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747 Global Super Tanker: When Less Than 115 Tons of Retardant Won’t Do

Bill Walton
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747 Global Super Tanker: When Less Than 115 Tons of Retardant Won’t Do

The Guys Who Fly This Behemoth Call It The World’s Largest Super Soaker

The development effort around the very large aerial tanker (VLAT) 747 Global Super Tanker (GST) began in 200 after two aerial firefighting tankers were lost a month apart. The Lockheed C-130A Hercules airlifter (tanker #130- registered as N130HP) experienced a catastrophic failure of the wing center section which caused the aircraft to roll inverted and crashed killing all three crew members on board near Walker in California. The World War II-vintage former Navy Consolidated P4Y-2 Privateer patrol bomber Bureau Number (BuNo) 66260 (tanker #123- registered as N7620C) experienced a failure of the left side wing spar next to the fuselage, causing the wing to separate from the aircraft and initiating a fuel fire. The aircraft crashed near Estes Park in Colorado killing both crew members on board. These mishaps prompted calls for newer and better aerial firefighting tankers and better maintenance of existing airframes.

340aq JAL Japan Airlines Boeing 747 446 JA8086@LAS01.03.2005 8498681980
By Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Bird Strike in the Orient

The 747 Global Super Tanker (now tanker #944- registration N744ST) began its life as a Boeing 747-446/BCF (CN25308/885) with Japan Airlines registered as JA8086 in 1991. On March 14th 2009 the aircraft was forced to divert to Shangahi Pu Dong (PVG) airport after taking off from Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA) bound for Tokyo Haneda (HND) as JAL flight 8878. Upon landing it was discovered that one of the engines had ingested a bird. After flying for another year with JAL, JA8086 was retired and later acquired by Evergreen International Aviation.

Evergreen Supertanker 947 N470EV take off from Ben Gurion 20071116
By Golf Bravo [Attribution], from Wikimedia Commons

Parked at Pinal Airpark

Evergreen registered the aircraft as N492EV and operated the jet between 2012 and 2013 as tanker #947. The aircraft was the first-400 series aerial firefighting tanker. When Evergreen went bankrupt in December of 2013, N492EV was stored at Pinal Airpark in Marana Arizona. The airframe languished there until 2016, when Global Supertanker Services LLC (GSS) acquired the aircraft and installed the tank and spraying system from a previous 747 tanker in the aircraft.

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GST at McClellan via Twitter/Cecile Juliette KHSL

Super Soaker Indeed

Now known as tanker #944, registered as N744ST and named The Spirit of John Muir, the 747 GST is equipped with a pressurized liquid drop system, which can disperse up to 19,200 gallons of retardant under high pressure in one drop or segmented drops or drop retardant at the speed of falling rain. Using the pressurized system, the aircraft can deliver retardant from altitudes as low as 400 feet and as high as 800 feet while flying a slow as 160 miles per hour. The retardant is dropped via four large diameter ports located on the fuselage centerline just aft of the wing trailing edge.

GST dropping retardant via YouTube

A True Multi-Mission Tanker

Other capabilities of the 747 GST include variable retardant coverage levels ranging from CL-2 to CL-8, the ability to land with a full load of retardant, and the ability to disperse fire retardant, firefighting foam, gel, or plain old dihydrogen monoxide. The 747 GST is the only VLAT approved by the USDA for oil spill remediation. A standard firefighting mission fuel load provides up to four hours of endurance, while ground reloading time is only 30 minutes. The 747 GST requires a runway no less than 8,000 feet. The aircraft is usually based out of Sacramento McClellan Airport- the former McClellan Air Force Base. The 747 GST has deployed as far away as Israel and Chile.

This video introducing the 747 GST was uploaded to YouTube by CBS News

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This video highlighting the 2017 aerial tanker ops out of McClellan was uploaded to YouTube byAIRBOYD

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This video of the 747 GST dropping retardant was uploaded to YouTube by WorldRadio559

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The Grumman Trader: When You Care Enough To COD The Very Best

Bill Walton
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The Grumman Trader: When You Care Enough To COD The Very Best

This Loud and Proud COD Aircraft Defined the Breed and Served for More than 30 Years

Before Grumman’s TF-1 Trader began flying Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD) hops with the United States Navy in 1956, the company’s single engine TBM-3R Avengers were modified and tasked with carrying freight and personnel from shore bases out to aircraft carriers at sea. As an offshoot of the Grumman S2F-1 Tracker, the Trader was a far more capable COD platform than the Avenger. With high-mounted wings and twin engines, Grumman was able to modify the Tracker fuselage to increase internal volume without having to draw up a completely new aircraft. When the aircraft designation system was overhauled in 1962, the Trader was re-designated C-1A.

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USS Lexington C-1A COD at NNAM Pensacola. Photo by the author

Anatomy of a Great COD Aircraft

Other modifications made to Traders included a double aft fuselage door large enough to allow the Trader to haul bulkier items weighing up to 3,500 pounds total, up to nine removable rearward-facing passenger seats, additional fuselage windows, configurable rail-mounted internal bulkheads, and life raft stowage/cargo compartments built into the interiors of extended engine nacelles accessed via hatches located adjacent to the fuselage. Easily distinguished from Trackers by the shape of the fuselage alone, the two aircraft shared wing and empennage designs and were powered by the same Wright R-1820-82WA Cyclone 9-cylinder radial piston engines developing 1,525 horsepower each.

Grumman TF 1 Trader launching from carrier c1956
VR-24 TF-1. Official US Navy photograph

US Navy Postal Service at Sea

Unlike many Navy aircraft, Traders weren’t given a variety of derisive nicknames. They were usually called The Cod, Codfish, and occasionally Mailman of the Fleet. When loaded up with mail and freight the C-1A was capable of about 900 miles range at a cruising speed of 130 knots (150 miles per hour). Traders plied routes from Navy shore installations to aircraft carriers all over the world. The first squadron to employ the new COD was Fleet Tactical Support Squadron TWO FOUR (VR-24) World’s Biggest Little Airline supporting Sixth Fleet carriers in the Mediterranean. VR-24 was based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Port Lyautey in Morocco with detachments at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Naples in Italy and NAS Rota in Spain beginning in March of 1956.

C1A 146019 Luqa attard 1966a
VR-24 C-1A wearing Christmas colors. Official US Navy photograph

That Ubiquitous Codfish

VR-21 Pineapple Express began supporting Seventh Fleet carriers in the Pacific from NAS Barbers Point in Hawaii with detachments at NAS North Island and NAS Alameda in California and Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi in Japan later in 1956. A VR-21 Trader delivered a Westinghouse J34 turbojet engine to the Essex-class carrier USS Yorktown (CVS-10) in 1958, signaling a new era in COD capability. Although Grumman only built 87 Traders, it seemed as if there were more of them around because they were so ubiquitous.

C 1A Trader on cat USS Midway CV 41 1984
C-1A on deck. Official US Navy photograph

Training for Electronic Warfare

In the era of versatility that was the 1950s and 1960s, Traders were adapted for a number of additional roles. Four airframes were modified for electronic warfare (EW) training and designated TF-1Q (later EC-1A). These aircraft were festooned with lumps, bumps, and extra antennae all connected to the radar and radio jammers, electronic counter measures (ECM) receiving units and pulse analyzers, directions finders, and warning receivers stuffed inside. Chaff dispensers were carried on underwing pylons. Crewed by two pilots and three ECM operators, these were the Navy’s first dedicated EW training platforms. Two EC-1As were nominally based at NAS Alameda on the west coast and the other two usually flew out of NAS Quonset Point on the east coast.

EC 1A Trader ECM aircraft VAW 33 in flight
EC-1As of VAW-33. Official US Navy photograph

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Watch These Great Compilation Videos of Action at EAA AirVenture 2017

Bill Walton
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Watch These Great Compilation Videos of Action at EAA AirVenture 2017

EAA AirVenture 2018 is just around the corner. The week long celebration of aviation in all its forms at Oshkosh in Wisconsin begins July 23rd 2018 and will conclude (all too soon) on July 29th. Scheduled airshow performers include the Geico Skytypers, Patty Wagstaff, Sean Tucker, Skip Stewart, Gene Soucy with wingwalker Teresa Stokes, the Patriot Parachute Team, the Red Bull Air Force, Kirby Chambliss, the Canadian Harvard Aerobatic Team, the AeroShell Aerobatic Team, and many more. This airshow compilation, edited together and uploaded to YouTube by our good friends at AirshowStuffVideos, should fix your jones for AirVenture airshows until Oshkosh is your location instead of you destination.

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Some of the planned airshow events include flybys by a Boeing 757, a special Royal Air Force 100th Anniversary formation flight, USAF Heritage flights with an F-16 Viper and a P-51 Mustang, USAF C-17 Globemaster III and E-4B Nightwatch National Emergency Airborne Command Post (NEACP) aircraft, and of course daily Warbirds of America-organized T-6 Texan, T-28 Trojan, and T-34 Mentor formation flybys and performances by parachutists, stunt pilots, and much more.

Heritage Flight photo by Patrick Barron via AirshowStuff

Current military aircraft in attendance will include tankers, airlifters, fighters, helicopters…just about every piece of current military hardware will be there. Celebrating the Year of the Tanker (70th anniversary of Air Force Reserve Command [AFRC]), aerial refueling displays will be flown by HC-130N Combat King, KC-10A Extender and KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft. B-1B Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress bombers will perform flybys along with A-10 Warthogs, F-15 Eagles, F-16 Vipers, F-22 Raptors, and F-35 Lightning IIs.

