Tag Archives: usaf

Kit Bashing, Technology, U.S.

Repairing 1/1 scale T-38 Talon and other Whiteman Gate Guards (and a reduced scale B-2 bomber)

Video

U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Parker J. McCauley, 18JUN2019.

During the middle of June, 2019, 509th Maintenance Squadron ‘low-observable maintenance’ Airmen began work to restore Whiteman Air Force Base’s (in Missouri) T-38 gate guard named Spirit of Heartland.

USAF photo by Airman First Class Parker J. McCauley, 18JUN2019.

USAF photo by Airman First Class Parker J. McCauley, 18JUN2019.

USAF photo by Airman First Class Parker J. McCauley, 06AUG2019.

The T-38 is one of several 509th Bomb Wing static displays on base which also includes the B-29 Superfortress, B-47 Stratojet, B-52 Stratofortress and the FB-111A Aardvark.

USAF photo by Airman First Class Parker J. McCauley, 06AUG2019.

In May 2018, the B-29 The Great Artiste was restored.  According to the official report  “…the original aircraft was lost during a crash landing at Goose Bay Air Base, in Labrador, Canada, in 1949. So, another B-29 was painted as a replica for static display. The static display was eventually moved to Whiteman AFB from Pease AFB when the New Hampshire base closed in 1991.”

USAF photo by Airman Michaela Slanchik, 10AUG2017.

In August 2017, a reduced scale B-2 Spirit was donated by Northrop-Grumman.  The B-2 replica weighs 600 pounds and is 22 feet in length compared to the actual B-2’s true length of 172 feet.  It is one of 50 donated by Northrop Grumman.

USAF photo by Senior Airman Joel Pfiester, 13SEP2016.

In September 2016, the FB-111A gate guard underwent corrosion prevention painting, some calling it operation Dark Vark.

In 2015, the Missouri Air National Guard 131st Bomb Wing moved to Whiteman AFB, and brought their F-4, F-15 and F-100 gate guards with them. Missouri Air National Guard video by Technical Sergeant Elise Rich, June 2015:

Guam: 1/1 SCALE F-4 PHANTOM-2 MODEL

Wyoming Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Charles Delano.

Down in the mud, shot-up, Wyoming SLUF

Technology

USAF A-7 Corsairs, whatever happened to?

Video

Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, George W. Bush Air Park video history tour of the A-7D, 21JUN2020:

Ling-Tempco-Vaught A-7D Corsair-2, April 1982, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. Photo via Tinker Air Force Base History Office.

LTV A-7D Corsair II, isochronical maintenance at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, April 1982.

Apparently the USAF version of the A-7 Corsair-2 is one of the most loved ground attack aircraft, especially by the folks in Oklahoma; from November 1966, when Tinker AFB’s Oklahoma City Air Materiel Area was assigned all logistics management responsibility for the A-7D, to its final days with the Oklahoma Air National Guard in 1993 (to be replaced by the F-16).

125th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 138th Tactical Fighter Group, Oklahoma Air National Guard in 1992. Photo via Greg L. Davis.

Oklahoma ANG A-7D ‘Tulsa’, during training in 1992.

Oklahoma Air National Guard A-7D on display in the Charles B. Hall Memorial Air Park, 2017. U.S. Air Force photo by Greg L. Davis.

Oklahoma isn’t the only National Guard unit to fly the A-7 during its official last days, and even some National Guard units are still using their A-7s for other training.

198th Fighter Squadron, 156th Fighter Group, Puerto Rico Air National Guard, 1992. Photo via Greg L. Davis.

Four A-7D Corsair IIs of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, over the Caribbean in 1992. Puerto Rico’s Air National Guard used A-7Ds up-till 1993.

Iowa Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

Three happy Iowa National Guard pilots pose in front of an A-7D ‘gate guard’, 17MAR2017.  Mike Maier, Jim Walker and Larry Christensen were the last of Iowa’s A-7 pilots that, as of 2017, were still serving with Iowa Air National Guard.

Iowa Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot, 17MAR2017.

Freshly painted gate guard, A-7D ‘Sioux City’ of the Iowa Air National Guard.

Iowa Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

In 2013 the Iowa Air and Army National Guard decided to sling-load a two seat A-7 gate guard with a CH-47F Chinook.

Iowa Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Vincent De Groot.

At the beginning of the video is a boring press conference, then the sling load, and then somehow some old film of an A-7 (BAT 12) strafing a tank on a USAF bombing range:

Wisconsin Air National Guard photo by Technical Sergeant Meghan Skrepenski, 13JUN2017.

