L O C K H E E D M A RT I N A E RONAU T ICS COM PA N Y FOURTH QUARTER 2007

Chilean F-16 Operations

USMC KC-130J REFUELERS
ROKAF Pilot Training With T-50
 PHOTO BY TSGT. L ARRY A. SIMMONS

Capt. Nathan Glasscock prepares to land while training on the C-130J Super Hercules simulator at
Little Rock AFB, Arkansas. Glasscock is a student at the C-130 Center of Excellence, the Hercules
schoolhouse, at the base. The 48th Airlift Squadron at Little Rock trains crews to fly the C-130J.
Vol. 22 No. 4 Fourth Quarter 2007

EDITOR LO CKHEED MARTIN AERONAUTIC S COMPANY

Eric Hehs

MANAGING EDITOR
Catherine Hernandez-Blades

ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Jeff Rhodes
2
ART DIRECTOR PEACE PUMA
Stan Baggett
Chilean Air Force F-16 Block 50 Operations
VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS
Mary Jo Polidore

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT,

LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
PRESIDENT, AERONAUTICS COMPANY
Ralph D. Heath
8
WHIRLYBIRD WEST TRANSCON
KC-130J Tankers Move Ospreys
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20
Its contents neither replace nor revise any
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22
RODEO 2007
Travis AFB Dominates Air Mobility Commands
ABOUT THE COVER
Biennial Competition
Front: Four Block 50 F-16s from Los Condores AB
fly in formation over salt flats in northern Chile.
Photo by Katsuhiko Tokunaga
Back: Two T-50 Golden Eagles from the 50th
Fighter Wing of the Republic of Korea Air Force fly
in tight formation on a training mission from
Gwangju AB. Photo by Katsuhiko Tokunaga 24
EVENTS
 The blue-gray paint schemes of the Block 50 F-16s provide a cool
contrast against the reddish-brown of the Atacama Desert in
northern Chile. The four jets of the Fuerza Aerea de Chile fly in
-

tight formation over sand, salt basins, lava flows, and abandoned

2 Code One
nitrate mines the driest landscapes on earth. Parts of the Atacama
have not seen rain for periods of 400 years. Some riverbeds in this
desert have been dry for 120,000 years. Scientists have compared
the soil in Atacama to that found on Mars. By Eric Hehs

D
e s ol at ion c a n b e de c eiv i ng.
The region boasts one of the
worlds largest copper mines at
Chuquicamata near the city of Calama.
The fishing industry thrives off the
arid coastline. The commercial airport
at Iquique (i key kay) is second in
traffic only to Santiago International.
The airport shares its runway with
F-16s and other military aircraft oper-
ating out of Los Condores AB.
Our fisheries use the commercial
a i r p or t , e x pl a i n s C ol . E du a rdo
Ma nn, who com ma nds t he 3rd
Squadron at Los Condores. His unit
operates the Block 50 F-16s. We also
have f l ig ht s f rom Iqu ique to t he
copper mines in the highlands, he
adds. During three months of the
year, we have close to ten f lights a
day carr y ing seeds to t he United
States. They typically transport corn
s e e d s f rom Apr i l t h rou g h Ju ne .
These cargo aircraft, some of them
747s, take off fully loaded and use
a lmost ever y meter of our 3,000-
meter runway.

Fourth Quarter 2007 3

 Col. Eduardo Mann
Maj. Francisco Schmidt
This level
of activity
may appea r
overwhelming for a military air base,
Mann continues. But the traffic pat-
tern doesnt interfere with our opera-
tions with the occasional exception of
performing touch-and-goes and sim-
u lating f lameout landings. If our
economy continues to grow at its cur-
rent pace, however, we may have to
move to a military-only runway one
day. But for now, we are fine.
The activity at Iquiques airport high-
lights the importance of the region to
Chiles economy. One glance at a map
of South America explains the strategic
significance of this part of Chile as
well. The center of gravity for our
countr y has a lways tended to t he
north, Mann adds. Our military has
always put its main squadrons in this
4 Code One
part of the country. The
3rd Squadron here is
the second oldest in the
air force. The oldest,
the 1st Squadron, orig-
i nated in A rica, t he
northernmost city in
Chile, and later moved
to Iquique. The desert affords us great
flying conditions and large unrestricted
zones for training.
The 3rd Squadron falls under the
1st Brigade at Condores. (A brigade
is equivalent to an air wing in the
United States.) The bases 1st Squadron
is the Chilean Air Forces combat
we ap on s s cho ol, a nd it op er ate s
A-36 a nd T-36 Ha lcns. T he 2nd
Squadron is a transport unit that oper-
ates a Beech 99 airliner, CASA C.212
Aviocars, Piper PA-28 Dakotas, and
Bell UH-1H Hueys.
The Block 50 F-16s are the latest addi-
tions to the base and the most modern
fighters in the Chilean Air Force. The
first of ten aircraft arrived in January
2006. The last two arrived in March
2007 af ter completing Chile-
specific f light test duties at Edwards
AFB, California.
Preparations for the new fighters
began in earnest well before the first
aircraft arrived. We put our plans in
motion once a letter of agreement was
signed to purchase the F-16s in Feb-
ruary 2002, says Mann, who has been
associated with the Peace Puma pro-
gram since that same year. We began
choosing our technicians in 2002. Our
choices were based on professional
preparation, knowledge, and English
proficiency. We sent seventy-eight of
them to the United States to be trained pref lig ht, post-f lig ht, lau nch, Crowds formed around the aircraft.
i n For t Wor t h, Tex a s . We bega n recovery, and some between-flight Everyone wanted to see it.
selecting pilots in 2003. We sent the inspections. We are enrolling them As one of t he f i rst F-16 pi lot s,
f irst t wo to Tucson, Arizona, for and our former engine technicians Moraga took an F-16 to various air
the transition course, and they were in USAF crew chief training. They bases in Chile in 2006. I f lew dem-
soon followed by two more. graduate with a much larger set of onstration flights at Santiago, Puerto
Condores was chosen as the oper- skills and can perform many addi- Montt, Antofagasta, and Punta Arenas.
ating base in 2003. Construction of tional tasks beyond the previous I f lew six demonstration f lights in
the administration building, engine scope of a crew chief in Chile. Our 2006 in Iquique as well, he adds.
shop, and other support facilities commercial airlines are doing this Moraga now spends most of his time
began in 2005. When the airplanes with much success. We are likewise training new F-16 pilots. We taught
arrived in January 2006, the buildings becoming much more efficient. six students last year and are transi-
and most of the infrastructure were The F-16 is more suited for this tioning four this year, he explains.
ready, recalls Mann, who brings his approach, Schmidt continues. With ten aircraft, we dont have a
program knowledge with him as the While it is easier to troubleshoot huge need for pilots, but once we are
3rd Squadrons first commander. But and easier to fix than previous fully up and running, we will lose two
we had to improve the taxiways before aircraft, the job is never routine. and train two pilots every year. Last
the aircraft were moved to this side We learn something new about year was busy for me. I was f lying
of the runway. We moved them here the F-16 every day. We want to instructional sorties for all of the
that April. learn more. Everyone is motivated. operational pilots in the unit today as
We started from scratch with new T his a ir pla ne is a sou rce of well as those demonstration flights.
infrastructure, new procedures, and nat iona l pride, so ever yone is Current F-16 pilots in Chile have
new equipment, Mann continues. proud to work on it. transitioned from other fighters, so
Our newly trained technicians come Capt. Mario Moraga, an they take a transition course to become
from a variety of backgrounds. Their instructor pi lot at t he 3rd qualif ied to operate the F-16. The
prev ious ex perience ra nges f rom Squadron, experienced that pride course progresses from F-5 transition
Mirages, F-5s, and A-37s to transport firsthand. The people were excited from basic f lying, to basic air-to-air
aircraft and helicopters. We have a about the aircraft when it debuted missions, to advanced air-to-air mis-
melting pot of people here. And every- at our FIDAE International Air sions, to basic air-to-ground missions,
thing is working well. Show in Santiago in 2006, he says. and then to advanced air-to-ground
Maj. Francisco Schmidt, the main-
tenance officer at the 3rd Squadron,
is in charge of the maintenance
portions of that melting pot at
Condores. He has experience on
Capt. Mario Moraga
all the f ighters f lown by the
Chilean Air Force, including
Mirages, F-5s, and A-37s. Ive
worked at our bases in Punta
Arenas near the southern tip of
Chile and in Antofagasta, which
i s up he re i n t he nor t he r n
desert, he explains. Every base
has its own culture. A new aircraft
gives us an opportunity to create our
own culture and to form a cohesive
group. Everything is new, so we get
to define relationships.
Schmidt and others at Condores are
using this flexibility to introduce more
cross-training among maintenance
personnel. We want every technician
to be familiar with several systems,
he says. For example, our former crew
chiefs used to restrict their work to