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F-22 via US Air Force

US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers will perform as part of the Year of the Tanker celebration as well. Northrop F-5 Tiger IIs, T-45 Goshawks, the oldest Navy aircraft, the U-1 Otter, and the NASA S-3 Viking will all be in attendance. Army aircraft at AirVenture will include the AH-64 Apache, MH-47G Chinook, and a C-12 Huron. The US Marine Corps will show off their MC-12W Liberty intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platform. The US Coast Guard will bring their MH-65D Dolphin and MH-60T Jayhawk helicopters to Oshkosh 2018.

125th STS and Army SF fast rope training with 160th SOAR4
MH-47G via US Army National Guard

BONUS:  Another video uploaded by AirshowStuffVideos, this several hour-long compilation depicts arrivals and departures at AirVenture 2017- a big part of the experience. Enjoy!

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Homebuilt Thorp T-18 via author

The Incredible OV-10 Bronco: Kicking Tail For 50 Years

Bill Walton
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The Incredible OV-10 Bronco: Kicking Tail For 50 Years

Pilots Manned These Trusty Loaded-Down OV-10 Bronco Steeds and Did Battle Down in the Weeds

The story of the OV-10 Bronco actually begins in 1960 with a couple of guys (Marine Corps Majors W.H. Beckett and K.P. Rice) getting together out in the desert and brainstorming a concept study for a small, lightweight, rugged close air support (CAS) aircraft that could be forward deployed with and operated near troops on the ground, capable of extended loiter times, powered by turbine engines, and carry center-mounted internal guns with ordnance carrying flexibility.

Their well-received concept, dubbed VMA, was published and then-Colonel Beckett retired from the Marine Corps and went to work with North American Aircraft (NAA).

OV 10A VMO 1 1982
OV-10A. Official US Marine Corps photograph

A Tough Set of Requirements

Fast forward to 1963. In that year the Light Armed Reconnaissance Aircraft (LARA) specification seemed like an impossible set of requirements. The Tri-Service (Air Force/Navy/Marines) LARA was to be a twin-engine, two place aircraft capable of carrying 2,400 pounds of cargo or six paratroopers or stretchers. In an armed recon aircraft?

It had to be capable of operating from aircraft carriers without any provisions for catapult launch or arrested landing. The LARA was also required to be capable of at least 300 knots (350 miles per hour) airspeed and short takeoff and landing (STOL) performance yielding a takeoff run of 800 feet.

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Air Force (foreground) and Marine Corps (background) OV-10As. Image courtesy Boeing

Convertible to an Amphibian?

Also required were flexible armament configurations, beginning with four internal 7.62 millimeter (.30 caliber) machine guns with 500 rounds per gun.

External ordnance requirements included the ability to tote drop tanks, 7.62 and 20 millimeter Gatling gun pods, unguided rocket pods, and even the AIM-9 Sidewinder heat-seeking air-to-air missiles- all this while operating from austere forward bases or roads with minimal heavy maintenance availability. Oh, I almost forgot- The aircraft had to be convertible to an amphibian! The LARA was one tough nut to crack.

20th TASS OV 10s
OV-10As. Official US Air Force photograph

Playing the Field

Plenty of companies trotted out LARA contenders though. Grumman proposed a tandem seat derivative of their in-service OV-1 Mohawk. Other proposals included the all-plastic Goodyear GA 39 seaplane fighter with over-wing pod-mounted engines on struts.

The Beechcraft PD-183, Douglas D-855, Helio 1320, and Lockheed CL-760 were all more or less conventional twin engine single tail designs. The Martin proposal was a twin-boom, single-fuselage design with an inverted V tail and exhaust ducted through the booms. The Hiller K16, General Dynamics/Convair Model 48 Charger, and the North American/Rockwell NA-300 were all similar in appearance. In fact the Charger and the NA-300 were very similar aircraft.

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YOV-1A. Official US Air Force photograph

North American Wins by a Nose

But the North American NA-300, probably as least in part thanks to the participation of “plank owner” Beckett, won the competition in October of 1964. GD/Convair built a prototype of the Charger under protest of the decision.

The North American NA-300 first flew as the YOV-10A on July 16th 1965. Performance of both aircraft was similar, with the edge actually going to the Charger in some areas. Comparisons between the Charger and what would become the Bronco became moot when the Charger crashed during October of 1965.

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Convair Model 48 Charger. Image courtesy GD/Convair

Multi-Mission Juggernaut

The Bronco actually resembled the VMA concept except in scale. With a 40 foot wingspan and weighing in at just under 6,900 pounds empty, the Bronco was still a manifestly small aircraft for the time. Missions assigned to the aircraft were armed reconnaissance, forward air control (FAC), tactical airborne observation, ground attack, and helicopter escort (CSAR).

Broncos also flew sorties tasked with artillery and naval gunfire spotting, aerial photography, and aerial radiological reconnaissance. The ability to carry and drop personnel by parachute was utilized many times by various dark agencies referred to by three letter acronyms. LW-3B zero-zero ejection seats and dual flight controls made these trusty Bronco steeds more survivable.

US Navy 110211 N 3069F 042 Hundreds of current and historic Navy aircraft are on display at the Naval Air Station North Island flight line to parti
OV-10A warbird. Official US Navy photograph

Like Nothing Else in the Skies

Broncos are unmistakable in their appearance. A central nacelle contains the pilots, fixed machine guns located in fuselage mounted sponsons, and the cargo and personnel area aft of the pilots. The two Garrett T76-G-416/417 turboprop engines are mounted forward on the twin booms, with a high-mounted horizontal stabilizer/elevator connecting the vertical stabilizers on the aft ends of each boom.

Broncos carried their ordnance slung under the fuselage or the underwing racks installed later in their careers, including the ubiquitous unguided rocket pods, bombs, various gun pods, flares, and Air Delivered Seismic Intrusion Detector Sensor (ADSIDS) unattended seismic sensors for the Igloo White program.

an air to air right side view of an ov 10 bronco aircraft of the 27th tactical 3748fb
OV-10A. Official US Air Force photograph

Internationally Renowned

If the OV-10 Bronco had a deficiency it would be those Garrett turboprop engines. The aircraft was underpowered especially when loaded down with ordnance. Operational ceilings were lower than planned simply because the aircraft couldn’t lug its own weight above about 18,000 feet. Later Bronco variants were powered by uprated engines and pulled along by larger and four-bladed propellers.

In addition to the United States Air Force, Marines, and Navy, the forces of Columbia, Germany, Indonesia, Morocco, the Philippines, Thailand, and Venezuela flew military variants of the OV-10 Bronco. The US Department of State Air Wing, the US Bureau of Land Management, The US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal-Fire) have flown Broncos as well.

OV 10 Bronco Observation Aircraft 1969 20718946001
OV-10A. Official US Marine Corps photograph

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Bader Field: The First Municipal Airport in the United States Now Forlorn

Bill Walton
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Bader Field: The First Municipal Airport in the United States Now Forlorn

Atlantic City’s Once Bustling Airport Looks Back on More Than 100 Years of Aviation History

Bader Field was not the first airstrip, airfield, or aerodrome. But on 3 May 1918 the term municipal “air-port” was first used in a newspaper article written by Robert Woodhouse describing the airfield adjacent to Atlantic City as that city’s destination for the famous Traymore Hotel’s Flying Limousine seaplane service between Atlantic City and New York City. The facility first opened in 1910 and aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss began passenger service from the field in 1911. The airfield was also the first municipal airfield with facilities for both land-based aircraft and seaplanes. Arctic explorer Admiral Robert E. Peary was a founding member of the committee sponsoring the airfield.

Curtiss F of M Reid over Keuka Lake
Curtiss Model F. Image in public domain

Of Airships and Dirigibles

Even before the field was called an airport, Atlantic City was quite the aviation hotspot. In October of 1910 explorer Walter Wellman made the first attempt to fly cross the Atlantic from the resort in a dirigible named America. He and his crew were rescued more than 71 hours into an unsuccessful first attempt. Wellman’s crew member Melvin Vaniman was killed along with his entire crew during another attempt to cross the Atlantic in the dirigible Akron during 1912. Another Akron airship, the 733 foot long helium filled rigid airship USS Akron (XRS-4) crashed in the Atlantic City area the night of April 3rd/4th 1933.

Walter Wellmans America
Walter Wellman’s America dirigible. Image in public domain

Air Carnivals and Record-Setting

Atlantic City sponsored one of the first Air Carnivals in 1910. Lasting ten days, the event spawned several aviation records including Walter Brookins’ altitude record (6,175 feet) and Glenn Curtiss’ speed record covering 50 miles in 74 minutes- a blistering 39 miles per hour! Glenn Curtiss also dropped oranges from his airplane for accuracy, demonstrating his “bombing” prowess. These Air Carnivals were regular occurrences during the early 1900s on the Jersey shore. The first news bulletin dropped from the air was made over Atlantic City in September of 1919 to announce the arrival of a Navy Curtiss NC-4 seaplane after a transoceanic trip.

Curtiss Triads amphi
Glenn Curtiss and one of his amphibians. Image in public domain

Pride of Atlantic City Makes Record Flight

Atlantic City Municipal airport was purchased by the city and named Bader Field in 1922 after Edward L. Bader, Atlantic City’s mayor from 1920 to 1927. The airport hosted some of the nation’s first privately owned aircraft- many of them flown by local businessmen. On July 17th 1933 Dr. Albert Forsythe and C. Alfred Anderson became the first black men to make a round trip transcontinental flight. They took off from Bader Field and navigated to Los Angeles and back using only by an altimeter and a map and without lighting or a radio in their aircraft. When they returned to Bader Field in their aircraft named Pride of Atlantic City they were honored with a parade. The popularity of Atlantic City and Bader Field’s close proximity to the resort town kept the airport busy.

