own story, the 32 SR-71s built served with the US Air Force from 1964 until 1990. 12 of them were lost in operational accidents. Not a single SR-71 was lost to enemy action. The “Blackbird” was the most common nickname used to refer to the all-black monster, but “Habu” (Japanese venomous snake- a name bestowed while the SR-71 operated from Okinawa) was a moniker as well. Between the original A-12 and SR-71, these Lockheed “Skunk Works” products were the fastest air-breathing (jet-powered) aircraft inhabiting this planet from inception of the A-12 until the final retirement of the SR-71 by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1998.

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Rare Materials and Engineering Challenges

The SR-71’s airframe was 85% titanium. Lockheed was forced to pioneer new tooling and fabrication methods just to build the aircraft. Due to the chlorine in tap water, even washing the welded titanium in the airframe components required distilled water. Tools had to be specially manufactured because they too could cause corrosion. Tools wore out quickly during the fabrication process too. Building the SR-71 was one engineering challenge after another.

Lockheed YF 12

Hot Stuff

Flying at Mach 3 or more generated friction. Lots of friction. And lots of friction equals lots and lots of heat. For that reason, major portions of the skin of the wings were corrugated. The intense heat would have caused smooth skin (even titanium) to deform and potentially curl up or even split. Conversely, corrugated skin could expand both vertically and horizontally and actually increased longitudinal strength.

SR71 3

Designed to Leak on the Ground

The SR-71s fuselage panels were specially manufactured so they had gaps between them. When the aircraft encountered the heat from in-flight friction the panels would expand and fit properly. It was said that the Blackbird leaked more fuel on the ground than it used in the air. An obvious exaggeration, but the sight of a Blackbird sitting on the tarmac surrounded by dripped puddles of special high-flashpoint JP-7 fuel was a contradiction indeed. If you see a picture of an SR-71 in flight (most of which were captured at low altitude and low speed), chances are you’ll also see fuel streaming back from the as-yet unsealed joints as well.

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How Well Do You Know Your Aardvarks?

Jeff Richmond
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How Well Do You Know Your Aardvarks?

Failure or success?  It depends how you look at it.

The holy grail of fighter aircraft is one aircraft that meets the operational requirements of both the Air Force and the Navy. The most current attempt at a multi-service design is the Lockheed Martin F-35 “Lighting II.” Historically, the result of such ambitious efforts is an aircraft that does nothing really well, or worked well for one service or had limited combat capabilities.

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F-111F (National Museum of the USAF)

The F-111 was an earlier attempt at a supersonic multi-role, multi-service all-weather fighter-bomber. The F-111 was handicapped from the beginning, based on a rather poorly conceived operational specification, with both the Air Force and the Navy pressured to commit to a civilian concept of the “Tactical Fighter Experimental” (TFX) program.

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F-111 Formation (Australian Air Force Photo)

The concept called for a single aircraft that was both a nimble, carrier-based Navy fleet-defense interceptor and a more beefy land-based Air Force supersonic strike aircraft. Development focused on the Air Force role, and the F-111B—the naval variant—never made into production.

The F-111 Arrdvark was produced in a variety of models, including the F-111A, F-111D, F-111E, and F-111F, as well as an FB-111A strategic bomber. What the Pentagon had touted as a “cost effective” solution, ironically would be labeled a major aeronautical and financial fiasco in the 1960s. Other designations were assigned to aircraft sold to other nations.

Initially, F-111As had major engine problems. Intense testing by NASA pilots and engineers it was determined that engine inlet dynamics created pressure fluctuations that led to compressor surges and stalls. The engine problems were solved by a major inlet redesign.

The F-111 could operate from tree-top level to altitudes above 60,000 feet (18,200 meters). The major design feature were the variable sweep wings that would allow the pilot to fly from slow approach speeds to supersonic velocity at sea level and more than twice the speed of sound at higher altitudes. The wing angle could be swept to any angle from 16 degrees (full forward for takeoff, landing, and slow flight) to 72.5 degrees (full aft for maximum speeds).