Fourth Quarter 2007 5

 missions. The course concludes with
multirole missions.
We attract some very good pilots,
explains Moraga, who has accumu-
lated 400 hours in the F-16. Many of
them come from the F-5E/F Tiger III,
which has been significantly upgraded.
While some of the avionics between
our F-16s and F-5s may be similar in
some respects, the overall capability
and performance of t he F-16 sets
it apart. I trained in Block 42 F-16s
in the states. The avionics are much
more advanced in our new Block 50
aircraft. The power is noticeably better
as well.
That power is provided by a General
Electric F110-GE-129 engine, which
produces 29,000 pounds of thrust in
afterburner. The Chilean F-16s have
night vision compatible cockpits and
exterior lighting. The two-seat version
has a missionized backseat. They can
ca rr y Litening II ta rget ing pods.
6 Code One
Weapon capability includes AIM-120C
AMR AAM, Py thon 4, AIM-9L/M,
GBU-10 and GBU-12 laser guided
bombs, AGM-84 Harpoon, GBU-31
joint direct attack munitions, and
AGM-65 Maverick. Advanced systems
include the APG-68(v)9 radar, fully
integrated datalink, advanced friend/
foe interrogator, joint helmet-mounted
cueing system, onboard oxygen gen-
erating system, and electrical and
cooling systems designed to accom-
modate additional systems. The air-
craft are equipped with a drag chute
as well.
Some weapons and systems are still
arriving at the base, Moraga con-
tinues. Only half of our pilots have
more than 200 hours in the F-16, but
we are gaining experience quickly.
Our primary mission is to get up to
speed a s a squad ron. We havent
dropped live bombs in Chi le, for
example, but we should start doing
that from this base later this year.
Our goal is to reach an operational
level as soon as we can, adds Mann.
We have some advanced systems
in our F-16s. We have to be able to
use them operationally, not just carry
them around. The targeting pod is a
good example. We start f lying with
the pods this month [July 2007]. We
have been f lying with them in our
simulators already. Our friends in
S qu ad ron 8 at A ntofa ga st a were
trained with the targeting pod in their
MLU jets. So we exchange a lot of
information with them.
We are already flying with the joint
hel met-mou nted cuei ng system,
Mann continues. The helmet is inte-
grated with several systems in the
aircraft. We can slave the radar with
the helmet, and it works with the tar-
geting pod as well. We use the normal
helmet for some specific F-16 missions,
but we usually f ly with the JHMCS.
Every pilot has both helmets. We con-
duct a wide set of missions from this
base: offensive counter air, defensive
counter air, strategic missions, and
close air support. So we have to train
in all of those areas. The wide-ranging
capabilities of the F-16 are well suited
to these needs.
The level of activity at Condores is
as high, if not higher, than it is at the
commercial airport nearby.
Reaching an operational level with
a new fighter normally takes three
to fou r ye a rs , de p end i ng on t he
experience with previous aircraft,
Mann explains. A year from now,
we will have everything in place. All
of t he systems w i l l be operat ing.
Most of the training will be done.
We will have everything we need to
be fully operational. We will be in a
very good position.
Eric Hehs is the editor of Code One.
 MLUs at Antofagasta
C
hile added to its F-16 fleet in 2006 Saravia Vilches. I got to shake hands with
when it acquired eighteen F-16s from the president, Rojas says with a broad smile.
the Royal Netherlands Air Force. These My mother and father were here to see that
aircraft are based at Cerro Moreno Air Base and my demonstration flight as well. They
in Antofagasta, which is about 400 kilometers were very proud.
south of Iquique on the Chilean coast. The Rojas received his transition training in
aircraft form the 8th Squadron of the 5th the Netherlands at the 306th Squadron at
Brigade at Moreno. Volkel AB. After two months of transition
The fir st six of these Mid-Life Update t r a i n i n g , h e w e n t t o a n o p e r a t i o n a l
F-16s landed in Chile in ear ly squadron, the 312th, and flew as Morena Air Base, like Condores, required
September 2006. The airplanes a wingman for two months before some additional infrastructure to suppor t
arrived combat-ready, explains going back to the 306th for t he new f ighter s. We rebuilt t he r amp
Maj. Sergio Rojas, who was on additional training to become an during the last two years, Rojas notes. We
t he f ir s t f e r r y f lig h t f r om t he instructor pilot. upgraded our hangars and installed new
Netherlands to Antofagasta. While The 8th Squadron star ted it s elec tr ical systems. We added three
they are not brand new, all of the first pilot training class in new building s one f or supp or t ing our
systems worked. The aircraft were Antofagasta in June 2006. That Pratt & Whitney engines, one for general
ver y well maintained. They class consists of four students, maintenance, and the third for our sim-
were selected in the Netherlands Maj. Sergio Rojas explains Rojas, who is one of two ulator. We are also constructing some new
by Chilean Air Force personnel instructor pilots at the unit. Our administration buildings.
after a thorough inspection. squadron should have about twenty-five All of our procedures are standardized
Rojas flew the demonstration flight during pilo t s even t ually. We ar e jus t s t ar t ing between the two F-16 bases with only minor
the official arrival ceremony. Chiles president, maintenance t r aining her e as well. We differences, most of which are related to the
Michelle Bachelet, attended, as well as the are not in a huge hurry, but our efforts are different engines, Rojas adds. All Chilean
minister of defense, Vivianne Blanlot Soza, accelerating. We just received the last six F-16 pilots should be able to switch between
and the air forces commander-in-chief, aircraft in early June 2007. units after one or two training flights.

Fourth Quarter 2007 7

 WHIRLYBIRD
N WEST
TRANSCON
BY JEFF RHODES

8 Code One
I n the end, the e xercise beca me a compl icated m ath
problem. It had fixed quantities2,300 miles, twelve
required aerial refuelings, more than nine hours of flight
ti me, a nd th ree KC-130J Super Hercu les ta n ker s. T he
solution had to equal four MV-22B Osprey aircraft crews
flying nonstop across the US and landing safely with 3,000
pounds of fuel reserves. The big variable was the weather.

PHOTOS BY JOHN ROSSINO

Fourth Quarter 2007 9


Our mission is to plan and execute
a multiship transcontinental f light
from California to North Carolina,
says Lt. Col. Dave Krebs, commander
of Marine Aerial Refueler Transport
S qu a d ron 2 52 ( V MGR-2 52), t he
KC-130J unit at MCAS Cherry Point,
North Carolina. We want to refine
t he aeria l ref ueling sk i l ls for t he
M V-2 2 c r e w s p a r t i c u l a r l y i n
weatherand to practice pathfinder
operations with the Ospreys.
The first combat deployment for the
Osprey started in September as Marine
Med iu m Ti lt rotor S qu ad ron 263
(VMM-263), based at MCAS New River,
North Carolina, began operations in
Iraq. It had been a long, and sometimes
arduous, road for the MV-22 to reach
this milestoneas development of the
Osprey, a helicopter/aircraft hybrid,
had taken more than a decade. The
improved Marine MV-22B is now
f lown by two operational squadrons
and one training unit.
10 Code One
The Osprey is a joint-service, multi-
mission tiltrotor transport operated
by t he Marine Corps and t he Air
Force. The MV-22 takes off vertically
like a helicopter. Its large rotors and
engines t hen translate dow nward
ninety degrees to a horizontal posi-
tion, and the Osprey becomes a turbo-
prop aircraft with long range and good
high-speed cruise performance. The
Osprey lands like a helicopter, with
the motors and rotors translating up
prior to touchdown.
For t he M a r i ne s , t he O s pre y s
primary mission is to f ly from an
amphibious assault ship at twice the
speed of a helicopter and land in a
confined space or on a beach to drop
of f t went y-four combat troops or
20,000 pounds of cargo. Because it is
designed to spend most of its career
at low altitude, the Osprey is not pres-
surized. It also does not have advanced
radar. For its mission, the MV-22
simply doesnt need either one. How-
e ver, t he lac k of t h i s e qu ipment
becomes a consideration when the
Osprey is deploying.
In the work-up to the first opera-
tional deployment, VMM-263 Osprey
crews trained for months with their
Super Hercules tanker-f lying neigh-
bors at Cherry Point. The unit prac-
ticed w it h VMGR-252, t he oldest
c o nt i nu a l l y a c t i v e s q u a d r o n i n
the Marine Corps, which f lies the
KC -1 3 0 J s s t a t i o n e d o n t h e U S
East Coast.
With the f irst Osprey squadron
deployed, the second squadron, VMM-
162 , a l s o ba s e d at Ne w R iver, i s
training. Known as the Golden Eagles,
VMM-162 is scheduled to deploy in
mid-2008. But in early September, the
KC-130J squadron and this MV-22
unit teamed up for a cross-country
transit exercise, called Whirlybird
West Transcon, to f ly nonstop from
MCAS Mira mar, near San Diego,
California, back to eastern North
Carolina. The exercise provides valu-
able ex perience to t he VM M-162
Osprey crews.