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Ryan NYP. Image in public domain

Spirit of St. Louis and Aviation Luminaries

Even Charles Lindbergh landed his famous Ryan model NYP Spirit of St. Louis at Bader Field after his historic solo flight across the Atlantic. In 1931 Eddie Rickenbacker, Charles Lindbergh, and Amelia Earhart all celebrated the formation of Eastern Airlines at Bader Field. Also in 1931, stunt pilot William Swann used a rocket to launch his glider and flew over 1,000 feet at 100 feet altitude from Bader Field. His flight was a publicity stunt for Atlantic City’s famed Steel Pier, but jet assisted takeoff (JATO) and rocket assisted takeoff (RATO) were used for many years to augment thrust for aircraft trying to slip those surly bonds and get into the blue.

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William Swann and his rocket-powered glider. Image in public domain.

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Watch Canada’s NORAD Tribute CF-18 Fly The MACH LOOP!

Mike Killian
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Watch Canada’s NORAD Tribute CF-18 Fly The MACH LOOP!

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Canadian Forces CF-18 Demo Team NORAD Tribute jet is currently across the pond on a two-week trip to the UK to help celebrate the long history between Canada and the Royal Air Force. On July 7 they performed at the RNAS Yeovilton International Air Day, and today, they are wrapping up performing at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.

But between shows, they made a visit to the world-famous Mach Loop in North Wales on July 10, and the footage is pretty awesome.

Piloted by RCAF Captain Stefan Porteous, the 2018 demo jet is painted in tribute to the 60th anniversary of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD as it’s more commonly known, honoring the cooperation between Canada and the United States in monitoring and defending North America together over the past six decades, and shining light on the importance of “honoring the past, guarding the present, and protecting the future.”

The big inspiration behind the design is the NORAD crest; all the elements of the paint job are taken from that. The colors key off of that too, with red and white colors representing the Canadian flag, and red white and blue representing the American flag, taking blue out of the NORAD crest as well.

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The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) 2018 CF-18 Demo Jet, painted in tribute to this year’s 60th anniversary of NORAD. The CF-18 jet is seen here joined by another jet from RCAF 401 Tactical Fighter Squadron, the RAMS. Photo Courtesy: Mike Reyno / SKIES Magazine

A wing-type shape on the wings reflects Canada’s famous Northern Lights, as well as radar sweeps, and is combined into one element. Lightning bolts shoot down the jet’s backside too, again taken from the NORAD crest, while a sword, star and maple leaf grace the jet’s tail.

Joining Captain Porteous in the Mach Loop was the CF-18 team’s backup demo jet, as well as their CC-130J Hercules support aircraft. The backup jet even gave spectators a wave on his second pass, rocking side to side between the mountains, while the CC-130J crew got about as low as they possibly could.

Above, watch some stunning footage from YouTuber Elwyn R of all three aircraft in the Mach Loop. The team’s visit was not only their first to the Mach Loop, but was also the first time any F-18 Hornet has ever visited it as well.

Porteous even lit his afterburners on his second pass, and it was glorious (videos from YouTuber Jamie Chadwick).

All total the team is scheduled to perform at 26 air shows this year, and with RIAT now behind them, the team has 16 more, the next of which brings them back home to Canada for the Cold Lake Air Show at RCAF 4 Wing Cold Lake in Alberta, which is the busiest fighter base in Canada, scheduled for July 21-22.

And just like their jet, that air show itself is themed this year to honor the 60th anniversary of NORAD.

You can follow the team daily on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

– Follow Mike Killian on Instagram and Facebook, @MikeKillianPhotography.

 

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The Top Six Historical Aviation Novels You So Need to Read

Bill Walton
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The Top Six Historical Aviation Novels You So Need to Read

Some historical novels about aviation are excellent and some are better left on the shelf. Some of them maintain realistic timelines and technical accuracy while some don’t come close. Your hard-earned entertainment coin deserves to be spent on something you wouldn’t mind reading at least once, doesn’t it? The following books have all been read several times by this particular writer, and they’re all highly recommended without reservation. Not just by this writer either. To the list then, in no particular order:

81st Fighter Bomber Squadron North American F 86F 30 NA Sabre 52 4661
Official US Air Force photograph

The Wild Blue by Walter J. Boyne and Steven L. Thompson

The Wild Blue was Walter J. Boyne’s first novel. A 23 year US Air Force veteran, Boyne followed it up with more than 50 books and 1000 magazine articles. Boyne is also a former director of the National Air and Space Museum. Boyne teamed with Steven L. Thompson, an accomplished author and also a veteran, to write a book that traces the careers and lives of several main characters through their Air Force careers beginning with the birth of the Air Force itself. The book reads like watching the movie (but not so much the book) Forrest Gump. Historically accurate and intricately detailed, the characters jump off the pages of this one. It’s a little bit long, but it takes a long time to cover that many years. The hardcover edition is 626 pages as published by Random House Publishing August 6th, 1988. ISBN-10: 0517562855. ISBN-13: 978-0517562857.

148th American Aero Squadron field. Making preparations for a daylight raid on German trenches and cities. The... NARA 530739.tif
Photo via National Archives 

Duel Over Douai by Jack Woodul, Robert “Boom” Powell, and Barrett Tillman

Set during World War I and portraying three aviators as they fly and fight over the war-torn fields of Europe, Duel was written by three gentlemen who know a thing or two because they’ve seen a thing or two. Jack Woodul and Boom Powell both have decades of military and airline flying experience. Both have also authored previous books. Barrett Tillman is an award-winning and accomplished aviation author, having penned and co-authored nearly 60 titles. Duel Over Douai is immersive, entertaining, and the fun the authors had writing the book comes through the narrative. The hardcover edition is 392 pages as published by Theogony Books May 16th, 2017. ISBN-10: 1942936680. ISBN-13: 978-1942936688.

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Official US Air Force photograph

Flight of the Old Dog by Dale Brown

A former US Air Force navigator-bombardier in B-52G Stratofortresses and FB-111A Aardvarks, Dale Brown has written more than 40 books. Old Dog was his first novel, and he went yard his first time up to the plate. The book features the Megafortress, a heavily modified B-52 tasked with penetrating and attacking a heavily defended target. Suspension of disbelief is not required but helps, although the plot, characters, and the tech all fit together well making the book eminently believable. The Flight of the Old Dog introduces a group of characters Brown has since developed through 22 of his novels. The hardcover edition is 347 pages as published by Harper-Collins 1995. ISBN-10: 026167269X. ISBN-13: 978-0261672697. ASIN: B000XAOOG8.

f 14a vf 142 ghostriders jan 1985
Official US Navy photograph

Punk’s War by Ward Carroll

Ward Carroll was a Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) in F-14s for 20 years. His first novel, Punk’s War, features a young Naval Aviator, callsign Punk, and his more experienced RIO, callsign Spud. These two well-matched and complimentary characters fly the F-14. The book is irreverent and at times a little bit cynical, but very entertaining and guaranteed to have you laughing out loud at times. Carroll also wrote two other Punk novels, Punk’s Fight and Punk’s Wing, along with two additional novels. The hardcover edition is 224 pages as published by Naval Institute Press April 1st, 2001. ISBN-10: 1557502366. ISBN-13: 978-1557502360.

HH 3A Sea King of HC 7 off NAS Cubi Point in January 1974 NNAM.2011.113.235
Official US Navy photograph

North SAR by Gerry Carroll

Gerry Carroll was a decorated US Navy pilot who served for 21 years. He wrote three novels, the first of which was North SAR. Carroll might have been another writer who turned out a bunch of great books, but he passed away in 1993. North SAR is set late in the war and focuses on intrepid A-7 Corsair II pilots hitting targets in North Vietnam and getting shot down while heroic Search and Rescue (SAR) helo crews do their level best to pull them out of harm’s way. Carroll’s two other books, No Place to Hide and Ghostrider One, are also excellent reads. The hardcover edition is 320 pages as published by Pocket Books November 1st, 1991. ISBN-10: 0671731823. ISBN-13: 978-0671731823.

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Photo via National Archives

Dauntless by Barrett Tillman

Barrett Tillman’s novel about the battles at Midway and Guadalcanal is entertaining and historically accurate, which is no surprise with Mr. Tillman’s work. Douglas SBD Dauntless pilots and Japanese scout plane pilots along with crews and others are portrayed beginning as the battle at Midway is about to commence and then followed through the long slog that was the Guadalcanal experience. The book is immersive and the characters believable. Tillman’s other easily-recommendable novels are excellent too. The hardcover edition is 412 pages as published by Bantam May 1st, 1992. ISBN-10: 0553075284. ISBN-13: 978-0553075281.

A 6A Intruder of VA 196 dropping bombs over Vietnam on 21 November 1968 NNAM.1996.253.7047.009
Official US Navy photograph

Flight of the Intruder by Stephen Coonts

Another first novel, Flight of the Intruder portrays a US Navy A-6 Intruder pilot and his struggles with right, wrong, duty, and honor while serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War. Coonts, a former combat A-6 pilot and author of nearly 50 books, did an outstanding job conveying the stress, fatigue, and routine of carrier-based pilots while making the reader laugh and want to scream simultaneously. As with the vast majority of books made into movies, Flight is a far better book than a movie but is still highly entertaining in either form. The hardcover edition is 344 pages as published by Naval Institute Press in 1986. ISBN-10: 1591141273. ISBN-13: 978-1591141273.

