F-15 and Sentinel R1 in near collision over Lincoln

A Sentinel spy plane was on a “collision course” with two F15 jets in the skies over Lincoln, a report has revealed.

The Sentinel R1, based at RAF Waddington and used for covert surveillance, was on a training flight from the base when it found itself on a collision course with the two jets. The report said all three aircraft were forced to take action to avoid each other. It also suggested in the report that air traffic controllers’ high workload meant they were perhaps not as alert to the danger as they should have been as it unfolded over 30 seconds.

The report added that “Given the time gap, best controlling practice suggests that the opportunity existed for a more timely warning to be given. It is possible that this missed opportunity may be grounded in reduced levels of psycho-physiological alertness caused by workload history, however, it is not possible to sustain this hypothesis.”

The F15s eventually passed 1,600ft overhead after the Sentinel pilot dropped his altitude and both jets began to climb.

The report told how the lead F15 pilot first spotted the risk.

“He realised that they were on a collision course and saw that the traffic was continuing to climb up towards their formation,” the report said. “He saw that the Sentinel was not stopping its climb and he directed the pair to climb to avoid it.”

“Class G airspace is effectively ‘free’ airspace where anyone, civilian or military, can operate and where ‘see and avoid’ is the primary means of collision avoidance with or without a radar service”, said MoD spokesman.

Source: Lincolnshire

F-35B completes first sea trials on USS Wasp

The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) turned toward homeport Oct. 21 after three weeks hosting the initial sea trials of the F-35B Lightning II, Joint Strike Fighter.

The first F-35B landed on Wasp’s flight deck Oct. 3, beginning an 18-day test period for the aircraft. During testing, two F-35B Marine Corps test jets (BF-2 and BF-4) accomplished vertical landings and short take-offs under various conditions.

While under way, the world’s first supersonic short take-off, vertical landing fighter logged more than 28 hours of flight time and completed 72 short take-offs and 72 vertical landings.

Wasp crew members worked around the clock with pilots, engineers, mechanics and a wide array of aeronautical professionals, both military and civilian, to meet the mission of the F-35B sea trials.

“Wasp Air Department personnel and the JSF team started working together from day one,” said Lt. Cmdr. Michael Curcio, Wasp’s assistant air officer and JSF program officer. “Starting initially with the leadership interacting to set the vision for the ship trials, we worked a top-down approach to gradually bring in more people from each respective team.”

“This ensured that, from planning to execution, every detail

was tended to and no stone was left unturned. Ultimately, this group was well ahead of the power curve at every juncture,” he said.

The Wasp and the JSF team have been preparing for these sea trials for more than a year. The ship, which typically accommodates the AV-8B Harrier, had to receive modifications and installation of test monitoring equipment in preparation for the F-35B’s arrival.

“We used Harrier operations as a baseline from which to deviate. Working with the JSF team, we identified the operational differences between the AV-8B and the F-35B and we trained to those differences,” said Curcio.

The trials are the first of three scheduled sea-based developmental test events for the STOVL variant periods. One goal was to collect environmental data on the deck using instrumentation to measure the F-35B’s sound, power and thermal impact during flight operations.

Ansis Kalnajs, better known as “AK,” a topside design and integration technical warrant for Naval Sea Systems Command, and his team of 31 engineers collected data to capture the effects of the F-35 on flight deck and superstructure components.

“We have been collecting data on how the main engine effects deck edge equipment, as well as thermal load stresses to the structure and the acoustic effects,” said Kalnajs. “We got a sufficient amount of data and real good assessments for the road ahead.”

Also being tested is a newer nonskid deck surface, Thermion, which is supported by a mechanical bond of ceramic and aluminum that makes the surface more resistant to extreme heat and better endures the wear and tear of flight operations. The Thermion covers landing spot nine on the flight deck, a small area used for vertical landings.

“The Thermion shows no signs of heat stress, which is good for the F-35, and eventually good for all surface ships,” said Kalnajs.

During the testing period the WASP and JSF team demonstrated the F-35B‘s at-sea capabilities for the Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Ray Mabus; Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James Amos; senior military officers; JSF international partners and members of the national media.

The testing for the F-35 and its sea-based operations will continue over the next several years.

“It is imperative that we build off that basic knowledge for the next sea trials,” said Curcio.