F or m ation Ta k eoff
The f light is a large formation
movement to simulate a long-range,
over-water scenario to the maximum
extent possible, notes Krebs. The
Marine Corps is going to deploy the
Osprey over open water at some point.
The tanker squadrons and the MV-22s
both have to be ready.
The seven aircrews held a mass
brief ing t he af ternoon before t he
f lig ht, covering ever y t hi ng f rom
takeoff procedures to route of flight,
formation rules, and radio frequen-
cies. The briefing was detailed, even
noting exactly where the Osprey crews
would break formation and proceed
to a landing at New River.
Then the weather changed, and we
had to replan the entire mission in
about thirty minutes, recalls Capt.
Aleksander Martin-Nims, the pilot of
one of the KC-130Js. The remnants
of Tropical Storm Henrietta, which
had moved over New Mexico over-
night, precipitated the change.
We have to have three KC-130Js
to make this mission work, notes
K rebs. The crew in pat hf inder
KC-130J ta kes of f t hir t y minutes
ahead of the main formation. That
crews job is to find clear skies around
the clouds and storms using the air-
crafts AN/APN-241 color low-power
weather radar and the crews own
Mk. 1 eyeballs. They relay that infor-
mation to the Refueling Aerial Com-
mander, or R AC, who is in charge
of the overall mission. Krebs served
as the RAC on this f light.
The RAC takes the information from
the pathfinder (radio callsign Otis 50)
and makes the decision on course
changes and how best to proceed. The
RAC also works the radios, coordi-
nating with air traffic control, the
other tanker, and the Ospreys.
Departing Mitscher Field at MCAS
Miramar, the two tankers with the
fuel for the Ospreys (callsigns Otis 51
and Otis 52) took off one behind the
other from the right runway, while
the four MV-22s (callsigns Talon 13,
14, 15, and 16) took off in formation
from the parallel left runway.
The Marines use their KC-130Js in
both the tanking and transport role,
and on this Friday, Otis 51 fills both
roles. The VMM-162 maintainers who
had previously deployed with their
MV-22s to California are also going
home. With the cargo compartment
being used by the maintainers and
their equipment, the large fuselage
fuel tank normally used on refueling
missions is not installed on Otis 51.
The aircraft has 58,000 pounds of fuel
for itself and the Ospreys.
Otis 52 does carr y t he f uselage
t a n k, wh ich c a n hold more t ha n
23,000 pounds of fuelroughly 3,500
g a l l o n s . W i t h a t o t a l o f 74 , 0 0 0
pounds of fuel in the fuselage and
wing tanks, Otis 52 is near max gross
takeoff weight. Even with that heavy
load, the KC-130J needs only about
half of Miramars 12,000-foot runway
to get airborne.
The Ospreys began their takeoff roll
simultaneously to Otis 52. Once air-
borne, the four MV-22s quickly form
up behind the KC-130J in tight ech-
elon left and right formation, two
aircraft behind and to each side of the
tanker. Otis 52 is a half-mile in trail
beh i nd O t is 51, w it h 50 0 feet of
vertical separation.
Fourth Quarter 2007 11
 Ge t I n Position
Although the formation quick ly
climbed to 18,000 feet, it had to climb
and change a ltitude rapid ly from
15,000 feet to 19,000 feet several times
over t he cou rse of t he day to get
around the weather or to respond to
directions from air traffic control.
Fighters, which refuel at about
20,000 to 25,000 feet, are faster to
tank than the Ospreys, Martin-Nims
notes. On a mission like this, the
MV-22s operate right in the heart
of the weather and in the middle of
sometimes congested airspace.
All the aircraft in the formation
are using autothrottles and autopilot
for high-speed cruise, Krebs adds.
We a lso use t he a ltitude hold as
much as possible. We want to make
it as easy as possible for everyone.
Flying above 10,000 feet with no pres-
su r i z at ion, t he M V-22 crews a re
required to wear oxygen masks during
the entire flight, or as Krebs describes
it, They have to breathe through the
nose hose.
12 Code One
The first aerial refueling comes three
hours into the mission. Krebs directs
two of the Ospreys to break off from
Otis 52 and reform on Otis 51. The
move puts one Osprey on each side
and behind both tankers.
We want to go with single-tanker
operations in the tight part of the
weather, Krebs explains. The Ospreys
need to be able to penetrate weather
in this formation for up to an hour if
necessary. We have to prepare for all
kinds of conditions.
The KC-130J can refuel two heli-
copters at one time. However, the
Ospreys large size allows only one
MV-22 at a time to tank. At the start
of refueling operations, the KC-130J
crew streams its two eighty-five-foot
long refueling hoses from the aircrafts
wing-mounted pods. When cleared in
by the RAC, the Osprey pilot, with
his aircrafts refueling probe extended,
c l o s e s i n o n t h e b a s k e t- s h a p e d
refueling drogue.
The tanker today uses the smaller,
high-speed drogue, which is designed
for the higher refueling speeds of
the fighters. MV-22s cant tank on
KC-10s or KC-135sthe tankers have
to put their flaps down, and that cre-
ates dirty air over the Ospreys, Krebs
observes. If you are going to refuel
an Osprey, the Battleherk is the only
tanker that can be used.
A crew chief on the tanker acts as
a n obser ver du r i ng t his process,
watching t he hose operat ion a nd
monitoring the receivers from the
KC-130Js paratroop door windows.
After receiving confirmation from
the observers that the receivers are in
sight, the RAC clears the receiving
Osprey into the pre-contact position,
about ten feet behind the extended
d r o g u e . W h e n b o t h t he d r o g u e
a nd t he re c e i ve r a re s t a ble , t he
RAC clears the receiver for contact.
Once the receivers probe makes con-
tact, the receiving pilot pushes the
hose forward a few feet to ensure con-
nection. Fuel then begins to flow.

