According to base officials, the storm produced wind gusts in excess of 50 mph. It came through early in the morning before the crowds had arrived, bringing with it lightning and rain.

The airshow held the day before had attracted more than 65,000 visitors, according to an U.S. Air Force spokesperson.

Of those injured, six were military medical personnel and four were civilian vendors. All were outside on the flight line when the damaging winds occurred. 

“Due to the timing of the inclement weather, spectators had not entered the event area,” the spokesperson said.

Additionally, some vendors reported damage to booths and the wind relocated many portable toilets. One building on base was struck by lightning, but there was no reported damage to the structure.

Because of damages to services, Sunday’s airshow was canceled.

Video of the show area during the storm showed flattened tents and chairs, and aircraft blowing across a water-logged ramp. There were no reports of significant damage to the larger aircraft on display. 

Airmen made several foreign object debris (FOD) walks looking for trash and parts of aircraft deposited on the ramp by the storm.

“Safety is always our first priority at McConnell, especially when it comes to hosting the community for an airshow,” the spokesman told FLYING.

The post Injuries Reported After Severe Storm Strikes Before Airshow appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

According to the space agency, Engle was born in Abilene, Kansas, in 1932. His family said he was enamored with flight since childhood and always had his eyes on the sky. 

Engle’s entry into the world of aerospace began when he earned a degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Kansas in 1955. He then entered the Air Force through the Reserve Officers Training Corps, earning a commission as pilot in 1958. His first assignment was flying F-100s with the 474th Fighter Day Squadron. He was later assigned to the 309th Tactical Fighter Squadron at George Air Force Base, California.

In the early 1960s as the Space Race was ramping up, Engle applied for and was accepted to Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS), which was established at Edwards AFB, California, to train military astronauts. While there, he was selected to fly the X-15 in a joint test program between the U.S. Air Force and NASA, according to Space.com. On June 29, 1965, during a flight of the X-15 rocket plane he flew 50 miles above the earth which qualified him for his astronaut wings.

He would repeat the flight twice more before being selected for astronaut training in 1966.

At the age of 32, he was the youngest of the astronaut candidates and the only one who already qualified for astronaut wings because of his experience in the X-15, according to NASA. Engle served as a support crew member for Apollo 10 and later was named as the backup lunar module pilot for the 1971 Apollo 14 mission.

Engle remained at NASA and in 1977 became the commander of one of the two crews assigned to space shuttle Enterprise. The Enterprise was designed as a proof-of-concept vehicle and was used for atmospheric testing. The orbiter was launched from the top of a specially modified 747, and Engle’s job was to fly it to the ground.

In 1981 Engle was piloting space shuttle Columbia on the second mission of America’s reusable spacecraft. The technology still had a few bugs in it, and what was supposed to have been a five-day mission was cut short to two days because of a fuel cell malfunction. 

Engle later told the press that the vibrations experienced during the launch were “very impressive” and very loud. He compared it to “an old pickup truck with a lot of loose tools in the back.”

Engles final flight into space was in August 1985 aboard space shuttle Discovery.

NASA’s official biography of Engle noted that during his career he flew more than 180 different types of aircraft, logging more than 14,000 hours. His military decorations included the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal, USAF Distinguished Service Medal, and the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster.

He was also the recipient of the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and Space Flight Medal, the Harmon International, Collier, Lawrence Sperry, Iven C. Kinchloe, Robert H. Goddard and Thomas D. White aviation and space trophies.

In 1992, he was inducted into the Aerospace Walk of Honor.

Engle was married twice, first to Mary Catherine Lawrence, with whom he had two children and one stepchild. He is survived by his second wife, Jeanie Carter Engle.

The post Astronaut Joe Engle Has Died at 91 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Five aircraft from AFMC will be on static display on Boeing Plaza, led by the B-52 Bomber and C-17 Globemaster, EAA confirmed Thursday.

EAA’s annual fly-in convention is scheduled for July 22-28 at Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

• READ MORE: Flying In to AirVenture: A Carefully Orchestrated Cacophony of Chaos

B-52H Bomber Stratofortress

The B-52H has been part of the Air Force arsenal since 1952. Designed as a strategic long-range bomber, it can carry up to 70,000 pounds of ordinance. It was built to carry nuclear weapons then later modified for conventional ordinance.

It bomber has been used extensively in major military campaigns since the 1950s. This particular aircraft is based at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

C-17 Globemaster III

The C-17 is one of the most prevalent large cargo airplanes in the world, capable of airlifting hundreds of troops as well as heavy equipment. Often utilized for humanitarian relief missions, the aircraft has a range of nearly 3,000 miles.

F-15EX Eagle II

The F-15EX is a variant of the F-15E Strike Eagle with an updated avionics package. The fighter is a refined version of the F-15E, sporting a revised wing structure that increased the aircraft’s service life by 20,000 hours.

