Midway SBD

This past week, I had the opportunity to pass through Chicago's Midway airport. Nice little airport. As I walked out of Concourse A, I was surprised to walk under a WWII era SBD Dauntless dive bomber.

This model aircraft was the US Navy's primary bomber aircraft when the war started. It is extremely rare these days - not very many survived the war and subsequent scrapper's torches. It was not a popular aircraft with post war aviation folks, so there just weren't many that were saved.

This particular aircraft was located in Lake Michigan in 1989, and brought to the surface in 1991. It was shipped to the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, where it underwent a full restoration. Initially, it was displayed at the USAF Museum in Dayton, painted as an Army A-24.

The aircraft had been ditched in the lake on December 14, 1944, by Ensign Albert O'Dell, who had run out of fuel while practicing carrier landings on the USS Sable. Ensign O'Dell was recovered with minor injuries. His aircraft, BuNo 10575, sat on the bottom of the lake, preserved remarkably well by the frigid waters for 47 years.

In 2004, the SBD 10575(Scout Bomber Douglas) was repainted to represent one that had flown during the Battle of Midway. It was enshrined above the entrance to Concourse A, along with a very nice display honoring the Battle of Midway. (Midway Airport was given its current name in 1949 by the City of Chicago to recognize the Battle of Midway.)

SBDs played a key role in the Battle of Midway, sinking 4 Japanese carriers with dive bombing attacks, and turning the tide of the war. Having one pulled from Lake Michigan, then being restored and displayed at the airport named for the battle, is very zen-like, don't you think?

Our New Breed of Aviator Warriors?

Drones have become an important part of our aerial might, there is no doubt about it. Global Hawks, Predators, Reapers, and more are becomming an integral component of aerial forces, particularly in recon tasking.

Uninhabited Aerial Systems, Unmanned Aerial Systems, Unmanned Aerial vehicles, Uninhabited Combat Aviation Systems .... the names keep changing to make them seem more complex and capable. Notice Uninhabited is replacing Unmanned - PC is even invading the drone world ....

The Obama Administration, Deense Secretary Gates, and some of the Pentagon's brass is infatuated with these radio controlled things. They see them as cheap (with cheap being a relative term!) vehicles that can do jobs without risking pilots (which is a good thing). They see them as the perfect weapon to wage a low intensity war against widely scattered, poorly armed terrorist types. They also see a future expansion of drone operations, to include fighter and bomber missions, and aircraft landing on carriers at sea - I have heard quotes from several officials stating they want to see a completely pilotless aerial force.

There are mutliple problems with these things. We lose a lot of these things, and they do cost multiple millions of dollars each. Most of them are completely reliant upon radio communications through satellites to ground control stations that may be half a world away. While most of them are under live operator control, the operator only has as much information on the situation as he can get from the vehicle's sensors, and other observors, if any.

A big problem I see is with the pilots who control these things. Currently, they are fully trained aviators who have been 'demoted' to flying a joystick from an armchair. These pilots are pissed off at this. The government has spent upwards of a million dollars for each of these pilots for training. Pilots who spend time in 'the chair' are unlikely to fly a real airplane for the military again - there are simply too many pilots for too few airplanes these days, and it's going to get worse for them.

Pretty soon, the government is going to figure out they don't have to have fully trained pilots for drones, and they will begin training drone operators - not pilots. Very sad.

Cockpit of the future:

Give Me A F'ing Break - Forwarded

I'd like to share some thoughts from Outlaw13, posted over at threedonia, concerning the hazards faced by those flying drones over the war zones. Being a combat aviator in Iraq on his third tour, he is certainly entitled to this opinion ....

"I post this story from the newspaper for purely selfish reasons. It boils my blood to read about a person who wakes up every morning in their own bed, drives their car to work, flies an Uninhabited Aerial System (UAS) from a work station for several hours and at the end of the day returns to their home and then complains about how hard that is for them to deal with. I have been to Iraq three times for a grand total of 31+ months now, at last count I have lost at least 15 friends I have known over the years to this conflict. I have been mortared, rocketed and shot at with machine guns and assorted weapons of all types. In this article you will read of Airmen who will tell you how they have heard the sound of gunfire over the radio as they responded to attacks against our troops. I have as well, and I can tell you it has added meaning to you when you know you are going to be flying over that gun fire in minutes if not seconds and they are likely to be shooting at you next. "

You can read the rest at this link, if it is of interest .....

http://www.threedonia.com/archives/15278

Deadly Week for US Military Aviators

This past week has been a brutal reminder that our military fliers are constantly exposed to danger, whether in a war zone, doing normal operations, or just training.