800px F 111A Wing Sweep Sequence

Demonstration of Variable Sweep wings; from Swept forward for takeoff, landing, and slow flight (top left) to fully swept back (bottom right).

In terms of fighter design, the F-111 was unusual in that the two crew members—a pilot and a weapons system/radar operator sat side-by-side in an air-conditioned, pressurized cockpit module that served as an emergency escape vehicle and as a survival shelter on land or water.

In an emergency, both crew members remained in the cockpit and an explosive charge separated the cockpit module from the aircraft. The module descended by parachute. The ejected module included a small portion of the wing fairing to stabilize it during aircraft separation. Airbags cushioned impact and helped keep the module afloat in water. The module could be released at any speed or altitude, even under water. For underwater escape, the airbags raised the module to the surface after it has been separated from the plane.

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F-111 Cockpit Escape Capsule (National Museum of the USAF)

Using internal fuel only—tanks in the fuselage and the wings–the plane had a range of more than 2,500 nautical miles. External fuel tanks could be carried on the pylons under the wings and jettisoned if necessary. It also could be refueled in flight via a refueling boom receptacle on top of the aircraft aft of the cockpit.

The F-111 carried conventional or nuclear weapons. It could carry up to nuclear bombs or additional fuel in the internal weapons bay. External ordnance included combinations of bombs, missiles and fuel tanks. The loads nearest the fuselage on each side pivoted as the wings swept back, keeping ordnance parallel to the fuselage.

RAAF F 111 fuel dump and burn Williamtown Jeff Gilbert
The F-111 aircraft could dump fuel from an aft nozzle between the engines. The dumped fuel could be ignited when the aircraft afterburners were lit.

The avionics systems included communications, navigation, and electronic counter measure self-defense systems. A radar bombing system was used for precise delivery of weapons on targets during night or bad weather.

The FB-111 also had an automatic terrain-following radar (TFR) system that flew the craft at a constant altitude following the Earth’s contours. It allowed the aircraft to fly in valleys and over mountains, day or night, regardless of weather conditions. The pilot could adjust the ride of the TFR from a “soft” ride to a “hard” ride. In the “soft” mode, the aircraft would anticipate requirements to climb or descent and begin climbs and descents to “smooth” the flight. In the “hard” setting, the aircraft followed the shape of the terrain, making climbs and descents roughly match the rise and fall of the terrain.

Major Variants

F-111A, D, E, and F: The A model first flew in December 1964. The first operational aircraft was delivered in October 1967 to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. F-111A models were used for tactical bombing in Southeast Asia. The D. E, and F models incorporated incremental improvements in avionics and weapons systems, aerodynamics and engine performance. These aircraft remained operational through 1995, when they were replaced by the F-16 C/D aircraft.

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EF-111 Raven Electronic Warfare Aircraft easily identified by the Pod atop the Vertical fin.

EF-111A Raven: F-111As were converted to serve as electronic warfare platforms. The primary modifications were the ALQ-99 jamming system, N/ALQ-137 self-protection system, and an AN/ALR-62 terminal threat warning system. A total of 42 aircraft were converted to the EF-111A.

FB-111: The FB-111 was assigned to the Strategic Air Command (SAC) as a strategic nuclear-capable attack aircraft. With refueling, the aircraft could reach any target on the globe, and return. In 1990, FB-111s were retired from the SAC role, and converted to the F-111G transferred to the Tactical Air Command as high-performance fighter aircraft.