• READ MORE: Oshkosh 2024 Notice Outlines Changes for Pilots Flying to AirVenture

Beechcraft C-12 Huron

The C-12 is the military designation for a series of twin-prop aircraft based on the Beechcraft 1900 and Super King Air. The C-12 is used for embassy support, light cargo transport, and medical evacuation. 

X-40 Space Maneuver Vehicle

The X-40 is an unmanned, unpowered glide test vehicle created as a test platform for the X-37 Future-X reusable launch vehicle. It was designed by Boeing then delivered to NASA, which modified it to conduct further testing.

The X-40 will be showcased along with a B-52 munitions display inside a tent adjoining Boeing Plaza. Accompanying the aircraft will be a large number of Air Force personnel on hand to answer questions about their missions.

In addition, on July 27 the AFMC will also be featured during an evening program, focusing on test pilot school and the impact on global aviation, at the Theater in the Woods. 

The post Air Force B-52, C-17 Headed to EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The stealth strike bomber was unveiled in December 2022 and officially moved into low-rate production earlier this year. In January, Northrop Grumman said six B-21 bombers are in various stages of final assembly and testing at its facility in Palmdale, California.

On Wednesday, the Air Force released a new image of the aircraft it calls the “backbone of the  U.S. Air Force bomber fleet.”

Northrop Grumman on Thursday released an additional image of the bomber in flight, saying the test campaign at Edwards AFB was led by a Combined Test Force (CTF) composed of personnel representing the Air Force and the manufacturer.

“CTF test pilots indicate the jet is performing as expected with the aircraft flying like the simulator, reflecting the precision of the digital environment on B-21,” Northrop Grumman said in a statement.

• READ MORE: Pentagon Greenlights B-21 Production

Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, addressed the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this month on the B-21’s progress.

“We are in the flight test program, [and] the flight test program is proceeding well,” said Hunter. “It is doing what flight test programs are designed to do, which is helping us learn about the unique characteristics of this platform, but in a very effective way.” 

Designed to carry out long-range conventional and nuclear missions, the B-21 is set to eventually replace aging B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit fleets. The B-21 is scheduled to hit full operational status in the mid-2020s.

• READ MORE: B-21 Raider Takes First Flight

The Air Force has said it intends to purchase at least 100 of the aircraft. Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, has been designated as the first main operating facility for the B-21 and its formal training unit. 

The post B-21 Flight Testing, Production ‘Continues to Make Progress,’ Air Force Says appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Since 2020, the U.S. Air Force has had a program called Agility Prime to look at electric aviation’s potential uses, but now legislators want the effort to be ramped up. As part of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, the bill would “set up a working group made up of top-ranking defense officials” to kick-start Agility Prime, and it’s throwing some major brass at it.

The new committee, if approved, would be run by the Secretary of the Air Force and would include the Army and Navy secretaries and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Air Force Secretary would have to submit a first report by September 2025 and annually until 2027.

The Air Force already has contracts with several companies developing eVTOLs, including Beta Technologies, which delivered a test article of its Alia aircraft to Florida’s Eglin Air Force Base, where it did its first test flight in November.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post Legislators Want Military to Speed Up Electric Aircraft Integration appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The incident occurred Monday at the 82nd Training Wing at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas, but the pilot was attached to the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program that instructs new military pilots from Canada and various European countries.

The pilot was taken to a hospital but died about 12 hours after the incident, which the Air Force is currently investigating.

There have been issues with the ejection seats in Texan IIs, which have been in service for 17 years and are based on the Pilatus PC-9 built under license by Beechcraft. The airplanes were grounded in 2022 after a potential defect was discovered in the Martin-Baker seats’ explosive cartridge, and some were replaced.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post Air Force Instructor Dies After Texan II’s Ejection Seat Activates on Ground appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

It fulfilled primary trainer duties for more than 20 years and was modified to serve as a light ground attack aircraft in the form of the A-37 Dragonfly. However, as the 1980s approached, so did the end of the T-37’s projected life cycle, and military leaders determined a more modern replacement was needed.

Among the items on the Air Force’s wish list were cabin pressurization, increased range, lower fuel consumption, increased power, and updated avionics. In 1981, a request for proposal (RFP) was issued for a replacement. Several companies responded, but ultimately, Fairchild was chosen, and its proposed aircraft was given the designation T-46.

• READ MORE: The Bold, Bulbous Douglas Cloudster II

Compared to the T-37, the T-46 was nearly identical in external dimensions with similar empty and maximum weights. The most significant visual differences were the T-46’s high wing and the “H” tail, with twin vertical stabilizers mounted to the ends of the horizontal stabilizer that strongly resembled those of the company’s previous jet, the A-10 Thunderbolt II.

