2005-2 by avia lduo

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LOCKHEED MARTIN AERONAUTIC S COMPANY

M A G A Z I N E SECOND QUARTER 20 0 5

Italian Air Force F-16s Tsunami Relief Raptors At Langley Airlift Defensive Systems

Attendees of the fifth annual International Symposium for Aviation Photography listen to renowned aviation artist Keith Ferris describe the creation of his World War II wall mural, Fortress Under Fire, at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, in March. Code One is one of the sponsors of the ISAP conference. For more information on ISAP, see www. aviationphotographers.org. Photo by ERIC HEHS

VOL. 20 NO. 2

SECOND QUARTER 2005

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A I R P O W E R

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M A G A Z I N E

E DITOR Eric Hehs M ANAGING E DITOR Catherine Blades A SSOCIATE E DITOR Jeff Rhodes A RT D IRECTOR Stan Baggett VICE P RESIDENT, C OMMUNICATIONS Mary Jo Polidore E XECUTIVE VICE P RESIDENT, L OCKHEED M ARTIN C ORPOR ATION P RESIDENT, A ERONAUTICS C OMPANY Ralph D. Heath

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2 OPERATION UNIFIED ASSISTANCE Aiding Tsunami Victims

VENI VIDI FALCON Italian Air Force Flies F-16s

16 COMING SOON TO A THEATER NEAR YOU F/A-22 Raptor Approaches Operational Status

LOOK MA, NO HOOK KC-130 Carrier Trials In 1963

R ESTRICTION NOTICE This publication is intended for information only. Its contents neither replace nor revise any material in official manuals or publications. Copyright © 2005 Lockheed Martin Corporation. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint articles or photographs must be requested in writing from the editor. Code One is a registered trademark of Lockheed Martin Corporation. Code One is published quarterly by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company. ISSN 1071-3816 A05-14709

A BOUT T HE C OVER Front: The Aeronautica Militare Italiana F-16s operate from air bases at Trapani-Birgi and Cervia. The F-16 performs as a potent air defense fighter for Italy. Photo by Eric Stijger Back: Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252 (VMGR-252), home based at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, logged more than 200 flight hours in two weeks in Iraq in the KC-130J’s first deployment. Photo by Cpl. Rocco DeFilippis

26 TIM NGUYEN: A LIFE WITH FLARE Improving Defensive Systems On Airlifters

THRUSTWORTHY Block 60 Engine Powers Company F-16

32 EVENTS

USN photo by PMan Nichol as B. Morton

A search and rescue team from Mexico departs Indonesiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Banda Aceh Airport aboard an RAAF C-130H.

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USN photo by PM3 Bernardo Fuller

N 26 DECEMBER, THE WORST EARTHQUAKE IN THE WORLD IN FORT Y YEARS—A MAGNITUDE

NINE—OCCURRED DEEP UNDER THE INDIAN OCEAN OFF THE WEST COAST OF SUMATRA, TRIGGERING MASSIVE TSUNAMIS THAT WIPED OUT VILLAGES AND RESORT AREAS ACROSS SOUTHEAST ASIA. AT LEAST 160,000 PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND TENS OF THOUSANDS MORE IN SEVEN COUNTRIES WERE LEFT HOMELESS. THAILAND AND INDONESIA WERE THE AREAS HARDEST HIT, BUT THE WAVES STRUCK AS FAR WEST AS SRI LANKA, INDIA, AND SOMALIA. USN photo by PM2 Philip A. McDaniel

View of the destruction on the west coast of Sumatra from the window of an RAAF C-130J RAAF photo

A village near the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, lies in ruin.

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USN photo by PM3 Gabriel Piper

USAF photo by SSgt. Sarayuth Pinthong

The worldw ide response was immediate and substantial. “Words cannot adequately describe the physical damage and human suf fering brought by this tsunami, one of the worst natura l disasters t he world has seen,” said Adm. Thomas Fargo, commander of US Pacific Command, during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur in late January. “Yet, with all of the deep sadness brought by this calamity, one does find hope and profound inspiration in the unprecedented outpouring of support for the victims from around the world. “Nowhere is this outpouring more evident than in the immediate military response from nations in the region and countries around the world,” Fargo added. “The military role is to provide its unique capabilities and significant capacity for immediate relief and for saving lives. This role was especially important in Banda Aceh [Indonesia] where many survivors were isolated by damaged roads

US personnel load a C-130 from the 401st Tactical Airlift Wing, Komaki AB, Japan, to deliver supplies to Thailand.

USAF Photo by SSgt. JoAnn S. Makinano

Indonesian police unload cargo, including fresh eggs, from a Singapore Air Force C-130 in Banda Aceh.

Airmen enjoy the shade of a C-5 wing as they wait at Colombo Airport, Sri Lanka, to return to Kadena AB, Japan.

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AS OF 14 FEBRUARY, A TOTAL OF 24.5 MILLION POUNDS OF RELIEF SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT HAD BEEN DELIVERED TO THE REGION. USAF photo by MSgt. Val Gempis

and bridges. Many inhabitants simply vanished, along with the landscape, houses, and entire villages. We sent the USS Abraham Lincoln and a large contingent of C-130s immediately to the area. Some of the C-130s are operating from Malaysia. The ability

of military forces from the United States a nd f rom neig hbors in t he region to respond with helicopters, cargo aircraft, and other capabilities saved lives.â&#x20AC;? By 29 December, the US military for med Joi nt Ta sk Force 536 a nd

began relief operations in earnest. In recognition of the considerable international military participation, JTF 536 was redesignated Combined Suppor t Force 536 on 5 Ja nua r y. Shortly after that, the US relief effort was named Operation Unified Assistance. Australia named its part Operation Sumatra Assist; and the United Kingdom chose Operation Garron.

USAF photo by SSgt. Sarayuth Pinthong

Tsunami damage on the Indonesian coast

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Crews f ly i ng SH- 60 Sea hawk helicopters from the Lincoln (CVN-73) a nd t he US S B onh omm e Ri ch a rd (LHD-6) delivering food and water directly to the affected areas were on the news for weeks. First responders also included C-130 crews from Yokota A B , Japa n, a nd E l mendor f A F B , Alaska; MC-130 Combat Talon special operations airlifter crews from Kadena AB, Okinawa; and Royal Australian Air Force crews f lying both C-130Hs and C-130Js. The RAAF eventually had fourteen Hercules crews conducting operations in the area. Crews from the US Nav y’s VP-8 deployed their P-3Cs to U-Tapao RTAFB, Thailand, assessed damage of the coastlines, and looked for bodies in the water. The relief effort quickly became t he l a r ge s t d e l i ve r y of hu m a n i tarian aid since the Berlin Airlift. By 31 December, active duty and Reserve C -5 c re w s (f rom We s tover A R B, Massachusetts; Dover AFB, Delaware; Lackland AFB, Texas; and Travis AFB, California), along with US and Royal Air Force C-17 crews, began bringing in large quantities of equipment, supplies, and personnel for duties ranging from aerial port, to airlift control, to mortuary science. The Royal Air Force also started bringing bulk supplies to the area, using the cargo-carrying capability of its TriStar freighters. Once in theater, the supplies were taken by C-130s directly from Japan or Thailand forward to the affected areas. Helicopters, including US Army USAF photo by SSgt. James Harper

A P-3C from Patrol Squadron Eight (VP-8), NAS Brunswick, Maine, sits on the flight line at U-Tapao RTAFB, before a Unified Assistance mission in early January.

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THE RELIEF EFFORT QUICKLY BECAME THE LARGEST DELIVERY OF HUMANITARIAN AID SINCE THE BERLIN AIRLIFT. and Marine Corps assets, were used to ultimately deliver much of the material to the survivors and aid workers. The contingent of C-130s in the region eventually grew to more than thirty, including aircraft from Japan, Singapore, and New Zealand as well as KC-130s from the US Marine Corps. Civilian operators also flew L-100s, the nonmilitary cousin of the Hercules, into the region. The four international C-130J operators—the RAF, RAAF, Italian Air Force, and Royal Danish Air Force—all brought Super Hercules aircraf t into the areas affected by the tsunamis. One of the more unusual airlifts came on 9 January, when more than 120 c at s a nd a si ng le dog, whose owners were presumed dead, were f low n f rom t he isla nd of Phi Phi in southern Thailand to an animal shelter in Bangkok. The crew of a US Air Force C-130 f lying relief missions to the region agreed to return USAF photo by SSgt. Sarayuth Pinthong

USN photo by PM3 Benjamin D. Gl ass

Indonesian children cheer as US Navy personnel deliver purified water and relief supplies to a small village on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia.

Photo by Able Seaman Phillip Cullinan

the animals after an appeal from the Thai Animal Guardians Association, whose volunteers had rescued the four-legged survivors. Department of Defense tsunami relief efforts began to taper off in late January. By 3 February, US officials announced that the remaining US military units in the region would begin redeployment. The overall Combined Support Force 536 headquarters was disestablished on 12 February. As of 14 February, more than 24.5 million pounds of relief supplies and equipment had been delivered to the region. Of that total, 9.5 million pounds were purely relief supplies. A total of 2,238 people were treated by US medical teams. At the height of the relief effort, twenty-six ships, f ifty-eight helicopters, forty-three fixed-wing aircraft, and more than 18,000 military personnel from the US and twelve other nations were involved. The US Air Force component, the 374th Air Expeditionar y Wi ng, composed of a ir men f rom almost 100 units and fourteen bases, helped in the combined effort. Aircraft from sister services and other nations delivered food, water, medicine, and basic supplies. USAF photo by SSgt. James Harper

RAAF personnel carry an Indonesian emergency patient from an L-100, the civilian version of the C-130, to a hospital tent at Banda Aceh Airport.