That’s the list- or at least a list anyway. Some of these titles are a little long in the tooth, so try Alibris or Abe Books if you can’t get them locally or via Amazon or eBay. Several are available as paperbacks and eBooks too. Of course there are many more titles out there and we want to hear about your favorites. Comment with your recommendations. If they’re legit we’ll include them in the next book piece. Thanks for reading!

The Ultimate Mustang: North American’s Advanced P-51H

Bill Walton
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The Ultimate Mustang: North American’s Advanced P-51H

The Fastest and Lightest Mustangs Ever Built Never Saw Combat

The genesis of the North American Aviation (NAA) P-51H Mustang can actually be traced back to a series of lightweight P-51-derived development aircraft designated XP-51F, XP-51G, and XP-51J. In 1943 NAA engineers traveled to the UK to collaborate with Supermarine and to incorporate some of the design principles used in the famous Spitfire into a newly-contracted lightweight Mustang.

Mustang prototyped by the US and UK.
P-51H prototype. Official NACA/NASA photograph

Not Your Grandfather’s Mustang

The P-51H was not powered by the same sweet-sounding Rolls-Royce or Packard Merlin engine as used in the iconic P-51D. The latest version of the Merlin was the V-1650-9, still a liquid-cooled V-12 but now with automatic boost control and a water injection system. The engine cowling was designed even tighter, resulting in reduced frontal area, which reduced drag.

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P-51H prototype. Official NACA/NASA photograph

That Paddle-Bladed H Prop

The Aeroproducts A542-B2 propeller spun by the uprated Merlin engine was often simply dubbed the “H prop.” Spanning 11 feet and one inch, the four-bladed fat-paddled prop was actually lighter than the Aeroproducts A542S mill used to propel the P-51K. The paddle blades were wider overall and nearly uniform in that width all the way out the rounded tips.

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P-51H prototype. Official NACA/NASA photograph

Similar But Almost Entirely Different Than the Iconic D-Model

NAA essentially went back to the drawing board with the P-51H. Perform a visual comparison of the P-51H to the P-51D and the aft fuselage shape, the main landing gear doors and the tailwheel location, the reduced vertical stabilizer fillet, and the engine cowling jump right out. However, NAA saved weight in nearly every component used in the P-51H. Parts commonality between the two variants was negligible. The P-51H was actually slightly less than 600 pounds lighter than the P-51D.

Early production Mustang.
Production P-51D (top) and early P-51H with short vertical stabilizer (bottom). Images courtesy NACA/NASA

How to Build a Leaner Warhorse

How? Some of the over-designed and over-built P-51D components were redesigned for use in the P-51H. Some weight was saved in the narrower fuselage structure, and more was saved by integrating the engine mounts into the engine cradle. The P-51H fuselage was actually longer than the P-51D’s by about a foot. The first production P-51Hs did not come with the taller vertical stabilizer added to keep yaw under control, but they were retro-fitted with them and production aircraft received them after the first 20 examples off the production line.

Mustang pictured in flight.
P-51H Mustangs in flight. Official US Air Force photograph

More Deltas

Mechanically, the P-51H also incorporated disk brakes, relocated engine oil cooler and cockpit/canopy, redesigned ammunition doors for the wing-mounted guns, and a smaller 55 gallon capacity fuselage-mounted fuel tank that also helped with yaw control. The tailwheel was located further aft on the P-51H and many examples were equipped with dual dorsal antennae. The alloy used for the outer fuselage skins was thinner than that used on the P-51D. Another visual cue was the shape of the radiator scoop inlet- it was vertical on the P-51H as opposed to angled on the P-51D.

Mustang on the runway.
P-51H Mustang. Official US Air Force photograph

There Was a Plan, But the War Got Won

Though the P-51H was first flown during February of 1945 and it was in production before the end of the war, the P-51H never saw combat. A few squadrons in the Pacific received P-51Hs and were preparing for operational missions but the type never saw operational use in combat. Production was slacked off by the end of the war and stopped entirely in November of 1945 after 555 of the over 3,600 P-51Hs ordered had rolled off the line at NAA Inglewood. Had the war dragged on, NAA Dallas would have produced the P-51H under a P-51L designation similar to the way NAA produced the similar P-51B and P-51C in Inglewood and Dallas respectively.

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NJ ANG P-51H. Official US Air Force photograph

The Tailhooked Mustang

During August of 1945 the US Navy borrowed another Mustang for carrier suitability trials. During Project Seahorse the previous tailhook-equipped P-51D (44-14017 and designated ETF-51D) was found to lack low speed and high angle of attack directional control- a potentially fatal flaw for aircraft intended for carrier-based operations. When the Navy tried out a P-51H (44-64420) with larger empennage surfaces and increased wingspan, they discovered that the taller vertical stabilizer on the P-51H resolved the directional control issues. However, the war was all but won at that point so there was no further development of a carrier-based Mustang.

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MD ANG Guardian Angels in flight. Official US Air Force photograph

P to F and the ANG

In 1948 the designation of the P-51H was changed to F-51H. During 1952 and 1953, the 104th Fighter-Bomber Squadron of the Maryland Air National Guard (ANG) formed an aerial demonstration team called the Guardian Angels. These Guard pilots performed their four-ship shows flying F-51H Mustangs. The Guardian Angels were Team Lead Captain John F. R. Scott Jr., First Lieutenant William Marriott flying right wing, First Lieutenant Malcolm Henry flying left wing, and Captain Jesse D Mitchell Jr. flying the slot position.

195th Fighter Squadron North American P 51H 10 NA Mustang 44 64600
P-51H. Official US Air Force photograph

To Korea or Not Korea

Many of the F-51Hs that were completed by war’s end served with Air National Guard squadrons during the late 1940s. When Korea happened the combat-proven F-51Ds and F-51Ks made their way to Korea because they perceived to be stouter against ground fire. During the early 1950s jet-powered fighters became the new standard, forcing the retirement and wholesale replacement of propeller driven fighters. The last F-51H Mustangs were retired from ANG units in 1957. Of course the P-51H was used as the basis for the P-82 Twin Mustang too…but that’s another story.

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F-82 Twin Mustang. Official US Air Force photograph

Ramp Strike: F7U Cutlass Crashes on the Deck of the Hancock

Bill Walton
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1
Ramp Strike: F7U Cutlass Crashes on the Deck of the Hancock

The Essex-class aircraft carrier USS Hancock (CV-19) was conducting flight operations on July 14th 1955 in the Pacific. As he approached the Hancock’s axial deck for recovery, Lieutenant Commander Jay T. Alkire settled in close while drifting left of the center line and was unable to gain sufficient engine thrust to clear the round down at the end of the flight deck- the ramp. Alkire’s aircraft, Vought F7U-3 Cutlass Bureau Number (BuNo) 129595, side number 412, struck the ramp and the jet exploded and disintegrated around him. Burning jet fuel was deposited in the port side deck edge catwalk. This video, uploaded to YouTube by sdasmarchives, includes extensive footage of the mishap. It’s not easy to watch.

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Several Cutlass traps are shown, including one barricade engagement which resulted in the collapse of the jet’s port main landing gear on 410. Another F7U-3 (402) loses its starboard main gear wheel. The film of Alkire’s crash begins at 5:46 into the video. At 6:43 in there is footage of the mishap in slow motion shot from the ship’s port side catwalk- the same vantage point as that in the sequence below. The Landing Signal Officer (LSO), Ted Reilly, can clearly be seen running across the aft end of the flight deck in front of the doomed jet.

LSO Sequence Circled
Official US Navy photographs

Many of the narratives of this mishap claim several members of the deck crew were killed that day. While injuries were definitely suffered by some Hancock crew members, including several in the port side catwalk where the much of the jet’s burned for several minutes, they were all treated by the ship’s medical personnel. The ship’s logs clearly indicate that LCDR Alkire was the only fatality associated with the mishap. LCDR Jay Alkire was VF-124’s executive officer at the time of his death. During this single 1955-1956 deployment aboard the Hancock, VF-124 Stingarees lost 5 of their 16 Cutlass pilots.

Vought F7U 3 Cutlass in flight c1955
F7U-3 Cutlass. Official US Navy photograph

Ironically the carrier was decommissioned after the end of this deployment and became the first Essex-class carrier to receive the full SCB-27C modernization, including the angled deck, mirror landing system, and steam catapults. Had the Hancock been equipped with the angled deck and mirror landing system at the time of Alkire’s recovery the outcome might have been different. Hancock had made seven World War II combat cruises earning four battle stars, and would go on to deploy a total of 16 times before she was decommissioned in January of 1976.

USS Hancock CVA 19 in San Francisco Bay in September 1957 2
USS Hancock. Official US Navy photograph

During the deployment Carrier Air Group ONE TWO (CVG-12) consisted of VF-121 Pacemakers flying the Grumman F9F-8 Cougar, VF-124 Stingarees flying the Vought F7U-3 Cutlass, VA-125 Rough Raiders flying the Douglas AD-5 and AD-6 Skyraider, VMJ-1 Banshees Detachment One flying McDonnell F2H-2P Banshees, Detachment G of VC-6 Skeeters flying the North American AJ-2 Savage, VC-3 Blue Nemesis Detachment G flying the McDonnell F2H-3 Banshee, VC-61 Eyes of the Fleet Detachment G flying the Grumman F9F-6P Panther, VC-35 Night Hecklers Detachment G flying the Douglas AD-5N Skyraider, and VC-11 Early Elevens Detachment G flying the Douglas AD-5W Skyraider, and HU-1 Pacific Fleet Angels Detachment G flying the Piasecki HUP Retriever helicopter.

