Pilot Safe at US Military Plane Crash in S. Korea

During a training mission, an F-16 jet fighter of the US Air Force crashed in Gunsan, South Korea. Fortunately, the pilot ejected to safety before the aircraft crashed into a rice paddy around noon on Wednesday.

According to a US military statement: “The (lone) pilot safely ejected before the plane crashed. Emergency response teams are on scene at this time.” The statement also said that there are no serious injuries or damage to the ground.

Earlier reports from a local fire station officer misstated that the pilot was injured and that the aircraft involved was an A-10 Tank Buster.

South Korean and US troops are currently conducting “Foal Eagle,” an annual joint military exercise. However, it is not clear whether the F-16 is part of the exercise.

North Korea ferociously oppose the joint military exercises of the two countries, tagging it as a rehearsal for invasion. But South Korea and the US stated that the exercises are just for defensive purposes.

Currently, there are 28,500 US troops in South Korean. US military presence has been in the country since the 1950-53 war.

 

Pacific Aircraft offers desktop model planes of F-16 jet fighters and other US military model airplanes. Each custom model airplanes are handcrafted and painted intricately, capturing more detail than other model airplanes in the market.

 

Source: AFP

Rocket Launch Delayed by NASA

NASA‘s Anomalous Transport Rocket Experiment (ATREX) faced a setback as the rocket’s payload problems caused its delay.

Five rockets were planned to be launched this Thursday, but NASA officials announced that it will be moved to Friday night. The ATREX aims to use the rocket to study the jet stream’s current at the edge of space. The rockets will contain chemicals that will test the wind flow and electrical currents at high- altitude. The chemicals will release a bright milky white trail that will be very visible against the night sky. The white trail will make it possible for scientists and the public to “see” the high-altitude wind flow. NASA will use three different types of rockets for ATREX: two Terrier Improved Malemutes, two Terrier Improved Orions and one Terrier Oriole.

The rockets will be launched from NASA‘s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia and the milky white trails can be seen from New Hampshire, Washington, Boston, Philadelpia, New York and Baltimore.

 

Pacific Aircraft, a manufacturer of airplane and helicopter models, also produce beautiful spacecraft models. The museum quality models are made with the finest quality materials and supreme craftsmanship.

Source: online.wsj.com and http://www.msnbc.msn.com

Etihad, Air Berlin Pools Boeing 787s

Air Berlin and UAE’s Etihad Airways announced plans to merge their Boeing 787s, three months after the Abu-Dhabi-based carrier raised its stake and interest in Germany’s second-biggest airline to almost 30 percent.

The UAE airline furthers that the agreement calls for Etihad and Air Berlin to share in infrastructure and pool maintenance, and develop joint training for the aircraft.

They will also purchase bundle of equipment for 787′s engines as well as electronic and inflight entertainment systems and cooperate on product development for the planes.

Etihad has already ordered 41 planes, with 25 options and purchasing rights while Air Berlin has initially requested 25 787s but canceled 10 of them in 2010 due to its uncertainty whether it will increase its long-haul network.

A spokeswoman from Air Berlin said on Tuesday it was not yet clear which routes the 787s would service, and given the partnership with Etihad, it still cannot be concluded that the planes are set forth to fly to Etihad.

Source: news.airwise.com

China’s first aircraft carrier, Jet-15 to be deployed in August

China’s first aircraft is likely to be commissioned on August 1 and deployed in the contended South China Sea, adding fighter jets for a series of scientific exploration and sea trials.

“The military authority plans to let the aircraft carrier be commissioned this year,” Deputy Commander of Chinese navy Xu Hongmeng said.

Shanghai Daily also quoted Xu saying that the unnamed carrier has already taken part in four sea trials in the Pacific since August last year.

Meanwhile, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman said in an interview that the carrier would be used mainly for scientific research and training pilots for future carriers.

Since 1985, China has acquired four used aircraft carriers for study – the Australian HMAS Melbourne and the ex-Soviet carriers Minsk, Kiev and Varyag. The said carrier is redeveloped from the previously unfinished Varyag and is believed to be the first of the three being eyed for acquisition by the Chinese navy. 