The selection of twin vertical stabilizers for the T-46 is an interesting one. Historically, this tail configuration was intended to provide a clear area for jet exhaust, add redundancy to aircraft anticipated to sustain battle damage, or increase yaw authority by placing the rudders within the prop wash of wing-mounted engines. None of these concerns applied to the T-46, and one wonders whether Fairchild simply aimed to save money by repurposing its former engineering efforts in the A-10 program for its new aircraft.

Before any conforming examples took flight, Fairchild contracted with a third party to fabricate a smaller, 62 percent scale proof of concept. The concept, called the Model 73 NGT, was then flown by Burt Rutan’s company in Mojave, California, for the initial test flights. The NGT served its purpose and is on display at the Cradle of Aviation Museum on Long Island, New York.

• READ MORE: Cessna 407: Full Steam Ahead, Right Up Until the End

When the initial, full-scale T-46 prototypes took flight, a number of problems arose. As outlined in a U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) report, the aircraft’s drag was too high, it did not provide adequate stall warning, the primary flight controls had trim problems that affected stability, and the speedbrakes created unacceptable buffet levels. Additionally, the T-46’s weight ballooned to a figure of 900 pounds higher than projected. 

While the Air Force observed that many of these problems were common among new types and could likely be remedied, Fairchild was also found to be struggling with cost, schedule, and contract difficulties. At least one source suggested that the rising development costs of the Saab-Fairchild SF340 commuter turboprop were eating into Fairchild’s budget for other projects and stretching its resources thin. 

In March 1987, with three prototypes flying and 10 additional examples in various stages of assembly and some 17 months after the first flight, the T-46 program was canceled. Most attribute the decision to a combination of the aforementioned internal struggles at Fairchild as well as a strong motivation for the U.S. Congress to cut costs across the board. 

• READ MORE: The One, Brief Life of the Twin Cat

For an aircraft type that generally showed promise, it was unfortunate. The T-46 stood to follow in the T-37’s footsteps, with potential armed export versions on the horizon that could have kept Fairchild in business for many years. In theory, the company could have even modified the cabin to accommodate passengers, as Cessna did with its full-scale mock-up of the model 407.

Today, all three T-46 prototypes survive. One is in storage at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Arizona, one is on display at the Air Force Flight Test Museum at Edwards Air Force Base in California, and one is undergoing restoration at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.

The post The Unfulfilled Promise of the Fairchild T-46 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The single-seat F-16 assigned to the 49th Wing based at Holloman AFB went down around 11:50 a.m. MDT, according to the Air Force.

The crash occurred near White Sands National Park about 7 miles from the base, near the U.S. Army’s White Sands Missile Range.

According to a report in Air Force Times, Holloman is a training hub for F-16 pilots, graduating an average of 180 candidates per year. Tuesday’s crash marks the fourth involving Air Force F-16s within the past 12 months, with the other three occurring in South Korea.

The news source cited an average of three F-16 losses per year over the past 10 years. The service operates 841 Fighting Falcons, with plans to reduce that to 830 during fiscal year 2025, according to the report.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post Pilot Safely Ejects From F-16 Crash in New Mexico appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The helicopters, which are manufactured by partners Boeing and Leonardo, are scheduled to replace the U.S. Air Force’s aging fleet of Bell UH-1N Hueys that perform missions such as off-base nuclear weapons convoy surveillance and routine missile site support. The service has operated the military variant of the Bell 212 since 1970.

• READ MORE: MH-139A Grey Wolf Training Unit Activates at Maxwell AFB

“Aircrew from the 550th Helicopter Squadron took the MH-139 for a spin yesterday, marking the occasion as the Grey Wolf’s first flight from Malmstrom AFB,” Air Force Global Strike Command said in a March 21 post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The squadron activated last year and is responsible for Air Force Global Strike Command’s training and conversion to the MH-139 Grey Wolf. The first helicopter arrived at the air base earlier this month.

• READ MORE: Boeing MH-139 Grey Wolf Progresses into Flight Testing

“The aircraft will play a crucial role in a variety of missions, including intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) security operations, search and rescue efforts, and personnel transport,” the Air Force said.

The Air Force, which initially planned to order 80 MH-139s, has reduced its projected buy to 42, Air and Space Forces Magazine recently reported. Malmstrom AFB is one of three ICBM bases where the helicopter will be stationed. Malmstrom, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming, and Minot AFB, North Dakota, will each receive 11 of the aircraft.