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A RTICLE A ND PHOTOS BY ER IC STIJGER

GGGGGGGGGG

he Aeronautica Militare Italiana is t rad i ng i n one Lockheed Martin fighter for another as it retires its last F-104 Starfighters and begins operating F-16 Fighting Falcons. The transition began in earnest for the Italian Air Force in March 2001 when the government of Italy leased thirtyfour F-16s—thirty single-seat Block 15 F-16s and four Block 10 two-seat trainers— from the US Air Force inventory. The lease schedule is five years, with an option for another five years. GGGGGGGGGG

Peace Caesar Falcons Dominate Sicilian Skies Prior to delivery, the aircraft were transferred from the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, to the Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill AFB, Utah. The aircraf t were brought up to date w ith all required inspections and changes at Ogden, where they also underwent the Falcon UP structural upgrade program. In addition, Pratt & Whitney F 1 0 0 - P W-2 0 0 e n g i n e s w e r e u p g r a d e d t o the F100-PW-220E configuration.

T h e P e a c e C a e s a r F -16 l e a s e p r o g r a m accommodates the Italian Air Force’s near-term requirement for a potent air defense fighter. The F-16s replace the Tornado F.3 air defense variant leased from the United Kingdom, as well as the Starfighters. The newly gained F-16s equip two fighter wings. The aircraft are a stopgap fighter force until the Eurofighter Typhoon fleet reaches operational status for Italy in 2010 and steps into the air defense role. Second Quarter 2005

Focus On Trapani Trapani-Birgi AB on the island of Sicily functions as the main operating base for the Italian F-16 f leet. The aircraft are operated by the 37th Wing, called Stormo in Italian, and its two f lying squadrons, the 18th and 10th Gruppo. Italy’s second F-16 wing is 5 Stormo at Cervia AB north of Rimini on the Adriatic coast. The first jets arrived at their new Sicilian home base from Ogden in June 2003. The arrival culminated two years of preparation at Trapani. “This base has seen a complete realignment towards our new aircraft,” says Col. Roberto Cattaneo, commander of 37 Stormo at Trapani. “We changed the wing organization, modernized the base infrastructure, and adapted our operations to the new jets. We prepared so we could start f lying right after the first jets arrived. We have been building our operations continuously ever since.” The infrastructure improvements at Trapani were conducted mindful of the eventual arrival of the Eurofighter Typhoon. Prior to the arrival of the f irst F-16, an initial group of four pilots under went pilot training w it h t he 162nd Fig hter Group, t he A ri zona A ir Nat iona l Gua rd unit at Tucson. The students came from b ot h 37 St o r m o a nd 5 St o r m o. Approx imately 120 F-104 technicians from both wings trained on t he F-16 at t he L ock heed Ma r t i n facility in Fort Worth, Texas. After t he f i rst cont i ngent of It a l ia n F-16 pilots and technicians returned to Sicily, a ceremony was held at Trapani in July 2003 to accept the first jets. All thirty-four Peace Caesar Falcons were delivered to Trapani in six delivery cells. The last four aircraft arrived at the Sicilian base in November 2004. “O u r big ge s t c h a l le nge w a s to generate an operational capability as soon as t he a ircra f t sta r ted to arrive,” continues Cattaneo. “We had 23 Gruppo flying F-16s here and most of 18 Gruppo converting at Tucson. We were accepting aircraft on a frequent basis. At the same time, we were preparing the organizational structure at the base for the new aircraft.” To support the AMI, Lockheed Martin was contracted to prov ide spares, tech n ic a l suppor t, a nd t ra i n i ng. The company f ields t wo tea ms of contractor logistics support technicians, one at each of the Italian F-16 bases. Forty technicians are located at Trapani and twenty-five at Cervia. As the Italian technicians become more experienced with F-16 maintenance, they will take on increased responsibilities and become less dependent on contractor support.

Col. Roberto Cattaneo, commander of 37 Stormo at Trapani

As the Italian technicians become more experienced with F-16 maintenance, they will take on increased responsibilities and become less dependent on contractor support.

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Starfighter Memories Interestingly, the fighter mission at Trapani does not begin at Trapani itself, but at Gioia del Colle AB near Bari in southern Italy. A fighter element called Nucleo Operativo Difesa Aerea (Operational Air Defense Nucleus) was formed in 1983 with F-104S Starfighters. The unit was transferred to Sicily to be inserted in 37 Stormo at Trapani in October 1984 and established as 18 Gruppo. This squadron, of f icia l ly identif ied as 18 O Gruppo Caccia Intercettori Ognitempo (all-weather fighter-interceptor squadron), operated the earlier F-104G model from 1974 to 1977 at Villafranca AB near Verona in northern Italy. After being reestablished at Trapani, 18 Gruppo subsequently converted to more sophisticated models of the F-104 before bidding farewell to the venerable Starfighter in May 2003. No air force in the world has a longer association with the F-104 than the Italian Air Force. The F-104G Starfighter entered service in Italy when the first aircraft was delivered in 1963 to 4 Stormo at Grossetto AB. In the ensuing years, the Italians received 153 F-104Gs, among them twent y-eight TF-104G two-seat aircraf t. Most of the F-104Gs were produced by Fiat in Turin. The main role of the F-104 was as interceptor, although the jet also served in the ground attack and reconnaissance roles. A mong the units operating t he highly upgraded F-104S ASA-M—the ultimate Starfighter variant—was 18 Gruppo at Trapani, until the F-16 conversion was initiated in spring 2003. In the ensuing year, the last remaining Starfighters, operated by 9 Stormo at Grazzanise AB, were all withdrawn from service. The last operational Starf ighter mission was carried from Grazzanise by 9 Stormo on 31 October 2004. With that final f light, the operational career of one of the world’s greatest interceptors concluded after more than four decades.

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Squadron Transformations

Lt. Col. Michele Morelli (left), commander of 10 Gruppo, and Maj. Davide Salerno, commander of 18 Gruppo

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Even though Trapani is the main operating base for the Italian F-16s, the first squadron to transition to the Fighting Falcon was 23 Gruppo from 5 Stormo at Cervia. However, the Cervia-based squadron stayed at Trapani initially while the infrastructure at Cervia was modified. The squadron reached operational status in January 2004, when it picked up quick reaction alert duties at its home base. Next to convert was Trapani’s 18 Gruppo. “Even before we said good-bye to the F-104, we were sending people to Tucson to convert to the F-16,” explains Maj. Davide Salerno, commander of 18 Gruppo. “The pilots all went through the standard B-course, while some progressed to the two- or four-ship f light lead upgrade courses, and a selected few went to the instructor pilot course.” 18 Gruppo picked up alert commitments again in July 2004. With conversion complete, 18 Gruppo changed its basic structure. All maintenance related activit ies prev iously pa r t of t he f ly ing squadron have been regrouped under a newly formed overall maintenance squadron. “We focus completely on operations now,” Salerno notes. “The sole remaining support duties still part of the squadron are the missionpla nni ng ac t iv it ies t hat focus on training, tactics, and operations.” As a result of this changing role, the size of the squadron has been reduced.

All the maintenance crews and technicians previously belonging to 18 Gruppo now form part of the Gruppo Ef f icienza Aeromobili (GEA), or Aircraf t Efficiency Squadron. GEA takes care of all the first- and second-line maintenance supported by the Lockheed Martin technicians at Trapani. “We provide maintenance and logistics support for the entire F-16 f leet,” says Lt. Col. Guiseppe Maggiore, commander of GEA at Trapani. “We also provide in-house training for the F-16 technicians.” For this training, 37 Stormo created a special center within GEA that provides all F-16 related maintenance training. Technicians from both Trapani and Cervia are trained at the GEA center. As a forward operating base, Cervia has a much smaller maintenance squadron so must rely heavily on Trapani. “We do all their phase inspections,” explains Maggiore. “All supplies come from here in Trapani.” Besides reforming the maintenance organization, the changeover from F-104 to F-16 had its impact as well. “The maintenance concept of the F-16 is so different compared to the F-104,” the GEA chief says. “Working with line replaceable units, or LRUs, makes a big difference. Previously when a part broke down, the jet broke down and had to come off the mission planning board. With the LRUs, we can fix the jet on the ramp and continue to generate sorties.”