The Wisconsin Air National Guard used this ‘gate guard’ to practice ‘downed aircraft recovery’ in June 2017.  Note that the recovery vehicle is an old John Deere 4020 that (according to the press info) is three years older than the 1969 issue A-7.  Apparently the scenario involved a military aircraft that crashed in Wausau: “Planning this movement took approximately two years from initial concept to movement completion. This movement provided a chance to deal with something that we wouldn’t normally be able to do…”-Master Sergeant Michael J. Schmidt, 115th Fighter Wing

Wisconsin Air National Guard photo by Technical Sergeant Meghan Skrepenski, 13JUN2017.

Note the U.S. Navy refuel probe on the nose of the A-7 painted in USAF/National Guard colors.  Apparently the only USAF A-7 that had the USN refueling probe was the prototype YA-7D, which served at Edwards Air Force Base until retired to AMARC in 1992.  So is this a USN A-7 acquired for Air National Guard gate guard duty, or is it one of two YA-7D prototypes?    

New Jersey Army National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Nicholas Young.

In March 2017, New Jersey Air National Guard TACPs (Tactical Air Control Party )used a shot-up A-7 during a training event with Maryland Air Guard’s A-10 Thunderbolt-2s, at Warren Grove Gunnery Range.

Wyoming Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Charles Delano.

In May 2017, Wyoming Air National Guard conducted aircraft recovery training with this shot-up A-7D that was literally ‘down in the mud’.

Wyoming Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Charles Delano, 11MAY2017.

They had to use airbags to raise the SLUF and use PSP/Martson Mat style steel plank to get it rolling out of the mud: “This was the first time for me doing recovery training. My job was to help set up air bags and operate the manifold. My normal job always has some sort of data and you are going to follow the book. When a plane crashes or runs off the runway into mud, you don’t always respond in the same way.”-Senior Airman Dakota Difrancesco, 153rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

Wyoming Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Charles Delano, 11MAY2017.

Wyoming Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Charles Delano, 11MAY2017.

I believe the U.S. taxpayers got their money’s worth out of the A-7.

1/48 SCALE COMPARISON A-7 CORSAIR-2: AURORA, REVELL-MONOGRAM, ESCI, HASEGAWA & HOBBY BOSS.

1/72 REVISED COMPARISON A-7 CORSAIR-2: FUJIMI, ESCI, AIRFIX, HASEGAWA, MATCHBOX, REVELL & HOBBY BOSS. MORE REASON NOT TO TRUST SCALE DRAWINGS?

Technology

Vehicle I-D: New KC-46A Pegasus

Video

U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Cody Dowell, 08FEB2019.

KC-46A Pegasus flies over Altus Air Force Base (AFB), Oklahoma, 08FEB2019.

USAF photo by Senior Airman Cody Dowell, 08FEB2019.

USAF photo by Airman First Class Alan Ricker, 14FEB2019.

U.S. Air Force video, by Staff Sergeant Joshua Crawley, first crew familiarization flight from McConnell AFB, Kansas, 26FEB2019:

USAF photo by Airman First Class Alan Ricker, 25JAN2019.

The first KC-46A Pegasus arrives at McConnell AFB, Kansas, 25JAN2019.

USAF photo by Airman Michaela Slanchik, 25JAN2019.

Video by Staff Sergeant Joshua Crawley, of KC-46As landing at McConnell AFB, 07FEB2019:

USAF illustration by Technical Sergeant Maeson L. Elleman.

 

USAF illustration by Technical Sergeant Maeson L. Elleman.

Boeing photo, 30OCT2018.

Most testing was conducted at Edwards AFB, California, in 2018.

USAF photo by Yasuo Osakabe, 23OCT2018.

The new KC-46A was also tested on Yokota Air Base in Japan.

South Carolina Air National Guard photo by Airman First Class Megan Floyd, 13JUL2016.

The KC-46A is a modified Boeing 767.

KC-46A boom operator explainer video:

USAF photo by Senior Airman Tryphena Mayhugh, 14FEB2019.

KC-135 Stratotanker refuels KC-46A Pegasus.

USAF video by Senior Airman Tryphena Mayhugh, KC-46A refueling a C-17 over Washington, 14FEB2029:

USAF photo by Senior Airman Tryphena Mayhugh, 14FEB2019.

