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Contents

F-14 Tomcat ___________________________________________ 4

F/A-18 Hornet _________________________________________ 10

F-15 Eagle ___________________________________________ 16

F-16 Fighting Falcon ___________________________________ 22

US Navy Blue Angels __________________________________ 26

Navy & Aviator Slang Terms _____________________________ 39

Air Force & Aviator Slang Terms _________________________ 47

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4 Fighter Pilot Information: F-14 Tomcat

The F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, variable sweep wing, two-placestrike fighter manufactured by GrummanAircraft Corporation.

The pilot and the Radar Intercept Officer(RIO) control the navigation, targetacquisition, electronic counter measures(ECM) and weapons employment.

The primary missions for the F-14 includeprecision strike against ground targets, airsuperiority and fleet air defense.

F-14 Tomcat

Service

United States Navy


4

F-14Tomcat

5Supplement to Fighter Pilot from Abacus (www.abacuspub.com)

An F-14D Tomcat assigned to the “Tomcatters” of Fighter Squadron ThreeOne (VF-31) is guided away from the landing area following an arrested

landing aboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). Coutesy U.S. Navy

The development of Grumman’s F-14A Tomcat is itselfan example of perseverance and tenacity. GrummanAircraft Company was the mainstay of the U.S. Navy’s

fighter, fighter-bomber and attack aircraft forces in WWIIbefore providing the Navy with the F9F Pantherjet, its firstpractical carrier-based jet fighter. The F9F Pantherjet sawwidespread use in Korea as did its swept-wing variant, theF9F Cougar. However, the remarkable performance of theMig-15 in Korea diminished the Cougar’s appeal. Grummanpartly solved the Navy’s dissatisfaction by incorporating thenewly discovered “area-rule” in its next aircraft, the F11FTiger, which, with a top speed of 754 mph, made it the Navy’sfirst supersonic carrier-based fighter, but even this did notprove to be enough.

In the 1960s, Congress and the Defense Department, in aneffort to eliminate redundancies among the branches of theArmed Forces, tried to get the Navy and Air Force to agree tothe same basic aircraft designs. The biggest and mostcontroversial of these projects was the General Dynamicsswing-wing F-111. The Air Force believed in the aircraft fromthe start, but the Navy did not because the proposed F-111BNavy variant was just too big and heavy for the demandingcarrier operations. Grumman, which was a major subcontractoron the F-111 project, could see the Navy’s dissatisfaction anddecided to go ahead with an all new design for a smallercarrier-based air superiority jet fighter — in a gamble that theNavy would reject the F-111B but then find itself in theposition of having no successor to its aging fleet of F-4


Phantoms. The gamble paid off when the Navy finally rejectedthe F-111B and Congress cut off all funding for the project in1968. The Navy then turned to its principle manufacturers forbids on the next generation of naval fighters.

Grumman was now in position to reinsert itself in the thick ofNaval fighter production. The Grumman team’s work on theF-111B project showed that the swing wing concept was wellsuited to a high-speed high-performance fighter aircraft thatalso had to land as slowly as possible on a rolling and pitchingcarrier deck but it had to be small and light enough. The newGrumman design drew heavily from the F-111B as well asfrom the experience of the Navy’s Vietnam experience with F-4 Phantoms. Along with the swing-wing geometry, Grumman’snew design would use the F-111B’s AN/AWG-9 track-while-scan radar, its Phoenix long-range missiles and even its Pratt& Whitney TF30 turbofan engines. The idea for tandem seatingand combining medium-range Sparrow and short-rangeSidewinder missiles was taken from the Phantom. Also, becausethe F-4 Phantoms were not equipped with cannons in theVietnam Conflict, an internally-mounted high speed 20mm

cannon was incorporated for close-in air-to-air combat. Anotherresult of lessons learned during the Vietnam Conflict was thedecision to mount the engines in separate, widely-spacednacelles in order to minimize the risk of both being damagedsimultaneously.

Grumman and its design managed to win the new Navycontract from its competitors in January 1969. Work proceededquickly on the Tomcat, with a mock-up unveiled in June andthe first F-14A completed in November 1970. This first Tomcatmade its initial flight on December 21, 1970 with test pilotsRobert Smyth and William Miller at the controls. Unfortunately,this aircraft was lost due to a catastrophic hydraulic failureonly nine days later but both crewmen ejected safely. Luckilyfor the Tomcat story, the problem was quickly discovered andcorrected with a minimum of delay for the overall project.Tests resumed in May 1971 and seven more Tomcats had takento the air by December. Initial carrier trials began from the USSForrestal in May of 1972 and F-14A Tomcats were finding theirway to their first active squadron (VF-124) by early 1973 atNAS Miramar, California.

Aviation Boatswain’s Mate Airman Jorge Font, from San Sebastian,Puerto Rico, directs an F-14B Tomcat assigned to the “Jolly Rogers” of

Fighter Squadron One Zero Three (VF-103) onto one of four steam-powered catapults on the flight deck aboard USS George Washington

(CVN 73). The Norfolk, Va.-based nuclear powered aircraft carrier andCarrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17) recently departed on a regularly

scheduled deployment. Photo courtesy U. S. Navy.