Lt. Col. Guiseppe Maggiore, commander of GEA at Trapani

“Even before we said good-bye to the F-104, we were sending people to Tucson to convert to the F-16.” —Maj. Davide Salerno

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With all maintenance separated from the f lying units comes the need to coordinate between the squadrons. “We discuss our requirement for aircraft with GEA in advance, so it can plan to accommodate our needs,” Salerno points out. The need to coordinate has increased now that Trapani has a second f lying squadron online. During fall 2004, 10 Gruppo changed quarters from Grazzanise AB north of Naples to Trapani. “Most of our conversion training is done now,” says Lt. Col. Michele Morelli, the commander of 10 Gruppo. “We are preparing to acquire a limited combat ready status,” he adds. In preparation for this status, the squadron picked up its quick reaction duties on the F-16 in February. Although the two squadrons are separate units, they cooperate closely. “We do our mission planning together, combining pilots in our sorties not just to be more flexible but to convey experience to new F-16 pilots,” Morelli points out. As with its 18 Gruppo colleagues, 10 Gruppo previously operated the F-10 4 St a r f ig hter at Gr a z z a n i s e. 14

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In fact, the last operational Starfighter mission was with 10 Gruppo. Even before 10 Gruppo moved to Trapani, t he squad rons worked toget her closely as the last F-104 pilots and a i rc r a f t f r om 18 G r u p p o j oi n e d 10 Gruppo at Grazzanise in 2003. The Starf ighter pilots performed their training and alerts from Grazzanise, being supported by 10 Gruppo. With both squadrons at Trapani, the roles have reversed. “We receive a lot of support from our friends at the 18th,” Morelli adds. “They have a six-month lead on us, w it h ex per ience t hat c a n benef it us.” 10 Gruppo is still under the command of Grazzanise’s 9 Stormo, before being officially inserted in 37 Stormo at some future date. Although the F-16s are viewed as a stopgap solution for the Italian Air Force, Cattaneo stresses the importance of the aircraft for Trapani. “The F-16 has given this base a future,” he notes. “Trapani was considered a marginal base with the F-104. Now that we have the F-16 and have been selected to receive the Eurofighter, we will add

to the air defense potential of our air force. Our local communities receive an important economic boost because of the Peace Caesar program as well. So in the end, everybody benefits.” Eric Stijger is an aviation photojournalist based in the Netherlands.

“The F-16 has given this base a future.” —Col. Roberto Cattaneo

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“A mer ic a’s Fi rst Tea m is excited about the opportunity and humbled by the re spon sibi l it y of br i nging t he F/A-22 to operat iona l st at u s,” sa id C ol. Frank Gorenc, commander of t he 1st Fig hter Wi ng. “Langley Air Force Base is Raptor-ready.” The Raptor started down the road to initial operational capability, or IOC, at the wing’s official kickoff ceremony on 11 February. However, Langley has been preparing for this day for se vera l yea rs . T he ba se, lo c at e d ne a r H a mp t on , Virginia, will become the home of the first combatcoded F/A-22s. “Our F/A-22 integration office coordinated all the

actions required to make this new home for the Raptor possible,” says Gorenc. “It was no small effort. More than $130 million of military construction, facility moves, ma npower cha nges, a nd training requirements were worked by the integration office to ensure we were ready to accept the Raptor. We are ready on time, and Raptor operations are under way.” C onst r uc t ion projec t s completed or in the works include a f light simulator, a composite repair facility, improvements to weapons storage, and new hangars for each of the wing’s three squadrons. At least eight other major projects are also under way or planned.

The 1st FW’s 27th Fighter Squadron was chosen to be t h e f i r s t c o m b a t- r e a d y Raptor squadron in the fall of 2003. The 27th, which is the oldest fighter squadron in the Air Force, moved into its new hangar earlier this year. The ex terior of the h a nga r sh a re s t he s a me architecture as the other historic buildings at Langley, but t he inside has a l lmodern conveniences.

Getting Started

me, our operations officer, two F-15 pilots, and two designated F/A-22 pilots. We are now starting to fly the Raptor and building the squadron back up. We plan to reach IOC in December.” One of the nine original F /A-22s, R aptor 05, wa s retired from the f light test f leet at the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, California, in January, and f lown to Langley where it will serve as a maintenance

“Last fall, we essentially deconstructed the squadron,” says Lt. Col. James Hecker, the 27th FS commander. “We took our F-15Cs and split them between the other two squadrons on base, the 94th and 71st. We drew down to

BY JEFF RHODES

USAF Photo by TSgt Ben Bloker

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trainer. “Having an actual je t t h at c a n b e touc he d a nd worked on has been invaluable in getting our maintenance troops trained,” says Hecker. Raptor 05, the f if th F/A-22 built, newly repainted with the 1st FW’s FF tailcode, served as the centerpiece of the February kickoff ceremony. The 325th FW, the F/A-22 s c ho ol hou s e at Ty nd a l l AFB, Florida, temporarily assigned t wo aircraf t to L a ng le y to a l low t he 27t h FS to beg i n F/A-22

operat ions. Hecker, who completed pilot training last fall, f lew the first Raptor to Virginia on 18 January. A second loaner was delivered on 15 March. Raptor 41, the first aircraft to be permanently assigned to Langley, is scheduled for delivery in May. The squadron expects to receive two new Raptors a month until next March or April, at which time it will have a full complement of twenty-four aircraft. Between academics and flights, Raptor pilot conversion training takes about three months at Tyndall. Two 27th FS pilots started t he class in Ma rch ; four

more pilots are scheduled to begin training in May; and an additional six squadron pilots will begin training in J u l y. A b o u t e v e r y t w o months thereafter, six more pilots will start learning how to fly the Raptor.

On To IOC “We go to wing stand-up meetings every day to hear squadron comma nders report on how many sorties were f lown the day before and how many sorties are schedu led for t hat day,” Hecker notes. “I had to sit on my hands for a couple of

months because we didn’t have any aircraft. But now I have something to report.” Pilots of the Screaming Eag les, as t he 27t h FS is ca l led, f lew nine F /A-22 sorties in February. That number will rapidly ramp up w it h t he coming of a d d it ion a l a i rc r a f t a nd pilots. “It is a great time to be here,” notes Hecker. “We are trying to f ly as much as we can and get our maintenance troops trained so we are ready to go when we reach IOC.”

“I can think of a thousand ways its stealth, speed, surgical strikes, agile maneuverability, and superb sustainability can be used.” —Col. Frank Gorenc As the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley AFB, Virginia, converts to the F/A-22, the wing’s 27th Fighter Squadron is temporarily flying Raptors on loan from the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall AFB, Florida.

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Unlike previous platforms, IOC for the F/A-22 is not based on a certain number of a i rc r a f t or a c e r t a i n number of pi lots a nd ma i nta i ners. “T he comma nder of A ir Combat Command will declare us at IOC based on what our

PHOTO BY SSgt. Samuel Bendet

level of capability is,” notes Hecker. “Rather than being based on a n arbitrar y number, the decision will be based on how well we can do our mission. “We are fortunate that we are not the very first squadron t o g e t t h i s a i r c r a f t ,”

Hecker continues. “We are using lessons learned from Edwards, Nellis, and Tyndall. Most of our time will be spent getting ready to take the jet to war. We are working the mobility part—developing deployment checklists, what kind and how

many spare parts we will need to take with us, and how to move the squadron in theater if called on.”

The Next Steps The 94th Fighter Squadron, which dates back to E dd ie R ickenbacker’s Hat-in-the-Ring Squadron in World War I, will begin conversion to the F/A-22 in late spring 2006. The 27th Fighter Squadron will play an important role in the 94th’s changeover. “We will fan out our flight leads to the 94th to help that squadron get going,” says Hecker. “Our pilots will have the experience to lead the 94th’s conversion. We’ll then backfill the 27th with newly trained pilots. However, if the country goes to war, we can pull those experienced pilots back from the 94th into the 27th.”

PHOTO BY SSgt. Samuel Rogers

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PHOTOS BY JOHN WILSON

Col. Frank Gorenc, commander of the 1st Fighter Wing, addresses the crowd at the wing’s official kickoff ceremony.

The 94th FS is scheduled to complete transition to the F/A-22 in late spring 2007. The 71st FS will start conversion to the Raptor after t h at . “I n m id 20 0 8 , t he 1st Fig hter Wing w i l l be an F/A-22-only wing,” says Gorenc. “As the first operat iona l w i ng a nd ba se to employ the F/A-22, we have the most lethal fighter on the planet. I can think of a thousand ways its stealth, s p e e d , s u r g ic a l s t r i k e s ,

agile maneuverability, and superb sustainability can be used. The F/A-22 will be f lying for decades to come across the entire spectrum of con f l ic t a ny where i n the world.” In addition to the three active-duty f lying squadrons at Langley, the 1st FW is also a highly visible participant in the US Air Force Future Total Force initiative. While details are still being worked, the Air National

G u a r d ’s 19 2 n d F i g h t e r Wi ng, current ly a n F-16 unit based in Richmond, Virg inia, wou ld be integrated with the 1st FW and f ly the same aircraft, much like is currently done with airlift units. “The proposed integration of the two units would form a team of highly experienced personnel,” says Gorenc. “Members of both organizations are working with ACC to de velop a c onc e pt of

operations. We are planning to send a Virginia Air National Guard pilot to F/A-22 training at Tyndall and training two Guard maintenance personnel on the Raptor. The proposed i nt e g r at ion i s me a nt to enhance the effectiveness with which we both accomplish our missions, which is to provide combat air power for America.” Jeff Rhodes is the associate editor of Code One.

Lockheed Martin artist Price Randel signs prints of a Langley F/A-22 Raptor painting that was presented to the 1st Fighter Wing at the ceremony.