The next sea trial, DT-2, is scheduled for 2013 after Wasp receives additional modifications for F-35B operations.

 

-dcmilitary.com

Afghan RPG cause of fatal SEALs crash

The August 6 helicopter crash which killed Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Jesse Daryl Pittman, 27, of Willits, and 37 others in Afghanistan was caused by a rocket-propelled grenade exploding against the rear rotor of their Chinook helicopter, according to a report released this month by the U.S. Central Command.

From the moment the grenade exploded against the rotor blade to the helicopter’s crash in a fireball into the creekbed about 150 feet below was less than five seconds, says Brigadier General Jeffrey Colt, who headed the investigation. “I assess that the injuries sustained by all 38 personnel would have immediately incapacitated them and were most likely rapidly fatal.”

“I have determined that this mission, and the tactics and resources employed in its execution, were consistent with previous U.S. special operations missions and the strike forces selected to execute the mission were appropriate,” says Colt. “For the families, friends and fellow warriors of the fallen, American and Afghan, the loss of these selfless and courageous men was a tragedy from which this report can provide little comfort. I offer my deepest condolences personally and on behalf of my investigative team, to all of those who mourn the loss of these brave men.”

While the report did not fault the use of the Chinook helicopter loaded with troops for this particular mission, it did critique the failure of the task force commander to “reallocate the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to ensure surveillance coverage for ongoing (Ranger-led assault force) and the inbound” SEAL mission. The report also suggested that use of overhead aircraft prior to a helicopter insertion should be better coordinated to avoid giving the enemy an early warning of “imminent ground operations.”

Military intelligence had identified the likely location of Qari Tahir, a senior Taliban leader in the Tangi Valley section of Wardak Province, Afghanistan. A special operations task force was assembled to capture or kill him during the night of August 5 and 6. The first assault team was comprised of a U.S. Army Ranger platoon and an Afghan partnering unit. A second Immediate Reaction Force built around a troop of U.S. Navy SEALs was designated to support the operation if necessary. The high-risk nature of this operation required advance approval from higher level commanders at headquarters.

Two Chinook CH-47D helicopters airlifted the first assault team to a landing zone near Tahir’s suspected compound. This force was supported by two Apache attack helicopters, an AC-130 gunship and a “relatively robust team of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.” The Ranger’s mission was to secure Tahir’s suspected compound and gather intelligence from any detainees and items. The Rangers landed at 10:58 p.m. August 5. As the Rangers were engaged at the compound, reconnaissance aircraft detected groups of individuals fleeing the area.

One suspected Taliban group of eight men, armed with AK-47 assault rifles and RPG launchers were spotted leaving the area, walking single-file to the northwest. One Apache helicopter engaged this group, killing six, and scattering the rest into the bush.

A second group of suspected Taliban fighters was being followed by reconnaissance aircraft while the Rangers cleared and secured the compound. During the course of the night the group grew from two to 10 people. This group took refuge inside and around a building about two kilometers from the original target compound. The target of the entire operation, Tahir, was believed by U.S. commanders to be amongst the splinter group.

The Rangers had fully secured their compound by 2:45 a.m. August 6 and were interrogating detainees.

The special operations task force commander had been monitoring the growing splinter group of suspected fighters and decided to augment the 17 Navy SEALS by adding five Naval Special Operations support personnel, three Air Force Special Tactics Airmen, an interpreter, seven Afghan soldiers and a military canine. This brought the Immediate Reaction Force to 33 men plus the five man CH-47D crew. “According to the aviation task force commander immediately responsible for the helicopter support, an informed tactical decision was made to load all personnel on one aircraft because the IRF commander wanted to mass troops quickly, and to mitigate the increased risk to a second helicopter approaching the landing zone.”

Both CH-47D choppers left the forward operating base at 2:22 a.m. The lead copter carrying the IRF had a very experienced flight crew; one of the pilots had more than 719 hours of combat flying time and 4,600 hours of total flight time. Both choppers flew into the valley by a different route than used earlier by the Ranger mission. They were fully “blacked out” using no lighting or external beacons. The trailing chopper stopped six minutes out from the landing zone and began circling at a predetermined holding point, while the lead chopper proceeded on.