As Tomcats started replacing the older F-4Bs andF-4Js as the Navy’s newest frontline fighter, pilotsoften found themselves in for a pleasant surprise.The Phantom had been such a superlative designwhen it first saw service in 1959 that it had simplyoutclassed every other aircraft flying for severalyears. Pilots quickly believed in the idea that thePhantom was the ultimate in fighter aircraft. Thenew Tomcat was considerably bigger and, at firstglance, may have appeared to be just a rehashedversion of the F-111B that the Navy had so soundlyrejected. But when these same pilots got theirchance in the F-14, most were instantly converted.The F-14A could out-climb, out-accelerate, out-gun and most impressively, even outmaneuverthe latest Phantom variants. Furthermore, theTomcat boasted a greater range and carried thenext generation avionics, fire control and weaponssystems. Some Phantom pilots even foundthemselves a bit dismayed — their F-4s wereconsidered the hottest birds in the air but now anew aircraft appeared that humbled the Phantomin virtually every category.

One continual source of problems to the earlyTomcats were the many accidents resulting fromtheir F-111B era Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-412Aturbofan engines. A program to replace thesewith more dependable but similarly rated TF30-P-414As began in 1983. A more significantperformance upgrade was the updating theengine of F-14As with 27,000-pound afterburningGeneral Electric F110-GE-400 turbofans beginningin late 1986, resulting in the F-14A (Plus). Asimilarly rated Pratt & Whitney engine hadpowered two F-14Bs in 1973, but that engine wasalso prone to problems and the project wasscrapped due to budgetary cutbacks followingthe Vietnam War. This re-engined “Super Tomcat”has sufficient power to make carrier takeoffswithout using afterburner, and can, dependingon the load, boast a power/weight ratio exceedingunity. The F-14A(Plus) program was superseded by the adventof the F-14D in 1988. The F-14D is equipped with the same F110engines as the F-14A(Plus) but carries much improved avionics,radar, fire-control and other electronic systems. Cutbacks inmilitary budgets after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989slowed the conversion of existing F-14As to F-14A(Plus) aircraftas well as the production of new F-14Ds.

Prior to the Gulf War, Tomcats had more opportunities for aircombat than other contemporary U.S. fighters because of their

role as the primary Fleet Air Defense aircraft for carrier taskforces in the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Sidran, where Col.Mohmar Khadafi was prone to rattle his sabre a bit excessivelyfor American tastes. In August of 1981, two VF-41 Tomcatcrews downed two Sukhoi Su-22 Fitters with AIM-9LSidewinders after being fired upon by the Russian-built Libyanjets. In March and April of 1986, Tomcats of VF-33, VF-74, VF-102, and VF-103 from the USS America flew CAP missions insupport of raids against Libyan targets, keeping Libyan aircraftout of the fleet’s airspace and escorting the attacking American

An F-14B Tomcat assigned to Carrier Air Wing Seven(CVW-7) is inspected aboard USS George Washington

(CVN 73) following flight operations in the AtlanticOcean where the Washington is conducting Composite

Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX). (Photo courtesyUS Navy)

One F-14 Tomcat has a dubious distinction of shooting itself down during armament trials. The Tomcat was disabledafter the Sparrow missile its pilot launched was flying at 700 mph. At 5,000 feet it failed to clear and struck the fuselage.There were no casualties in the incident but the crew was forced to eject and the aircraft was lost.


jets to the target zone. And on January 4, 1989, Tomcats fromthe USS John F. Kennedy downed two Libyan MiG-23 FloggerE’s after the Libyan jets threatened the America carrier force.Tomcats did not play nearly so prominent a role in the 1991Gulf War largely due to the geography of that conflict. Whereasground attacking Naval and Marine F/A-18 Hornets oftenfound themselves in the thick of battle in the skies over Iraq,Tomcats, by virtue of their role as the Navy’s Fleet Air Defensejet, spent much of their time defending the airspace over thefleet from would-be Iraqi attackers that never made it past theAir Force’s shore-based screen of F-15 Eagles. Still, the Tomcatsvigilance in that role assured the security of the American fleetfrom airborne attack at a time when the Iraqis had proventhemselves capable of delivering devastating air-to-ship Exocetmissiles accurately to target.

The F-14 Tomcat story continues to the present day and,although it is now some 30 years since the first F-14 stretchedits wings and took to the air, F-14D Super Tomcats still play therole of Fleet Defender, and will continue to do so until replacedby F/A-18E and F models by 2010.

F-14 "Tomcat" Basic Specs

Length 61 ft 9 in.

Height 18 ft 0 in.

Wingspan 64 ft 1.5 in unswept.

Wing area 565.0 sq ft.

Basic weight approx 43,600 pounds

Max G 6.5

Engine Two GE F110-GE-400.

Power 16,000 lbst dry, 27,000-poundsstatic thrust afterburner.

Max Level Speed Mach 1.88.

Max Cruise Speed Mach 0.72.

Carrier Approach Speed 125 KIAS.

Ceiling 53,000+ feet

Tactical Radius Typical 765 mi (depending onfuel/weapons load and type ofmission).