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, a M k o Lo ! k o o H o N By J ef f R h od es

IN EARLY MARCH, A CREW FROM MARINE AERIAL REFUELER TRANSPORT SQUADRON 352 AT MCAS MIRAMAR, CALIFORNIA, PICKED UP A NEW KC-130J—THE FOURTH NEW AIRCRAFT FOR THE SQUADRON—FROM THE LOCKHEED MARTIN FACILITY IN MARIETTA, GEORGIA. THE UNIT’S ONGOING CONVERSION MEA NT THE TIME H A D COME TO RETIRE ONE OF ITS OLDER AIRCRAFT. 20

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ike nearly every other tanker in the US Marine Corps f leet, Bureau Number 149798 had seen its share of action in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Unlike other aircraft that have served out their careers, the final destination for this specific tanker was not to be the aviation boneyard in the Arizona desert. This aircraft was a little different. When the VMGR-352 crew shut down this KC-130F’s engines for the last time on 1 March, the aircraf t was parked at Forrest Sherman Field, NAS Pensacola, Florida, where it was to be enshrined in the National Museum of Naval Aviation.

“The fact that aircraft was finally retired in 2005 is proof that I didn’t ba ng it up too bad ly,” joke s Ji m Flatley. The retired rear admiral and Naval aviator is referring to some 19 6 3 l a n d i n g s h e m a d e i n t h i s KC-130—aboard the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal (CVA-59).

This Idea Won’t Go Anywhere

range and cargo-carrying ability. So, the idea of a Super COD was born. Once the project went forward, the Test Center staff had to decide whether to have pilots with multiengine experience learn to land on a carrier or have test pilots with carrier-landing experience learn to fly multiengine aircraft. Carrier experience won out. “Either I was in the right part of the line or the other pilots said, ‘Give this one to Flatley. It isn’t going to go a ny where,’” sa id t hen-l ieutena nt Flatley, the newly minted test pilot chosen to lead the project. “In f light

f itted with a smaller nose landing gear orifice, which allowed for slower metering of the hydraulic f luid and made for smoother touchdowns. “The most critical guy on the crew was the f light engineer because he knew far more about the airplane,” Flatley notes. “That sounds a little cavalier for a test pilot. But at that point we were not required to learn the aircraft, just to learn to f ly it.”

“Engineers were taking measurements on a Hercules and saying the plane was Practice, Practice going to land on an aircraft carrier,” recalled Ed Brennan in a 1998 interview. Lockheed test pilot Ted Limmer “I didn’t believe them. Later my commonitored Flatley and Stovall as they manding officer came around made t hei r f i rst f l ig ht f rom Marietta to check out the modiand said the same thing. I still fications. Limmer then gave the didn’t believe it, but I raised my hand to volunteer for the project Navy pilots their check ride on anyway. I had no idea what I was the way back to Pax River. “The aircraft is so beautiful to fly and getting into.” Bren na n w a s a n Av i at ion so simple to operate, and it hanMachinist’s Mate First Class dles so well,” Flatley recalls. (ADR-1), attached to Transport Flatley and Stovall paid a lot of attention to the ground hanSquadron One (VR-1) at the dling characteristics of the C-130 Naval Air Test Center at NAS and then focused on the slowPatuxent River, Maryland, when his commanding officer made speed maneuvering characteristhat unbelievable announcetics of the aircraft in its landing ment— t he Te s t C enter wa s configuration. The crew began indeed developing a program to practicing landings at Pax River land a Hercules on an aircraft almost immediately. Engineers Retired rear admiral and Naval aviator, Jim Flatley f rom t he Ca r r ier Suitabi l it y carrier. Brennan and ADR-1 Al Branch set up multiple cameras Sieve were the two f light engitest, you have to earn your spurs. I and came out to obser ve the f irst neers assigned to the project. The idea of taking a big aircraft with had just reported to Pax River and practices and take measurements. “For a 132-foot wingspan and landing it this was my first project as a test pilot. most of the next fifty-five flight hours, we f lew around the field practicing on w h at i s f re que nt l y de s c r i b e d It was a rather unique assignment.” Lt. Cmdr. W. W. “Smokey” Stovall, short f ield landings and takeoffs,” as a postage sta mp d id seem fa rfetched. However, the carrier suit- the lead test pilot on another project Flatley says. High on t he list of t hings to be a b i l i t y t e s t i n g w a s b a s e d o n a at the time, volunteered to be copilot accomplished during the practice landlegitimate operational requirement. on the C-130 trials. The tria ls aircraf t, in ser v ice at ings was to determine the optimum The Navy needed to resupply a carrier operating in the middle of the Indian MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, carrier approach speed for the C-130. Ocean. The Grumman C-1 Trader, at the time, was chosen at random. While the normal approach speed for t hen t he Nav y ’s c a r r ier onboa rd T he Herc u le s wa s f low n bac k to a Hercules is 115 to 120 knots, carrier delivery, or COD, transport, did not the Marietta plant, known then as the approaches at five to six knots above stall speed were to be f lown for the have the range and could not carry Lockheed-Georgia Company. The aircraf t needed only minor planned landing gross weight. an oversized payload like a General A second landing parameter that Electric J79 jet engine, which powered modif ications. The wing refueling both the North American A-5/RA-5 pods were removed. A precision air- concerned the pilots was the aircraft’s Vigilante attack/reconnaissance airspeed indicator was installed in the sink rate at touchdown. Flatley and craf t and the McDonnell Douglas cockpit. The a ntisk id system was Stovall had experience f lying carrierF-4 fighter-bomber populating f light replaced with the type used on com- based fighters that have sink rates of decks at the time. The C-130 had both mercial 727s. The aircraft was also about fifteen to twenty feet per second, Second Quarter 2005

“Engineers were taking measurements on a Hercules and saying the plane was going to land on an aircraft carrier. I didn’t believe them. Later my commanding officer came around and said the same thing. I still didn’t believe it, but I raised my hand to volunteer for the project anyway.” —Ed Brennan so they were apprehensive about the C-130’s design limit of eleven feet per second. Even though the test data collected during the field trials indicated that sink rate was not going to be a problem, the pilots would not be convinced until they actually made the test f lights to the carrier. One of t he major cha l lenges i n the final stage of a carrier approach is mastering the socalled rooster tail of turbu lent air, the carrier equivalent of the ground ef fec t encou ntered when an aircraf t crosses the approach end of a runway. “If the rooster tail is not handled well, more often than not, you r a i rcraft feels like it is being sucked into a hole right at the deck rou nddow n,” a dd s F l at le y. “So being able to f ly the desired glidescope, right to touchdown, is critical.” The crew found they could easily f ly the required 3.5- to 4.0-degree glidescope on a standard approach. “It became evident very quickly that landing a C-130 on a carrier was not going to be a problem. Even the engineers stopped coming out to watch us practice,” Flatley recalls. A side trip to the Naval Air Rework Facility in Norfolk, Virginia, was made 22

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so engineers there could figure out how to get the Hercules off the ship if, for some reason, it got stranded there during the trials. “If we had broken down at sea, the deck hands would have lifted the plane up with the deck crane and tossed it overboard,” Brennan mused. “Hopef ully, they would have let us get out first.”

To The Boat On 30 October, the USS Forrestal was steaming off the Florida coast near Jacksonville. One wag at Pax River had painted, “Look Ma, No Hook,” under the cockpit windows of the KC-130. An arresting hook, a normal piece of equipment for a carrier landing, wouldn’t have helped because the Forrestal’s flight deck had been cleared of the arresting wires to save wear

and tear on the tires of the Hercules. The air wing’s aircraft were removed as well and either f lown ashore or parked on the hangar deck. “The day was blustery and squally with a forty-knot wind gusting to sixty knots and huge ocean swells. The deck was heaving twenty feet up and down,” Flatley recalls. “In such conditions, an experienced carrier pilot comes in handy. Every two and one-half minutes or so, no matter what t he sea state, the ship will steady out. Because of t he excessive w i nd a nd sea state, we d i d f o r t y- t w o approaches to the ship just to get nineteen touch-and-go landings.” Those touch-a nd-goes revealed no sink rates in excess of f ive feet per second , a f a c t t h at a mazed even t he Lockheed engineers. T h e He rc u le s c re w f i r s t m a d e touch-and-goes on the ship’s 682-footlong a ng le d de c k a nd t hen went d o w n t h e 1, 017-f o o t- l o n g a x i a l deck, where, on the next trip, the ac t u a l l a nd i ng s wou ld b e m ade . The first flight lasted five and one-half hours, two of which were spent in the Forrestal’s landing pattern. “We had a skull session the next day with the flight test engineers back

at Pax River, and all the data looked good,” Flatley notes. “It was then just a matter of rescheduling the ship.” On 8 November, Flatley, Stovall, Brennan, Sieve, and Limmer approached the Forrestal under way off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. A broad, dotted white line painted down the middle of the axial deck greeted them on their first approach. The Forrestal’s skipper put the carrier into the wind and added ten knots, which gave the flight crew a forty- to fifty-knot headwind over the bow. After making the three warm-up touch-and-go landings, Flatley was cleared for the first full-stop landing. The first approach was made at seventynine knots indicated airspeed. The Forrestal’s landing signal officer gave Flatley the traditional “cut” signal as the aircraft crossed the rounddown at ten to fifteen feet in the air. Flatley lifted the throttles over the gate and put the propellers into reverse pitch as he settled down on the deck. At the same time, he and Stovall stood on t he a i rc r a f t ’s br a ke s s o t h at , when the aircraft touched down, the KC-130 was in full reverse with full braking applied. It stopped in 275 fee t, ac t u a l ly shor t of where t he number four arresting cable would have been lying.

“Normally on a carrier, sailors and tractors move aircraft,” Flatley says. “We s i mpl y b a c k e d up w it h reverse thrust to set up for takeoff. You should have seen the looks on the faces of the deckhands.”