VEHICLE I-D: NEBRASKA KC-135 TEENAGED NOSE ART

M1A2-V2-SEP ABRAMS IDAHO LIVE FIRE, FEBRUARY 2019

International

Pacific Ring of Fire: Volcanoes & Glaciers cause global warming?

Video

Incomplete list of seismic/disaster reports from around the Pacific Ring of Fire, 26OCT2018 through to 28NOV2018.

National Geographic:  Strange waves rippled around the world, and nobody knows why

Decoded Science: Earthquakes in Chile, the Philippines and California

Nature.com: World’s first automated volcano forecaster makes a prediction

And here’s more proof humans are not the cause of catastrophic climate change;

Science Magazine: Why 536 was ‘the worst year to be alive’

Science Daily: Volcanoes and glaciers combine as powerful methane producers

CHILE: Light mag. 4.9 

White line of algae deaths marks uplift in 2016 Chilean earthquake

CHINA:  The U.S. military is spending precious tax dollars conducting natural disaster ‘cooperation’ training with Communist China. It was called  2018 Disaster Management Exchange and was held 13 thru 18 November in Nanjing.

COLUMBIA: U.S. Southern Command’s operation Enduring Promise is currently conducting an 11 week disaster response event with health and government partners in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and Honduras.  In this video a MH-60S Sea Hawk delivers patients to U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort, off the coast of Columbia 27NOV2018:

ECUADOR: Reventador Volcanic Ash Advisory

EL SALVADOR: Light mag. 4.5 earthquake

FIJI: Strong mag. 6.5 earthquake

GUATEMALA:  Fuego bursts red-hot lava and ash 

INDONESIA:  The U.S. Air Force/USAID continue spending precious tax dollars with the ongoing disaster relief:

Krakatau: lava flow into the sea

Moderate mag. 5.2 near Banda Aceh

Light mag. 4.3 – SOUTH OF JAVA

Central Sulawesi Earthquake and Tsunami

Moderate mag. 5.5- Southern Sumatra

Light mag. 4.8- Lombok Timur

Earthquake and Tsunami Response SitRep

Displacement Tracking Matrix

JAPAN: 5.9-magnitude quake strikes off Aomori prefecture

Light mag. 4.3 East of Namie

Light mag. 4.5 SSE of Ofunato

Light mag. 4.4 East of Hachinohe

magnitude 5.0 hits south Japan, no tsunami warning

Strong mag. 6.0 earthquake – Hokkaido

Moderate mag. 5.2-Near S. Coast of Western Honshu 

Light mag. 4.9 NorthEast of Naze

Stunning pictures of lightning as Sakurajima erupts

MEXICO: Light mag. 4.4 – OAXACA

 NEW ZEALAND: 6.2-magnitude shake halts parliament

Light mag. 4.5 earthquake

New Zealand’s North and South islands ‘creeping’ even closer together

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Light mag. 4.4 earthquake

Emergency Plan of Action

PERU:  The U.S. Marines are spending precious tax dollars conducting natural disaster ‘cooperation’ training with Peru.  It’s part of U.S. Southern Command’s Enduring Promise initiative-Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force humanitarian assistance and disaster relief response.

Video of massive disaster relief ‘invasion’ by USMC in Peru, 24NOV2018:

Light mag. 4.0 earthquake

Light mag. 4.3 earthquake

PHILIPPINES: Moderate earthquake – Mindanao

2 ash eruptions from Mayon volcano

Light mag. 4.6 earthquake South of Pondaguitan

Strong mag. 6.0 near Pagadian City

False earthquake – East of Philippine Islands

Light mag. 4.9- Panay

RUSSIA: Strong mag. 6.0 Near East Coast of Kamchatka

Moderate mag. 5.1- Near East Coast of Kamchatka

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Strong mag. 6.1 earthquake 

TAIWAN (REPUBLIC OF CHINA):  5.6-magnitude quake rattles Taiwan, felt in Hong Kong

TONGA: Strong mag. 6.1 earthquake

UNITED STATES: Science Daily; Relationship between tremors, water at the Cascadia margin

Alaska; Light mag. 4.2 southeast of Kodiak

Minor mag. 3.7 South of Cape Yakataga

Moderate mag. 5.1 earthquake

Light mag. 4.6 earthquake

California; UH-60M Black Hawks from the California Army National Guard’s Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, assisted with fighting the deadly Camp Fire in Butte County.

