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In Flight USA Articles
Test Pilot Briefs T-6 Nation
By 1st. Lt. Geneva Croxton, Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs
An F-16 Fighting Falcon’s sustained 9 g-force break turn is no small matter on a normal day. Imagine yourself there. Your head weighs 180 pounds and your arms are pinned to the stick and throttle; let go of your breath the wrong way, and you watch the world fade from gray to black in an instant. Now add to this situation a corset-tight upper vest built to restrict lung inflation and an oxygen hose with half the normal flow rate – on purpose.
This is the situation Maj. Justin Elliott, Air Force Strategic Policy fellow, experienced for two weeks in 2015 while trying to identify the array of physiological problems affecting Defense Department fighter pilots.
Currently working South Asia strategy for a deputy assistant secretary of defense, Elliott’s flight experience is uniquely suited to communicating the complexity of physiological problems affecting the DoD’s fighter fleet.
A graduate of both U.S. Air Force Weapons School and Test Pilot School, Elliott has flown over 2,000 hours and 255 combat hours in more than 30 aircraft from the MiG-15 to the F-15SA Advanced Eagles. His flight test experience spans from early F-22 Raptor “work of breathing” testing to managing the development and testing of the Air Force’s first “smart” cockpit pressure gauge, fielding this year.
Airman Ropes Off Stress, Uses Music
By Airman 1st Class Tristan Biese, 633rd Air Base Wing Public Affairs
Senior Airman Hannah Walker, 633rd Force Support Squadron food service journeyman, sings live music at the Langley Marina on Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., Sept. 23, 2017. A big inspiration for Walker’s music is her family, most notably her daughter. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Tristan Biese)Sitting on the edge of her stool, staring out at a sea of faces staring back, she tunes her guitar. Once the guitar is just right she takes a sip of her drink, grabs her pick, takes a deep breath and begins playing.
Senior Airman Hannah Walker, 633rd Force Support Squadron food service journeyman, is performing live at the Langley Marina. She occasionally does this to help de-stress and re-center herself.
“When you’re in the military and you don’t have a hobby or something to do outside of work, it can make you go insane,” said Walker. “I wear this uniform every day and I am an Airman whether I’m in uniform or not in uniform, but there is a time to take the uniform off and put it away and be who you’re called to be, whether that’s to be a husband, a wife or a musician. Those are the things that are going to keep you grounded.”
Foreign-born Airmen Deploy, Live Their American Dream
By Staff Sgt. Benjamin Gonsier, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
Editor’s Note: This feature is part of the “Through Airmen’s Eyes” series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.
The Air Force is proud of its diversity, providing Airmen the opportunity to live and visit places they never would imagine going and working with people from all walks of life.
Two Airmen, who are deployed to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, as part of the 451st Expeditionary Support Squadron, are emblematic of the diverse force.
Staff Sgt. Nana Dankwa and Airman 1st Class Yongqin Li did not grow up in the U.S. They emigrated from their respective countries and gained citizenship while serving in the U.S. Air Force.
Air Force Fighter Pilots Of The Year Announced
Resilience: One Airman’s Story of Faith, Service
By Janis El Shabazz, 340th Flying Training Group Public Affairs
This feature is part of the “Through Airmen’s Eyes” series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story).
Sandra and Gabriel Rousseaux, Senior Master Sgt. Jon Rousseaux, Dr. Amy Holder and Maj. (Dr.) Dax Holder pose for a photo during a fundraising run for ‘Any Baby Can’, a San Antonio-based organization that serves families with children and youth facing serious health or developmental challenges, to raise money for sudden infant death syndrome research. The Rousseauxs lost their son, Joshua, to SIDS in 2010. (Courtesy photo)Senior Master Sgt. Jon Rousseaux was like many children who grew up in a military family. The self-described man of faith and service followed his father, a retired chief, into the Air Force – and after 19 years, he is still at it. In fact, he just re-enlisted for four more years. Rousseaux’s years of service have strengthened his faith and resiliency, helping him through the most difficult time of his life.
Co-workers describe Rousseaux as a steady, easy-going guy whose steadfastness and determination helped him rapidly ascend the ranks. Everyone agrees that, usually, not much upsets him – but the events that happened in May 2010 shook him to his core.