F7U 3 Cutlass of VX 3 in flight c1955
F7U-3 Cutlass. Official US Navy photograph

B-66 Destroyer: The Bomber That Never Actually Dropped a Bomb

Bill Walton
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0
B-66 Destroyer: The Bomber That Never Actually Dropped a Bomb

The B-66 Helped Define What It Meant to Be a Multi-Role Jet

The Douglas B-66 Destroyer was developed during the early 1950s for the US Air Force as a jet-powered replacement for the World War II-vintage Douglas A-26 Invader, the North American B-45 Tornado, and the Martin B-57 Canberra. Air Force specifications called for the new jet bomber to deliver a 10,000 pound payload (including “special” weapons) with 1,000 nautical mile range.

Douglas RB 66B Destroyer in flight SN 53 481 061102 F 1234P 025
RB-66B in flight. Official US Air Force photograph

Not an Air Force Whale

Developed from the Douglas A-3 Skywarrior built for the US Navy, the B-66 was originally intended to be essentially an A-3 with only the Navy-specific equipment required for carrier operations, such as folding wings and vertical stabilizer, arresting gear, and catapult bridle hooks, removed from the Air Force B-66. But the Destroyer was eventually modified so many times that by the time the aircraft reached operational status with the Air Force the two jets shared very few common parts and the B-66 outweighed the A-3 by a little bit more than 10,000 pounds.

Douglas B 66B Destroyer in flight SN 53 505 061102 F 1234P 011
B-66B in flight. Official US Air Force photograph

The Destroyer Difference

The Air Force requirement for low altitude operations required additional strength in the fuselage and wings. The B-66 wing had a revised layout with increased area yielding greater lift, a thinner cross-section, revised incidence angle, and revised ailerons, spoilers, and flaps. 

B-66 hydraulic and fuel systems were revised along with the landing gear, which were equipped with bigger tires for rough field operations. The B-66 nose and canopy were distinctive due to the presence of the ejection seats, a different radar system, and the required larger radar antenna.

Douglas RB 66A Destroyer in flight SN 52 2830 061102 F 1234P 009 1
RB-66A in flight. Official US Air Force photograph

Could Have Had More Power

The use of Allison J71 turbojet engines and the presence of ejection seats for the crew of three in the B-66 were the two primary operational differences between the two aircraft. The A-3 was powered by Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojets and lacked ejection seats for the crew. Those J71 engines would prove to be the major limiting factor in the operational success of the B-66.

Douglas RB 66B Destroyer in flight SN 53 422 061102 F 1234P 027
RB-66B in flight. Official US Air Force photograph

Could Have Had More Power, But…

The Air Force opted for the under-powered J71 engines instead of Pratt & Whitney J57s because other aircraft in production and in planning at the time, such as the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber, the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker for Strategic Air Command (SAC) as well as the North American F-100 Super Sabre, the McDonnell F-101 Voodoo, and the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger for Tactical Air Command (TAC) and Air Defense Command (ADC), all had priority over for engine procurement over the B-66. The Navy needed J57 engines for the Vought F-8 Crusader.

Douglas RB 66B Destroyer in flight SN 53 452 061102 F 1234P 026
RB-66B in flight. Official US Air Force photograph

Engineering to the Rescue

The reconnaissance version of the B-66, designated RB-66A, was actually the first version of the aircraft to go into production and was later produced concurrently with the bomber version of the airframe. The initial five RB-66A aircraft produced by Douglas had so many problems that the Air Force considered cancellation of the program and began a search for a replacement.

Because fixes for most of the issues, such as poor handling, restricted outward vision, malfunctioning landing gear doors, wing vibrations and buffeting, and a propensity for pitching up had been identified, the program was allowed to continue.

Douglas RB 66B Destroyer 3 4 front view SN 53 415 061102 F 1234P 022
RB-66B. Official US Air Force photograph

Multi-Role Before It Was Cool

Like the A-3, the B-66 was adapted for use in multiple roles. The RB-66A and RB-66B were all-weather reconnaissance versions. The B-66B was the straight bomber version, actually developed from the RB-66B. The RB-66C, EB-66C, and EB-66E were all electronic reconnaissance and countermeasures versions with four electronic warfare officers housed in the bomb bay sitting on downward-firing ejection seats added to the crew. The WB-66D was a weather reconnaissance version.

Douglas WB 66D Destroyer in flight SN 55 391 061102 F 1234P 037
WB-66D in flight. Official US Air Force photograph

For the Rest of the Destroyer Story Bang NEXT PAGE below.

That Other Air Force Tanker: The Flexible Capable KC-10A Extender

Bill Walton
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1
That Other Air Force Tanker: The Flexible Capable KC-10A Extender

No Other Air Force Tanker Combines the Capabilities of This Heavy Lifter

They say there’s “no kicking *ss without tanker gas.” NKAWTG. With so much churn associated with the development of the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus next generation aerial refueling tanker, we sometimes forget about the most recent adaptation of a commercial aircraft for the military tanker role. The McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender is built on the DC-10-30CF convertible passenger and cargo variant of the DC-10. It combines the ability to haul copious amounts of cargo and personnel with high fuel transfer capacity via both boom and probe/drogue. In other words, the KC-10A is one flexible young gas passer.

A 32nd Air Refueling Wing KC 10 Extender aircraft takes off for a refueling mission during Exercise Immediate Falcon 86 DF ST 88 01231
Official US Air Force photograph

Competition Big and Bigger

The US Air Force took a close look at aerial tanker requirements toward the end of the war in Vietnam and found a need for additional tankers built on wide body platforms allowing higher capacities. In 1975 the Advanced Tanker Cargo Aircraft Program pitted tanker variants of the Lockheed C-5A Galaxy strategic airlifter, the Boeing 747 airliner (designated KC-25), and the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar airliner against the McDonnell Douglas DC-10. The final competition came down to the 747 and the DC-10, with the DC-10 derivative being chosen in 1977 thanks in part to its ability to operate from shorter runways.

A KC
Official US Air Force photograph

McDonnell Douglas Got a Head Start on the KC-10

The KC-10A was first flown in 1980, but development of the KC-10 actually began as soon as the DC-10 airliner version entered service in 1971. Two DC-10s were flown to Edwards Air Force Base in California to simulate potential wake turbulence issues that might be experienced during aerial refueling behind a DC-10-derived tanker in 1972. In 1973 the US Air Force conducted Operation Nickel Grass to supply Israel with weapons and supplies during the Yom Kippur War. The operation reinforced the importance of aerial refueling and flexibility of transport aircraft when political considerations prevented landing rights in Europe.

KC 10A refueling 301st TFW F 4Ds 1983
Official US Air Force photograph

How to Build a KC-10A Extender

The modifications required to turn a DC-10-30CF into a KC-10A included removal of airliner-specific equipment, most windows, and lower cargo hold doors. Additions included improved cargo-handling systems such as powered rollers and winches, military avionics, seven fuel cells for transferable fuel located in the cargo holds, tail-mounted Advanced Aerial Refueling System Boom (ARRB), probe/drogue refueling equipment, lighting for night operations, and a boom operator station in the aft fuselage. The last 20 KC-10As built were delivered with additional probe/drogue refueling “pods” mounted near each wingtip.

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Official US Navy photograph

Carrying a Big Bag of Gas and a Whole Lot More

The KC-10A’s fuel capacity is 356,000 pounds, which is nearly double that of the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. The inclusion of both the boom and probe/drogue refueling systems allows the KC-10A to refuel nearly all US and NATO military aircraft. The KC-10A boom operator controls the ARRB via a digital fly-by-wire system. The versatility of the KC-10A allows it to carry up to 75 people with 146,000 pounds of cargo in a combi configuration or 170,000 pounds of cargo on up to 27 pallets in pure freight configuration. Thrust is supplied by three General Electric CF6-50C2 high-bypass turbofan engines combining to produce more than 150,000 pounds of thrust. The KC-10A’s unrefueled range in 4,400 miles when loaded up, and it is equipped with an inflight refueling receptacle in order to receive fuel.

Travis planes carry MREs in support of firefighting effort in Alaska 150626 F RU983 114
Official US Air Force photograph

For More Extender (and a bonus video) Bang NEXT PAGE Below

Northrop’s Unmistakable Black Widow: Airborne Night Stalker

Bill Walton
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2
Northrop’s Unmistakable Black Widow: Airborne Night Stalker

You (Might Not) Know These Fascinating Facts About the P-61

The distinctive Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the first operational American warplane designed from the ground up to be utilized as a night fighter and to be equipped with radar in a nose-mounted configuration. However, the aircraft was actually first conceived in 1940 as an answer to a plea from the Royal Air Force for an effective night fighter to combat the Luftwaffe running rampant over England by night.

P-61A Black Widow flying with a P-70.
P-61A (background) flying with a Douglas P-70 (foreground). Official US Air Force photograph

Firepower Built In

Black Widows were originally armed with four forward-firing Hispano M-2 20 millimeter cannons mounted in the lower central fuselage and four Browning M2 .50 caliber machine guns mounted in a remotely controlled central dorsal turret similar to those found on the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. In fact some P-61s did not receive their dorsal turrets because they were diverted to B-29 production.

Black Widow pictured in flight.
Official US Air Force photograph

Getting It Right Took Time

The design and evaluation process went through several armament location configurations before settling on the final production setup. The dorsal turret could be aimed and fired by the gunner or the radar operator. Because the turret caused buffeting of the tail control surfaces, in actual squadron use many Black Widows had their dorsal turrets removed. Some were removed to save weight and add fuel.