Thursday, a Coast Guard HC-130H collided with a Marine AH-1W off the Southern California coast, killing all 9 people on both aircraft. The USCG Hercules, s/n 1705, operating out of USCG Station Sacramento, was involved in search operations for a missing small boat. The Cobra, one of two escorting a pair of CH-53E troop transport helicopters, was operating out of Camp Pendleton on a routine training mission. The collision occurred at night. Extensive SAR efforts found debris, but no survivors.

On Wednesday, a Navy T-34C training aircraft, went down off the Texas coast. The two seat aircraft was on a training flight out of NAS Corpus Christi. As of late Friday, no trace of the aircraft or crew had been found.

Monday, two seperate accidents occurred in Afghanistan. There is no indication, at least so far, that enemy fire was the cause of either incident.

First, Marine AH-1W Cobra and UH-1N Huey aircraft collided in the southern part of the country, killing both on the Cobra and two of the four Marines on the huey.

Second, an Army CH-47D Chinook crashed during an anti-drug operation, while carrying service members, Afghan soldiers, and civilian (DEA/CIA) agents away at the conclusion of the operation. Seven US service members and 3 civilians on the chopper were killed. 26 more people were injured in the crash. Some reports state the chopper was under fire at the time, other reports say it was an accident.

Flying in the military is a dangerous game. No matter how much effort is given to safety, the nature and sheer amount of flying being done for operations and training mean that accidents will happen - no comfort to the loved ones of those who were lost, but it's the nature of the business.

Update - I missed one. A Navy TH-57C Jet Ranger training helicopter assigned to TAW-5 at NAS Whiting Field crashed near Milton, FL. The aircraft was on a normal training flight when it went down. Fortunately, both crew members got out with minor injuries.

Castration of the USAF: Part Trey - the ANG

The Air National Guard are units that belong to each state, giving the states their own individual military air assets. The main purposes of the ANG is to supplement the regular USAF as needed, and to provide emergency assistance within their own states during times of disaster.

In the 40's, 50's, 60s, and '70s, the Air Guard were very much considered weekend warriors. Using hand me down aircraft and equipment from the regular USAF, the units were rarely called upon to support their active duty counterparts. Most times ANG units were called up for active duty service, they went to stateside bases to backfill for active duty units deployed overseas.

In the '80s, a change started to occur, where the ANG was more closely integrated with active duty forces. Their equipment was upgraded, and though in many cases not the same capability as the active duty units, it was getting much closer. ANG units made more and more overseas deployments, to train in real world situations. These efforts were about to pay off.

The first Gulf War saw the first large scale use of ANG units on the frontline of combat operations. Transport, aerial refueling, and combat units were counted on heavily during the buildup, war, and aftermath.

Throughout the '90s, ANG units became critical components of frontline operations. With the military drawdown imposed by Clinton in 1994 and 1995, active duty units simply weren't enough to cover the commitments. Post 9/11 this became even more critical. OIF and OEF operations simply could not have been sustained for as long as they have been if it hadn't been for ANG units.

Now, for the bad part....

During the '90s and '00s, the ANG was upgrading its aircraft, to where it was flying almost the same stuff as active duty units. Fighter aircraft in particular were pretty much equivalent both in capability and age. However, very few new aircraft were being purchased for ANG use, and very few new ones were being bought for active duty use. Hence, aircraft in both sides of the service were being used up, to the point of having to be retired, and not being replaced. There are no more aircraft for the USAF to hand down to the ANG.

The ANG's limited fighter resources (and pretty much everything else) are running out of service life, and are going to end up retired to the Tucson desert long before they can be replaced. There are already units shutting down because they don't have aircraft to fly.

The USAF's efforts to buy new aircraft have not included any efforts for the ANG. Even though the active duty folks count on the Guard, they aren't helping them out at all with aircraft procurement. With a shortage of dollars to spend on the military these days, the ANG is being forgotten.

The ANG is fighting this, and actually, for the first time in its history, trying to procure aircraft on its own. They are talking about purchasing new build F-16s, F-15s, and even F-18s, to meet its own needs and to cover its active duty commitments. Whiel the Pentagon is hung up ont he F-35 being the answer to all its aircraft questions, there will not be any F-35s made available for the ANG for at least a decade. The ANG needs aircraft now, and they are smart in trying to pursue new build aircraft that are cheaper, and proven in design and capability.