Plane Captains, Aviation Structural Mechanic 3rd Class Christopher Maple, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Airman Christina Anderson of WhidbeyIsland, Wash., commence start up checks on an F-14B Tomcat assigned to the “Red Rippers” of Fighter Squadron Eleven (VF-11) aboard USS George

Washington (CVN 73). The Norfolk, Va.- based nuclear powered aircraft carrier is on a scheduled deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’sMate Airman Jessica Davis. (Photo courtesy U. S. Navy.)

10 Fighter Pilot Information: F-18 Hornet

The F/A-18 is an all-weather fighter and attackaircraft. The latest model, called the SuperHornet, provides even more versatility - it’scapable not only of filling the air superiorityand fighter escort role but is also capble ofreconnaissance, close air support, airdefense suppression, day/night precisionstrike and even aerial refueling.

The single-seat F/A-18 Hornet is the firststrike-fighter used by either the US Navy orthe US Air Force. Its original purpose wasfor traditional strike applications such asinterdiction and close air support but withoutcompromising its fighter capabilities. Dueto its excellent fighter and self-defensecapabilities, the F/A-18 also increases strikemission survivability and supplements theF-14 Tomcat in fleet air defense.

F/A-18 Hornets are currently operating in 37tactical squadrons from air stations world-wide, and from 10 aircraft carriers. The U.S.Navy’s flight demonstration team, the BlueAngels, has flowin the F/A-18 since 1986.Besides the US, seven nations fly the Hornet,including Canada, Australia, Finland,Kuwait, Malaysia, Spain and Switzerland.

Service

United States Navy

United States MarinesCorps

F/A-18 Hornet

Service

United States Navy

United States Marines Corps

10

F-18Hornet



At sea aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Sep. 21, 2002 — An F-18C “Hornet” assigned to the“Fist of the Fleet” of Strike Fighter Squadron Two Five (VFA-25), launches from one of the ship’s four steam catapults.

During a catapult launch the “Hornet” will reach a speed of 175 mph (152 knots) in 2½ seconds and in just 250 feet.Lincoln and its embarked Carrier Air Wing One Four (CVW-14) are conducting combat missions in support of Operation

Enduring Freedom and Southern Watch. Photo courtesy U.S. Navy.

When the United States Air Force (USAF) selected theMcDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle in late 1969 toreplace the F-4 Phantom as its frontline all-weather

capable fighter, there was a perceived need for a cheaper,simpler and smaller design to supplement the highly complexEagle. The new design idea was for a daytime dogfighter foruse in visual conditions with rudimentary air-to-airelectronics. The concept placed a premium on a lightweight,simple design that would excel in maneuverability, climbrate and acceleration.

Of the six manufacturers that submitted design proposals inFebruary 1972, the designs from Northrop and GeneralDynamic were selected for further development as prototypes.The two designs, the Northrop YF-17 Cobra and the GeneralDynamics YF-16 Falcon, were then to compete in a grueling300-hour fly-off program at Edwards AFB in California. Bothprototypes were flying by early 1974. The USAF in January1975 selected the YF-16 design due to its greater combatradius, speed, altitude performance and lower fuelconsumption compared to the Northrop design.

Although unsuccessful in winning the Air Force contract,the Northrop design wasn’t without its own advantages.


Moreover, the Navy, like the Air Force with its F-15, decidedthat the expensive and large F-14A Tomcat neededsupplementing with a simpler, smaller attack aircraft.Although Congress agreed with the Navy that it shouldprocure cheaper aircraft, if possible, Congress also dictatedthat the Navy choose from the prototypes already developedfor the Air Force project instead of the Navy pursuing newdesign ideas.

To increase their chances of winning the Navy contract,Northrop teamed with McDonnell-Douglas to improve thebasic YF-17 Cobra design. The resulting McDonnell-Douglas— Northrop design won the bid for the Navy’s newest attackfighter on May 25, 1975. McDonnell-Douglas, according tothe agreement, was responsbile for manufacturing thecarrier-ready US Navy and US Marines versions whileNorthrop would further develop an even lighter and higherperformance land-based variant intended for overseas sales.Northrop, unfortunately, was never successful in marketingtheir land-based variant. However, McDonnell-Douglas wasnot only successful in winning the Naval competition, butironically went on to sell its version to the armed forces ofseveral other nations.

The new aircraft was essentially a larger and redesignedYF-17 Cobra that was capable of carrier operations. Inaddition to the fitting of an arresting hook, the new jet hadstrengthened landing gear, upgraded engines (from the YF-17Cobra’s two 15,000-pound thrust to two 16,000-pound thrustturbofans), increased fuel capacity and significant upgradesof avionics, fly-by-wire controls and fire control systems. TheF/A-18 was originally designed to be manufactured in threemodels:

1. F-18, which was intended to replace the F-4 Phantom asa fighter

2. A-18 attack aircraft to replace the A-7 Corsair II

3. A two-seat TF-18 as a fighter trainer

However, McDonnell-Douglas found that by careful designengineering, the two single-seat variants could be mergedinto a single dual-purpose F/A-18A version capable of bothfighter and tactical attack roles. Likewise, the two-seat trainerwas made combat capable of both roles and was re-designatedthe TF/A-18A and TF/A-18B.