Black Widow on the runway.
P-61B. Official US Air Force photograph

Size Matters

The P-61 was a very large aircraft- at more than 45 feet long and with a 66 foot wingspan, tilting the scales at more than 22,000 pounds empty, the Black Widow was far larger than any other fighter aircraft to enter Allied service and nearly as large as the medium bombers then in service.

422d Night Fighter Squadron P 61 Black Widow 42 5565
P-61B. Official US Air Force photograph

The Photo Flash

The F-15A Reporter was an unarmed photo reconnaissance version of the P-61C. A distinctive bubble canopy replaced the stepped up birdcage arrangement found on the P-61. Uprated Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engines turning paddle-bladed propellers powered the F-15A.

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F-15 Reporter. Official US Air Force photograph

Wait…a Marine Corps Black Widow?

The Marine Corps intended to use the P-61 but backed out and chose the Grumman F7F Tigercat instead. That didn’t stop the Marines from using about a dozen P-61s (designated as F2T-1N) as radar trainer airframes for a couple of years until Tigercats became available to them in quantity.

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P-61B. Official US Air Force photograph

Aces and the Competition

After much back and forth with the RAF and comparisons between the P-61 and the de Havilland Mosquito Mk XVII night fighter variant, P-61s began flying operational missions in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) on July 15th 1944. The first Black Widow to score an aerial victory was a 422nd Night Fighter Squadron (NFS) Green Bats P-61 which shot down a German V-1 buzz bomb. Three ETO crews achieved ace status in P-61s.

Three P-61S Black Widows flying in formation.
P-61s wearing invasion stripes after D-Day. Official US Air Force photograph

For the Rest of the Black Widow Story Bang NEXT PAGE Below.

Critically injured Thunderbirds pilot Erik Gonsalves returns to flight duty

Charles Atkeison
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Critically injured Thunderbirds pilot Erik Gonsalves returns to flight duty

The crash of a lone Air Force Thunderbirds jet returning from a flight in June 2017 left its pilot more severely injured than previously reported as the organization on Wednesday detailed his courageous recovery and his return to flight.

In an emotional and personal video narrative produced by the Thunderbirds, Major Erik “Speedy” Gonsalves discusses candid new details of the crash which nearly killed him, and his long journey to walking again and returning to his love of flight.

Then-Capt. “Speedy” Gonsalves, who served as the Thunderbirds narrator and advanced pilot, was critically injured during landing in inclement weather following an informal familiarization flight with TSgt. Kenneth Cordova, a tactical aircraft maintainer, aboard the F-16D Fighting Falcon. Cordova, who only received minor injuries, was released from the hospital the next day while Gonsalves faced three life saving surgeries and recovery for several weeks.

Thunderbirds crash.
The aftermath of the June 2017 crash of Thunderbird 8 jet at Dayton Airport. (USAF)

As rain and wind gusts erupted over the runway at Dayton International Airport on June 23, 2017, firefighters from Dayton and nearby Wright Patterson AFB, and airport emergency personnel worked for nearly two hours to release the trapped crew members who sat upside down — their ejection seats still armed.

In a video statement, Major Gonsalves said the weather at crash time and during the rescue was “some of the worst weather Dayton had seen in its history”. As the jet aircraft was landing in rain driven, overcast conditions with low visibility at 12:20 p.m., it flipped upside down and crashed.

“After the accident that happened, the first person I saw was our maintenance officer Thunderbird 11 Major Smith and Sr MSgt Trip Holden — the first two guys on the scene — followed shortly there after by the Dayton Fire Rescue, and 30 minutes later rescue the Wright Patt Fire Rescue Crash Rescue guys came over,” he said. “I credit those guys with saving my life and saving Ken’s life.”

The crash left Gonsalves with two broken ribs; two fractures of his left leg; internal bleeding; his right ankle was severely fractured, and a torn patella tendon, the Thunderbirds announced on Wednesday. “Every morning when I get up, I look at my scars,” Gonsalves began in a somber tone. “At the six-inch incision over my ribs where they removed a piece of metal that nearly took my life. At the slice down my lat(eral) where the doctor went in to stop me from drowning in my own blood.”

“Immediately up to surgery and I had three surgeries (at Miami Valley Hospital) and I had some of the best surgeons in the world operating on me and they saved my life,” Maj. Gonsalves said. In the days following the life saving care, Speedy began to understand he was in for a long recovery period.

Gonsalves looked toward positive goals — small at first such as walking — to resume flying again. As he worked toward recovery, he pushed himself with the power of positive thinking to achieve these goals beginning with walking again.

Gonsalves, who left the Thunderbirds in March 2018 to transfer to Davis-Montham AFB, AZ, is now taking an active role as he returns to piloting the A-10C Thunderbolt II, aka the Warthog.

Thunderbird Pilot.
Air Force Major Erik Gonsalves sits poised aboard a A-10C Thunderbolt II in 2016. (USAF)

“The power of positive thinking and having a positive mental attitude going forward is so crucial, but its not something you can do alone,” he said. “I would stress to people out there whether you’re struggling with something physically or mentally is that you need help from others and you need a support structure.”

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

Captain Colin Kelly USAAC: America’s First World War Two Hero

Bill Walton
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Captain Colin Kelly USAAC: America’s First World War Two Hero

Colin Kelly’s Mission Came at a Time When America Sorely Needed Heroes to Celebrate

During some of America’s darkest days at the beginning of World War II, the country thirsted for heroes. The news coming from war zones was consistently bad. Japan was gobbling up American and British territory and sinking ships all over the Pacific. When the Philippines came under attack on December 8th, the American garrison knew they faced long odds. One of the first heroes, indeed many say the first hero, of the war against Japan was Captain Colin Kelly.

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Colin Kelly pictured in flight school. Official US Air Force photograph

In the Right Place to Make History

Colin Purdie Kelly Jr. was born in Madison, east of Tallahassee in Florida on July 11th 1915. Kelly graduated from high school in Madison in 1933 and then attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in the Class of 1937. After learning to fly at Randolph Field in Texas, Kelly then became a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot in The US Army Air Corps. Kelly flew B-17Bs from March Field stateside before transferring to Hawaii and then the Philippines. He was assigned to the 14th Bombardment Squadron (BS) of the 19th Bombardment Group (BG) based at Clark Field. The 19th BG was equipped with a mixture of B-17Cs and similar B-17Ds.

B 17B Bombers at March Field California prior to 7 December 1941
Boeing B-17Bs at March Field. Official US Air Force photograph

Putting the Pieces Back Together

The initial Japanese attack on Clark Field devastated the Flying Fortresses, destroying or heavily damaging all but one of the 19 B-17s at Clark. Ground crews worked feverishly to put as many of the damaged aircraft back in service as possible. They were able to reanimate three or four aircraft from the wrecked and damaged Flying Forts. Reconnaissance missions began soon after the aircraft were placed back in service.

19th Bomb Group B 17D Flying Fortress Combat
B-17D bombing up at Clark Field. Official US Air Force photograph

The Attackers and the Attacked

On December 10th 1941 five of the Group’s B-17s were sent to attack a Japanese convoy- the first bombardment mission of World War II. The B-17s bombed from high altitude, recording damage to some of the transports. Later that day Captain Kelly, flying B-17C serial number 40-2045 alone and without fighter escort, attacked what his crew believed at the time was the battleship IJN Haruna but was likely the cruiser IJN Natori instead. The Japanese destroyer IJN Harukaze was also damaged by a near miss. During the return flight back to Clark, Kelly’s B-17 was savagely attacked by Japanese Zero fighters.

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B-17C in flight. Official US Air Force photograph

Saving His Crew Cost Him His Life

Sergeant William Delahanty was killed during the first attack. A second attack set the bomber ablaze. Kelly ordered his crew to bail out of the stricken bomber and continued to try and bring the aircraft back to Clark Field. Not long after the crew bailed out the B-17C exploded, killing Kelly. The wreckage of the aircraft came down about three miles east of the field. The bodies of Kelly and Delahanty were found in the wreckage. The rest of Kelly’s crew survived the mission.

Boeing B 17D in flight
B-17D in flight. Official US Air Force photograph

The Right Hero at the Right Time

Kelly’s feat of heroism was the kind of story the American people needed to embrace, and embrace it they did. For his extraordinary heroism and selfless bravery, Captain Colin P. Kelly Jr. was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Kelly had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for successfully flying his B-17 10,000 miles across the Pacific to the Philippines before the war began. At first it was reported he would be awarded the Medal of Honor, but he was not so awarded. A World War II Liberty class transport ship was named after him.  Streets and schools all over the country have been named after him.

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B-17C. Official US Air Force photograph

The Father’s Son Carries On

Kelly’s B-17C was the first B-17 lost in aerial combat during World War II. In 1959 Kelly’s son Colin P. Kelly III was appointed to West Point by President Eisenhower, honoring a wartime request by President Franklin Roosevelt. Kelly III graduated West Point with the Class of 1963 and served as an Army chaplain. America’s first World War II hero- Captain Colin P. Kelly Jr.

Airliner News: Airbus Unveils Their New A220 Series Airliners

Bill Walton
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Airliner News: Airbus Unveils Their New A220 Series Airliners

On Tuesday July 10th 2018 Airbus debuted their Airbus A220-100 and A220-300, formerly known as the Bombardier C series CS100 and CS300 respectively, at a ceremony held at the company’s Henri-Ziegler Delivery Centre, near Toulouse in France. Today both of the jets are being built at the Bombardier-Airbus facility in Quebec, Canada.