Heavyweight Landings In addition to testing t he basic feasibi lit y of landing a Hercu les on an aircraf t carrier, the project was also designed to ma ke la ndings at increasing ly heav ier weig hts to determine how large a payload a C-130 might safely bring aboa rd . B ec au se t he aircraft was a tanker, its gross weight could be increased by simply adding fuel. After taking on more JP-4 to go to the next higher gross weight, the crew revved up the aircraft’s engines, set the flaps at seventy-five percent, and took off. Fifteen feet separated the KC-130’s wingtip from the island.

The only restriction placed on the crew during takeoff was to not rotate the aircraft until the wingtip passed the forward end of the ship’s island. “Otherwise we cou ld have been look ing dow n on t he captain on his br i d g e w h e n w e t o o k of f,” Flatley adds. Three more full-stop landings w e r e m a d e t h e f i r s t d a y, followed by ten landings on 21 November and seven more t he nex t day. Stova l l made three of the landings on the last day. A total of twenty-nine touch-and-goes were made on the four trips to the carrier. The KC-130 weighed 85,000 pounds on the first landing. T herea f ter, la nd i ngs were made in progression up to a g ross weig ht of 121,0 0 0 pounds. At maximum weight, w h ic h s e t t he re c ord for the largest and heaviest aircraft landing on a US Navy Second Quarter 2005

aircraft carrier, Flatley and Stovall used only 745 feet for takeoff and 460 feet for landing. One landing at a weight of 109,000 pounds required 495 feet to stop, and that was in a heavy squall. On the last takeoffs, the crew didn’t even back up—they simply took off from the point on the deck where the aircraft stopped. The crew completed t he carrier qu a l i f ic at ion te s t s a rou nd no on on 22 November. “We got back to

as a chief petty officer after twentytwo years in the Navy. Brennan was on a plane to Iran four hours after his retirement ceremony to work as a Lockheed field service representative on the P-3F program. He later went back to working with C-130s, this time with Coast Guard HC-130Hs, as a Lock heed f ield ser vice representative at CGAS Elizabeth Cit y, North Carolina. He retired in 1998 and passed away a short time later.

home tow n of C i nc i n n at i, Oh io. A crew from VMGR-352 f lew 9798 to the ceremony. Flatley was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, a difficult award to earn anytime, but especially in peacetime. He spent the rest of his Navy career in fighters. Even though he d id n’t have a ta i l hook on t he KC-130F, he counts his eighteen landings in a Hercules among his 1,608 traps, which puts him in the top ten

On the last takeoffs, the crew didn’t even back up—they simply took off from the point on the deck where the aircraft stopped. Pax River and started collecting the statistical data and writing the final report. We wrote the recommended procedures so anyone else wanting to land on a carrier had the information available. We went about our business and were told not to talk about it.” The project remained classified officially for a year, a lt hough word got out quickly to the f lying community. The feasibility of landing a C-130 w it h a u s e f u l p ay lo ad on a c a rrier was clearly demonstrated. But in the end, such landings were not practical. “A carrier with no tactical a ircraf t on deck ma kes a sk ipper antsy,” Brennan noted. “The captain of the Forrestal gave us two hours— to the minute—each trip, and then we had to go home.” The Grumman C-2 Greyhound, a more practical COD aircraft, entered f leet service in 1966.

The Rest Of The Story Stovall, later awarded the Air Medal for his work on the project, went on to command a carrier f ighter unit during Vietna m a nd attained t he rank of captain. He died of leukemia in 1973. Brennan was also awarded the Air Medal. He became a flight engineer on P-3 Orions, accumulating nearly 7,000 hours f light time. He retired in 1976 24

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Sieve sh ipped out i m med iately after the program concluded to f ly L o c k h e e d W V-1s — a . k . a . W i l l ie Vic tors —Wa r n i ng St a r a i rbor ne early warning aircraft in Argentina, Newfoundland. Flatley lobbied for years to recognize Sieve’s contribution to the carrier landing, and Secretary of the Navy Gordon England approved the Air Meda l for Sieve last summer. The medal was presented by the Vic e Ch ief of Nava l O perat ion s , A d m . M i k e Mu l l i n s , i n S i e v e ’s

of the Navy’s all-time carrier landing list. He retired as a rear admiral in 1987. He served as the chief executive officer of the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum in Charleston, Sout h C a rol i na, t he st ate’s most popular tourist attraction, for seven years before retiring again. Between his twent y-one grandkids and his work raising money for a new Catholic hospital in Charleston, he stays active. “I stay busier than I can stand to be,” he notes.

Af ter a thirt y-eight-year career, t he USS Forrestal was decommissioned 11 September 1993 and stricken from the Navy Register the same day. Currently, she is on donation hold as a museum and memorial at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island. KC-130F BuNo 149798 went on to a full career, receiving a service life extension upgrade and a new center wing box in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It spent most of its career with VMGR-352, first at MCAS El Toro, California, and later at Miramar after El Toro was closed and the Raiders, as the squadron calls itself, moved. In November 20 01, 9798 wa s t he first aircraft to land at Expeditionary A irf ield R hino during Operat ion Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. It was used on a low-altitude, night helicopter refueling mission and to insert elements of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s battalion landing team near the Pakistani border. A little over a year old during the carrier qualifications, 9798 was retired to the National Museum of Naval Aviation forty-two years later and right at 26,220 f light hours.

The Marines are replacing their older KC-130s with the KC-130J.

Basically relegated to the status of a footnote to aviation histor y, the Hercules-on-a-carrier idea recently came back to the forefront. The joint Army-Nav y-Marine Corps concept of sea basing—positioning supplies and equipment near potential areas of operation around the world—is gaining interest. While much of the sea basing concept is still to be defined, one idea involves a movable facility the size of a small island with a 3,000foot flight deck. Lockheed Martin has

received a government contract to study the concept of C-130J operations from this f loating runway. “I am always running into people who say t hey were t here when we landed, though I don’t recall seeing that many people on the deck,” Flatley observes. “The KC-130 carrier trials have always captured people’s attention. Some folks still don’t believe we did it.” Jeff Rhodes is the associate editor of Code One.

Second Quarter 2005

SAIGON, SOUTH VIETNAM, 29 APRIL 1975—The city is about to fall. Tan Son Nhut AB is surrounded and under attack from the North Vietnamese. An all-night mortar barrage leaves more than 100 aircraft—the bulk of what had been the South Vietnamese Air Force —in twisted, burning hulks strewn across the airfield. Around 0900, the shelling stops. One C-130A remains intact. It will become the last flight out.

Tim Nguyen: A Life With Flare By Jeff Rhodes

inh (Tim) Nguyen, then twenty-four years old, has a choice to make, and he has to make it that instant. “The decision was not real hard,” he recalls. “It was either leave right then or stay and get killed. We saw a C-130A taxiing out, so we ran as fast as we could.” Nguyen (pronounced “win”), who has become one of the pioneers in the development and fielding of large aircraft defensive systems, ran to the transport and hopped aboard, leaving his former life and everything and everyone in it behind. He was not alone. Literally hundreds of other people were trying to get on board as well. The C-130 pilot, a South Vietnamese Air Force, or VNAF, major with the family name of Phuong, repeatedly revved the engines, lumbered forward, and slammed on the brakes. Each time he did that, more people sprinted out to try and board the aircraft.

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“The pilot wasn’t trying to pack people in, he was avoiding debris on the ramp,” explains Nguyen, who got what could loosely be called a premium spot to stand by the porthole near the C-130’s left paratroop door. “The loadmaster said, ‘I think that’s enough,’ and closed the cargo ramp. We ta x ied out and then took off.” When the ramp door wa s f i na l ly shut, t here were four hu n dre d and f if ty-two people aboard

t he Hercu les. A n entire subdiv ision’s worth of people was crammed into an aircraft designed to carry ninety paratroopers. Wit h t h i r t y-one other people on the f light deck, none of whom k new how to f l y, P h u o n g t r i e d to lift off at the 9,000foot runway marker. Not hi ng happened. T he a i rc r a f t, overloaded by at least 20,200 pounds, trundled past the end of t he 10,0 0 0 -foot runway. “He couldn’t pull the nose up until he got to the end of the 1,000-foot overrun,” remembers Nguyen. “We stayed in ground ef fect for t welve or f if teen mi les before we star ted gaining altitude.” Phuong, who didn’t have a map, aimed for Thailand. One and one-half hours into the flight and over the South China Sea, he realized he was going the wrong direction. A C-7 Caribou pilot managed to work his way through the crowd and take the copilot’s seat. Fortunately, that pilot had a map and began navigating. The duo turned the aircraft around and f lew a reciprocal heading back over Saigon. They landed at U-Tapao RTAFB, Thailand, three and one-half hours later in what should have been a ninety-minute f light. The next day, most of the record crowd from Nguyen’s f light were put on a C-141 transport to Guam, where the United States had established a refugee processing center. “We thought we would be able to go back to Vietnam and regroup and fight again,” recalls Nguyen, a VNAF officer. “That night, we found out South Vietnam’s president had surrendered, and the Communists had taken over. I realized I couldn’t go back.” A New Start

Nguyen stayed at the refugee camp for a few days and pondered his nex t move. “I couldn’t just sit on the beach at Gua m a nd daydrea m about going back to Vietnam,” he says. “I had to go to America. I wanted to work for the company that built the C-130 that had gotten me out.” From Guam, he f lew to the relocation camp at Eglin AFB, Florida. The camp was designed to help refugees not only learn to speak English—or speak better English, in Nguyen’s case—but also to learn such life skills as getting a job and driving on American roads.