The first flight of the new aircraft, nicknamed Hornet, wasdelayed slightly due to the extensive redesigning andre-engineering that became necessary, and so did not occuruntil November 18, 1978. Extensive testing followed, withcarrier trials commencing aboard the USS America on October30, 1979. Engineers and the design team fixed several earlyproblems that occurred, such as weak landing gear, pooracceleration above Mach 1 and lower than specified roll rate.One problem that was never completely solved was a shortfallin range, despite several partial fixes that included addingfuel space, reducing drag and getting higher efficiency fromits two turbofans.

Despite this shortcoming, the Hornet’s range was still greaterthan the F-4J Phantom it was replacing in the fighter escortrole and only about ten percent less than the A-7E Corsair IIit was replacing in the attack role. When all aspects of the newjet’s performance were considered, especially those of air-to-air combat capability and weapons delivery accuracy, theNavy decided that the problem of less than specified rangedid not justify further modifications. Thereofore, the Navyplaced orders for the new F/A-18A Hornet and McDonnell-Douglass went into full production on the aircraft.

VFA-125, based at Lemoore, California, was the first squadronto receive the new F/A-18A Hornet in February 1981. Thissquadron, designated Hornet Fleet Replacement squadron,was responsible for transitioning various Navy attack andMarines fighter and attack squadrons from their A-7E aircraftand F-4 aircraft into the new F/A-18A Hornet. Marine FighterAttack Squadrons VMFA-314 and 323 at MCAS El Toro(California) became the first operational squadrons in early1983. All Marines F-4 squadrons, Navy F-4 squadrons andNavy A-7E squadrons were subsequently converted toHornets. The Navy began replacing the aging A-6E Intruderswith night-capable F/A-18D two-seater Hornets as all-weather/night attack bombers beginning in 1990.

F/A-18 Hornets have proved their value many times oversince their first operational deployment in the early 1980s. Inparticular, the simplicity of the original Northrop design hasadded to the Hornet’s success, resulting in an aircraft thathas proved exceptionally reliable, requiring about half themaintenance hours of the much more complex F-14A Tomcatsand A-6E/KA-6D Intruders.

F/A-18 Hornets saw their first combat in March and April1986 when President Reagan ordered the Sixth Fleet into theGulf of Sidron to challenge Libyan dictator Mohmar Khaddafi.

Following early morning bombing missions, an F-18 “Hornet” flies inthe post-contact position during an aerial refueling mission with a KC-

135R from the 319th Air Expeditionary Group. The 319th AEG isdeployed to a forward deployed location in support of Operation

Enduring Freedom. (Photo courtesy U.S. Air Force)


During flight operations F/A-18F Super Hornets assigned to the “Black Aces” of Strike FighterSquadron Four One (VFA-41) fly over the Western Pacific Ocean in a tight formation. VFA-41 isassigned to Carrier Air Wing One One (CVW-11) and is deployed with the Nimitz Carrier Strike

Group, returning to their homeport of San Diego, California. Photo courtesy U.S. Navy.


F-18 Hornet Basic Specs

Length 56 ft 0 in.

Height 15 ft 4 in.

Wing Span 40 ft 5 in.

Wing Area 400.0 sq ft.

Weight Empty 23,832 lb

Weight MTO 56,000 lb.

Engines Two General Electric F404-GE-402 afterburning turbofans.

Power each 12,000 lbst dry, 17,700 lbstwith afterburner at SL.

Max Level Speed Mach 1.8 plus.

Carrier Approach Speed 135 kt in landing configuration.

Combat Ceiling 50,000 plus ft.

Combat Radius 340 mi.

Ferry Range 2,000 plus mi.

Hornets repeatedly intercepted and discouraged LibyanMiG-23s, MiG-25s, Su-22s and Mirage F-1s from threateningthe fleet when flying FORCAP (Task Force Combat Air Patrol)in early March. F/A-18s also participated in “retaliatory”actions by firing HARM missiles during defense suppressionmissions and flying CAP for joint USAF/Navy strikes againstLibyan targets in and around Tripoli and Bengazi.

In February 1986, the Navy announced that its flightdemonstration team, the famed Blue Angels, would begintransitioning from their A-4F Skyhawks to F/A-18A Hornets.The Hornet is still the Blue Angels aircraft and there are noplans to change of aircraft anytime soon. As anyone familiarwith the Blue Angels show can tell you, the F/A-18 Hornetis perhaps the perfect aircraft for the role, combining an eye-catching form with impressive power and maneuverablity.

During the initial hours of Desert Storm, 161 Navy andMarine Corps F/A-18Cs conducted both defense suppressionand strike missions against Iraqi targets. The US Navy F/A-18 Hornets flew 4,449 sorties and the Marine Corps’ F/A-18C’s flew 4,936 sortiesresulting in 4,551 strikes againsttargets during Operation Desert Storm. A total of 174 U.S.Navy and Marine Corps Hornets participated in DesertStorm along with 26 Canadian F/A-18s (called CF-18).Despite these numbers and the dangerious missions flown,only two Hornets were lost during the war, plus one more ina noncombat accident.