The doomed CH-47D approached the landing zone from the northwest, descending to about 100 to 150 feet from the ground and slowing to about 58 mph. Unknown to the task force, a group of Taliban fighters were housed in a two-story mud building 721 feet south of the landing zone. A Taliban fighter hiding in the second story fired two or three RPGs rapidly at the helicopter. The first grenade missed and the second exploded on a rear rotor blade, blowing off 10 feet of blade. The helicopter spun rapidly with first the rear rotor then the forward rotor separating from the fuselage. The main fuselage dropped into the creek bed below and became “engulfed in a large fireball, causing multiple secondary explosions of fuel and munitions until the aircraft burned out several hours later.”

Investigators have determined the Taliban were in a “heightened state of alert due to 3.5 hours of coalition air operations concentrated over the northwestern portion of the Tangi Valley.” The report says, “The shoot-down was not the result of a baited ambush”.

The crash happened at about 2:38 a.m. August 6.

The Ranger assault force was immediately tasked to move rapidly on foot to the crash site, arriving there at about 4:12 a.m. Recovery efforts were hampered by secondary explosions coming from the wreckage. The Rangers established a security perimeter around the crash and searched the area for survivors. A 20-man Pathfinder team arrived within minutes after the Rangers secured the site. Pathfinder units specialize in downed aircraft rescue and recover. By 10:38 a.m. all 38 men and the military canine had been accounted for.

A ground convoy made its way past a number of improvised explosive devices to the crash site to help recover the remains and other evidence. All of the remains were en route from the crash scene to a secure base via ground transport by 4:25 p.m.

That afternoon a flash flood swept through the crash site with four to five feet of water, washing wreckage more than 600 feet downstream.

 

-willitsnews.com

-wikipedia.org

Piper Suspends Altaire Jet Program

Piper Aircraft announced Tuesday, Oct. 25, they are suspending its new business jet program, the Altaire. Though based in Florida, Piper has sent recruiters to Wichita numerous times looking for aircraft talent for the Altaire jet project. The suspension could force some Kansas transplants to return home.

The $2.5 million Altaire program was Piper’s attempt to add a business jet to its line up of piston and turboprop planes. Piper officials say the program’s suspension will force them to cut 150 jobs.

General aviation analyst Brian Foley has been following Piper’s Altaire jet program and isn’t surprised at the abrupt suspension.

“When you introduce a radical new product like the Altaire, which is a single engine jet, that’s a pretty cash intensive program to develop and certify,” said Foley.

Foley says this is simply not the right time for a concept that doesn’t have a proven market. On the other hand, he praises Wichita planemakers for sticking with proven designs, including Cessna’s M2 and the new Latitude which both borrow from earlier Citation models.

A Piper Aircraft spokesperson says says she doesn’t know if or how many Kansas engineers will be part of the layoffs. She says Piper is trying to save as many jobs as possible.

 

-kake.com

10th annual Wings, Wheels and Rotors Expo graced by ‘Best Warriors’

LOS ALAMITOS – Army pilots who recently returned from active duty in Iraq smoothly guided two Black Hawk helicopters onto the runway of the Los Alamitos Army Airfield in front of thousands of spectators Sunday as part of a signature moment in the 10th annual “Wings, Wheels and Rotors Expo.”

They were carrying the finalists in the “Best Warrior” competition to identify that most combat-ready soldiers and non-commissioned officers serving in the California National Guard.

As an Army band played, the finalists marched to the main stage at the open house and attended by more than 30,000 mostly civilian spectators.

Event organizer Tom Lasser, former commander of the Los Alamitos Army Airfield and one of the organizers of the event, told the crowd that it was a first-of-a-kind ceremony. Traditionally, the naming of “Best Warrior” is done internally by the National Guard.

But this year, the announcement was made in public at the largest community event of the year at the Joint Forces Training Base, the only remaining military airfield in the Orange/Los Angeles counties area.

One of the stars of this year’s expo was scheduled to be the “Executive Sweet,” a World War II-era B25 bomber similar to the planes Gen. Jimmy Doolittle‘s raiders used to attack Tokyo in April 1942, Lasser said. But overcast skies in Camarillo – the bomber’s home base – kept the decades-old plane grounded.

A World War II C-53 plane that served on D-Day in 1945 – named “D-Day Dolly” – flew over the event Sunday, transporting skydivers who landed with the names of the “Best Warrior” winners.