Grey Wolf in a Blue Sky

Aircrew from the 550th Helicopter Squadron took the MH-139 for a spin yesterday, marking the occasion as the Grey Wolf’s first flight from Malmstrom AFB. @usairforce @US_STRATCOM @BoeingDefense pic.twitter.com/xdXXjVoamb

— Air Force Global Strike Command (@AFGlobalStrike) March 21, 2024

The post Air Force MH-139A Grey Wolf Makes First Flight in Montana appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Joby Aviation, a manufacturer of eVTOL air taxis that it expects to begin operating in 2025, on Tuesday committed to deliver two aircraft to MacDill Air Force Base (KMCF) in Tampa, Florida, to be used for Air Force training and testing. The agreement is an expansion of the company’s $131 million contract with AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Air Force, which calls for the delivery of nine aircraft.

In total, Joby’s completed and current work with the U.S. Department of Defense represents a contract value of $163 million: a figure the firm claims is the largest in the eVTOL industry. Competitors Archer Aviation and Beta Technologies, among others, also own contracts with AFWERX.

MacDill Air Force Base is home to the U.S. Special Operations Command, U.S. Central Command, and several Air Mobility Command and logistics-focused units within the military. Air Force personnel will test and train with Joby’s aircraft on the base and in the surrounding area.

“The early investment and vision by the U.S. government in this critical technology is proving foundational as we continue our path toward commercial passenger service,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby. “This work will provide Joby with valuable early operational experience, while providing the U.S. Air Force with firsthand understanding of the performance of our aircraft and its potential applications.”

Joby’s electric air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and up to four passengers, with a range of about 100 sm (87 nm) and cruise speed of 200 mph (174 knots). It produces zero operating emissions and a fraction of the noise of helicopters, according to the manufacturer.

Through AFWERX, the Air Force is able to experiment with aircraft such as Joby’s without spending billions on development and production. The manufacturers of those vehicles, meanwhile, receive a funding boost and take to the skies before obtaining FAA type certification. These early flights may provide critical data points to inform Joby as it refines its design, particularly when it comes to the experience of pilots.

“The Agility Prime team is very excited to progress through a novel acquisition approach,” said Lieutenant Colonel John Tekell, branch chief of Agility Prime, a division within AFWERX focused on vertical lift technologies. “These two aircraft at MacDill AFB allow the program to take the next steps in learning to maximize the operational opportunity of eVTOLs.”

For the first time, Joby at MacDill will work directly with DOD operational units. Personnel will use the aircraft to conduct logistics missions and test use cases in personnel transport, casualty evacuation, and support of security forces.

Joby in September delivered the first of nine eVTOL air taxis to the Air Force ahead of schedule, shipping it to Edwards Air Force Base in California. With one additional aircraft expected to be delivered to Edwards this year and two scheduled to be shipped to MacDill, the company has now committed a total of four aircraft to the department.

Air Force experimentation at Edwards is expected to inform the future test campaign at MacDill. In addition, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Army aviators, ground crews, and program managers have visited Joby’s flight test facility in Marina, California, for ongoing flight training. 

Personnel are further exploring potential logistics, medical, and personnel transport applications for the aircraft. According to Joby, initial evaluations have proven the model’s high speed, low noise, and minimal maintenance and operating costs make it suitable for a wide variety of use cases.

Continued evaluations and pilot training will allow Joby’s air taxi to log critical flight hours before it enters commercial service, accelerating its development and, in theory, improving safety.

Recently, the manufacturer completed a key step toward that commercial rollout. The FAA in February approved Joby’s certification plans for various aircraft components such as structural, mechanical, and electrical systems, part of the company’s type certification process. The next phase involves submitting a curriculum to be used in for-credit FAA evaluations of the aircraft, which will most likely happen at the end of this year or the start of next.

If Joby can pass that test, it will move to the final steps. Type certification could follow soon after.

Joby is not the only eVTOL manufacturer relying on AFWERX to give it a lift throughout the process.

Competitor Archer, for example, has its own $142 million contract with AFWERX, under which it expects to deliver up to six aircraft to an Air Force base yet to be determined. Both Archer and Joby received $1 million in early payments from the department last year, representing each company’s first revenue.

Another competitor, Beta, in January wrapped up its first electric aircraft deployment for the Air Force at Eglin Air Force Base’s Duke Field (KEGI) in Florida.

In addition to working with private firms, AFWERX is collaborating with the FAA to share eVTOL testing capabilities and data. Another partnership with NASA aims to develop a nationwide digital operations center for air taxi services, which would help manage eVTOL traffic.

The interplay between manufacturers and these government partners will be interesting to watch as the FAA steers the U.S. toward the goals outlined in its Innovate28 blueprint. The document, while holding no legal standing, outlines the agency’s approach to air taxi services in the short term, culminating in scaled operations in time for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Like this story? We think you’ll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.

The post Joby Commits to Deliver 2 Air Taxis to MacDill Air Force Base appeared first on FLYING Magazine.