Bismarck Sea: This is How Allied Crews Decimated a Japanese Convoy From the Air

Bill Walton
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Bismarck Sea: This is How Allied Crews Decimated a Japanese Convoy From the Air

Using More Than a Dozen Different Aircraft the Aussies and the Yanks Combined for a Near-Total Victory

Beginning on 2 March 1943 and lasting over the next two days, a battle was fought that determined the fate of the Japanese forces engaged against Allied armies on New Guinea. This battle, later known as the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, was not fought between battleships. It was not a night surface action or a destroyer duel. The all-important aircraft carriers were not involved. No Wildcats, Corsairs, Dauntlesses, or Avengers did battle with the Japanese Kates, Vals, or Zeros. Yet, it was such a complete victory for the Allied air forces in the area that the newly-developed and highly effective weapons and tactics used to defeat the Japanese were utilized by the Allies for the rest of the war.

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Image via US Navy

Desperately Needed Troops and Supplies Put in Harm’s Way

The Battle of the Bismarck Sea pitted a Japanese convoy carrying urgently needed reinforcing troops and supplies from their bastion of Rabaul on New Britain to Lae on neighboring New Guinea against fighters and bombers of the US Army Air Corps (USAAC) and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Except for a night attack by US Navy PT boats this battle was fought entirely by ships against land-based aircraft.

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Success is Where You Find it

The Japanese had successfully landed troops and supplies at Lae before. Even though the Allies were able to decode Japanese radio traffic about a convoy planning to head from Rabaul to New Guinea in January, the attacking USAAC and RAAF aircraft were unable stop it. The convoy, consisting of five transports with five escorting destroyers, succeeded in landing most of their embarked troops and supplies even though the Japanese lost one transport (Nichiryu Maru) and had to beach another one (Myoko Maru) that was heavily damaged.

Mitsubishi F1M1 over Rabaul
Image via US Navy

The Snooper Tipped Off the Allies

After a Japanese floatplane type often used for anti-submarine patrols in advance of convoys was sighted on 7 February 1943, General George Kenney (Allied Air Commander- Southwest Pacific) ordered increased aerial reconnaissance coverage of Rabaul believing something was cooking there. A week later there were 79 vessels in port, making it clear that another convoy, destination unknown but inferred, was forming up.

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Image via USAF

Code Breakers Reading the Mail

Once naval code breakers were able to decrypt a coded message outlining the Japanese plans for the convoy the American and Australian commanders agreed to hit the convoy in the Vitiaz Strait between the islands of New Guinea and New Britain. This convoy would consist of eight military transport ships with eight escorting destroyers along with air cover consisting of about 100 Japanese fighter aircraft.

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It’s a Lot Harder Than It Looks

Hitting a maneuvering ship with a dropped bomb from any altitude is a dicey proposition at best. Up to that point 416 sorties had been flown against Japanese convoys in the New Guinea campaign resulting in only two ships sunk and three damaged. After conferring with experienced RAAF and USAAC pilots, the Allies decided to try bombing from different directions and altitudes simultaneously. Attacks by high altitude bombers would, it was hoped, disperse the convoy and allow more accurate bombing from medium altitude…and low altitude.

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Image via USAF

For the Rest of the Bismarck Sea Story Bang NEXT PAGE Below

Camera Shutter Speed Trick Makes Helicopter Look Like Its Hovering Without Blades Spinning

Avgeekery
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Camera Shutter Speed Trick Makes Helicopter Look Like Its Hovering Without Blades Spinning

Did they even turn this helicopter on?  Helo appears to hove with the blades perfectly still.

Video has a tendency to make spinning airplane propellors and helicopter blades look warped.  It has to do with the shutter speed.  The blades are spinning so fast that the refresh rate of the screen and shutter speed create unique blurs and deceptive spinning motions.

But if the shutter speed is fast enough, you’ll be able to capture each blade without a blur.  Additionally, if you have a frame rate that is synchronized with the movement of the blades, it will appear as if there is absolutely no movement.

Pretty cool, huh?  While you may now know ‘why’ this helo looks like it does in this video, it still looks super weird.  Watch for yourself.

[youtube id=”yr3ngmRuGUc” width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]

 

 

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