The competition to identify the most physically fit, mentally-sharp combat-ready soldier and non-commissioned officer began in January among the 16,600 members of the California National Guard, said Command Major Sgt. Hal London.

The finalists competed in physical challenges such as a 10-k run, combat obstacle course, and a climbing wall and then demonstrated their proficiency with rifles and pistols and radios before they were put through a battery of written exams and military boards.

“It was one week of hell,” said Staff Sgt. Demetrius McCowan, who was named the top non-commissioned officer. McCowan, a 10-year veteran who served in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010, trains in Fresno.

Specialist John Cunningham, who drills in Escondido, was named the top soldier.

“I feel like an average solider,” he said. “I know a lot of guys who are just as tough as I am.”

 

-ocregister.com

Argentina wants $166M C-130H upgrade

The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency has notified Congress of a potential commercial-off-the-shelf avionics upgrade of five C-130H for the Government of Argentina, as well as associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $166 million.

Argentina has requested a possible purchase of commercial-off-the-shelf avionics upgrade of five C-130H aircraft that includes minor Class IV modifications, ground handling equipment, repair and return, spare and repair parts, support equipment, publications and technical documentation, tools and test equipment, personnel training and training equipment, programmed depot maintenance, U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services, and other related elements of program support.

The estimated cost of the C-130 upgrade is $166 million. The proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a major non- NATO ally.

The prime contractors for this C130 Hercules sale are not known at this time. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale. Implementation of this proposed sale will require the temporary assignment of approximately two U.S.

Government and 48 contractor representatives to Argentina during the duration of the program.

Source: dsca.mil

Air NZ To Grow Regional Network With ATR 72-600s

Air New Zealand plans to boost the size of its regional fleet with an order for seven ATR 72-600s, which will be the largest of the carrier’s turboprop types.

The first two of the 68-seat ATRs are scheduled to be delivered in October and December next year, with another two in 2013 and one each in the following three years. Air NZ also secured options for another five aircraft, which would be available for delivery in 2014-2016. With this order, the carrier will become the largest ATR operator in the Pacific region.

The airline’s current regional fleet consists of 11 ATR 72-500s, 23 Bombardier Q300s and 18 Beechcraft 1900Ds. Air NZ CEO Rob Fyfe says the ATR 72-600s are intended for growth, rather than fleet replacements, and will be used initially to upgauge some Q300 routes. Q300s will then freed up to take over from some 1900Ds, which in turn can be used to open new markets, Fyfe says.

The new turboprop fleet will likely be based in Auckland, which is the market that is expected to yield the most growth opportunities for the regional network, says Fyfe. The -500 fleet is based in Christchurch under the Mount Cook Airlines subsidiary.

It has yet to be decided if the aircraft will be operated by Mount Cook or one of the other two existing regional subsidiaries, or if a new one will be created, says Fyfe.

The carrier is still assessing maintenance options for the fleet. However, maintenance will more than likely be handled in Nelson, where the -500 work is carried out. The airline will “need to test [the Nelson facility’s] capacity to handle that,” Fyfe says.

Air NZ is ordering the aircraft directly from ATR, although a decision has not been made on whether some would be financed under a sale-leaseback arrangement.

Fyfe says the airline has yet to decide the replacement plan for its ATR 72-500s, which will probably be retired in another 8-12 years. The 1900Ds will likely be retired in about 10 years, although airline executives lament that there are few replacement options on the market.

Air NZ says the -600s are equipped to fly required navigation performance (RNP) approaches. Queenstown Airport, the major South Island tourism gateway, has RNP approaches, as do Wellington and Rotorua airports. RNP approaches are also due to be introduced at Auckland International Airport early next year.

 

-aviationweek.com

Canada may not train F-35 pilots on its own soil

According to the internal air force documents, Canadian fighter pilots selected to fly the new F-35 could find themselves trained by either the Americans or a private contractor.

Internal air force memos from the fall of 2010 lay out the “potential for NO pilot training in Canada.”A separate briefing in April 2010 says the F-35 fleet size is “constrained” by cost and other factors.