Rousseaux said it was a typical day. He woke the kids, made breakfast, and dropped his infant son, Joshua, off at day care and older son, Cayden, at school. It was Joshua’s first week in day care. Rousseaux said what happened next was like a surreal nightmare – but it was broad daylight and painfully real.
“I got a call from my wife, Sandra, that Josh had stopped breathing,” Rousseaux said. “I was on my way to the day care when I got another call telling me to meet the ambulance at the hospital. Nothing can prepare you for the scene of your tiny baby laying on a table with a flurry of doctors trying to stabilize him and not knowing what is happening because everything is happening so fast.”
Journey to Recovery
By Senior Airman Kyle Johnson, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Public Affairs
(This feature is part of the “Through Airmen’s Eyes” series. These stories focus on individual Airmen, highlighting their Air Force story).
Senior Master Sgt. Janet Lemmons, the 176th Force Support Squadron sustainment and services superintendent, holds up a note her son Tommy wrote to her and his stepfather, Tom, when he was younger. She found the note among a pile of old receipts when she was looking to trade in some diamond earrings after his death. Lemmons tells everyone the note is a thousand times better than diamonds and she keeps it at her desk. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Kyle Johnson)Then-Tech. Sgt. Janet Lemmons realized she couldn’t breathe in the hospital room. It was as if there wasn’t enough space for her family’s grief and the air collectively. She had to get out.
Lemmons stepped into the elevator that would take her someplace where she could breathe, but the cold steel walls provided no comfort as they sealed her in. She took several deep breaths as the elevator descended. The doors opened on friends and family, and they all knew exactly what had happened as soon as they saw her.
Her oldest son, Tommy, was dead.
Lemmons stepped out into a surreal world where nothing was as it should be and didn’t feel like it ever would be.
“How am I going to laugh again?” said Lemmons, now a senior master sergeant and the sustainment services superintendent for the 176th Force Support Squadron. “What is life going to be like? How am I going to eat again? How is anything ever going to be enjoyable again?”
Chief Exercises Resilience Through Mountain Climbing
By Senior Airman Solomon Cook, 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
(This feature is part of the “Through Airmen’s Eyes” series. These stories focus on individual Airmen, highlighting their Air Force story).
Airmen reach the summit of Granite Peak in Montana after a three-day climb of more than 7,000 feet Aug. 30, 2016. (Courtesy photo)The four pillars of comprehensive airmen fitness are mental, physical, social, and spiritual. How Airmen choose to strengthen them is of their own desire, but one sergeant thinks a way to reinforce all of these concepts is found at the top of each American states’ highest point.
Most recently, Chief Master Sgt. Dean Werner, the emergency management program manager for the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, led a hike Aug. 4-6, adding to his list of mountains climbed.
“I led a group of 10 Airmen to the summit of Granite Peak, Mont., which is considered the most difficult of the 50 state highpoints to conquer, except for Mount Denali, Alaska,” Werner said.
The climb consisted of 28 miles in three days, gaining more than 7,000 feet of elevation.
Racking Up Miles: Incirlik Airman Cycles for Air Force
By Senior Airman Krystal Ardrey, 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
(This feature is part of the “Through Airmen’s Eyes” series. These stories focus on individual Airmen, highlighting their Air Force story.)
Senior Master Sgt. Jason Chiasson, the 39th Communications Squadron produc-tion superintendent, rides past the flight-line at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, Dec. 10, 2015. Chiasson, a member of the Air Force Cycling Team, regularly cycles a variety distances both indoors and out-doors to stay prepared for the races he will participate in as part of the cycling team. (US Air Force Photo/Senior Airman Krystal Ardrey)The air is crisp like the frost on the ground; winter is approaching as Senior Master Sgt. Jason Chiasson hops onto his sleek road bike. Today, he will only ride 25 miles, a short day compared to the 100-mile days in his strict training schedule as an Air Force Cycling Team cyclist.
Chiasson is the 39th Communications Squadron production superintendent of cyber operations, which means taking care of Airmen is close to his heart. Chiasson spoke about the importance of leading by example.
“I want people to know (the Air Force) is one of the best organizations you could ever work for,” Chiasson said. “I don’t see myself as just a communications technician or a communications superintendent. I’m an Airman. The whole body compass of an Airman is to make sure other people know and want to emulate professionalism… I think I can do that by doing this.