Video of UH-60M fighting Camp Fire:

4.0 earthquake near I-5

Minor mag. 3.5 NorthWest of Crockett

new earthquake warnings deliver critical seconds of notice

Guam;  the Deepest Volcanic Eruption Ever Detected

Hawaii; Volcano Observatory Adapts to Recent Changes

Volcano Quiet, Yet Updated Emergency Proclamation Signed

Idaho; No damage reported following eastern Idaho earthquake

Northern Mariana Islands; Super Typhoon Yutu wipes the U.S. island territory. Where was the U.S. main stream news media?  The U.S. Air Force was there.

U.S. Marines even rescued people’s pets.

Oregon; No cause for alarm after 5 earthquakes hit 100 miles off Oregon coast

City of Florence updates code to ‘Beat the Wave’

Washington; Minor mag. 3.6 earthquake – Lake Muir area

Washington DC; The House of Representatives passed the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program

Wyoming; Yellowstone scientists send cameras to the center of the Earth 

VANUATU: The U.S. Navy inspected the hospital in Koa Moana to learn about the island nation’s ability to handle humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, 15NOV2018.

Volcano Alert Bulletin

Ambae Volcanic Activity SitRep 

Visokoi Island: Moderate mag. 5.0 earthquake

PACIFIC RING OF FIRE, September-October 2018: “VERY HIGH THREAT” FOR UNITED STATES!

Technology, U.S.

Michael: Mother Earth grounds U.S. Air Force

Video

Apparently god isn’t too happy with ‘his’ christian hi-tech dominated United States Air Force.

Video, Tyndall Air Force Base aircraft hanger destroyed:

Video 823rd REDHORSE review of damage, Panama City and Tyndall AFB, 12OCT2018:

Video address on 11OCT2018 by General Mike Holmes, telling the personnel and residents of Tyndall that the damage is so bad that nobody can return:

Video, evacuation of F-22 and T-38 aircraft on 08OCT2018:

Tyndall’s F-15 ‘gate guard’ failed to stop Hurricane Michael from steam rolling over the Air Force Base

Ironically, in September Tyndall AFB was a safe haven for USAF F-16s from Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, escaping Hurricane Florence.

SLOW DISASTER RELIEF: FLORIDA MILITIA DISCOVERS A MAJOR CAUSE, NEW PREPS FOR HURRICANES!

ALABAMA MILITIA PREPS FOR HURRICANE USING WORLD’S LARGEST ALABAMA MAP!

Technology

U.S. Air Force owns your GPS! U.S. Army warns ‘We know where you are’!

Video

18APR2018 /23:58 UTC-07 Tango 06  (30 Farvardin 1397/03 Sha’ban 1439/04 Bing-Chen 4716)

How many silly-vilians know that the current Global Positioning System is a military operation controlled by the U.S. Air Force?  Here’s the official USAF video explainer:

Official U.S. Army video (weak-ly done) warning about the dangers of using your silly-vilian so-called smart-phone GPS or Snap-chat:

It’s all part of the ever expanding military controlled Global Information Grid.

SATCOM upgrades to Wideband Enterprise Terminal, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, to further expand the Global Information Grid.

MAKING ZOMBIES: USAF SECRET SLEEP DEPRIVATION EXPERIMENT REVEALED!

Technology

Making Zombies: USAF secret sleep deprivation experiment revealed!

Video

18APR2018 (02:54 UTC-07 Tango 06)  29 Farvardin 1397/02 Sha’ban 1439/03 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4716

Despite decades of studies that say the human brain must get sufficient sleep (including U.S. Army experiments in which soldiers were given meth) or it will become paranoid, suicidal and homicidal, the U.S. Air Force is conducting experiments to force humans to stay awake for extended periods of time.

The 711th Human Performance Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is trying to find out if computer/electronic stimulation works better than drugs. An official video report was issued on 17APR2018:

In 2017 the U.S. Navy confirmed you must sleep, in response to increasing cases of personnel getting less and less sleep: “Sleep has been identified and prioritized as a leading Health and Wellness Department and disease prevention goal. Sleep is an important element of health and well-being just like nutrition and physical fitness. Adequate sleep is necessary to fight off infection, support the metabolism of sugar to prevent diabetes, perform well in school, and work effectively and safely. There were 37% of military members and 29% of civilian staff who reported they do not get enough restful sleep to function well on the job and in their personal life. Our department is focusing on the needs and benefits of adequate sleep with awareness, education and intervention techniques…”-Trish Skinner, Naval Hospital Bremerton Health and Wellness Department