The staggering multibillion-dollar purchase price means the government can only afford 65 of the multi-role stealth fighters. The number (Canada currently has 79 aging CF-18s) stretches the ability of the air force to meet its commitments, says a series of briefings given to the air force chief last year.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay has said 65 F-35 fighters are more than enough to meet Canada’s needs, but the briefing raises questions about that because the air force must keep 36 fighters on standby for North American air defence and another dozen for training.

The spring 2010 assessment, written before the government announced its intention to purchase the F-35 jets, suggested the air force “optimize operational capability by not employing (a) portion of the fleet for training.”

The presentations rank training with either the U.S. Air Force – or a contracted “fee-for-service” approach – as better than doing it in Canada. Under the proposal, pilots would continue to receive their initial qualification in the country, but go elsewhere for advanced training.

“The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) is currently reviewing available options and will choose the option that best meets the needs of Canada’s future fighter pilot training,” said Evan Koronewski in an email response.

Source: CTV News

Australia clears Chinooks for flight

The Australian Army’s five Chinook helicopters have been given the all-clear to fly again after concerns over their airworthiness had them grounded for more than a week. A suspension of the Chinook was put in place on September 30 but Army chief David Morrison said on Sunday the fleet had been put back in operation.

“Through thorough investigation and consultation with Boeing and the US Army – the largest operator of the CH-47D Chinook – we established there are no issues with the aircraft AFCS (Advanced Flight Control System),” Lieutenant-General Morrison said in a statement.

The army had been concerned the AFCS didn’t work under certain flight conditions. Of the five Chinooks that Australia owns, two are in Afghanistan, one is in Papua New Guinea, one at Horn Island north of Queensland, and the last operates out of Townsville.

Australia had access to US helicopters in Afghanistan so there was no impact on operations.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

F-35B Completes Initial Shipboard Vertical Landing Aboard USS Wasp

The Navy and Marine Corps Team made naval aviation history Oct. 3 as the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) test aircraft BF-2 landed safely on USS Wasp‘s (LHD 1) flight deck, the first at-sea vertical landing for the Marine Corps’ F-35 JSF version.

Marine Corps test pilot Lt. Col. Fred Schenk landed BF-2 at 3:12 pm.

“It was exactly like we predicted,” said Schenk. “But that’s because of all the hard work and extensive preparation done by the Wasp and JSF team.”

The first vertical landing is part of the initial ship trials for the F-35B which started Monday and is expected to last two weeks. The tests are scheduled to collect data on the aircraft’s ability to perform short take-offs and vertical landings on a ship at sea, as well as determine how the aircraft integrates with the ship’s landing systems, and deck and hangar operations.

This test period, the first of three scheduled at-sea test periods over the course of the development program, will also collect environmental data on the deck through added instrumentation to measure the F-35B‘s impact to flight deck operations.

“The first at sea vertical landing is a huge milestone,” said Marine Corps Col. Roger Cordell, military site director for F-35 test and evaluation at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. “We’re still early in this test period, and we expect to learn a lot more, but this is a great step toward delivering the capability to the fleet.”

Wasp spent time in a shipyard earlier this year, preparing for the F-35 test period; adding specialized instrumentation to measure deck environmental effects.

“It is no small feat to put together sea trials,” said Vice Adm. David Venlet, F-35 Program Executive Officer. “This test was planned to happen on 3 October back in early spring of this year and the team delivered on schedule. Signs of dependable performance are emerging across broad aspects of the development program. Professionals from the Navy, Marine Corps and industry team of Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems and Pratt and Whitney and Rolls Royce continue to work tirelessly to deliver this aircraft to the fleet.”

“Every time an aircraft is first tested at sea we learn a great deal and the data collected from this event will inform us about the further development work necessary to successfully integrate the F-35B on large-deck amphibious ships. By all accounts, we’re off to a great start today,” Venlet said.

The F-35B is the variant of the Joint Strike Fighter for the U.S. Marine Corps, capable of short take-offs and vertical landings for use on amphibious ships or expeditionary airfields to provide air power to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. The F-35B will replace Marine AV-8B Harriers and F-18 Hornets and is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River prior to delivery to the fleet.

In addition to being the first ship to successfully land the F-35B, USS Wasp was also the first ship to host the V-22 Osprey during shipboard trials in October 2007.

Summary information regarding the performance of the F-35B ship trials will be made available after the completion of the test period.

 

-dcmilitary.com