“And it keeps this 40-year-old man in shape,” he said, laughing.
Chiasson arrived to Incirlik Air Base in April 2014. He said he felt like he was not representing the professional military image in the best way he could. Partly because of this feeling and partly because of a driving desire to continually better himself, he decided to train for a triathlon.
Former Marine Military Working Dog Finds New Life in the Air Force
By Air Force Master Sgt. April Lapetoda
380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
(This feature is part of the “Through Airmen’s Eyes” series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.)
Senior Airman Samantha Baker gives her partner, Penny, a hug after successfully completing a training session. Baker is a military working dog handler deployed to the 380th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. April Lapetoda)The passion and love between military working dogs and handlers is part of the job, but not always evident. However, for Senior Airman Samantha Baker and her partner for the past four months, military working dog Penny, the two are often seen walking around the base together.
Sometimes Baker carries Penny up makeshift stairs so that her paws don’t get stuck, and instead of working strict patrol and obedience training, the two are often in the training area engaging in a game of catch with lots of hugs, love and praise.
Not only does Baker’s and Penny’s relationship look different from the average military working dog and its handler – it is different in several ways. One of the main factors for the difference in their relationship is that Penny is a fox red Labrador.
Transit to Manas
Part One of our Two-Part Series on Sagar Pathak’s Mission to Kyrgyzstan.
By Sagar Pathak
The snow-covered mountains as we depart Spokane, Washington. (Sagar Pathak)K…Y…R…wait, what? Where is this place? Eastern Europe? Western Asia…no? Oh, near the Middle East…sorta. Yeah, guess the “Stan” part gave that away. Kyrgyzstan is a country nestled between some of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the world, often compared to the majestic Rockies. And in the northern part of Kyrgyzstan lies a small airport with a large mission. The Transit Center at Manas. But my story doesn’t start there.
Four days earlier, I had finally gotten an email from the 92nd ARW Public Affairs office at Fairchild AFB, Wash. confirming that our mission to Transit Center at Manas was officially a go! For the past six months, I had been in a monthly back and forth to get me out to witness, first hand, the important mission that was going on at Manas.
A True Airpower Giant
By Gen. Mark A. Welsh III
Air Force Chief of Staff
Then-Maj. James Robinson “Robbie” Risner poses with F-86 Sabre in South Korea. Brig. Gen. Risner enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He flew more than 108 combat missions in the Korean War, shot down eight MiGs, and became the 20th jet ace of that war. Risner passed away Oct. 22, 2013. (Air Force Photo) We lost another Air Force hero last month. Brig. Gen. James Robinson “Robbie” Risner was part of that legendary group who served in three wars, built an Air Force, and gave us an enduring example of courage and mission success.
Most of today’s Airmen know General Risner because of his leadership and heroism as a Vietnam War POW, but his story actually started well before that.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He flew more than 108 combat missions in the Korean War, shot down eight MiGs, and became the 20th jet ace of that war.
During the Vietnam War, Risner was an F-105 squadron commander. On March 16, 1965, he was shot down, but made it to the Tonkin Gulf before bailing out and was rescued. A month later, Time magazine featured him on their cover. On Sept. 16, he was shot down again, and this time, was captured. To make things worse, his captors had the Time article, and made him their “prized prisoner,” which meant more abuse. Risner served as a leader in the Hoa Lo Prison – first as senior-ranking officer and then vice commander of the 4th Allied POW Wing. Some called him “the most influential and effective POW there.”
Aviation Ancestry - July 2013
Moving the engines to the top of the fuselage did little to resolve the drag problems, which in reality, were caused by the Model 432’s straight wings. The high-speed potential of the jet engines simply could not be realized with the use of straight wings.
Editorial: Apology Accepted
By Ed Downs
Quoted from the March 24 television airing of the CBS Program, The Amazing Race:
“Parts of last Sunday’s episode, filmed in Vietnam, were insensitive to a group that is very important to us: our nation’s veterans.
“We want to apologize to veterans – particularly those who served in Vietnam – as well as their families and any viewers who were offended by the broadcast.
“All of us here have the most profound respect for the men and women who fight for our country.”