When he arrived at the camp, he and the other refugees were given personal necessities, such as towels, soap, and underwear. But no shoes. The g round, hot f rom the Florida sun, inspired Nguyen to design his own footwear. He found a twoby-four plank, cut it into two pieces, and strapped the pieces to his feet. It was then that he met his future wife for the first time, an American volunt e e r n a me d C he r i . They would meet again later when Tim would help her with her college math courses. The Nguyens celebrate their twenty-seventh wedding anniversary this April. An area family sponsored Nguyen and helped him rent an apartment. He took English classes at night and worked at the newspaper during the day, making deliveries and doing odd jobs. He later transferred from a junior college in Florida to the University of Alabama, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1981. After graduating, he sent his resume to what was then known as Lock heed-Georgia Company. “I had a 3.7 GPA and had been working full time at the university medical center, but Lock heed rejected me,” Nguyen recalls. “I was a little insulted.” He went to work with Gulfstream Aerospace in Savannah. Later, he applied again to Lockheed and was hired to work in the company’s Marietta facility in 1983. Smooth As SATIN

In 1982, the US Air Force Scientific Advisory Board released a report titled The Enhancement of Airlift in Force Projection. One of the critical recommendations was that transports needed a suite of defensive equipment to counter infrared and radar-guided threats. Call it a coincidence, call it fate, but one of Nguyen’s first tasks at Marietta’s so-called Possum Works advanced projects group was to help develop a prototype defensive system for transport aircraft called SATIN, or Survivability Augmentation for Transport Installation—Now. “I really jumped at the chance to work on defensive systems,” Nguyen notes. “In Vietnam, I saw so many aircraft get shot down. That last morning, I saw a VNAF AC-119 gunship get hit by a surface-to-air missile, and it crashed right in front of us. Although the crew bailed out, they were so low their chutes didn’t open. I felt so helpless. Second Quarter 2005

been detected. They have to fire chaff and multiple flares I knew then I wanted to help protect f light crews so that to protect the area around the entire aircraft, not just never happened again.” specific areas.” SATIN was designed as a strap-on kit that required The game of cat-and-mouse between advanced missiles no permanent modif ications to the aircraf t. All the and advanced defensive systems has been elevated to a new antennas for the AN/ALR-69 radar warning receiver level in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. and the AN/ALQ-156 missile warning radar that tell Today, crews not only have to use their defensive systems the crew the location of incoming threats were screwed but also must employ a greater variety of f light tactics, on the aircraft’s exterior. The two standard paratroop such as rapid descents. “We even have specific patterns doors were replaced with alternate doors containing four for releasing chaff and f lares against specific threats,” built-in AN/ALE-40 dispensers. These dispensers launch Nguyen notes. “The threats are advancing, so the defenclouds of chaff and f lares for decoying radar-guided and sive systems need to advance as well.” heat-seeking missiles. Unlike on older aircraft, where the defensive system “We tested SATIN for two years on all kinds of IR and was an add-on, the defensive suite is built into the RF ranges,” observes Nguyen, who often f lew with the C-130J. Nguyen was an instrumental part of ensuring crews while the tests were being conducted. “It performed t he system worked. Group A well. However, it was developed equipment, such as wiring and on the Air Force’s nickel. When brackets, is installed in ever y the time came to put the kit into aircraf t on the assembly line. production, the Air Force put the Software to operate the system contract out for bids. We didn’t is built into the mission comwin. The Air Force did come back puter. Group B equipment, the and ask us to start installing the chaff and f lare dispensers, is a necessary wiring and brackets relatively straightforward matter for a defensive system on newto install. production C-130H3s, though. “Three hours after we delivered Basica lly, ever y large aircraf t the f irst C-130J to the Italian defensive system in service today A ir Force, we were out t here is based on the work we did.” installing the defensive system As Operation Desert Shield got hardware,” recalls Nguyen. “We under way in 1990, the Air Force f lew to a range in France, asked Lockheed and Nguyen’s tested t he s ystem, w rote t he group specif ica l ly to develop report, and got clearance from a defensive system for the C-5 the Italian government. A couple Galaxy strategic transport. “We Nguyen is a recognized of days later, I saw those aircraft crawled a l l over t he a ircraf t ; industry expert in developing in Afghanistan.” we developed a kit, and we tested and fielding defensive systems for transport aircraft. In April 2002, Italy was chosen it,” Nguyen notes. “There were a to f ly A fg ha n i st a n’s ex-k i ng lot of naysayers, but we completed Moha m mad Z a h i r Sha h, t he development of the system in six then-interim head of the government, Hamid Karzai, months.” Again, Nguyen worked with the maintainers and a nd Deput y Defense M i n i ster G en. Abdu l R a sh id f lew with the pilots to get the system operational. Dostum for a triumphant return to Kabul. Specifically because of its advanced defensive systems, C-130Js You Can’t Launch Just One were used to br i ng t hose leaders back to t heir “SATIN didn’t have any dispensers on the forward homeland. Italy used two of its Super Hercules on that part of the aircraf t,” adds Nguyen. “However, when mission, one to transport the dignitaries and one to f ly Desert Storm came around, we knew Iraq had advanced top cover. shoulder-fired missiles that could lock on a target from Maintenance is also easier with an integrated system, any aspect. Forward dispensers were added to the aircraft such as the one on the C-130J. “A Marine KC-130 has configuration to counter these threats. eighteen dispensers. That’s several hundred f lares,” “Twenty years ago, missile threats could be defeated Nguyen says. “In the old days, if one didn’t fire, a mainby f lying straight and level and popping one f lare out tainer would first have to check each dispenser. When he each side,” Nguyen notes. “Today, an enemy doesn’t even found the right dispenser, he had to check each individual need to aim at the hot spots on the aircraft. An advanced wire. Now on the C-130J, the system’s diagnostics identify missile can lock anywhere on the aircraft. A crew doesn’t which wire on which box malfunctioned.” know where the missile is coming from, just that it has 28

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Quite A Life

Nguyen’s diligence in developing systems and working with customers to deploy them was recognized in 1992, when he was named as the Hercules program employee of the year. Now fifty-four, he also volunteers with several community groups in his off-hours. His two daughters attend college on Lockheed Martin scholarships. “I have been very lucky in a lot of ways,” he says. In 2000, after some initial hesitation—and with approval by company security because of the sensitive nature of his work—Nguyen went back to Vietnam. “On approach to Saigon [now Ho Chi Minh City, but he says none of the residents call it that], I was very nervous. But the terrain looked the same. The runways looked the same, and the revetments were still there. The sights brought back a lot of memories.” He rode out to his hometown of Nha Trang. He found his father, brother, and sister. His father had been forced to go to a “reeducation” camp after the North Vietnamese took power. His brother and sister are both married and have children. His mother and several members of his extended family passed away in the intervening years. “My hometown had not changed much,” Nguyen notes. “The South Vietnamese Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy were both there, and they are still being used for the same purpose. The North just came in and changed the signs.” Nguyen is glad he went back, but he is even happier to return to the United States. “I am an American now. I missed being in America after just a week in Vietnam. I felt like an outsider.” Thirty years ago and 10,000 miles away, Tim Nguyen made a decision that changed his life. He sums up his feelings succinctly, “I have no regrets.”

The actual C-130A that brought Tim Nguyen—and 451 other people—to freedom in 1975 is now the gate guardian at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas.

Jeff Rhodes is the associate editor of Code One.

Second Quarter 2005

BY SCOTT LUSK

Production Support Aircraft Receives Block 60 Engine

THRUSTWORTHY A

n F-16 blasts dow n t he runway in f u l l afterburner, accelerating a scant 1,000 feet before lifting into the air and retracting the landing gear. As the aircraft speed exceeds 180 knots, the pilot pulls the nose up and executes a near vertical climb. Still accelerating, the F-16 surpasses 290 knots before passing 10,000 feet. While such raw display of power is nothing new for an F-16, this particular exhibition punctuates the first of many f lights for a unique airframe/engine combination. This F-16, with a familiar star logo on its tail, supports production and testing at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth. The two-seat USAF Block 50 F-16, referred to as CD-15, happens to be the first nonBlock 60 F-16 powered by a Block 60 engine—the General Electric F110-GE-132. “The max power takeoff underscores the confidence we have in this engine,” says Brian Erickson, the engine project program manager at Lockheed Martin. “These engines have already accumulated almost 2,000 hours of service in Block 60 F-16s. An afterburner takeoff is the standard US Air Force profile for engine functional check f lights.” The new engine, which replaces the standard F110GE-129 engine in the Block 50 aircraft, will power this F-16 for the duration of a product demonstration program, which is scheduled to last one year and may be extended. The engine swap is noticeable by only a few visible external changes. A General Electric logo and “F110-GE-132 Power” were applied to the tail (both in blue). The afterburner tail feathers on a -132 have slight extensions not found on the -129. Other differences require a look down the intake or exhaust sections and a familiarity with fan blades and augmentors. The engine was built at the Lockheed Martin Kelly Aviation Center in San Antonio and sold as a spare for Block 60 f light testing at the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, California. The spare was 30