Ga s A n d Go
The MV-22s refuel at about 210
knots, notes Martin-Nims. They
have a little power and speed margin
left if they have to chase the drogue
if it is bouncing around.
A crew chief sitting on the f light
deck of the tanker runs the refueling
panel. With the reduced crew require-
ments in the KC-130J, the role of crew
chiefs has changed. Not only do they
fix the aircraft, they also serve as the
in-f light obser vers and fuel panel
operators. They can even run engines
and taxi the aircraft on the ground.
T he crew ch ief keeps t he a i r-
craf t in balance, says Sg t. Isaiah
Ybarra. With an MV-22, we have to
use the transfer pumps only. We cant
use the higher-pressure pumps in
the center tank like we do with the
fighters. When the refueling evolution
is done, we redistribute the fuel to
keep the tanker aircraft balanced.
The system is user-friendly.
The first refueling on this f light
begins over New Mexico and ends
over the Texas panhandle. The second
refueling is complete over southwest
Arkansas. At that point, Otis 51, which
had started the day with less fuel, peels
off and lands at Arkadelphia, Arkansas,
to fill up. The two Ospreys that had
tanked off Otis 51 pull back and rejoin
Otis 52.
After the second refueling, Otis 50,
t he pat hf i nder crew, repor ts bad
weather. The formation is rerouted to
take a longer, more southerly route.
This means Otis 52 has less available
fuel to transfer to the Ospreys.
After some quick replanning, Krebs,
in his role as the refueling aerial com-
mander, pulls Otis 50 off its pathfinder
duties and redirects that crew to meet
the formation in a military operating
area, or MOA, over South Carolina.
Talon 13 and Talon 14 pull up to Otis
50 and take on 5,000 pounds of fuel,
while Otis 52 tops off the other two
MV-22s. On training missions like
this one, the restricted airspace of the
MOAs is the preferred place to run
the aerial refueling track. The areas
are safer because no other air traffic
is present.
The sun is setting as the formation
approaches MCAS New River. The
math had worked. All four of the
t i lt rotor s h ave more t h a n 3, 0 0 0
pounds of fuel reserves and would be
landing in minutes. Otis 52 lands at
Cherry Point, about fifteen minutes
behind them.
For nine and one-half hours, the
MV-22 pilots had said nothing but
Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, and
Sixteen, to acknowledge the RACs
radio transmissions and directions.
But as they broke off for their home
ne st , t he lead Osprey pi lot s a id ,
Thanks. We appreciate it. Ill call you
on Monday, and we can debrief.
Jeff Rhodes is the associate editor
of Code One.
Fourth Quarter 2007 13
 UP
THUMBS FOR T-50
T he patch of the Republic of Korea Air Forces 1st Fighter Wing features a
hand giving a thumbs-up. The caption reads, First and Best. That label
aptly applies to the operations of the wings 203rd Squadron, the worlds
first T-50 Golden Eagle training unit.
The 1st Fighter Wing is located 160 complete, we will concen- This week we are hosting a
miles south of Seoul in Gwangju near trate on ref ining t he group of military attachs rep-
the southwestern tip of the Korean training syl labus to get resent ing t he a ir forces of
peninsula. Gwangju AB, which shares the most out of the T-50 nineteen other countries.
its runway with the citys commercial and its associated ground Visitors see a training opera-
airport, is also home to the 206 Fighter training systems. We expect to tion in full swing. Twenty T-50s
Squadron, which f lies t he F-5E/F establish Gwangju Air Base as the populate the ramps and shelters at the
Tiger II fighter. prem ier lo c at ion for c u lt iv at i ng 203rd, with one new aircraft arriving
A s t he home of t he f i rst T-50 ROKAF fighter pilots. every month from Korea Aerospace
training squadron, the 1st Fighter Industries, or KAI, the prime con-
Wing is devoting much of its energy Full Swing tractor. The wing expects to have two
to t he i nteg rat ion of t he G olden The wings distinction as the first training squadrons f lying a total of
Eagle, explains Brig. Gen. Oh Sung operational T-50 training unit draws fifty Golden Eagles by 2009.
Kwon, commander of the 1st Fighter international attention. We have The twelve members of the first class
Wing. As soon as the integration is received many visitors, notes Kwon. of student pilots to fly the T-50 began

BY ERIC HEHS PHOTOS BY KATSUHIKO TOKUNAGA

14 Code One
training in February 2007, completed
first flights in the T-50 in April, and
are expected to graduate from f light
training in November. A second class
of fifteen students started ground
training in August 2007, began flying
the T-50 in October, and will graduate
from f light training in the spring of
2008. The 203rd has approximately
thirty instructor pilots fully qualified
in the T-50.
Such progress is impressive consid-
er i ng t he 2 03rd w a s e s t a bl i she d
at Gwangju in June 2005 with eight
pilots who had never f lown a T-50.
The first two T-50s arrived at the base
the following December. Two pilots
chosen from
the initial eight
were sent to
Sacheon where
t h e T- 5 0 i s
manufactured.
There the pilots
received t heir
Brig. Gen.
Oh Sung Kwon
ground and flight training simultane-
ously from ROKAF test pilots. These
first two pilots trained the other six
initial instructors at Gwangju.
Our progress is quick, but it is also
deliberate, says Lt. Col. Bo-Hyun
Kim, commander of the 203rd. We
will realize the full potential of the
T-50 as we gain more experience oper-
ating it. We already have a sense that
the effectiveness of the T-50 simula-
tors is very high. The f light charac-
teristics of the T-50 allow students to
adapt to flying the trainer more easily
than they adapt to flying other trainers
in the ROKAF. This effectiveness will
allow us to use flight hours for more
advanced concepts. Eventually, we will
provide operational squadrons with
pilots who are better prepared to tran-
sition to our front-line fighters, such
as the KF-16 and the F-15K.
The ROKAF, like many air forces
around the world, uses a wide variety
of aircraft to train its fighter pilots.
Students progress from the prop-
driven Cessna T-41 Mescalero, to the
subsonic jet-powered Cessna T-37
Tweet, and then to the supersonic
Northrop T-38 Talon and the subsonic
BAE Systems Hawk Mk 67. The stu-
dents then proceed to combat readi-
ness training w it h t he F-5 before
finally entering the operational units.
Nearly all of these training aircraft
are very old.
Fighter pilot training in Korea is
in transition as the ROKAF replaces
a l l t hose t ra i ni ng a i rcra f t. A f ter
passing a screening test with
t he T-103 (ROK AF version of t he
Ilyushin IL-103), ROKAF students
a re to b e t r a i ne d on ly w it h t wo
t ra inerst he KT-1 a nd t he T-50.
Reducing the number of aircraft used
in a training fleet simplifies logistics
and support and lowers cost. However,
the savings are not strictly related
to the elimination of aircraft types.
The number of training levels can be
reduced. Before the T-50, we had
three levels of trainingbasic, inter-
mediate, and advanced, explains
Kwon. The KT-1 and T-50 allow us
to reduce training to two levelsbasic
and advanced.
Fourth Quarter 2007 15
 All fifteen students in the second ROKAF class to
fly in the T-50 gather for a group photo in front of
the T-50 Integrated Training Center at Gwangju AB.
The modern center, constructed specifically for
T-50 training, contains simulators and classrooms
outfitted for computer-based training.

The full dome simulator in the Integrated Training

Center allows students to conduct entire flights in
a highly realistic training environment. Instructors
monitor student performance from a control room
next door. Scenarios and conditions can be adjusted
easily with the touch of a screen.

A handful of technical representatives from

Korea Aerospace Industries supports both training
and aircraft maintenance at Gwangju AB. These
personnel work closely with ROKAF and provide a
direct line to the manufacturer.

Ground Tr aining Systems
The ground training systems play
an essential part in these improve-
ments. While the T-50 is an impres-
sive trainer, a visit to our integrated
training center shows visitors that the
aircraft itself is only a part of a larger
training system, Kwon adds.
The ground portions of the T-50
training system are contained in the
si lver, t wo-stor y T-50 i nteg rated
training center, the newest building
at Gwangju AB. Lecture ha lls are
wired for computer-aided instruction.
St udent pi lots as wel l a s st udent
ma i ntena nc e person nel work on
individualized lessons at their own
pace on computer-based training
systems. These same systems also
track the training performance of
the students.
Student pilots f ly the T-50 in two
types of simulators: an operational