Sources says that China has conceived of deploying J-15 fighters which is said to be the variant of Russia’s Su-33 to operate from the carrier. Military experts regard J-15 as the most suitable aircraft for the carrier. The vessel is reported to be capable of carrying around 30 fighters and helicopters as well as a crew of around 2,000.

Experts believe that China’s early deployment in SCS could stir up more tensions in the region and to counter America’s strategy in global supremacy at the sea.

Source: http://www.brahmand.com

RAF Requests New C-17 Engines for $300M

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress today of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the United Kingdom of 20 F117-PW-100 engines and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $300 million. (www.defencetalk.com)

The Government of the United Kingdom (UK) has called for a possible sale of 20 F-117-PW-100 engines, support equipment, Global Positioning Systems, engine exchange kits, communications equipment, spare and repair parts, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services, and all other related elements of program support.

The proposed sale is said to back up UK’s continuous access to the States Air Force/Boeing Globemaster III Sustainment Partnership program supporting the UK’s fleet of eight Boeing C-17A Globemaster III aircraft. The estimated cost is $300 million.

The proposed purchase will contribute to the national security of the United States.

‘The UK was the first foreign client for the C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft. This is said to provide an increased force protection capability that enhances regional and global stability. The UK will have no problem absorbing these additional engines and support into its armed forces.

The prime contractor will be The Boeing Company in Long Beach, California. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

Implementation of this sale will not require the assignment of additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to the UK.’ (defencetalk.com)

Source: http://www.defencetalk.com
Photo taken from armybase.us

D-Day Veteran Aircraft to be Restored

During the D-Day Invasion, the Douglas C-47 Skytrain delivered troops of paratroopers to the beaches of Normandy. It also dropped American soldiers behind Germany lines so they can cut off communication lines and prevent the enemy from sending reinforcements. Gen. Dwight Eisenhower even called the aircraft as one of the most important military equipment during World War II.

The Douglas C-47 Skytrain is such a vital history artifact that the Indiana Air Search and Rescue made it its mission to restore a unit of this aircraft.

“We’re losing all of our World War II veterans. This is one veteran we’re not going to let drop,” said Charles Walker, founder and president of Indiana Air Search and Rescue.

A unit of this vintage aircraft if now sitting in an old airport hangar at the Greenwood Municipal Airport. The aircraft was found at an airport in Nashville, Tenesee where it was attached to a closed museum. Walker, with the help of Indiana Air Search and Rescue Crew Chief Tom Foreman, brought the airplane to Greenwood for the restoration project.

The Indiana Air Search and Rescue will restore the body, electrical systems and engine of the aircraft. The mission is projected to cost around $200,000, but the community is chipping in and generously offers equipment and services to make the restoration possible. They aim to finish the project in two to three years.

A lot is at stake in this project because the Indiana Air Search and Rescue is planning to use the aircraft during times of crisis. The restoration of the C-47 will not only preserve a piece of history, but will also provide a lot of help to the people of Indiana. Indiana Air Search and Rescue recently restores a UH-1H Huey helicopter which it now use for its search and rescue operations.

Source: http://www.indystar.com

Texas and other Gulf States Officials Oppose C-130 Transfer

The governors of Texas and other Gulf states like Louisiana, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi have written to the White House imploring to block the move of C-130 fleet from their states. The US Air Force are planning to move the entire fleet of C-130 transport aircraft of the Texas National Guard to Montana.

The Air Force along with the rest of the military units is making a lot of changes due to budget cuts. Part of this change is to move units of aircraft to different bases. One such move will see the Texas C-130 fleet transferred to Montana, which will lose its F-15 fighters. The Texas National Guard will gain MC-12 Liberty plane, these aircraft gather intelligence.

Gulf states are prone to experience major weather disturbances like hurricanes and the C-130 are very useful in during these emergencies. When the Hurricane Katrina and Rita in 2005 as well as with Hurricane Ike and Gustav in 2008 hit the Gulf region, the C-130s had been instrumental in evacuating people and transporting supplies during the calamity.

A part of the governors’ letter to the President reads:

“Texas and the Gulf Coast are under constant threat of hurricanes, wildfires and floods. These C-130s have answered the call to support Gulf Coast States to counter these threats at a moment’s notice. … Mr. President, it makes no sense to move the assets of a perfectly functioning and experienced unit that has supported us well to establish the exact same capability in a state with none of this experience or any ties to the states that traditionally require these assets for emergency response.”