If you are a regular viewer of CBS’s Sunday evening program, The Amazing Race, you know what the above apology is all about. To be sure, this apology is appropriate and viewed as a sincere acceptance of responsibility for having wronged a generation of Americans who have suffered greatly. The question that remains, however, is why circumstances should ever have developed in a way as to require such an apology and whether or not consequences have been shared by those who caused this egregious program to have been aired in the first place.
As aviators, we have become accustomed to an adversarial media and foolish versions of aviation plots being portrayed in movies and television. We have learned that no matter how hard we try, reporters use incorrect terminology, movies portray pilots flying planes with the motions and force needed to guide a team of horses and television news sensationalizes aviation stories with the axiom, “if it bleeds, it leads.” Sure, we write letters, tweet our brains out, plead for help from alphabet groups and finally, develop a thick skin. Now, do not misunderstand the intent of this observation. This writer is not suggesting one simply give up. All of us involved in our remarkable industry, be it for business or recreation, must participate in preserving the rights to navigable airspace that all Americans enjoy, as verified by Title 49 of Federal law. Our forefathers learned that rights are never granted, but defended.
Aviation Ancestry - April 2012
B-29 Eagle Wing – Part IV
By Scott Schwartz
The Eagle “wing” radar antenna can be seen in this photo. The An/APG-7 radar enabled bombardiers to hit targets that were blanketed with overcast. (Courtesy of the USAF)Within three days of the North Korean incursion across the 38th Parallel, Guam-based B-29s were sent to attack enemy tanks, trucks, supplies, and troops. Much like its later cousin, the B-52, the Superfortress was a strategic bomber that was being used in a tactical role. Not surprisingly then, bombing results were mediocre. B-29 losses were fairly light, though, for at this stage, anti-aircraft fire and the occasional interception by World War Two vintage, Soviet-built piston-engine fighters were the only hazards faced by B-29 crewmen. Sadly, these days were short-lived.
Within a few months, the first Soviet-built, jet-powered MiG-15s were seen parked at enemy air bases. Further, several of these new fighters attacked an RB-29 in November, 1950. Heavily damaged, the RB-29 crash-landed en route back to its base, and its tail gunner was given credit for shooting down the first MiG ever to be shot down….by a B-29 gunner.
Homebuilder's Workshop - October 2011
Vance AFB, Oklahoma
By Ed Wischmeyer
Ninety minutes north of Oklahoma City by car is Vance AFB in Enid, Okla., where my nephew recently got his Air Force pilot wings.
Leon Vance was a native of Enid – the Air Force folk refer to them as “Enoids” – and a WWII bomber pilot who won the Congressional Medal of Honor. The transport plane bringing him home was lost over the North Atlantic, after he survived a harrowing and heroic ditching of his B-24. But the relationship between Air Force and community is deeper than that – the citizens of Enid bought a wheat field and donated that for the then Army Air Corps to build a training base.
Wheat? In Oklahoma? Yes. Enid actually has the world’s third largest wheat storage capacity, and a grouping of maybe 30 concrete silos is referred to by the pilots as “the battleship.” This year, though, the drought is ferocious and this July was a contender for being the hottest month ever. Cloud bases were at 9,000 feet and the 25-knot wind did no cooling but only parched those out on the 100-plus degree flightline. Coming back into the air-conditioned flight ops building, there is a large fan at chest level to help you cool off.
Aviation Ancestry - June 2011
Hole Sucking Air, The Republic F-84, Part Three
By Scott Schwartz
This F-84F was one of the General Motors-built examples, and it was delivered to the USAF in 1954. It last saw service with the Indiana Air National Guard and was retired in 1971. The aircraft is currently on display at the March Field Air Museum in Moreno Valley, CA.(Scott Schwartz)Naturally, the damage caused by salt corrosion during the trip overseas required extensive repairs. Once the repairs were completed, the F-84Es were sent into combat. The 27th Fighter Escort Group, under the command of Lt. Col. Don Blakeslee (who was a famous P-51 pilot during WWII) was dispatched on its first combat mission on December 6, 1950. This was supposed to be an armed reconnaissance mission, but between it, and the next day’s mission, the 27th had fired 7,200 rounds of machine gun ammunition and thirty two rockets. The net result of all this was the strafing of a North Korean village and damage to several locomotives. Although one is tempted to sneer at the results of these missions, it should be remembered that none of these pilots had ever flown ground-attack missions before – with the exception of Blakeslee and one other pilot.