The F/A-18C Hornet and F/A-18D Hornet have replaced theearlier F/A-18A and B models, but the even those models areslowly being replaced by the F/A-18E and F (single -seat andtwo-seaters, respectively). The F/A-18E and the F/A-18Frepresent a major step up in size, power, carrying capacity,avionics, weapons delivery systems, sophistication, rangeand speed. This new Hornet pair is, in fact, so much morecapable than its predecessors that it is slated to replace eventhe F-14D Super Tomcat in the next few years. Look for theseSuper Hornets at the forefront of naval air power for a longtime.


An F/A-18F Super Hornet from the “Diamondbacks” of Strike Fighter Squadron One Zero Two (VFA-102) catches the #3 arresting wire to becomethe first Super Hornet to land aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63). The pilot was Lt. Cmdr. Stephen Higuera with Capt. Joey Aucoin, Commander,

Carrier Air Wing 5, in the rear seat. The Diamondbacks arrived at Naval Air Facility Atsugi Nov. 13 from Oceana, Va., by way of Lemoore, Calif.,where they transitioned from the F-14 to the F/A/-18F. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Theron Godbold. (Photo courtesy US Navy)

16 Fighter Pilot Information: F-15 Eagle

The McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Eagle is oneof the world’s most formidable interceptorfighters. It also has a secondary role of as anattack aircraft.

The F-15 Eagle is an all-weather, extremelymaneuverable, tactical fighter designed toallow the Air Force to gain and maintain airsuperiority in aerial combat.

The F-15’s ability to outperform and outfightany current or proposed enemy aircraftcomes from its combination ofmaneuverability, acceleration, range,weapons and avionics. Its electronicsystems and weaponry allows the F-15 todetect, acquire, track and attack enemyaircraft. Its weapons and flight controlsystems are designed so that only one pilotis required. The F-15’s radar system canlook up at high-flying targets, down at low-flying targets and detect and track aircraftand small high-speed targets from closerange to distances beyond visual range.

Service

United States Air Force

F-15 Eagle

Service


16

F-15Eagle



The idea for the F-15 Eagle began in the mid-1960s as theFighter Experimental (FX) concept when the UnitedStates Air Force (USAF) began planning to replace the

McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom as its primary fighteraircraft. The F-4 Phantom, a large, twin-engine, two-seataircraft, was the primary fighter in service with the USAFthroughout much of the Vietnam War in the 1960s and early1970s.

The USAF, based on its experience in the Vietnam War whereit relied more on superior radar and long-range missiles, wasalso looking for an aircraft design that could handle close-in

air-to-air fighting. Aircraft from “nonfriendly” nations were,of course, changing too so the USAF needed an aircraft thatcould establish air superiority against any projected enemythreats through the rest of the 20th century. In addition to theprimary air-to-air combat role, the aircraft also had to performa secondary air-to-ground mission.

McDonnell-Douglas was awarded the contract for the F-15on December 23, 1969. The McDonnell-Douglas team agreedalmost immediately against using a variable-swept wingbecause it was too complex, heavy and expensive. Instead,they selected a large-area, fixed-geometry wing with 45-

Two F-15E Strike Eagles from the 494th Expeditionary FighterSquadron soar through the skies of Iraq during a combat air support

mission. The 494th EFS deployed here from Royal Air Force Lakenheath,England, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Photo Courtesy U.S. Air

Force


degree sweep at the leading edge. Also the single-seatconfiguration that the USAF required could be accomplishedby using advanced avionics and electronics.

F-15A

The F-15A made its first flight on July 27, 1972 at EdwardsAFB in California. The first Eagle destined for a combatsquadron was delivered in November 1974. By October 29,1973, the F-15s had reached a maximum speed of Mach 2.3and an altitude of 60,000 feet. Because of buffeting problemsin early testing of the F-15, engineers removed four square feetin wing area diagonally from the wing tip. This change gavethe F-15 its characteristic “raked” wingtips.

F-15B

The F-15B was the two-seat training version of the F-15A andwas first flown in July 1973. It used the basic airframe of theF-15A but featured a second seat behind the pilot and belowan enlarged canopy. The Internal Countermeasure Set (ICS)was removed to make room for the second seat and the fuelcapacity was decreased slightly. The F-15A and F-15B areotherwise identical and with similar performancecharacteristics.

F-15C and F-15D

The first F-15C flew in early 1979. Most F-15Cs were deliveredwith Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-100 turbofans but they werereplaced with more reliable F100-PW-220 engines in

November 1985. The F-15C resembled the F-15A externallywas markedly different internally. These internal designchanges, along with an improved electronics suite plus otherchanges, made the F-15C a much more capable fighter aircraft.The F-15D, which first flew in mid-1979, is the two-seatversion of the F-15C and is otherwise identical to the F-15C.

F-15C and F-15Ds were deployed to Dhahran in SaudiArabia when the U.S. started Operation Desert Shield onAugust 6, 1990. They were followed a week later by F-15Es.The F-15C/Ds began flying combat air patrols in cooperationwith Saudi and British forces. Additional F-15Cs weredeployed in November, 1990 from bases in the U.S., Germany,Turkey and the Netherlands.