Title photo - 111th Fighter Squadron, 147th Fighter Wing, Texas Air National Guard, based at Ellington ANGB in Houston, painted up this F-16C, s/n 84-1393, to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the base. Photographed the day before it was retired in June of 2008 by yours truly. The unit's F-16s ran out of service time, and were all retired to the desert. With no replacement aircraft available, the unit converted to drone operations - now its remaining pilots spend their time in trailers 'flying' drones located halfway around the world. This unit, with a long, proud history of service used to fly F-16s, F-4s, F-101s, F-102s, F-86s, P-51s ... all the way back to Jennys .....

Oct. 20, 1966

US aviation forces suffered a bad day in Southeast Asia on this day. One incident shows with clarity the lengths to which Search and Rescue efforts for downed aircrew would go.

F-4C 63-7518, 433TS 8TFW, was lost during an attack on a truck park in southern Laos. The crew, Maj. Breckenridge and Lt. Merrick, were able to eject about 10 miles south of the target.

HH-3C 65-12778, 38ARRS, flown by Maj. Youngblood was hit repeatedly by automatic weapons fire while trying to hoist one of the Phantom's crew aboard. It crashlanded about a mile away, with no casualties. The crew and the Phantom pilot were picked up under heavy fire by a second HH-3C, which then found and picked up the second Phantom crewman. The downed HH-3C helo was destroyed to keep it from falling into enemy hands.

A-1E 52-132410, 602ACS 14ACW, was lost to enemy fire while involved in covering efforts during the rescue of the Phantom's crew. The pilot, Capt. Wagener, did not make it out of the aircraft before it crashed, and died on the scene.

In other action:

A-4C 147775, VA-172 USS Roosevelt, was lost on an armed recon mission over North vietnam. The pilot, Lt. Purrington, successfully ejected and was captured.

A-4C 148592, VA-153 USS Constellation, was shot down after dropping its bombs on a railway bridge in North Vietnam. The pilot, Lt. Edwards, rode his aircraft down and was killed on impact.

F-104C 56-0918, 435TFS 8TFW. Another Stafigther lost during the type's miserable SEA performance, Capt. Tofferi's jet was shot down by automatic weapons fire while on an armed recon mission in northern Laos. He did not eject, and was killed.

Obama Orders Second Nuke Disarmament Study From Pentagon

President Obama, Airhead in Chief, has ordered the Pentagon to produce a second study detailing unilateral nuclear weapons cuts by US Armed Forces.

The study is to identify nuclear weapons systems that can be elimintated from our arsenal. Ths second study was ordered after the first study didn't make cuts deep enough for Obama's tastes.

For those who don't understand, unilateral disarmament means that we put down and eliminate weapons systems without any agreement from other countries that they will do the same.

Obama is doing this because the far left kook fringe wants us to be unarmed and helpless. He also wants to get praise from all of his buddy tinpot dictators around the world. Does he actually think that Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, North Korea, Iran, Britain are going to say "gee whiz, we ought to do the same"? No - they're going to be praising him in public, while laughing their asses off in private at the stupidity of this buffoon.

Take a Flight in Thunderbird

Lone Star Flight Museum offers rides in several of its aircraft, notably the B-17, B-25, T-6, and PT-17. The flights aren't cheap, but very high in 'bang for the buck'. Many veterans and their families visit LSFM regularly to experience the flights - some to remember times past, others to experience what their fathers knew.

I found this video on Youtube - I have no idea who shot it, but it's pretty neat.

If you are in the Galveston/Houston area, a visit to the museum is highly recommended. Check their website to see if your visit would coincide with one of their designated 'ride' days - if it does, I think it would be well worth your time and money to go up in one of these grand old birds.

(BTW - I've flown in the B-17 and B-25 - it's a hoot!)

September 1, 1966

Three USAF aircraft were lost on this day in SEA, all on the same mission. The lunacy of using the F-104 Starfighter for missions it had no business being sent on claims another casualty.

F-104C 57-0913, 435TFS 8TFW, flying out of Udorn AB, Thailand. Maj. Norman Schmidt was flying an armed recon mission in North Vietnam, when his aircraft was hit and downed by AAA. Maj. Schmidt successfully ejected, was captured, and subsequently beaten to death by his captors.

A search and rescue effort was mounted to try and recover Maj. Schmidt. Two A-1E Skyraiders were lost during the effort.

A-1E 52-132648, 602ACS 14ACW, Udorn AB. Maj. Hubert Nichols was shot down by AAA, and died at the scene.

A-1E 52-132624, 602ACS 14ACW, Udorn AB. Capt. A. Minnick was also hit by AAA, but managed to nurse his stricken aircraft almost back to base. He successfully ejected and was recovered.