Airbus and Bombardier 1
Image courtesy Airbus

These aren’t really new jets. The 100 to 133 seat CS100 was type-certified in December of 2015 and has been in service since July of 2016. The 130 to 160 seat CS300 was type-certified in July of 2016 and entered service in December of 2016. Both aircraft have been well received by crews and passengers, but it took some time to get them off the ground. A total of 402 C Series jets have been ordered so far.

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Image courtesy Airbus

The Bombardier C Series program began in 2004. The initial $2 billion estimate for development cost of the aircraft turned out to be less than one third of the eventual program costs. Sales were slow even though the CS100 and CS300 were more economical than other aircraft in their classes. Delta airlines ordered 75 CS100s but Boeing went to the US Department of Commerce and filed a trade complaint against the deal. Tariffs of nearly 300% put the future of the C Series in jeopardy.

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Image courtesy Airbus

When Airbus agreed to acquire a 50.01% share of the C Series program and to build a second production line in Alabama to open in 2020, the tariffs were lifted. Now that Airbus has added their branding to the jets and they are touting their fuel efficiency, long range, high degree of parts commonality between the two variants, and quick turnaround times, many in the industry believe it is now only a matter of time before sales of the A220-100 and A220-300 truly take off.

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Image courtesy DeltaHub

With the recent announcement that Boeing and Embraer have entered a joint venture to operate Embraer’s commercial division with 80% held by Boeing and 20% held by Embraer, today’s announcement is fortuitously timed. With the Farnborough International Airshow 2018 right around the corner, Airbus no doubt wants to sign (and announce) as many orders for the A220 series as possible.

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Image courtesy Airbus

Airbus commentary at today’s event:

“Everyone at Airbus has been looking forward to this historic moment. Today, we are thrilled to welcome the A220 to the Airbus family and are honored to see it wearing its new Airbus colors for the first time,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus President Commercial Aircraft. “I pay tribute to all the women and men at Bombardier and the supply chain who have strived over the past years to bring this fantastic aircraft to the world. The A220 now enters a new phase in its career with all Airbus’ resources behind it to further its commercial success worldwide.”

Airbus A220 300 new member of the airbus Single aisle Family
Image courtesy Airbus

Eric Schulz, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer, added: “We are enthusiastic about selling the A220 thanks in particular to its technology which gives it a decisive edge in a very competitive market. I have received a lot of positive feedback from customers regarding the aircraft’s outstanding passenger experience, its lower fuel burn, lower weight and quieter engines. All these reasons contribute to my optimism that Airbus will support to make the A220 a great commercial success.”

Southwest Airlines to Remove Peanuts From Inflight Offerings

Bill Walton
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Southwest Airlines to Remove Peanuts From Inflight Offerings

The news that Southwest Airlines is removing peanuts from their inflight snack offerings beginning August 1st 2018 has been greeted with some degree of nostalgic wistfulness, but the iconic (at least for Southwest) snack, once associated with one of the airline’s first and most ubiquitous marketing campaigns, can be and has been a hazard for those with peanut allergies in a closed environment like the cabin of a 737.

It’s possible that the move was finally pushed from concept into policy because a nine year old boy with very severe class six peanut allergies suffered a severe reaction to the peanuts being served aboard a flight from Atlanta to Houston. The boy’s family claims they made Southwest aware of his condition prior to boarding the flight. The boy was treated with an epinephrine pen and fortunately he recovered without complications.

After the boy’s allergic reaction aboard the flight, Southwest’s comments mirrored the company’s policies at the time:

“Southwest Airlines is unable to guarantee a peanut-free or allergen-free flight. We have procedures in place to assist our Customers with severe allergies to peanut dust and will make every attempt not to serve packaged peanuts on the aircraft when our Customers alert us of their allergy to peanut dust.”

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Image courtesy Southwest Airlines

Southwest’s more recent comments about the decision to remove peanuts from their snack offerings:

“Peanuts forever will be part of Southwest’s history and DNA. However, to ensure the best on-board experience for everyone, including customers with peanut-related allergies, we’ve made the difficult decision to discontinue serving peanuts on all flights beginning August 1.

 We hope that our free pretzels (and our wonderful portfolio of free snacks on longer flights) served along with our legendary Southwest Hospitality will please customers who might be nostalgic or sad to see peanuts go. Our ultimate goal is to create an environment where all customers—including those with peanut-related allergies—feel safe and welcome on every Southwest flight.”

Other airlines have removed peanuts from their inflight offerings. Delta recently shifted their available nut choice from peanuts to almonds. Despite the nostalgic appeal of peanuts for their passengers, Southwest’s decision to remove peanuts from their inflight offerings was the right thing to do.

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Image by Tomás Del Coro via Wikipedia

 

Blue Angels, top aerobatic pilots to highlight Pensacola Beach Airshow

Charles Atkeison
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Blue Angels, top aerobatic pilots to highlight Pensacola Beach Airshow

PENSACOLA, Fla. — The tranquility of Florida’s Emerald Coast will awaken this week as the Blue Angels take to the skies above the warm Gulf waters to perform a specialized air show for beach goers during the Red, White, and Blues week.

Top civilian aerobatics will join with the Navy’s elite flight demonstration squadron’s six Blue and Gold F/A-18C Hornets for a first class air show on Saturday. The Blue’s newly minted C-130 transport aircraft, nicknamed Fat Albert, is expected to return to flight duty following a year long absence to perform over the coast piloted by an all-Marine crew.

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The Blue Angels popular C-130 aircraft, Fat Albert, is expected to perform at Pensacola Beach Week. (US Navy)

Supporting newly added propellers and an upgraded avionics system, the hulking four-engine aircraft will make several low passes and high inclination climbs near show center at Pensacola’s Casino Beach. The jets will then perform a nearly forty-minute demonstration fifteen minutes later. Watch for the famous sneak pass by Angels 5 and 6 as they scream low overhead from behind the crowd during their demo.

“There is simply just something extra special about watching your hometown heroes perform over the most beautiful place in the world, Pensacola Beach,” said Robbie Schrock, Director of Administration with Santa Rosa Island Authority, on Monday. It doesn’t matter how many times I have seen them perform, I literally still get chills watching them. They sure know how to thrill the crowds.”

The Blues front office explains that the aerodynamic box is from the beach line and out over the waters, and that swimmers will need to exit the Gulf waters prior to the start of the performances. A black and white boat anchored one-half mile off the coast, and near the great pier. will serve as the air show’s center point for the pilots.

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Pensacola officials ask visitors to arrive early for Saturday’s Red, White, and Blues. (Charles Atkeison)

Visitors to Casino Beach can have Breakfast with the Blues as the squadron arrives over the area at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. The six aircraft will perform circle and arrival maneuvers to refamiliarize with the area to ensure no new cranes or large structures have gone up recently.

The Blue Angels will then practice over the beach line on Thursday at 2 p.m., followed by a complete dress rehersal with each of Satursday’s air show aerobatic performers and close out with the Blues. Top aerobatic pilots Gary Ward, Skip Stewart, Kevin Coleman, and more will perform prior to the Blues beginning at noon.

Stewart’s modified Pitts bi-plane named Promytheus will streak black and red across the summer sky as he pushes his aircraft up to 400 horse power performing loops and high speed passes. Ward’s green and purple MX2 monoplane will perform several loops, climbs and dives during the show.

Pilot Kevin Coleman’s yellow Extra 300SHP aircraft will approach over the emerald waters as he begins with a fast pass. Cole finished in first place during the 2016 Challenger Cup Red Bull Air Race.

Mrs. Schrock suggests to arrive on the beach early on Friday and Saturday as area officials expect some of the largest crowds ever on Pensacola Beach. The Pensacola Trolly will increase it’s free service from the mainland over to the beach from 7 a.m. to dark on Friday and Saturday.

“If you ever have the opportunity to watch the Blue Angels over Pensacola Beach, I can assure you it will be your new favorite holiday,” Schrock added with a nod and a smile.

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

The Flawless Diamond: Digging Deeper Into The Blue Angels Atrium Skyhawks

Bill Walton
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The Flawless Diamond: Digging Deeper Into The Blue Angels Atrium Skyhawks

If you have ever been to the National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM) at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, you have no doubt seen the Blue Angels Atrium. The atrium is impressive enough in its own right, and since it was completed in 1990 it has been used for all sorts of special events and ceremonies. Boasting 10,000 square feet and 75 feet of vertical maneuvering room, the virtual centerpiece of the museum has a centerpiece of its very own.

A 4F Blue Angels echelon right formation 1984
Blue Angels A-4Fs. Official US Navy photograph.

Hanging majestically from the ceiling framework are four very blue McDonnell Douglas A-4F Skyhawk jets flying in a forever perfect diamond formation. The familiar blue and gold high-gloss paint recalls the Blues’ Skyhawk era (12/74-11/86). The aviation archaeologist and Blue Angels fan in all of us might wonder where, when, and with whom these jets served. Not surprisingly all four of the suspended jets flew with the Blues, and all saw combat in Vietnam, but there are a few surprises…starting with Ship #1.

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VT-21 TA-4Js. Official US Navy photograph.

Ship #1 flying lead in the Atrium is actually a TA-4J two-seat trainer with the nose section/cockpit section from an A-4F bolted on. The TA-4J (Bureau Number or BuNo 155076) trained student naval aviators with Training Squadron TWO ONE (VT-21) Redhawks and VT-22 Golden Eagles of Training Wing TWO (TW-2) from 1969 until 1994, when the jet was retired and parked at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (AFB) near Tucson in Airizona.