The F-15C were involved in most of the air-to-air engagementsduring the war and were credited with 36 enemy aircraftdestroyed without a single loss in air-to-air engagements.However, very the F-15C participated in little close-indogfighting — at which it was built to excel — because mostof the kills were made BVR (Beyond Visual Range) by theAIM-7 Sparrow missile. The AIM-7 performed so poorly inVietnam but was a resounding success in the Gulf War.

After the war officially ended, F-15Cs continued to performcombat air patrols by enforcing the “no-fly” restrictions onIraqi fixed-wing aircraft imposed under the terms of thecease-fire. On March 22, an F-15C pilot used an AIM-9 missileto shoot down one of two Iraqi Su-22s. The second Su-22made a quick landing. Two days later, another F-15C pilotshot down a Su-22 violating the no-fly order. A second F-15C

Lt. Gen. Paul Hester (in foreground), 5th Air Force commander, and67th Fighter Squadron commander Lt. Col. James Browne fly theirF-15C Eagles from the 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan, near the

coast of Naha, Okinawa, Japan, during a training mission. (Photocourtesty U.S. Air Force)


pilot was able to force down a Pilatus PC-9 trainer that wasflying near the downed Su-22 when its pilot bailed outwithout firing a shot.

Armament for the F-15 first consisted of four AIM-7 Sparrowmissiles mounted on the lower corners of the fuselage andfour AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles carried on wingstations. A 20-mm M61A1 cannon was installed in thestarboard wing leading edge. Although the air-to-groundrole was only secondary for the F-15, plans were made for itto carry three 610-gallon drop tanks or up to 9000 pounds ofair-to-ground bombs.

The F-15 can carry a mix of air-to-air weaponry, includingcombinations of four air-to-air weapons:

* AIM-7F/M Sparrow missiles or AIM-120 AdvancedMedium Range Air-to-Air Missiles on its lower fuselagecorners

* AIM-9L/M Sidewinder or AIM-120 missiles on twopylons under the wings

* An internal 20mm Gatling gun (with 940 rounds ofammunition) in the right wing root

An automated weapon system enables the pilot to performaerial combat safely and effectively, using the heads-updisplay and the avionics and weapons controls located onthe engine throttles or control stick. When the pilot changesfrom one weapon system to another, visual guidance for therequired weapon automatically appears on the head-updisplay.

Low-drag, conformal fuel tanks were especially developedfor the F-15C and D models. Crews can attach conformal fueltanks to the sides of the engine air intake trunks under eachwing and are designed to the same load factors and airspeedlimits as the basic aircraft. Each conformal fuel tank containsabout 114 cubic feet of usable space. These tanks reduce the

need for in-flight refueling on global missions and increasetime in the combat area. All external stations for munitionsremain available with the tanks in use. AIM-7F/M Sparrowand AIM-120 missiles, moreover, can be attached to thecorners of the conformal fuel tanks.

Although designed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, it stillremains the primary air-superiority fighter serving with theUSAF, and will remain so well into the first decade of the 21stcentury. The F-15 has an impressive success record of air-to-air kills in service with the United States, Israeli and SaudiArabian air forces, perhaps approaching 100, with no knownair-to-air losses.

F-15E “Strike Eagle”

In the late 1970s, McDonnell Douglas and Hughes Aircraftconsidered the possibility of modifying the basic F-15 Eagleto the air-to-ground attack role. Although the original plansfor the F-15 was as a multirole aircraft, the fighter role becamemore important. McDonnell Douglas converted the two-seatF-15B in a project called the Strike Eagle. The pilot wouldremain in the front cockpit and a Weapons System Officer(WSO), who would operate the weapons delivery systems,would be in the rear cockpit. The aircraft was equipped withthe FAST conformal fuel tanks, first introduced on the F-15C/D, and with six stub pylons on the lower corners and on thebottoms of each of the FAST packs for carrying bombs. Thismodified aircraft first flew on July 8, 1980. A centerline gunpod and a Pave Tack laser designator pod (similar to thosecarried by some F-4Es and F-111Fs) were later added on theleft side of the Strike Eagle prototype’s forward air intake.This made the aircraft capable of delivering smart laser-guided bombs without needing a second “designator” aircraft.

Also during this time, the USAF considered possible conceptsfor an Enhanced Tactical Fighter (ETF) to replace the GeneralDynamics F-111. The Air Force was looking for an aircraftthat did not require fighter escort, electronic jamming aircraftor AWACS support. To save both time and money, the USAF

An F-15C flies over the desert near Nellis Air Force Base during a mission. The Eagle is participating in the U.S. Air Force Weapons SchoolsMission Employment Exercise. The exercise is a two-week battle simulation, bringing all the various weapon schools from around the country to

Nevada, testing the skills students learned over several months of training. Photo courtesy U.S. Air Force.


considered converting either the F-15 or F-16 to meet the ETFrequirement instead of developing a new aircraft. The USAFselected the F-15 after a fly-off competition and full-scaledevelopment of the production version of the Strike Eagle,designated F-15E, began in 1984. The first production F-15Eflew on December 11, 1986.

The F-15E shares many design features and capabilities ofthe earlier F-15 Eagle models. The main design featuredifference from earlier F-15 models is that the Strike Eagle hastwo seats. The cockpit for the pilot features redesignedcontrols, a wide field of vision heads-up display and threemonitors that provide multipurpose displays of navigation,weapons delivery and systems operations. The rear cockpitfor the Weapons System Officer (WSO) has four monitors forradar, selecting weapons and following enemy trackingsystems.

