Page 1 - Desert Wings 5-29-15

Volume 62, Number 46 Serving the community of Edwards Air Force Base, California May 29, 2015

www.edwards.af.mil – www.facebook.com/edwardsairforcebase

F-16 test pilots help train USAFE pilots

by Kenji Thuloweit beyond the flight control com- Air Force photograph by Airman 1st Class Kyla Gifford
Editor puter’s built-in protection ‘limit-
ers’ and the jet may not respond Three F-16s assigned to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, on a refueling mission last year. Two F-16 test pilots
Two F-16 test pilots from the to pilot commands as it attempts from the 416th Flight Test Squadron recently returned from a “roadshow” to Europe where they provided High
416th Flight Test Squadron recent- to recover itself. The jet may not Angle of Attack academics to U.S. Air Forces in Europe pilots.
ly returned from a “roadshow” to have the control effectiveness to
Europe where they provided High recover and may stagnate in a deep “We provided real-world ex- tentionally spin and stall the F-16 This training helps F-16 pilots
Angle of Attack academics to U.S. VWDOODQGZLOOIDOOLQDÀDWDWWLWXGH amples of F-16 departures (deep and teach them how to effectively prevent inadvertent departures
Air Forces in Europe pilots. out-of-control situation.” stalls and spins) and provided a recover the jet,” said Pacini. and increases awareness of F-16
detailed explanation of how the capabilities and limitations in the
Maj. Raven LeClair, 416th LeClair then said the pilot must )ÀLJKWFRQWUROVZRUNDQGKRZ The Air Force and Air National
FLTS assistant director of opera- take additional action to pitch rock to avoid departures. We then in- *XDUGKDYHORVW¿YH)VVLQFH See USAFE, Page 4
tions, and Capt. Michael Pacini, the jet out of this stagnation point, 1995 due to departure/deep stall.
416th FLTS F-16 test pilot, went similar to rocking a car out of a
on the roadshow, which is a ge- ditch.
neric term for traveling to another
unit to provide some type of train- “We provided academics to 12
ing or academics. F-16 pilots at Aviano and to 23
pilots at Spangdahlem,” said Pa-
The purpose of this roadshow cini. “Of those 23 pilots at Spang-
was to provide USAFE F-16 pi- dahlem, we flew with seven of
lots at Aviano Air Base, Italy, and them.”
Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany,
VSHFL¿FWUDLQLQJWROHDUQKRZWR The two pilots conducted aca-
avoid departing [from controlled GHPLFVHVVLRQVDQGLIDEOHDÀLJKW
ÀLJKW@WKH) in the two-seat F-16D with the
upgrading pilot in the front cock-
One example of a High AOA pit and either Pacini or LeClair
maneuver is when a pilot attempts in the backseat. Pacini said the
to pursue an adversary vertically pilots were shown how to avoid
ZKHQWKHLUDLUVSHHGLVLQVXI¿FLHQW departures, building on what they
were taught in academics. The
“We call this maneuver a ‘Tacti- academics covered some founda-
cal Pitch Rate Departure,’’’ said WLRQDOSULQFLSOHVRIÀLJKWDQGZKDW
LeClair. “This maneuver results causes spins and deep stalls.
in an Angle of Attack overshoot

YF-22A brings in $25,000 for museum move

by Rebecca Amber “Bechtel has long been a supporter of our Air Force photograph by Rebecca Amber
Staff writer armed forces and NASA, and big believers
in technology and educating young people Bechtel Corporation presented a check for $25,000 to the Flight Test Historical Foundation at
The Air Force Flight Test Museum ac- about what we’ve done in the past and what the Air Force Flight Test Museum May 21 to sponsor the YF-22A. (Left to right) Dr. David Smith,
cepted a $25,000 donation to sponsor their our scientists and engineers are capable of 412th Test Wing Installation Support director, and Lisa Gray, FTHF chairwoman, accepted
YF-22A from the Bechtel Corporation May doing in the future,” said Sheridan. the donation from Brian Sheridan and Dr. Richard Tighe from Bechtel.
21.
Bechtel is a global engineering, project
The Flight Test Historical Foundation has management and construction company.
80 aircraft available for corporate sponsor- Additionally, they serve the Department
ship in their prospectus. Each aircraft is as- of Defense, NASA and the Department of
signed a sponsorship level based on its size Energy.
DQGKLVWRULFDOVLJQL¿FDQFH7KHIXQGVDUH
put towards the museum’s capital campaign “It’s important for us to educate the
to move outside of the West Gate. American people what our Air Force has
done, what past generations have done,”
%HFKWHOLVWKH¿UVWWRWDNHDGYDQWDJHRI said Sheridan. “It’s also a great tribute to
the opportunity to sponsor a plane. the pilots and those over the generations
that have risked their lives pushing the en-
“This is just a unique airplane,” said Dr. velope on what the technology is capable
Richard Tighe, Bechtel manager of Strategy of doing.”
Marketing and Business Development. “It’s
so tangible and meaningful when we see The Flight Test Historical Foundation
the Bechtel name and logo on the plaque needs $7 million to relocate outside of the
there.” West Gate. According to Gray, the founda-
WLRQKDVUDLVHGWKH¿UVWPLOOLRQGROODUVWKH
Brian Sheridan, Bechtel principal vice minimum amount needed to break ground.
president and general manager of Defense Their next step is to present their offer to
and Security, presented the check to the the Air Force and wait for approval.
foundation’s chairwoman, Lisa Gray, in
front of the YF-22A. The YF-22A was For more information about how to spon-
Lockheed Martin’s entry in the Advanced sor a plane at the Air Force Flight Test
Tactical Fighter demonstration and valida- Museum, visit http://afftcmuseum.org/get-
tion program in the early 1990s, later be- involved/sponsor-airplane/
coming the F-22 Raptor.