Since the C-130 belongs to the Air National Gurad, Texas Governor Rick Perry can easily call it up when a disaster strikes any gulf state and it will be ready to respond within hours. If the transport aircraft moved, there will be no C-130 withing the vicinity that can respond during disasters. Gulf state governors will have to rely on the Defense Department to call up federal military forces to see action during a calamity – a process that can take-up several days.

Gulf state governors are not alone in their pursuit. Gulf states senators and congress representatives are questioning military officials about the merit of the C-130 transfer. During the budget committee hearing, representatives from the gulf states have bombarded Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and the Air Force chief of staff, Gen. Norton Schwartz with questions and demands of explanation on how the Air Force can benefit financially in moving the C-130s. Unfortunately, the military officials have yet to come up with an answer.

“The hearing today was for the budget of the Air Force,” Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth said in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon. “We asked questions about their plan, and they can’t provide reasonable explanations as to why they made their decisions. That makes me angry.”

source: http://www.star-telegram.com

Aviation Legend Bob Hoover Help Lands Vintage P-51 Airplane

A vintage P-51 airplane is flying above Mobile, Alabama, as part of its museum tour, when it damaged its landing gear. The pilot, Chuck Gardner, is faced with a dilemma of landing P-51 with just one tire. Gardner had tried all the emergency procedures, but it did not result any good results.

Gardner and his passenger on board relied on a fellow pilot to relay a distress messages to and from Doug Jeanes, the director of Canavaugh Flight Museum and owner of the P-51. The vintage aircraft has been with the museum for 20 years. The museum had spent eight years restoring the P-51. Doug Jeanes was in Dallas at the time.

During its flight, one of tires of the landing gear become more horizontal than vertical. It occurred to Jeanes to call up Bob Hoover, who is a veteran pilot and has a solid experience in flying the P-51. Hoover is a veteran military pilot. When he retired he continued his love of flying as an airshow and test pilot. For decades, he acts as the official started of Reno Air Races. He guides the pilots into a line while flying his P-51 before signaling the start of the race, then circling up to let the race go under way.

“Somebody would have a problem almost every other race, and over the years I must have talked down 30 or 40 airplanes that were in real trouble,” Hoover said in a telephone interview. “As a test pilot, I had more experience, probably, than most people.”

Hoover had experience similar problems with the P-51 landing gear. First during the World War II, then at the Transpo ’72 airshow at Washington Dulles International Airport, where he had to land the P-51 with one tire. He had succesfully land the World War II aircraft, he had stayed unscathed, but the aircraft had to undergo extensive repairs.

Regarding Gardner’s dilemma with the P-15, Hoover said the main wheel was not locked to the fuselage so he advised Gardner to keep performing a couple of maneuvers: an abrupt pull-up that can dislodge the gear with G forces, and a hard yaw to bring the force of the slipstream to bear on the stuck gear assembly.

It took an hour of maneuvering when the the landing gear finally dropped and locked into position, leading to a smooth landing.

Source: http://www.aopa.org

U-2 Spy Planes Keep Tabs on North Korea

As tension build-up as the world watches the North Korea’s transition of power, Washington is realizing the importance of U-2 spy planes more than ever before.

The legendary U-2 “Dragonlady” has been serving the US Armed Forces since the beginning of the Cold War. Its main use is to monitor the actions of secretive nations. And in the midst of a critical period at North Korea, U-2 is proving that it can keep up with unmaned spy drones like Global Hawk.

In a rare interview with the Associated Press, pilots of the U-2 spy plane shared some information about its missions. Three U-2 planes are based on the Osan Air Base in South Korea. It is just 50 miles away from the border. U-2 missions are flown every day. According to the squadron commander, they are the eyes and ears to the North Korea. Its extreme high altitude and intelligence capabilities make it very sought after.

In the missions on North Korea, the U-2 aircraft is affirming its relevance to today’s hi-tech aviation. Unlike satellites it can be redirected on short notice to other target areas. It high altitude capabilities make it nearly impossible to track or intercept. It also survey a broader target area than low-flying aircraft. These capabilities has prevented the US Armed Forces to retire the U-2 Spy Plane. It had postponed the plan of replacing it with Global Hawks until 2020.

source: http://www.cbsnews.com