The F-15E maintains the conformal fuel tank of the F-15DEagle but the air-to-ground weapons load is larger (maximumof 23,500 pounds). The F-15E also has the 20-mm M61A1cannon of the F-15D but the ammunition capacity is reducedto 512 rounds. Furthermore, the F-15E has the same air-to-aircapability of the F-15D version and can carry AIM-7M Sparrowmedium-range missiles and AIM-9M Sidewinder short-rangemissiles.

Although the F-15E appears externally similar to the two-seat F-15D model, the F-15E is redesigned with a strongerstructure so that it can safely operate at takeoff weights up to81,000 pounds. The structure is furthermore designed to lastup to 16,000 hours, which is double the lifetime of earlier F-

15 aircraft. Two Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 turbofansengines powered the first F-15Es but more powerfulF100-PW-229 engines later replaced those engines. A slightdecrease in internal fuel capacity provides additional roomfor more avionics.

The heart of the electronics suite in the F-15E is the AN/APG-70 radar. It’s designed so that the enemy’s air defensescannot detect it when the F-15 pilot switches it on. It does thisby requiring only one sweep to acquire a radar image of atarget area located as much as 45 degrees to either side of theaircraft’s flight path. Then to make it difficult for an enemyto pick up the AN/APG-70 radar emissions and track the F-15E’s location and flight path, the pilot quickly switches offthe radar a few seconds later. The pilot can update the radarmap, which can be “frozen” on the screen, by new sweeps asthe F-15E gets closer to the target. The radar display terminalsprocess the radar signals received and can provide anoverhead view of ground targets. These views are not onlyhigher resolution, but also from higher altitude than imagesproduced by previous radar. This lets the F-15 pilot identifyroads, bridges and airfields from up to 100 miles away. As theF-15E approaches the target, image resolution becomesincreasingly sharper, which lets the pilot locate smaller

Seventy-five F-15E Strike Eagles from Seymour JohnsonAir Force Base, N.C., are waiting out Hurricane Isabel on arunway at Tinker AFB in Oklahoma. (Photo courtey U.S.

Air Force)


targets, such as armored personnel carriers, trucks, aircraft,tanks, etc.

After operational tests and other evaluations were completed,F-15Es were first delivered to Luke AFB for crew training. Thefirst operational F-15E squadron was at Semour JohnsonAFB in North Carolina, which received its first planes inearly 1989. Only limited operational capability was achievedwith the F-15E by October 1989 and full operational capabilitywasn’t expected before August 1990. When the U.S. and theCoalition Forces began Operation Desert Shield on August 6,1990, the F-15E Strike Eagle was still not ready for combatbecause the targeting pod of its LANTIRN system was not yetinstalled.

The LANTIRN system (Low-Altitude Navigation andTargeting, Infra-Red for Night), which works with the F-15’sAN/APG-70 radar, consists of two pods that are carriedbelow each air intake. The pod on the left side, called AAQ-14, is a targeting pod that contains a high-resolution trackingFLIR, a missile boresight correlator, used to guide the Maverickair-to-surface missile and a laser designator used for weaponssuch as laser guided bombs that home in on reflected laserlight. The pod on the right side is used for navigation andcontains a FLIR (Forward-Looking, Infra-Red) that shows ahigh-quality video image of the oncoming terrain on thepilot’s heads-up display. This allows the F-15 to performhigh-speed low-level flights at night under clear weatherconditions. The navigation pod also carries terrain-followingradar that is effective in bad weather. The F-15 pilot canmanually respond to cues from the system or can couple thesystem to the flight controls for “hands-off” automatic terrain-following flight at altitudes as low as 200 feet above groundlevel.

Nevertheless, the F-15Es crews began training for possiblestrike missions. Eventually, 48 F-15Es flew various missionsin the war, including search-and-destroy missions lookingfor Iraqi Scud missile launchers. Although most of the Scudhunt missions were unsuccessful, the F-15Es attacked otherIraqi targets of opportunity. Because most of these sortieswere flown at medium altitudes, the F-15E was not able to testits low-level capabilities. Two F-15E Strike Eagles were lostto ground fire (January 18 and January 19). The crew of thefirst F-15E were lost and the crew of the second were capturedand became POWs.

The final F-15E was delivered to the USAF in June 1994.However, some attrition replacements were ordered inthrough 1998.

F-15 "Eagle" Basic Specs

Length 63 feet, 9 inches

Height 18 feet, 8 inches

Wingspan 42 feet, 10 inches

Basic weight (C/D models) 68,000 pounds

Ceiling 65,000 feet

Engine Two Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-100 turbofan engines withafterburners.

Power C/D models) 25,000 poundseach engine

Max Level Speed 1,875 mph (Mach 2.5-plus atsea level).