16 Code One
f l ig ht t ra i ner a nd a f u l l m ission
trainer. The former, used primarily
as a procedures trainer, has a full
cockpit and a large five-panel display.
The latter is a full dome simulator
used for training an entire flight. Stu-
dent performance is monitored on
both simulators from a control room
that features a desktop version of the
cockpit. Without ever having to leave
the ground, student pilots learn to
operate the T-50 from engine start-up
to engine shutdown.
Capt. Young-Rock Ahn, an instructor
pilot with the 203rd, touches his index
finger on an image of the throttle quad-
rant on one of the screens. The image
expands and shows minute throttle
movements being made by the student
pilot in the dome next door. The
system is very easy to learn because
its so intuitive, he says. Ahn presses
another part of the display and types
some numbers on his keyboard. I just
added a twenty-five-knot crosswind
into Lieutenant Songs landing prac-
tice, he says with a slight grin.
Lt. Seung-Hwan Song, in the full
mission trainer next door, deals appro-
priately with the sudden wind shift
and executes a perfect touch and go.
Ahn, Songs instructor for this flight,
congratulates him over the intercom,
Good job.
Instructors can change more than
wind direction. They can add storms,
turn day into night, and introduce
malfunctions and emergencies. Addi-
tional aircraft can be simulated in
various scenarios. The simulators can
also be connected over a network to
practice formation f lying or basic
fighter maneuvering.
The T-50 moves training into the
digital age, says Colonel Kim, who
has pilot instruction experience in both
the F-16 and the T-37. The system
prepares students better for fourth- and
fifth-generation fighters.
The squadron commander points
to the advanced debriefing system as
another example of the T-50s advan-
tages. Our T-38s dont have such a
system, he says, so pilots have to
rely on their memories of the training
flight for debriefing. The T-50, on the
other hand, records every aspect of a
training flight, continues Kim. We
can see every thing that happened
during a training flight. We can replay
an entire f light during debriefing,
pause it, view it from many perspec-
tives, and archive it. We can get much
more out of every mission. Our ground
training and f light training systems
and our logistics system are all inter-
connected, which allows us to work
and train much more efficiently.
New students at the 203rd spend
approximately seven weeks in a ground
training and education squadron. They
t hen move to a f l ig ht e duc at ion
squadron. The computer-based ground
training and the simulator training
continue into flight training syllabus.
Even after students begin flying the
T-50, they spend an hour in a f light
simulator for every hour they spend
in the air, Kim notes.
Instructor pilots at the 203rd can
at test to t he ef fect iveness of t his
approach. Some student pilots have
landed the T-50 on their first try with
no direct flight control input from the
instructor in the back seat, explains
Maj. Su ng-Hoon K i m, t he senior
instructor pilot in the 203rd with 250
hours in the T-50. Landing without
any assistance on a first try never
happens in our other trainers.
Major Kim credits realistic sim-
ulators and the basic handling quali-
ties of the T-50 as the reasons for
such quick learning. Its an easy air-
craft to land, he says. It was designed
that way.
The digital nature of the simulator
and the T-50 controls makes both more
suited for training pilots to fly modern
fighters. Our current generation of
student pilots and our newest instruc-
tors were brought up on video games,
explains Major Kim. Training in the
simulator makes flight controls seem
more like a video game. The various
systems on the T-50 are then easier to
teach and easier to learn because the
T-50 has digital controls. The transi-
tion to operational squadrons is also
easier because the latest generations of
fighters are digital as well.
Fourth Quarter 2007 17
 First Flights
Lt. Joong-Beom Bae is one of a
handful of ROK AF student pilots
who flew the T-50 on its first training
sortie at Gwangju on 17 April 2007.
My most vivid memories were the
speed of the aircraft and the tech-
nology in the cockpit, he recalls. The
simulator and ground training pre-
pared me well for the first flight, even
though being in an actual aircraft is
always different.
Bae says the biggest differences he
noticed during flight were the sensa-
tions of motion of the T-50 in flight,
the voice from the instructor in the
back seat, and the chatter of radio continues, but our first two classes students because doing so would skew
traffic from the controllers. The envi- of student pilots have had no problems our evaluation of this new training
ronment in the cockpit was not quite with the transition. First and subse- concept the T-50 represents.
as calm as in a simulator where we quent flights have gone very smoothly.
dont deal with other flights, he says. The T-50 performs as an excellent Pride
Overall, the transition to my first training platform. Our students are proud to be the first
actual flight was quite easy. While the 203rd and its new T-50s to train in the T-50, says Colonel Kim.
That first f light is not a back-seat may be the center of attention for the They realize they are making history
familiarization flight. Students fly the ROKAF, the success the unit is expe- here at the 203rd. They are also proud
aircraft from the front seat where they riencing with the new aircraft and because the T-50 was developed and
are at the controls for the entire flight, training systems is not the result of produced by Korea. Lockheed Martin
including during takeoff and landing. special treatment. The initial students and KAI did an excellent job with this
Of course, the instructor in the back were not handpicked from the f light airplane. We are excited to be the first
seat is prepared to take over if neces- academy, notes Colonel Kim. They to benefit from it. As the patch says,
sary, notes Major Kim. Weve heard were selected at random from all skill The first and the best.
some concerns about t he jump of levels of the potential pool of students.
going from the KT-1 to the T-50, he We didnt want to handpick the initial Eric Hehs is the editor of Code One.

Lt. Col. Bo-Hyun Kim

18 Code One
Anatomy Of A Golden Eagle 20 mm inter nal gun, a weapons management sys tem, and
seven hardpoints for carr ying up to 9,500 pounds of a variet y
of air-to -air and air-to -gr ound weapons. ( T he s t andar d T-50
has no r adar or inter nal gun.)
T he T-50 Golden E agle looks much like a t wo -seat F-16
fr om an over head per spec tive. A blended wing /fuselage,
single ver tic al t ail, and the gener al planfor m shape ar e
T he Republic of Kor ea has cur r ent contr ac t commitment
of eight y-t wo T-50/ TA-50 tr ainer s. T he tot al includes ten
similar. With a leng th of for ty-three feet and a wingspan of Golden E agles that will r eplace the A-37 Dr agonf lys f lown by
thir ty-one feet, the T-50 is about four feet shor ter than the the ROK AF Black E agle demons tr ation squadr on. Beginning
F-16. The control sur faces and tails are larger relative to in 2010, Korea Aerospace Industries will begin delivering the
the smaller size of the T-50. The ex tra area improves handling fir st of t went y-t wo TA-50s, which will be used to teach tac tics
characteristics at lower speeds and makes the aircraf t easier to to new f ighter pilot s as par t of their combat r eadines s
land. Other distinguishing characteristics include a canopy bow training. TA-50 deliveries to ROK AF are currently scheduled to
that provides additional bird-strike protection; a narrower, more end in 2011. They will be followed by the FA-50. With current
streamlined nose that corresponds to smaller radar require- requirement standing at six t y, the total commitment to date
ments; and larger landing gear that absorbs harder landings. is 142 aircraf t for ROK AF. Deliveries of this combat ver sion
of the T-50 are scheduled through 2014. The produc tion
T he mos t dis tinc tive featur es of the T-50 ar e it s t win
capacit y at Sacheon can accommodate other customer s for
side-mounted inlets that direc t air to a single General Elec tric
the aircraf t. Several countries have expressed interest in the
F404 - GE-102 engine. T he af ter bur ning engine is a pr oven,
trainer so far.
r eliable design. T he engine incor por ates dual- channel full-
author it y digit al elec tr onic contr ol optimized for safet y and
maint ainabilit y. Mor e than 3,700 F404s have been deliver ed
wor ldwide, accumulating mor e than t welve million f light hour s
combined. T he engine pr oduces 17,700 pounds of thr us t,
giving the air cr af t an exceptional thr us t-to -weight r atio.
T he ma x imum t akeof f gr os s weight is 29,700 pounds;
the ma x imum r ate of climb is 39,000 feet per minute; and the
ma x imum speed is Mach 1.5. T he ser vice ceiling is 55,000
feet . T he design load fac tor is eight gs; the tr ainer air fr ame
is designed for up to 10,000 -hour ser vice life (8,300 hour s
for the lead-in f ighter tr ainer ver sion).
T he T-50 has an onboar d ox ygen gener ating sys tem that
simplif ies maintenance t asks and r educes the amount of
neces sar y gr ound equipment by eliminating the need for
liquid ox ygen for the cr ew.
A triple-redundant elec trical system increases safet y.
Relaxed static stabilit y and fly-by-wire digital flight controls
of fer superior aerodynamic per formance and handling qualities.
Moder n cockpit featur es include hands-on thr ot tle and
sides tick mechanization, elec tr onic f light ins tr ument s, head-
up display, upfront controls, t wo five- by five-inch color multi-
func tion displays, integr ated advanced avionic s and sensor s,
GPS/INS navigation, embedded tr aining featur es, in-f light
r ecor ding and pos t-mis sion debr ief ing c apabilit y, and a
Mar tin-Baker zer o -zer o ejec tion seat . T he seat-back angle
is seventeen degr eessimilar to the seat angles of the
F-35 Lightning II and the F-22 Raptor.
T he air cr af t is designed for low-speed appr oach landings.
A lar ger t ail, f laper ons, and r udder make the T-50 easier to
contr ol at lower speeds. In addition, the contr ol sur faces
move at fas ter r ates to fur ther impr ove handling char ac ter is-
tic s. By design, the air cr af t lands mor e easily than mos t
T- 5 0 G O L D E N E A G L E
Leng th: 43.1 ft / 13.14 m
f ighter s. T he angle of appr oach is lower than that of an F-16,
so the pilot has a bet ter for war d view on landing. T he r aised Height: 16.2 ft / 4.94 m
af t seat gives ins tr uc tor pilot s a much bet ter view in fr ont of Wingspan: 31 ft / 9.45 m
the air plane as well. T he f light contr ol sides ticks in the fr ont Weight (empty): 14,200 lb / 6,454 kg
and rear seats move together so that instructor pilots can feel Maximum TOGW: 29,700 lb / 13,500 kg
s tudent pilot input s. Engine thrust: 17,700 lb / 8,045 kg
T he air cr af t is designed to display the per for mance needed Design load factor: -3/+8 g
to suppor t lead-in f ighter tr aining mis sions. T his LIF T ver sion Maximum speed: Mach 1.5
of the air cr af t, also c alled a TA-50, featur es an APG -67 Maximum ser vice ceiling: 55,000 ft / 16,764 m
multimode f ir e contr ol r adar, a modif ied M61 thr ee -bar r el Ser vice life: Up to 10,000 hr