Code One

ENGINE PHOTO BY ERIC HEHS

never needed, so General Electric bought the engine back from the Block 60 program and offered it free of charge to Lockheed Martin and the US Air Force to use in CD-15. “This situation is unique,” explains Erickson. “It would be comparable to Lockheed Martin repurchasing an F-16 to loan to another company for f light demonstrations.” GE’s goals, however, are not solely philanthropic. The success of this demonstration could result in additional sales of the -132 engine, which was developed specifically for Block 60 aircraft. And CD-15 makes an excellent platform because it is used as an evaluation aircraft for foreign military sale, as well as a target and chase aircraft for production acceptance f lights, test pilot proficiency training, and technolog y demonstrations. No aircraf t modif ications were required to accommodate the -132 for CD-15 and no restrictions were placed on its operation. The -132 engine incorporates the latest technologies and materials to produce the highest levels of propulsion system performance ever installed in an F-16. It also incorporates advanced materials and design technology to improve durability and operability and to reduce the life-cycle cost. GE may further improve the -132 engine by integrating a ne w s e r v ic e l i fe e x te n sion prog r a m c ore , or SL E P, already qualified for the -129 engine. The -132/SLEP core

PHOTOS BY TOM ARBOGAST

combination could also improve durability, extend the engine’s service life, and further reduce the F-16 system’s life-cycle cost. “This product demonstration will give us additional operationa l a nd ma intena nce data on t he eng ine,” says Al DiLibero, general manager of F110 engines at GE Aircraft Engines. “Having our latest fighter production engine in the Lockheed Martin F-16 demonstrator aircraft gives us additional visibility with potential customers. At the same time, the Air Force benefits from the f light demonstrations by monitoring the aircraft’s day-to-day activities and required maintenance. This information will be important if the USAF procures future F-16s or replaces engines in its existing f leet.” PHOTO BY KEVIN KYSER

The F110-GE-132 is the most advanced member of the F110 fighter engine family. It is derived from the -129, and produces up to 32,000 pounds of thrust. It also incorporates several new technologies, such as single-piece (or blisk) fan blade assemblies and a radial type augmentor. The new fan increases performance by providing higher airf low and allowing a higher pressure ratio than its predecessor. Its revolutionary three-dimensional aerodynamic design also increases efficiency and improves durability and reliability, all of which help reduce the cost of ownership/operation. T he r ad i a l au g mentor g ive s t he pi lot i mprove d afterburner capability throughout the entire f light envelope. The engine has fewer and more accessible components, which significantly reduce maintenance costs and result in improved combat-readiness rates. “The -132 has been designed to be compatible with existing F110 airframe installations,” DiLibero adds. “This compatibility gives current operators the option of upgrading their current f leet with -132 kits as the requirement for enhanced capability evolves.” Scott Lusk is in the communications leadership development program at Lockheed Martin.

Second Quarter 2005

E V E N T S

Raptor Rate Production Approved The Defense Acquisition Board, the Pentagon’s top procurement panel, approved full-rate production of the F/A-22 on 29 March. T he DAB, chair ed by ac t ing Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technolog y, and Logistic s Michael Wynne, announced the results of the meeting on 18 April. This milestone follows initial operational test findings in Februar y and March by both the Air Force and the Department of Defense that judged the aircraft to be “overwhelmingly effective” in its performance. The Air Force noted that full-rate production indicates a stable and efficient production and support base are established, and is not tied to a specific aircraft production rate. Lot 4, the most recent production award, was for twenty-two aircraft.

Photo by KEVIN ROBERTSON

Marines Deploy KC-130J To Iraq

Photo by CPL. JOEL CHAVERRI

Around The World An Air Force Reserve Command crew from the 403rd Wing at Keesler AFB, Mississippi, completed the first circumnavigation of the globe in a C-130J Super Hercules in February. The trek, which lasted twenty-two days and consisted of nine stops in seven countries, included displaying the aircraft at the Aero India International Air Show in Bangalore. The Reservists met US ambassadors, international business executives, flag officers from allied nations, and more than 100 media representatives. They also met Deputy Sultan and Crown Prince of Brunei, His Royal Highness Pg Muda Hj Al-Muhtadee Billah, while in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. The trip also included stops in the Czech Republic and in Japan.

The US Marine Corps deployed KC-130J Super Hercules tankers for the first time on 13 February as Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252 (VMGR-252) from MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, relieved VMGR-452, the Marine Reser ve KC-130T unit from Newburgh, New York, previously deployed to Al Asad, Iraq, since August 2004. VMGR-252 logged more than 200 flight hours in just two weeks in Iraq and reported that maintenance of up to forty hours per flight hour with the old KC-130F/R models was down to ten hours with the KC-130J. The KC-130J, like previous models, provides in-flight refueling as well as rapid ground refueling of aircraft and tactical vehicles.

Spangdahlem Sortie Record Surges

PHOTO BY SSGT. RANDY REDMAN

Photo by MSGT. DAVE AHLSCHWEDE

The 22nd Fighter Squadron, the 22nd Aircraft Maintenance Unit, and the 52nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron teamed to set a new record of seventy sorties per day in early March while simulating combat deployment at Spangdahlem AB, Germany. In all, the team compiled a record 273 sorties in four days. The 22nd FS normally averages about twenty-two sorties a day. During the surge, the total went to sixty-six sorties a day, a 300 percent increase.

Code One

Humanitarian Airlift

Training Raptor Maintainers

Guard and active duty C-130 Hercules aircrews assigned to the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at Karshi-Khanabad AB, Uzbekistan, completed thirteen container delivery system airdrop missions of more than 127,000 pounds of humanitarian cargo to civilians in remote regions of Afghanistan in January and February. The cargo, consisting of more than 13,000 pounds of supplies such as blankets and bottled water, were airdropped to areas cut off from ground supply routes because of snow in the mountains. In February alone, crews successfully airdropped eighty-five delivery system bundles despite bad weather and treacherous terrain.

PHOTO BY JOHN ROSSINO

Ground was broken for a new 119,000-square-foot, $19.7 million F/A-22 maintainer training facility at Sheppard AFB, Texas, on 18 February. Four primary Air Force specialties, including crew chiefs, will train at the facility. Twenty maintenance training devices will be housed in the school to provide training for fuel systems, armament, flight controls, avionics, seat and canopy structures, landing gear, hydraulics, and powerplant systems. The schoolhouse will also have an area for fiber-optic and connector repair training. The structure is expected to be completed next fall with a move-in date of January 2007.

PHOTO BY SSGT. SCOTT STURKOL

Upgrade Evaluation Lt. Col. John Montgomery, commander of the 55th Fighter Squadron, and Capt. Jim Govin, pilot with 55th FS, flew two newly modified F-16s from Shaw AFB, South Carolina, to Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, to give feedback on the Common Configuration Implementation Program, or CCIP, upgrade to members of the F-16 Systems Group. The pilots briefed officials on integrating the modifications into the flying unit and answered questions about the performance of the upgraded jets. CCIP is the largest F-16 modification effort ever undertaken. The 55th FS is the first continental US squadron to receive the CCIP aircraft. PHOTO BY SUSAN FERNS

Last Belgian F-16 MLU Delivered SABCA, a Belgian aerospace company, delivered the last Belgian Air Component (formerly Belgian Air Force) F-16 to receive the Mid-Life Update, or MLU, in ceremonies on 8 March at its CharleroiGosselies plant. The F-16 was also the 1,000th to be built or upgraded by SABCA since coproduction began in 1978. SABCA is currently involved in the Falcon STAR/M3 upgrade program. STAR, or Structural Augmentation Roadmap, extends the service life of the F-16. The M3 modification allows the aircraft to use the third version of the MLU software, which enables the F-16 to fire up-to-date, air-to-air missiles and drop satellite-guided bombs.

SABCA PHOTO

Second Quarter 2005

Malta Rescue

End Of A Cold Era

A P-3 Orion crew from Patrol Squadron 5 (VP-5) deployed to Sigonella, Sicily, to assist in a search-and-rescue mission of the civilian cargo vessel, Vigla, in February when the vessel exploded 150 miles southeast of Malta. Britain’s HMS Nottingham and an Italian military helicopter crew initiated the rescue effort. The Orion crew, homeported at NAS Jacksonville, Florida, then joined the search. The Orion lent unique support because of its ability to stay on mission for up to ten hours, but the mission ultimately became search-and-recovery for the Vigla’s crew.

PHOTO BY tSGT. JOE ZUCCARO

The 452nd Air Mobility Wing crew from March ARB, California, made the last C-141 flight from the South Pole on 4 February, completing another chapter in the career of the StarLifter. Since 1966, when the StarLifter was the first jet engine aircraft to land at the South Pole, C-141 crews have flown personnel and equipment to Antarctica to support National Science Foundation research efforts. This season, more than 2.7 million pounds of cargo and approximately 3,000 passengers were transported to support Operation Deep Freeze. Reserve crews have flown more than 200 perfect-record missions a year to Antarctica—no accidents and no aircraft or crew were left on the ice.

PHOTO BY PM2 RICHARD BRUNSON

PHOTO BY PM2 Richard J. Brunson

Golden Eagle Milestones

ROKAF PHOTO

The supersonic T-50 Golden Eagle advanced jet trainer attained several significant milestones last fall: achieving maximum load factors of +8 g and -3 g; reaching maximum operating speed of 675 knots calibrated air speed (which corresponds to 815 knots true air speed) and 1.3 Mach (which represents the highest dynamic air pressure on the aircraft); beginning stores separation testing with the release of a 150-gallon fuel tank; and completing secondlifetime structural durability testing. All ground structural testing is complete. The flight test program is approximately eighty percent complete. The T-50 is being developed by Korea Aerospace Industries with assistance from Lockheed Martin.