Search and Rescue for downed aviators was one of the most dedicated and sacred missions flown during the Vietnam war, and ever since. Of all the things that were done wrong in the Vietnam war, SAR was a shining example of what was done right. Every man flying a mission over hostile territory does so with the knowledge that his fellow US military personnel will do everything within their power (and many times above and beyond) to find and recover them. Search and Rescue operations picked up hundreds of aviators, many times very deep inside North Vietnam. Many SAR aircrew and aircraft were lost on these missions.

Apache Fly Bys

A pair of AH-64 Apache low flybys, both supposedly taken in Afghanistan. Although this is the vehicle of choice for Outlaw13, I can say with reasonable certainty that he is not in the driver's seat on either one.

US Navy Faces Critical Shortfall of Combat Aircraft

Currently, the US Navy has only one fixed wing combat aircraft, the F/A-18 Hornet. Originally fielded in numbers in the early '80s, A, B, C, D, E, and F model Hornets have been manufactured. All A and B models have been retired from frontline service. Some of the lower time A models have been modified into A+ models. Many C models are running out of airframe life, and are on the short leash to retirement. D models (two seaters) are used for training purposes only. E (single seat) and F (two seat) models are called Super Hornets, and are currently being manufactured by Boeing - however the last of these aircraft on order will come off the production line soon. For now, the numbers of Hornets (around 600 aircraft) are sufficient to fill the Carrier Air Wings with their full complement of strike/fighter aircraft, and all of the ancillary squadrons in the Navy that require the jets (though it requires using the A+ rebuild airframes to meet the needs).

The F-35C is due to come into squadron service with the Navy in 2012. the Navy's version is specific for carrier based operation - it is a very different version from the Air Force's version, or the Marine's vertical takeoff version. The Navy is currently planning on buying 360 of the jets, which are intended to replace all of the Hornets except for the E and F models. 2012 is a very optimistic date - no new aircraft has reached operational status according to the original schedule in many, many years.

What this means is that the Navy will experience a shortfall in fighter aircraft, beginning this year, and growing each year until 2020 at least. The numbers vary, according to who you listen to, but the most credible ones I've seen place the shortfall at around 240 aircraft by 2018. An operational Navy squadron has 12 aircraft in it, so this is equivalent of being short 20 full squadrons of aircraft. There are only about 40 front line operational squadrons at present ..... do the math ....

The Navy currently has 11 carriers. This figure will stay the same for many years - the future launching of the latest carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, will allow the USS Enterprise to finally be retired. The Navy has 10 Air Wings to deploy on those carriers. 11 Carriers and 10 Air Wings has been a handicap in this era of two conflicts - equipment is wearing out, personel are deploying much too often. The projected aircraft shortfall will mean that 5 of these carriers will have no combat aircraft to deploy on them.

Some members of Congress and Boeing (the Hornet's manufacturer) want to build more E and F model airframes, to help offset this shortage, and plug the gap until the certainly to be delayed F-35 comes on line. Other members of Congress and Lockheed are fighting this suggestion, afraid that it will take funding away from the F-35 program.

The Navy and its carrier force are the most mobile, most deployable force projection tool our country has. Every President, Republican or Democrat, gets constant updates on where the carriers are, what their availability is - so they can be used to protect American interests around the world. This pending shortage situation is going to severely hobble, if not cripple, that capability.

Title photo - F-18A+s of VFA-201, NAS Ft. Worth, photographed shortly before the squadron's disestablishment due to budget cuts in 2006 - by yours truly.

August 1, 1966

Another long day in a long air war, during the year the US should have won the Vietnam War ...

Four US aircraft were lost in SEA:

F-104C 56-0928, 435TFS 8TFW, flying out of Udorn AB, was lost to a SAM while flying CAP for an Iron Hand mission over North Vietnam. The pilot, Capt. John Kwortnick, was killed.

F-105D 62-4380, 13TFS 388TFW, Korat AB, was lost to AAA fire eroute to attack the Thai Nguyen rail yard. Pilot Capt. Ken Walter, ejected and spent 7 years as a POW.

F-104C 57-0295, 435TFS, 8TFW. The 435th had a run of bad luck on this day, losing two of its Starfighters. This one was was also lost to a SAM while covering the Thai Nguyen rail yard attack. Lt. Col. Arthur Finney was killed instantly.

O-1E 56-2550, 20TASS 505TACG was downed by groundfire near the DMZ. Pilot Lt. Col. E Abersold was recovered with light injuries.

A side note - the F-104's deployment to the Vietnam theater was nothing short of a disaster. the aircraft was useless for ground attack. It was used primarily as an anti-MiG defender for air strikes, and as point defense for airbases from attack from the North Vietnamese Air Force (a threat that never materialized). Every mission it was used on in SEA was a testament to the aircraft's inability to perform any of those missions.