Fourth Quarter 2007 19

 PHOTOS BY LANS STOUT

F-16 UNIT SALUTES T U S K E

GRAY WENT RED LAST FALL ON THE TAIL OF ONE F-16 AT
THE 187TH WING, THE ALABAMA AIR NATIONAL GUARD UNIT
AT DANNELLY FIELD IN MONTGOMERY. AVIATION BUFFS WILL
R ECOGNIZE THE PAINT SCHEME AS R EMINISCENT OF THE
AIRCRAFT FLOWN BY THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN DURING WORLD
WAR II. THE SPLASH OF COLOR WAS ADDED TO AN F-16 OF
THE NEWLY RENAMED 100TH FIGHTER SQUADRON.
I was going to say its a red letter
day for Alabama, but its not, said
Governor Bob Riley at the official
renaming ceremony. Its a red tail
day. A laba ma Sen. Jef f Sessions,
Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright,
and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen.
T. Michael Moseley at tended t he
ceremony, as well as other Air Force
and local officials.
The 160th Fighter Squadron was
renamed the 100th in September in
honor of the 100th Pursuit Squadron,
Walter Palmer, Tuskegee Airman combat pilot
one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen
u n it s . T he 10 0 t h w a s for me d i n The 332nd FG, which consisted of The Tuskegee Airmen were credited
February 1942 as the second squadron the 99th, 100th, 301st, and 302nd with 111 enemy aircraft destroyed in
of the 332nd Fighter Group, which Fighter Squadrons, was part of the t he a ir a nd 150 dest royed on t he
was t he only US f ighter group in 15th Air Force based at Ramitelli, ground. They were also credited with
which all pilots, ground crews, and Italy, during the war. The units ini- using only machine-gun fire to sink
suppor t personnel were A f rica n- tially f lew P-40 Warhawks, but later an enemy destroyer. On 24 March
Americans. The pilots and crews were transitioned to the P-51 Mustang. The 1945, t he Tuskegee A i r men were
trained at Tuskegee, Alabama, about empennage of the Mustangs sported awarded a Distinguished Unit Cita-
forty miles east of Montgomery. the distinguishing red paint scheme. tion for operations over Germany.
Walter Palmer, a Tuskegee combat
pilot who flew the most combat mis-
sions of any African-American pilot
during World War II, was a special
g uest at t he rena ming ceremony.

Air Force Chief of Staff

Gen. T. Michael Moseley

20 Code One
K EGEE AIRMEN
I am honored to have the squadron
in Montgomery, said Palmer, who is
credited with one aerial victory, a
German Bf-109. The Tuskegee veteran
posed with Lt. Richard Peace in front
of a red-tailed P-51 that was used as
a backdrop at the event. Peace, also
an African-American, is an F-16 pilot
serving with the Montgomery unit.
Redesignating the Alabama
squadron comes at the same time the
unit is improving combat readiness
and efficiency by taking on additional
personnel and resources from active
duty Air Force units. Montgomerys
Air National Guard unit will receive
additional F-16s to add to the eighteen
it currently operates, along with about
150 more people, including active duty
Air Force personnel. The move is part
of the Air Forces plan for total force
integration, which allows integrating
the 700,000 members of the Active,
Reserve, and Guard components for
a smaller, more efficient force.
The change means that this wing
could take an Aerospace Expeditionary
Force rotation as a wing itself rather
than combining with other wings as we
do now, said Lt. Gen. Craig McKinley,
director of the Air National Guard.
Lans Stout is a freelance photographer
based in Florida.
Fourth Quarter 2007 21
 B y Je f f R h o d e s
A i r Mo bi l it y Ro d e o 2 0 0 7, A i r
Mobility Commands biennial read-
i ne s s compet it ion, bega n w it h a
whinny, as Gen. Duncan McNabb,
commander of AMC, and Brig. Gen.
Kip Self, Air Expeditionary Center
comma nder a nd t he t ra i l boss of
Rodeo 2007, rode into the opening
ceremonies at McChord AFB,
Washington, 22 July, on horseback.
The week long competition
included f lying, maintenance, aero-
medica l evacuation, and securit y
forces events. T h i r t y-fou r tea ms
f ly i ng C-130, C-17, a nd Tra nsa l l
C-160 twin-engine airlifters com-
peted in airdrop, short-field landing,
22 Code One
P h o t o s B y Jo h n R o s s i n o
and combat off load. All crews had
to complete the engine running on/
off load event. C-5 crews also par-
t icipated i n aer ia l ref uel i ng a nd
instrument approach events.
Ac t ive dut y US A i r Forc e , A i r
National Guard, Air Force Reserve
Command, and US Marine Corps
u nits pa r t icipated at Rodeo. T he
three Marine competitors f lew both
earlier model KC-130 and KC-130J
cargo/tanker aircraft. Two C-130J
units participated. Seven of the nine
international countries competing
flew legacy C-130s, including a 1960-
vintage C-130B. Twenty-four coun-
tries sent observers to the event.
The 60t h Air Mobi lit y Wing at
Travis AFB, California, dominated
t he compet it ion, w i nni ng seven-
t e e n c at e gor y aw a rd s a s we l l a s
t h e e v e nt s t o p h o n o r, B e s t A i r
Mobilit y Team.
Team Travis demonstrated pride,
professionalism, and our true pas-
sion for excellence at Rodeo, said
Col. Steven Arquiette, 60th AMW
commander. While the 60th won
the overall best of the best title, we
couldnt have trained and competed
as strongly as we did without the
great day-to-day support from our
Reserve partners in the 349th Air
Mobility Wing.
 The 60th Air Mobility Wing is the
largest air mobility organization in
Some of the awards the the Air Force, flying C-5 Galaxy and
Travis team claimed include: C-17 Globemaster III transports as
well as the KC-10 Extender tanker.
Best Air Mobility Team Travis competed with all three aircraft
Best Airland Team at Rodeo 2007.
T he B e s t C -5 E ng i ne Ru n n i ng
Best C-5 Air Refueling Onload Team award went to the 439th
Aircrew Airlift Wing, the Air Force Reserve
Best C-5 Postflight Team Command Galaxy unit at Westover
ARB, Massachusetts.
Best C-5 On the C-130 side of Rodeo, the
Maintenance Team 317th Airlift Group at Dyess AFB,
Texas, claimed awards for Best Air-
Best C-5 Aircrew drop and Best C-130/C-160 Team,
Best C-5 Team while the 314th Airlift Wing at Little
Rock AFB, Arkansas, won Best C-130
Maintenance Maintenance and Postf light Team
Knucklebuster Award awards. Little Rock competed with
both a C-130E and a C-130J.
Air Mobility Rodeo dates back to
1956, when the thirteen troop car-
rier wings of the Continenta l Air
Command, Air Force Reserve Com-
mand s predecessor, sent crews to
p a r t i c i p a t e i n a c o mp e t i t i o n a t
Bakalar AFB, Indiana. The first air-
drop competition for units of the
active duty force occurred in April
1962. The competition was designed
to develop and improve techniques
and procedures while enhancing air
mobility operations and promoting
esprit de corps. Rodeo was expanded
in 1979 to include international air
mobility competitors.
The next Air Mobility Rodeo will
be held in mid-2009.
Jeff Rhodes is the
associate editor of Code One.
Fourth Quarter 2007 23
 E V E N T S
North To Alaska
A six-ship formation of F-22
Raptors raced the sun across
the continental United States on
8 August to arrive at Elmendorf
AFB in Anchorage, Alaska, to
formally begin operational service
in the Pacific. To get to their new
home, pilots from Elmendorfs
90th Fighter Squadron flew from
Langley AFB, Virginia, where they
had been training. T he 90th
Fighter Squadron dates back to
World War I.
PHOTO BY TSGT. KEITH BROWN

Standing Up
Air Force Reserve Command officially activated its first F-22 Raptor
unit, the 302nd Fighter Squadron, in ceremonies at Elmendorf AFB,
Alaska, on 3 October. The 302nd, which traces its lineage back
to the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II, will serve as a Reserve
Associate unit of the reactivated 477th Fighter Group. The second
active duty F-22 squadron, the 525th Fighter Squadron, was acti-
vated at Elmendorf on 29 October. The 525th, which formed in 1942,
moved around Europe in its early days but settled at Bitburg AB,
Germany, where it stayed for thirty-five years before being inacti-
vated several years ago. Elmendorf will eventually receive forty
PHOTO BY MSGT. CHANCE BABIN
F-22s to be split between the two active duty squadrons.