Hurricane Hunters Honored Air Force Reservists in the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron at Keesler AFB, Mississippi, received two awards in March for their work during the 2004 storm season. The squadron, known as the Hurricane Hunters, received the Meteorology Award during the 27th Annual National Hurricane Conference in New Orleans for its achievements during one of the most furious storm seasons in histor y. The 53rd WRS later received the 2004 Richard H. Hagemeyer Award at the 2005 Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference in Jacksonville, Florida, for its heroic efforts and contributions to the nation’s hurricane warning program. The squadron logged more than eighty flights into tropical storms and hurricanes last August and September and, at times, tracked two storms simultaneously.

Code One

PHOTO BY KATHY PAINE

Load’s Clear

ROKAF Chief Flies T-50 Trainer

Photo by John Rossino

A stretch C-130J, tested at the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, California, demonstrated in February it can airdrop up to 40,000 pounds of bundled equipment with no damage to the equipment. The objective of the tests was to assess the damage rate to the released bundles to calculate how much extra equipment must be dropped so ground forces receive the serviceable amount needed. Of the twenty-four container delivery system bundles released during eight flights in five days, none were damaged. The 100 percent survivability rate means the stretch C-130J does not have to carry extra equipment for such drops. The test drops consisted of water drums rigged to create pallets weighing as much as 2,300 pounds.

JSF Targeting Laser Delivered

ILLUSTRATIONS BY TRAVIS DESAIR

BAE Systems delivered the first laser for the electro-optical targeting system, or EOTS, for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 23 February. The EOTS uses a starring midwave thirdgeneration FLIR that provides target detection and identification at greatly increased standoff ranges. EOTS also provides high-resolution imagery, automatic tracking, infrared search-and-track, laser designation and range finding, and laser spot tracking. It has a high degree of commonality with the Sniper XR targeting pod and provides high reliability and efficient two-level maintenance. The low-drag, stealthy EOTS, which is integrated into the F-35’s fuselage with a durable sapphire window, is linked to the aircraft’s integrated central computer through a high-speed fiber-optic interface.

ROKAF PHOTO

Gen. Lee, Han Ho, Chief of Staff of the Republic of Korea Air Force, flew the T-50 Golden Eagle advanced jet trainer 5. Lee, an experienced fighter pilot and test pilot, flew from the rear cockpit and performed maneuvers that included steep turns, 360-degree rolls, a loop, and one touch-and-go landing. He is the first general to fly the T-50. During the fifty-one-minute flight, test pilot Lt. Col. C. H. Lee took the aircraft to a speed of 1.05 Mach and demonstrated a high-angle-of-attack recovery.

Turkey To Upgrade F-16 Fleet The United States and Turkey signed an agreement in April for a systems upgrade program that will create a common avionics configuration for Turkey’s F-16 Block 40 and 50 aircraft. The upgrade consists of the APG-68(V)9 multimode radar, color cockpit displays, new core avionics processors, the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System, Link-16 data link, advanced interrogator/transponder, integrated precision navigation, a unique electronic warfare system, and compatibility with a number of weapons and targeting systems. The program, dubbed Peace Onyx III, will ensure the Turkish F-16s have a high degree of commonality with US and allied F-16s. Lockheed Martin will serve as the principal contractor with TUSAS Aerospace Industries making the modifications in Turkey.

Photo by KATSUHIKO TOKUNAGA

Second Quarter 2005

Combat Talon Modifications Tested

Heading Into The Sunset The 730th Airlift Squadron at March ARB, California, was retired on 19 March, sixty-two years after it first stood up as a B-17 unit during World War II. The squadron, which was reactivated in 1947, flew at least ten different types of aircraft before converting to the C-141 and becoming the 730th Military Airlift Squadron in 1968. When Norton AFB, California, was closed in 1993, the airlift unit there moved to March to become the 730th Airlift Squadron. Marchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s four remaining StarLifters are scheduled to retire this spring. The 730th was the first associate unit in the Air Force Reserve, a system in which reservists fly active duty aircraft and augment active duty crews.

USAF Photo

The first risk-reduction flight of an MC-130E Combat Talon I upgraded with new avionics was conducted at the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, California, on 15 March. The flights will determine the performance of the new terrain-following radar and algorithms that produce a visual cue by which the pilots fly. The upgrades include a glass cockpit with a head-up display as well as new radar, flight management system, and air data computer. A new radome is also being evaluated. The aircraft tested belongs to the Air Force Reserve Commandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 919th Special Operations Wing at Duke Field, Florida. Photo by msgt. BILL KIMBLE

F135 Engine Testing Milestone

Last Italian C-130J Delivered The last C-130J Super Hercules airlifter was delivered to the Italian Air Force on 10 February, completing a twenty-two aircraft program for Italy and replacing a fleet of early 1970s-era C-130Hs. In all, Italy received ten longer fuselage C-130s and twelve standardlength C-130s. Six of the standard aircraft will be operated as KC-130J tankers, a capability the Italian Air Force has not previously employed. In addition to the aircraft, the Italian C-130J program also includes construction of a National Training Center, a two-story, 57,000-square-foot simulator and training facility that opened in 2003. The first Super Hercules for Italy was delivered in 2000.

PRATT & WHITNEY PHOTO

The F135 engine program surpassed 2,500 system development and demonstration test hours in mid March. This milestone was achieved during runs at the Prat t & Whitney test facilit y in West Palm Beach, Florida, and represents cumulative hours of F135 System Design and Demonstration, SDD, testing for all three F-35 Joint Strike Fighter variants. The 2,500 SDD test hours are in addition to the more than 3,500 test hours the F135 accumulated during the X-35 concept demonstration phase. Pratt & Whitney will deliver the first flight test engine in December in preparation for initial flight release in January 2006 and first flight in August 2006. Production deliveries of the F135 are scheduled to begin in early 2009.

Code One

PHOTOS BY JOHN ROSSINO

This space is devoted to announcements and items of general interest. For our non-pilot readers, NOTAM is short for notice to airmen. NOTAMS, briefed before every mission, contain important information that may concern the flight.

Papal Patrol

Operation Sumatra Assist, Phase II Indonesia was rocked by a magnitude 8.7 earthquake on 29 March, just three months after the devastating tsunami in December. Two Royal Australian Air Force C-130Js, loaded with medical supplies, an aeromedical evacuation team, and other Australian Defence Force personnel, were dispatched to the region the next day.

This Won’t Hurt A Bit SSgt. Rob Caskey drills into a metal plate on the right wing flap of a C-141 during the last C-141 isochronal inspection by the 445th Maintenance Squadron at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. ISO inspections usually occur at home station during which units examine numerous essential aircraft systems, such as propulsion and hydraulics. Air Force Reserve Command’s 445th Airlift Wing will begin transitioning from the C-141 to the C-5 later this year.

F-16s from 37 Stormo from Trapani AB enforced a temporary no-fly zone over Rome during the funeral of Pope John Paul II on 8 April. During the event, two Italian F-16s intercepted a commuter jet that was inbound for Rome Ciampino airport and forced it to land at Pratica di Mare AB, south of Rome.

Air Force Chopper Unveiled Orange County Choppers Inc., a custom motorcycle fabrication company in Rock Tavern, New York, unveiled the US Air Force Chopper at Atlanta Motor Speedway’s Golden Corral 500 NASCAR race on 20 March. The ten-foot-long bike styled after the F/A-22 Raptor was complete with Air Force-symbol rims, riveted gas tank, Raptor exhausts, and jet-shaped rearview mirrors. The motorcycle made its first Air Force appearance at Tyndall AFB, Florida, 22 March.

Buzz Around

Frozen Falcons F-16 crew chiefs look for debris on the taxiways at Aviano AB, Italy, several hours before launching their jets. The Airmen are assigned to the 31st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Aviano. A cold front hit the base in February and left almost six inches of snow.

A Tight Fit SSgts. Robin Walker and Greg Slavik performed a preflight inspection of an F-117 Nighthawk at Nellis AFB, Nevada, in March during Exercise Red Flag 05-03. More than 100 aircraft and 2,000 service members from the US Air Force, Air National Guard, Navy, and Army units participated in Red Flag, an exercise that provides aircrews and maintainers needed training before potential deployments.

Shockwave The Royal Netherlands Air Force Solo Display got a new aircraft in a new paint scheme for the 2005 show season. The aircraft, an F-16AM—an A model that has gone through the Mid-Life Update program, was unveiled at the Stork Fokker plant in Woensdrecht in March. The team consists of one pilot, two coaches, and five technical specialists drawn from 306, 311, and 312 Squadrons (the three F-16 units at Volkel AB). This year’s demo pilot is Capt. Gert-Jan Vooren.

Retired Air Force Col. Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, visited Luke AFB, Arizona, in February to introduce his fifteen-year-old grandson, Jeffrey Schuss, to the US Air Force. Escorting Aldrin and eleven family members was the astronaut’s nephew, Capt. Matt Crowell, an F-16 instructor pilot with the 310th Fighter Squadron. After watching F-16s launch, the group took a closer look at an F-16 on static display.

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