Page 3 - Aerotech News and Review July 1 2016

SOFIA status
update

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy
(SOFIA), NASA’s flying telescope, was cleared to return to
flight June 27, 2016 (New Zealand date).

On June 15, a crack was found in the thrust ring of one
of SOFIA’s four Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7J engines during
a routine inspection. To rectify the problem SOFIA’s team
sourced a replacement engine from its SOFIA’s inventory
of spare parts and delivered to the observatory’s current op-
erating location at the National Science Foundation’s U.S.
Antarctic Program base at Christchurch International Airport,
New Zealand.

NASA SOFIA technicians removed the unit in question
and replaced it with the serviceable engine. Inspections and
preflight tests have been completed and crews are preparing
the observatory for the next science mission, scheduled for
June 28 (New Zealand date).

NASA photograph

ACADEMY, from 1

is nobody below you — you’re it! You are going States armed forces. “They will be the first to 50 different aircraft. Fall, William S. Hart HS & USAFA Prep School;

to have to use a lot of teamwork, you are going to tell you that putting on a uniform does not make When asked to list his accomplishments he has U.S. Merchant Marine Academy — Veronica
have to be a follower for nearly a year — it will you a hero,” said Ellie Kay, author of “Heroes at attained in his life, Fergione said, “of all of the Jane Grabiak, Paraclete HS; Vivian J. Gomez,
make you a better leader.” Home.” “But putting on that uniform and wearing things I have done, the good, and the not so good, Pete Knight HS; Jesus J. Zambrano, Pete Knight
it with a sense of integrity first, service before self, what I am most proud of is that I am able to say, HS; Daniel J. Kim, Granada Hills Charter School;
Kay said upon graduation that nobody will and excellence in all you do; now that is pretty I am a veteran.”
remember your grade, but they will remember heroic.” The second heroes she explained are the U.S. Military Academy at West Point — Con-
your reputation and how you helped them through family and community leaders who support the The appointees are: nor H. Lewis, Academy of the Canyons; Delaney
tough times. troops back home. U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md. — A. Marbach, West Ranch HS; Jonathan M. Ellery,
Ian Caddow, Trinity Classical Academy; Tyler Valencia HS; Hyeveen Cho, Quartz Hill HS; and
“The most valuable resources are the people The Knight Academy Selections Committee Schatz, Paraclete HS; Samantha Geere, Bishop Zachary A. Aloma, Simi Valley HS.
around you,” said Cadet 3rd Class Nicholas Cody interviewed 40 applicants on Dec 5, 2015. “It Alemany HS, and Marshall O. Shires, Oak Park
Chew, who reminded students not to forget how was a long day and I am pleased that the com- HS.
good they have it, even when they are crawling mittee members did their best to treat every ap-
in the mud during basic training.

Currently, less than one percent of our nation’s plicant as if he or she was their first,” said Fer- U.S. Air Force Academy — Nicholas U.S. Military Academy Prep School — Cam-
population protect the rights and the freedoms of gione, a retired Navy captain and test pilot, who Drinhaus, Paraclete High School; Blake Evan eron Tristan Fuller, William S. Hart High school.
the other 99 percent of us by serving in the United has flown more than 6,400 flight hours in over

F-35, from 1

Mountain Home Air Force Base, Ida- report. The ultimate goal is to provide
ho, and Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., a needed capability to the war fighter
and Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. to execute the mission. It is not cal-

endar-based or event-based.

Q: Where is the F-35 in the IOC

timeline? Q: What has the feedback been

A: Since beginning this process from the field so far?

over five years ago with the first F- A: The feedback from unit op-

35s on the ground, we are in the final erators in place today has been very

stages of IOC. These steps focus on positive for the F-35, not just con-
training and equipping our personnel. cerning performance but the ability

There are no known technical issues the aircraft has with other platforms.

today that would prevent us from In particular at Hill, integration with

reaching IOC in our August-Decem- the F-15E has gone very well. We’ve

ber timeframe. The F-35 recently de- also been demonstrating the ability to

ployed from Hill to Mountain Home put bombs on target. All of that infor-

where crews, maintenance and sup- mation will be provided to us in the

port personnel conducted a number formal IOC readiness assessments. the F-35 have achieved at IOC? Q: How soon the F-35 will be de- basing locations. Additional squad-
of missions. During that deployment, Q: The F-35, a 5th generation air- ployed to overseas locations? rons are planned for Hill as well as at
crews attained a 100 percent sortie Q: What are some of the key met- Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., with sev-
generation rate with 88 of 88 planned rics you’re hoping to see out of the craft, is a survival platform that can A: There are a number of events en of the partner nations, Eielson Air
sorties and a 94 percent hit rate with deployment to Mountain Home? detect, track and engage targets in a being considered for the F-35, to Force Base, Alaska, and locations in
15 of 16 bombs on target. contested environment. At the time include training exercises and de- Europe and the Pacific. The entry of
A: We’re looking for the ability to we declare IOC we will focus on three ployments. These events are being the F-35 into Air National Guard units
These numbers provide a positive deliver combat power and the instru- mission sets that will concentration assessed and planned for through the will take place in Burlington, Vt., and
indication of where we are when it ments that go into supporting that, on the number and type of weapons needs of the combatant commanders. the first F-35 weapons school class at
comes to stability and component such as aircraft stability and the ca- the aircraft can carry. Those weapons Nellis Air Force Base is also being
performance. pability to generate sorties. We’re also include two GBU-31s and two GBU- Q: After IOC is declared, what projected on the timeline. We also
looking for feedback on the function- 12s, or two AMRAAMs. are the next steps for the F-35? continue to evaluate the future threat
Feedback from the events at Moun- ality of ALIS [ALIS is the Autonomic environment and how the F-35 must
tain Home will feed into the overall A: It’s a constantly evolving re- adapt to remain survivable against
evaluation of F-35 capabilities. The those threats. Right now we’re look-
second evaluation will take place Logistics Interface System, which sponsibility working hand-in-hand ing at delivering the first increment of
in the operational test environment makes the F-35 a flying information Q: Is this aircraft capable of de- with our sister services and partners modernization to the F-35 in late 2020
with F-35 mission sets the Air Force or early 2021.
intends to execute after IOC. All re- hub, enabling pilots to plan ahead and ploying to Iraq or Syria to battle in development. We are actively en-
ports will be delivered in July and 3
feed into the overall F-35 capabilities manage entire battlespaces] to support ISIS like the F-22 did? gaged in the other activities taking

July 1, 2016 that sortie generation. A: After IOC, it will be available place to field the F-35, such as sys-

to support the needs of the combatant tem upgrades, such as Block 3F for

Q: What weapons capability will commanders. full warfighter capability and future

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