MAFFS In California
The six Air National Guard and Air Force Reser ve Command
C-130Hs equipped with the Modular Airborne Firefighting System,
or MAFFS, were called in to join the massive firefighting effort in
Southern California in late October. Guard crews from the 145th
Airlift Wing in Charlotte, Nor th Carolina, and the 153rd AW at
Cheyenne, Wyoming, both staging out of NAS Point Mugu, California,
flew their first missions into the fires on 24 October. They were later
joined by crews from the 302nd AW, the Reserve unit at Colorado
Springs, Colorado. The palletized MAFFS units can dispense 3,000
gallons of fire retardant mixed with water in less than five seconds.
More than 500,000 acres were burned in the multiple fires plaguing
Southern California. PHOTO BY MAJ. JAMES R. WILSON

Composite Airlifter
The Air Force Research Laboratory at
Wr ight-Pat ter son AF B, Ohio, selec ted
Lockheed Martin in mid October to pro-
ceed to Phase II of the Advanced Composite
Cargo Aircraf t, or ACCA, program.
Lockheed Martin will build and flight test
an X-plane-type aircraft that emphasizes
innovative structural configurations and
concepts, such as advanced prototyping
and composite technologies. Under the
twelve-month program, the mid and aft
fuselages and empennage of a Dornier
328Jet commuter airliner will be replaced
with advanced composites. The modification
seeks to reduce up to ninety percent in parts
count and dramatically reduce corrosion and
fatigue issues compared with the manufac-
turing approaches of conventional aircraft.

24 Code One
E V E N T S
First T-50
Class Graduates
The first group of Republic
of Korea Air Force student
pilot s schooled on t he T-50
Golden Eagle supersonic trainer
completed f light t r aining on
31 October. The twelve pilots
were taught by instructors from
the ROK AFs 203rd Squadron
located at Gwangju AB near the
southwestern tip of the Korean
peninsula. T he 203r d is t he
worlds first T-50 training unit.
Two of the newly minted pilots
will go to the F-16 operational
conversion unit, while the other
ten will go through F-5 upgrade
t r aining . A c c o r ding t o da t a
released by the ROKAF, T-50 pilots
recorded a thirty-eight percent
higher capability in actual flight
tests compared to the pilots in the
same class trained on the T-38. PHOTO BY K ATSUHIKO TOKUNAGA

Electrifying
Electrical power was applied to the first F-35B Lightning II for the first time 25 October, initiating
a series of ground tests that will lead to the inaugural flight of the short takeoff/vertical landing,
or STOVL, aircraft in 2008. The F-35Bs power-on is an incremental process of testing the aircrafts
circuits, electronic components, and wiring. The aircraft incorporates parts and systems from all nine
F-35 participant countriesthe United States, United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada,
Australia, Denmark, and Norway.
PHOTO BY NEAL CHAPMAN

Customs Coordination
US Customs and Border Protection
crews in a P-3 Airborne Early Warning
aircraft and a P-3 Long-Range Tracker
aircraft successfully located and coor-
dinated the rescue of five passengers
from a burning yacht 250 nautical miles
off Costa Rica on 25 October. The P-3
crew worked with a nearby f ishing
vessel and the frigate USS Halyburton
(FFG-40) to bring the yachts crew to
safety. The Customs crews were con-
ducting drug interdiction operations in
the Eastern Pacific when they were
directed by the Joint Interagency Task
Force-South in Miami to locate the
source of a distress call. The crews
found the yacht, Dorothea, and then
coordinated the rescue.
PHOTO BY JOHN ROSSINO

Two If By Air
Airmen from the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at Balad AB, Iraq, used two C-130 Hercules
aircraft to drop thirty-one Container Delivery System bundles over a location in southwest Iraq in
September, providing needed supplies to Iraqi border training teams supported by the US Armys 82nd
Sustainment Battalion. The supplies on this airdrop included ice, tires, concertina wire, and food. These
regular airdrops keep convoys off the roads, the traditional way the Army delivers supplies, and decrease
the number of ground personnel needed to secure an airfield. This method is safer, not only for the
PHOTO BY SGT. JASMINE CHOPRA
Army, but also for the aircrews delivering the supplies.

Fourth Quarter 2007 25

 E V E N T S
New Ride
The first of eleven F-16 Block
52 aircraft to become the new
show aircraft for the Air Forces
aerial demonstration team, the
T hu n d e r b i r d s , r o l l e d o u t i n
ceremonies at the Ogden Air
Logistics Center at Hill AFB,
Utah, on 24 October. Each of the
teams new aircraft will receive
a Block 52 upgrade. Each aircraft
will also receive a smoke-
generating system and then be
repainted in the teams distinc-
tive livery. The Block 52 aircraft
will replace the teams F-16 Block
32 jets. The new jets are anticipated
for the 2009 show season. PHOTO BY ALEX R. LLOYD

Helping Herks
An HC-130 crew from Air Force Reserve Commands 920th Rescue
Wing at Patrick AFB, Florida, assisted the Coast Guard in the search
and rescue of thirty-one Dominican migrants on 1 September. The
crew expanded the Coast Guards search efforts of more than 2,400
square miles between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Once the boat in distress was located, the crew of the 920th con-
tinued searching the area to ensure no one had gone overboard.
The crew then remained on-scene until a Coast Guard cutter arrived.
On 5 October, an MC-130P Combat Shadow crew from the 58th
Special Operations Wing at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, provided
aerial refueling and served as mission controller during the first-ever
PHOTO BY CAPT. CATHLEEN SNOW
operational CV-22 Osprey search and recovery mission.

F-22 FOT&E II
The F-22 is effective, suitable, and
mission capable according to the Air
Force Operational Test and Evaluation
Center at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. This
rating, released in September, resulted
from a recently completed second round
of Follow-On Operational Test and Evalu-
ation. During this phase, the F-22s ability
t o c o n d u c t O f f e n s i v e C o u n t e r A i r-
Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses, or
OCA-DEAD, was validated. Mission gen-
eration and support were also evaluated. PHOTO BY K ATSUHIKO TOKUNAGA

C-5 Construction
A new isochronal inspection
hangar at Shepherd Field in
M ar t in s b ur g , We s t V ir g inia,
opened in early October as part
of a maintenance complex where
most of the shops for the 167th
Airlift Wing, the West Virginia Air
National Guard C-5 unit, are
under one roof. The wings new
corrosion control hangar will be
completed in early 2008. On
7 November, a C-5 made the first
landing on the newly opened
PHOTO BY CHUCK L AFAVER
runway in Martinsburg.

26 Code One
E V E N T S
Kincheloe Award Earthquake Relief Times Two

PHOTO BY SRA VERONICA PIERCE

Lockheed Martin F-35 Chief Test Pilot Jon Beesley was presented
the 20062007 Iven C. Kincheloe Award on 29 September, the
highest honor of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. The award
recognizes outstanding professional accomplishment in the conduct
of flight testing. Beesley was cited for his leadership and direct
participation in the F-35 flight test program. He won the award pre-
viously in 1996 as part of the Air Forces F-117 Combined Test Force.
During his thirty-year flight test career, Beesley has participated
in the full-scale development of the F-117, F-16, YF-22, and F-22.
Beesley is a Fellow in the test pilot organization, a high honor
bestowed only through peer recognition.
A C-130E crew from the 36th Airlift Squadron at Yokota AB, Japan,
flew J. Thomas Schieffer, US Ambassador to Japan, and Lt. Gen.
Bruce Wright, US Forces Japan commander, to Niigata Prefecture
on 18 July to deliver 10,000 pounds of water and 100 air condi-
tioning units for victims housed in public facilities following an
earthquake that occurred in the area on 16 July. Two days after
a massive ear thquake struck Peru on 15 August, a crew from
the 135th Airlift Group, the Air National Guard unit in Baltimore,
Maryland, was diverted from a supply run in Puerto Rico to Lima to
support the relief effort there. The Baltimore C-130J crew flew in a
mobile surgical team on its first mission in Peru.