By August of 1951, the first of the F-84Gs had been delivered to the Air Force. Once again, airplane production outpaced delivery of the Allison J-35 engines, and the 27th Fighter Escort Group – which had now returned from Korea – had received only 36 F-84Gs.
Aviation Ancestry - May 2011
Hole Sucking Air – The F-84 Thunderjet, Part Two
By Scott Schwartz
A restored Republic F-84C at the March Field Air Museum; after being dropped from the Air Force inventory, this aircraft served as an instructional air-frame at a community college for 27 years. (Scott Schwartz)Deliveries of the first P-84B’s began during the summer of 1947. Right after these aircraft became operational, it was noticed that the aluminum skin on their wings was wrinkling. Because this was attributed to the high “G” loads occurring during maneuvers, airspeeds in excess of .8 Mach and loads in excess of 5.5 G’s. Wing failures occurred even after these restrictions were put in place. This meant that the P-84’s had to be grounded until actual wing cracks could be ruled out. If none were found in a particular P-84B, it was put back on flight status – with the previously mentioned flight restrictions until it could be modified.
Although a newer model, the F-84C (readers will remember that the “P” for “Pursuit was changed to “F” for “Fighter” with the creation of the independent U.S. Air Force) was being produced by June of 1948, the structural problems were still unresolved – which is not surprising. After all, the F-84C was virtually identical to the F-84B, except for improvements to the fuel and hydraulic systems. One other difference was that the “C” model was powered by a more reliable early version of the J-35 engine.
Aviation Ancestry - April 2011
Hole Sucking Air: Republic F-84 Thunderjet
By Scott Schwartz
Republic P-84B; note the small engine air-intake in the nose. (USAF Photo)Conceived during the closing days of World War II, Republic’s F-84 Thunderjet was conceived in response to a U.S. Army Air Force requirement for a new interceptor/escort fighter/fighter-bomber that would be able to fly fast and far. This was a tall order given the fuel-guzzling jet engines of the time.
Initially, Republic’s chief designer – Alexander Kartveli – envisioned a jet-powered version of the P-47 Thunderbolt. In order to obtain the highest speeds possible, the P-47 was re-designed (on paper) to have as narrow a cross section as possible. The problem was that the centrifugal-flow jet engines originally intended for use in the new airplane were large in diameter. Even after a narrower axial-flow engine was decided upon, the fuselage had to be fairly wide. The result was an aircraft with a fuselage that was slender at the front (with a relatively small engine air-intake) and “barrel-chested” in the middle, in order to accommodate the engine. Aft of the cockpit, the fuselage tapered to the tail pipe, with the jet exhaust gases exiting underneath the empennage.
Aviation Ancestry - October 2010
Walter’s Gamble: The Beechcraft T-34 Mentor
By Scott Schwartz
The Model 45 “Mentor” was designed and built in 1948 with the idea that a modern, efficient and inexpensive to operate aircraft would appeal to the military.It’s been said that fortune favors the bold. The Beechcraft T-34 was conceived as a private venture during a time when thousands of WWII – era single-engine training airplanes were still in use by the armed services. To market a new training aircraft under these circumstances was indeed, a gamble.
A look at the conditions faced by Beechcraft at the end of the war is in order. Military spending had been cut, and the American public was not enthusiastic about costly new military programs. Most importantly, there was no funding the defense budget for a new training aircraft. Making matters worse was the rivalry between the branches of the armed services. None of the services wanted an aircraft that was meant for a rival branch.
You Can't Tame a Raptor
The invasion of the Raptors is coming to the California Capital Airshow. (Staff Sgt. Michael B. Keller, USAF)By Karen Storm
In the wild, birds of prey are very distinctive in their attributes: a sharp, pointed beak; strong feet with razor-sharp talons; keen eyesight, and animals —even other birds— are their food source. Another name used to describe these birds is derived from the Latin word —Rapere— which means to plunder. They are smart, aggressive, cunning, and lethal. Such a bird is called a Raptor.
It is also the name of the United States Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft, a designation made both appropriately and without apology. The F-22 Raptor, manufactured by the team of Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, and Pratt & Whitney, is the world’s only operational fifth-generation fighter, and it is absolutely masterful at conducting its stated mission of Air Dominance.