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VA-125 A-4F. Official US Navy photograph.

In order for A-4F BuNo 154180 to represent a Blue Angels A-4F, the nose section from 154180 was mated to the still-viable aft fuselage, wings, and empennage from TA-4J BuNo 155076. A-4F BuNo 154180 entered Navy service with US Navy Attack Squadron ONE TWO FIVE (VA-125) Rough Raiders in 1967. The jet was also flown by VA-93 Blue Blazers and VA-23 Black Knights between ’67 and ’69. Marine Attack Squadron TWO ONE ONE (VMA-211) Wake Island Avengers and VMA-311 Tomcats flew 154180 until 1970.

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VF-43 A-4F. Official US Navy photograph.

VA-22 Fighting Red Cocks flew the jet from 1970 until 1974, when its assignment shifted to the Naval Air Test Center at NAS Patuxent River. In 1975, the jet went to Fighter Squadron FOUR THREE (VF-43) Challengers to fly the adversary role in air combat training for five years. The Blue Angels began flying 154180 in 1980 and the aircraft flew shows with the Blues right up until they transitioned to the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet in November of 1986. Ship #1 was pieced together from 155076 and 154180 for the display at NNAM.

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VA-212 A-4F. Official US Navy photograph.

Ship #2 (BuNo 154983) and flying right wing in the Atrium, entered Navy service in 1967 with VA-212 Rampant Raiders. VA-55 Warhorses began flying the jet in 1969, followed by VA-125 Rough Raiders and VA-144 Road Runners in 1970. For the next two years 154983 flew with none other than “Pappy” Boyington’s own VMA-214 Black Sheep. After serving with VA-127 Royal Blues between late 1972 and 1975, the jet was selected as one of the original Blue Angels A-4F Skyhawks and flew with the Team for several years before retirement and eventual display at NNAM.

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VA-127 A-4F. Official US Navy photograph.

Ship #3 (BuNo 155033) and flying left wing overhead, entered Navy service in 1968 with VA-125 Rough Raiders. The jet finished out the 1960s flying with VA-153 Blue Tail Flies and VA-164 Ghost Riders. The 1970s began with 155033 assigned to VMA-223 Bulldogs. After five years with the Marines the jet went to Composite Squadron SEVEN (VC-7) Red Tails at NAS Miramar until 1978, when 155033 went east to continue serving as an adversary aircraft, but with VF-43 Challengers.

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VC-7 A-4F. Official US Navy photograph.

After helping to keep East Coast fighter pilots on their toes for a few months with VF-43, the jet was called to duty with the Blue Angels in 1978. But 155033 seemed destined for adversary work, going back to Miramar with VC-7 again in 1979 before returning to the Blues for part of the 1980 season. Miramar welcomed the jet back once again for a final time before retirement, but this time for duty with the Naval Fighter Weapons School…or TOP GUN.

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TOP GUN A-4F. Official US Navy photograph.

Ship #4 (BuNo 154217) and flying slot in the Atrium, entered Navy service in 1967 with VA-113 Stingers. Duty and combat with VA-22 Fighting Red Cocks followed. In 1971 154217 went to the Marines as the only A-4F to serve with Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron ONE THREE (H&MS-13) Outlaws. Soon thereafter VMA-214 Black Sheep flew the jet. Between 1971 and 1975, 154217 saw service with VA-127 Royal Blues, VMA-214 yet again, and VMA-223 Bulldogs.

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VF-43 A-4Fs. Official US Navy photograph.

Assigned to VC-7 Red Tails at Miramar beginning in 1975, 154217 spent the next four years flying adversary and target towing sorties in sunny Southern California. Called east for duty with VF-43 Challengers in 1979, the jet swapped coasts and climes but not roles. Adversary missions against East Coast F-4 Phantom and F-14 Tomcat pilots filled most of the aircraft’s logs. It wasn’t until 1984 that 154217 wore blue and gold, staying on the Team until replaced in 1986…by those pesky Hornets.

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Blue Angels A-4F. Official US Navy photograph.

Many believe the Blues were at their best when flying the Skyhawk. The Blue Angels Atrium at NNAM pays tribute to those dangerous but seemingly simpler days. The author would like to acknowledge the A-4 Skyhawk Association and the Forgotten Jets websites used (with several others) to cross-check and verify the historical data presented in the piece. Skyhawks Forever!

The Canadian Snowbirds: Watch Their 2017 Season in Review

Bill Walton
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The Canadian Snowbirds: Watch Their 2017 Season in Review

The Canadian Forces 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, known to most airshow fans as the Royal Canadian Snowbirds, wrapped up their 2017 show season October 14th and 15th at Gowen Field Air National Guard Base (ANGB) in Boise Idaho. The event, Gowen Thunder, also featured the USAF Thunderbirds and many other attractions. This video, uploaded to YouTube by Match Productions, captures the essence of a Showbirds show via clips from most of them. Enjoy!

[youtube id=”DGba0r6tpZQ” width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]

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Image courtesy Canadian Forces 431 Air Demonstration Squadron

The 2017 show season got off to a rocky start for the Snowbirds. The team cancelled seven Canadian and US shows between May 13th and June 4th for a safety stand down spent at their home base, 15 Wing Moose Jaw or CFB Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan. The team felt that poor weather conditions during the early practice season led to too many cancelled practice sessions and limited the quality of several more. The call was made by Snowbirds Team Lead Major Patrick Gobeil.

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Image courtesy Canadian Forces 431 Air Demonstration Squadron

The Snowbirds fly Canadair CT-114 Tutor single engine jet trainers that are on average older than their pilots. The Snowbirds have been pleasing and impressing airshow crowds since 1971. The Snowbirds first became featured performers at the EAA Fly-In Convention at Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1976. Regulars at Fly-Ins between 1976 and 1983, the Snowbirds were committed elsewhere and focused primarily on performances in their Canadian homeland. After far too long an absence, the team returned to Oshkosh in 2016 and performed at the renamed EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

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Image courtesy Canadian Forces 431 Air Demonstration Squadron

Red Flag: Celebrating Decades of Red on Blue Pulling Gs Over the Desert

Bill Walton
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Red Flag: Celebrating Decades of Red on Blue Pulling Gs Over the Desert

The film RED FLAG was made by the United States Air Force (USAF) during the 1980s. In the film, narrated by none other than James Earl Jones and scored by John Williams, Air Force personnel from BB stackers to gas passers and trash haulers to gunfighters are depicted while engaged in some of the most realistic training in existence at the time. The combination of Williams’ score, Jones’ narration, and gorgeous air-to-air footage make this a must-see. The film was uploaded to YouTube by PersicopeFilm

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Red Flag has evolved into even more comprehensive and realistic simulated combat as lessons learned since its inception in 1975 have been integrated into the training scenarios. In addition to the USAF units involved, the US Navy, US Marine Corps, US Army, and scores of allied nations have sent or send “Blue Force” personnel to Nellis Air Force Base (AFB) outside Las Vegas to train with the “Red Force” 64th Aggressor Squadron (AS) of the 57th Adversary Tactics Group (57 ATG).

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64th AS F-16s. Official US Air Force photograph

The 64th AS flies the General Dynamics F-16C and F-16D Fighting Falcon. Up until 2014 the inactivated 65th AS flew the McDonnell Douglas F-15C and F-15D Eagle. These aggressor jets, going all the way back to the Northrop F-5E Tigers first dedicated to the aggressor role, have worn some of the most striking paint schemes ever seen on Air Force jets. Over the years the Air Force has also based adversary training aircraft at RAF Alconbury in the UK (527th AS) and at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines (26th AS).

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33rd Wing F-15s. Official US Air Force photograph

Currently the 64th AS along with the 18th AS based at Elmendorf AFB in Alaska both operate the F-16C and F-16D. Several Red Flag exercises are conducted by the United States Air Force Warfare Center (USAFWC) each year with training activities split between Alaska and the Nevada Test and Training Range near Nellis. As often as possible, weapons that might be employed by adversary forces and live ammunition are incorporated into the two week long training cycles.

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527th AS F-5Es. Official US Air Force photograph

Other units assigned to the 57th Wing provide specialized training. The 507th Air Defense Aggressor Squadron (507 ADAS) provides electronic ground defenses and communications, and radar jamming equipment. The active-duty 527th Space Aggressor Squadron (527 SAS), and the Air Force Reserve Command 26th Space Aggressor Squadron (26 SAS) also provide GPS jamming. The Red Force command and control organization simulates a realistic enemy integrated air defense system (IADS).

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F-111D at Red Flag in 1980. Official US Air Force photograph

A typical year of training will involve more than 500 aircraft flying more than 20,000 sorties. More than 5,000 aircrews and 14,000 support and maintenance personnel are kept sharp over multiple sessions. Four Red Flags, each exercise consisting of a variety of dissimilar air combat training (DACT), strike and attack, suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD), airlift, air refueling, and reconnaissance missions, take place each year. Add to that the ten Green Flag close-air-support (CAS) exercises with US Army units and the one Maple Flag exercise with the Royal Canadian Air Force, and you’re looking at more, and more realistic, training than ever before

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33rd Wing F-15. Official US Air Force photograph

Northrop T-38 Talon trainers (the very first jets used for USAF aggressors), Lockheed C-141 Starlifter airlifters, Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker tankers, McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle fighters, and Northrop F-5E Tiger aggressors are featured in the film. Briefly appearing are McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom IIs, Republic A-10A Thunderbolt IIs, and General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons.

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T-38s. Official US Air Force photograph

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