SDB Release

PHOTO BY TSGT. JEREMY LOCK

1,000 Traps
Cmdr. Muhammad Muzzafar F.
Khan, the commander of Sea
Control Squadron 31 (VS-31),
joined the elite club of Naval
aviators who have successfully
completed 1,000 carrier-arrested
landings. He trapped aboard the
USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74)
on 4 August while transiting
PHOTO BY DARIN RUSSELL the western Pacific Ocean to
The first airborne separation test of a 250-pound inertial naviga- participate in Exercise Valiant
tion system/Global Positioning System-guided GBU-39 Small Diam- Shield 2007. Khan, who was born
eter Bomb, or SDB, from the internal weapons bay of an F-22 was and r aised in Pakist an, has
successfully carried out during a 5 September flight over the Naval landed on nine different carriers
Air Warfare Center at China Lake, California. Maj. Jack Fischer, a in two different types of aircraft. PHOTO BY MCS3 JON HYDE

411th Flight Test Squadron test pilot at the Air Force Flight Test
Center at Edwards AFB, California, flew the mission in Raptor 08.
This first test, one of a series of SDB releases, was made to ensure
the weapon would separate from the aircraft cleanly. The Raptor will
be able to carry eight GBU-39s in its main weapons bay.
He has accumulated more than 3,600 flight hours since his first
arrested landing in 1993. Although based at NAS Jacksonville,
Florida, the Top Cats of VS-31 are making the S-3 communitys final
deployment to the western Pacific Ocean. The S-3 will be retired
from US Navy service in 2009.

Fourth Quarter 2007 27

 E V E N T S
Youth Movement Combat Spears At Cannon
Capt. Stephen Kaminski, an
F-16 pilot with the 157th Fighter
Squadron at McEntire ANGS,
South Carolina, qualified as an
instructor pilot on 20 Augusttwo
days before turning twenty-five
years old. Most pilots complete
their initial training at twenty-
four. Kaminski, who has been
flying since he was ten, enlisted
with the Alabama Air National
Guard at age seventeen. He com-
pleted an aviation management
degree at nineteen and then
sought out an Air National Guard
unit that would send him to pilot PHOTO BY SMSGT. ED SNYDER
PHOTO BY SSGT. APRIL WICKES

training. The 169th Fighter Group hired him and sent him to officer
school, pilot training, fighter lead-in, and F-16 training. He rejoined
the unit at age twenty-two. While in training, he earned his masters
degree in aviation management.
Raptor MX School
Airmen at Cannon AFB, New Mexico, stood up the newly desig-
nated 27th Special Operations Wing during a unit re-designation
and change of command ceremony on 1 October. As the 27th Fighter
Wing, an Air Combat Command asset, inactivated, the 27th SOW
stood up as the second of two active duty Special Operations wings
in the Air Force. The first AFSOC aircraft to move to Cannon will be
the 73rd Special Operations Squadron, which flies the MC-130W
Combat Spear. The 73rd is currently located at Hurlburt Field, Florida.
The MC-130W is used to conduct infiltration and exfiltration and to
resupply Special Operations forces. It also provides refueling capa-
bility for vertical-lift assets, like the CV-22 Osprey.

Washed Up

PHOTO BY RICHARD RAU

The US Air Forces 82nd Training Wing and the Raptor industry PHOTO BY TIGHAR

team opened a state-of-the-art, 120,000-square foot F-22 mainte-
nance training facility at Sheppard AFB, Texas, on 19 October, pro-
viding a realistic training environment for future Raptor maintainers.
For instructional purposes, engineers have divided the aircraft into
seven full-scale, high-fidelity training devices that replicate flight
line maintenance conditions and eliminate the need to train on
operational aircraft. The devices provide hands-on practice in inspec-
tion, operation, removal and installation, system-testing, and fault
isolation. The devices range from simple to highly complex, covering
as few as fourteen separate tasks to as many as 240 tasks. Boeing
served as the design lead on the new facility.
Shifting and eroding sands caused the wreckage of the P-38
Lightning fighter to suddenly reappear in mid 2007 on a North Wales
beach where it crash-landed during World War II. The International
Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, or TIGHAR, learned of the planes
existence in September and sent a survey team to the site. TIGHAR
plans to collaborate with British museum experts to recover the
nearly int ac t aircraf t nex t spring. Fuel exhaustion dur ing a
training mission forced 2nd Lt. R. Frederick Elliott to land the P-38F
(USAAF serial number 41-7677) in the shallow water near the beach
on 27 September 1942. Although Elliott survived the crash unharmed,
he was later killed in action in North Africa.

28 Code One
NOTAMS
100 Raptors
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.

Silver Anniversary Not A Joyous Noel

The 100th F-22
was formally
delivered to the
US Air Force in
ceremonies on
29 August. The
milestone aircraft (Air Force serial
number 05-0100) is assigned to the
90th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf AFB,
Alaska. During the ceremony, Secretary
of the Air Force Michael Wynne signed Egyptian and US Air Force officials Soldiers and airmen unload a
the Form DD250, the official US commemorated the twenty-fifth UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from a
government acceptance document. anniversary of the F-16 in Egyptian C-5 Galaxy transport on the flight line
service during ceremonies in Cairo on of San Isidro AB, Dominican Republic,
Pressure Testing 25 August. Egypt was the first Arab on 8 November. The helicopter was
country to purchase the multirole later flown on a medical relief mission.
fighter through a Foreign Military Sales US service members from Joint Task
program called Peace Vector. The Force-Bravo out of Soto Cano AB,
Egyptian Air Force received forty-two Honduras, were sent to the Dominican
F-16s in its first order in 1980. Since Republic to provide assistance after
then, Egypt has purchased five more Tropical Storm Noel struck.
lots of aircraft for a total of 220 F-16s.
How Its Done
7K Milestone

Proof pressure testing of the

Revolutionary Approach To Time-critical
Long Range Strike, or RATTLRS, vehicle
was recently completed. This testing
validates the vehicles structural
integrity. RATTLRS is a supersonic
missile flight demonstrator program
sponsored by the US Navy and
developed by Lockheed Martin
Skunk Works in Palmdale, California.
Bomb (Disposal) Away
Sailors from Explosive Ordnance
Disposal Mobile Unit 2 (EODMU-2) at
Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek,
Virginia, perform a static line jump
with a combat rubber raiding raft from
a C-130J Super Hercules on 19 October.
EODMU-2 was conducting water
parachute insertion training to ensure
unit readiness. The C-130J is assigned
to the 143rd Airlift Wing, the Rhode
Island Air National Guard unit at
Quonset State Airport in Providence.
Lt. Gen. John Bradley (pictured left),
chief of the Air Force Reserve and
Air Force Reserve Command, achieved
his 7,000th hour of total military flying
time with the 457th Fighter Squadron
on 2 October. The 457th FS is the
Air Force Reserve F-16 squadron at
NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas. Bradley,
who has thirty-four years in the
Reserve, is scheduled to retire in 2008.
He flew 337 combat missions in
Vietnam and has logged flight time
in the A-37, F-4, A-10, and F-16, plus
instructor time in the T-38.
A KC-130J Super Hercules tanker
from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport
Squadron 352 (VMGR-352) simulates
simultaneous in-flight refueling of two
CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters
during the annual air show 14 October
at MCAS Miramar near San Diego,
California. The Miramar Air Show 2007,
one of the largest military air shows in
the country, focused on the joint power
of US military aviation. VMGR-352 is
based at Miramar.
Orion 101
US Navy Patrol Squadron 5 (VP-5)
at NAS Jacksonville, Florida, hosted
a field trip for a group of local home-
schooled students on 25 October as
part of a community relations project.
Members of the squadron, known as
the Mad Foxes, gave the students
and their parents a close look at a
P-3C aircraft.

Grrr!
The annual NATO Tiger Meet, code named Arctic Tiger 2007, was hosted in late
September by 338 Squadron, the Royal Norwegian Air Force unit at Orland AB,
Norway. A total of sixty aircraft from twelve NATO fighter squadrons participated
in the exercise, all with tiger mascots. The 192nd Fighter Squadron, the Turkish
Air Forces only fighter squadron to have Panthera tigris as a mascot, pounced on
the exercise with four specially painted F-16C/D aircraftand a menacing attitude.
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