“When we sleep our body goes through a very intricate process where it recovers and rebuilds. Short and long-term memories are allocated and stored. It (also) gives our physical body time to rest and rebuilt broken down muscle and tissue….   Chronic poor sleep can also result in cardiovascular disease, depression and obesity. When it comes to physical recovery, workouts can be totally wasted by not giving our body time to rest and recover.”-Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Christopher Stevens, NHB Mental Health

Also in 2017, U.S. Army’s Fort Belvoir Community Hospital opened a Sleep Medicine Clinic to deal with increased problems due to active duty service members not being able to sleep.  It’s working in conjunction with Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

“If that [service member] is not at his or her best, it could compromise that person’s safety, their teammates’ safety, it could compromise the mission … Sleep is a critical cog in maintaining optimal health.”-Melissa Mitravich, Belvoir Hospital Sleep Medicine Clinic

Why is the U.S. Air Force spending taxpayer money trying to deprive its own personnel from sleep?

Why Sleep Deprivation Is Torture | Psychology Today

USAF DECLARES CLIMATE-CHANGE-WAR ON YOUR LAWN!

‘MICROWAVE’ BEAM WEAPON AIMING TO HEAT YOU UP!

CREATING DOG WARRIORS WITH HI-TECH $13-MILLION HOSPITAL!

OPERATION JUPITER: SHARK DNA FOR FUTURE SOLDIERS?

X-Files: Sleepless 

Technology

Vehicle ID: That’s not a C-130J, it’s still the old C-130H!

Image

“When we add these modifications to all of our aircraft, we will greatly increase the reliability and performance of the C-130H, and the overall lethality of the United States Air Force.”-Colonel Justin Walrath, Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing

You can’t count on those six bladed props to tell you that you’re looking at a C-130J Super Hercules anymore.  The following pics are an old school C-130H upgraded with new engines and props that might make it look like a C-130J to the casual observer, along with a few other things.

The Wyoming Air National Guard is proud to be the first operator of the first C-130H upgraded with ‘J-like’ components.  Wyoming was chosen in 2008 to get and try out upgraded C-130Hs.

The C-130J has six bladed props.

C-130J Super Hercules. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Harry Brexel, 03FEB2017.

Most obvious change for upgraded C-130H are the turbines and eight bladed air-screws (evil British empire Rolls-Royce T56 series 3.5 with NP2000 props).  The modifications took place over 18 months at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas.

Upgraded C-130H Hercules. U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Junior, 11JAN2018.

Initial testing took place at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.  Supposedly the C-130H modifications mean various state National Guard units will save taxpayer money versus buying the C-130J.

HARVEY: GEORGIA MILITIA DEPLOYS C-130H!

WC-130J SUPER HERCULES TRACKS HURRICANE HARVEY

VEHICLE I-D: ALASKA MILITIA GETS NEW HC-130J

STOP YOUR BITCHIN’! FEMALE PILOT TELLS YOU WHY SHE FLIES MAFFS

MAFFS BOMBS IDAHO!

Technology

USAF declares climate-change-war on your lawn!

Video

11APR2018 /21:44 UTC-07 Tango 06  (23 Farvardin 1397/26 Rajab 1439/27 Bing-Chen 4716)

In 2016 the U.S. Air Force and the Central State University in Ohio revealed project Global Neighbor (ostensibly to fight climate change by fighting unwanted plants) and unveiled a directed energy/distributed array weapon for use against your lawn.

Global Neighbor is taxpayer funded through SBIR/STTR (Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer). 

Official video explainer:

In 2017, an ‘inventor’ in Ohio unveiled his silly-vilian version which is incorporated into your standard walk-behind lawn mower. 

 

HUMAN BONES: MORE PROOF CLIMATE CHANGE IS OUTTA OUR HANDS!

USAF SPEEDS UP WEATHER COURSE, BLAME CLIMATE CHANGE?

Kit Bashing, Technology

Snoopy RC-135S Cobra Ball Nose Art

Image

“The ball represents the Earth, the purple part with the star is the missile coming up from the earth and the snake, which represents the aircraft, is protecting the Earth.”-Rick Brown, retired U.S. Air Force

Jerrica Skipper, from Mississippi, designed The Ball. U.S. Air Force photo by Delanie Stafford, 23JAN2018.

RC-135S Cobra Ball, invasion of Iraq, April 2003. USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Stan Parker.

C-17 NOSE ART

USAF WINS FEMALE RECRUITS WITH BABY C-17