Tactical Radius 3,450 miles (3,000 nauticalmiles) ferry range withconformal fuel tanks and threeexternal fuel tanks

22 Fighter Pilot Information: F-16 Fighting Falcon

The F-16 “Fighting Falcon” is a supersonicfighter for air combat and ground attack. Itprovides a low-cost but high-performancealternative to the F-15 for the United StatesAir Force and the air forces of several othernations. Most experts consider it to be oneof the best and most modern aircraft flyingtoday because of its extraordinarymaneuverability, advanced aerodynamicfeatures and its capacity to withstandaccelerations up to 9Gs (nine times the forceof gravity, which exceeds the capability ofall other current fighter aircraft).

Service


Service


F-16 Fighting Falcon

Service


22

F-16FightingFalcon



An F-16 Fighting Falcon dropped two joint direct attack munitions on thebombing range here during training July 2. The munitions were dropped byLt. Col. Eric Schnitzer from the 80th Fighter Squadron at Kunsan Air Base,

South Korea. (Photo courtesy U.S. Air Force)

The Lockheed-Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a compact,multirole fighter aircraft used by the United States AirForce and several othe countries. It’s highly

maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air combat andair-to-surface attack in the Persian Gulf War and in 2003 inIraq. It provides a relatively low-cost, high-performanceweapon system for the United States and allied nations.

The maneuverability and combat radius (distance it can flyto enter air combat, stay, fight and return) of the F-16 exceedthat of all potential threat fighter aircraft. The F-16 pilot can

locate targets in all types of weather and distinguish low-flying aircraft from radar ground clutter.

Not only can the F-16 fly more than 500 mile and deliver itsweapons with superior accuracy, it can also defend itselfagainst enemy aircraft and return to its starting point.Furthermore, weather is not a problem because its all-weathercapability allows it to deliver ordnance accurately throughany type of bombing conditions.

Although the F-16 is used primarily by the United States AirForce (USAF), it’s not an American-only design. It was built

24 Fighter Pilot Information: F-16 Fighting Falcon

by an unusual agreement between the United States and aconsortium of four NATO countries (Belgium, Denmark, theNetherlands and Norway). The F-16s built by the consortiumare assembled from components manufactured in all fivecountries. Sites in Belgium and the Netherlands handled thefinal airframe assembly lines. Belgium also provides finalassembly of the F100 engine used in the F-16s operated inEurope. The consortium jointly produced an initial 348 F-16sfor their respective air forces. This program has severaladvantages, including sharing of the technology among thenations producing the F-16 and a common-use aircraft forNATO nations. Furthermore, the supply and availability ofrepair parts in Europe is greater, which greatly improves thecombat readiness of the F-16.

We can trace the beginnings of the F-16 to the LightweightFighter program developed by the USAF. The Air Forcerealized very early on that funding for a large fleet of F-15Eagles was not going to be possible. To remedy this problem

the USAF searched for a lightweight and relativelyinexpensive aircraft to fill the void. Furthermore, based ontheir air war experience in Vietnam, where the lack ofmaneuverability of US fighters at transonic speeds providedadvantages to nimble enemy fighters, the USAF and designersof the Lightweight Fighter emphasized achievingunprecedented transonic maneuver capability combinedwith excellent handling qualities.

In January 1972, the Lightweight Fighter Program askedseveral American manufacturers for design specifications.Based on the response, two manufacturers, General Dynamicsand Northrop, were asked to build prototypes. Althoughthese prototypes were intended only to be technologydemonstrators, the two companies were allowed to designand build their impression of a what a lightweight airsuperiority fighter should be based only on a few USAFspecified performance goals. Northrop produced the twin-engine YF-17, using innovative aerodynamic technologies

A KC-10A Extender, deployed to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing inSouthwest Asia, refuels a Danish air force F-16 over Afghanistan. The

F-16, operating from Ganci Air Base in the Kyrgyz Republic, isproviding close air support to collation ground forces. The KC-10A’shome base is McGuire Air Force Base, N.J. (Photo Courtesy U.S. Air

Force)


and two high-thrust engines. The prototype from GeneralDynamics was quite different. Their prototype, called the YF-16, was compact and built around only a single F100 engine.

When the Lightweight Fighter competition finished in early1975, both the YF-16 and the YF-17 showed great promise. Infact, both prototypes performed so well that both were selectedfor military service (the YF-17 soon evolved into the F/A-18Hornet). The USAF announced in January 1975 that GeneralDynamics’ YF-16 was the winner of its Air Combat Fighter(ACF) competition and had generally shown superiorperformance over its rival from Northrop. This was a changein the original plan of using the two prototypes only astechnology demonstrators. Furthermore, the YF-16 wasdetermined to have much lower than expected productioncosts, both for initial procurement and over the life cycle of theplane. Also, the YF-16 had proved the usefulness not only offly-by-wire flight controls, but also such innovations asreclined seat backs and transparent head-up display (HUD)panels to facilitate high-G maneuvering and using highprofile, one-piece canopies to give pilots greater visibility.

F-16A and F-16B

The F-16A, a single-seat model, first flew in December 1976and the first operational F-16A was delivered in January1979 to Hill Air Force Base in Utah. A two-seat model, calledthe F-16B, is used in training flights. Its two cockpits are aboutthe same size as the one cockpit in the F-16A and a singlebubble canopy covers both cockpits. A student pilot sits in theforward cockpit during training flights and the instructorpilot is in the rear cockpit. To make room for the secondcockpit, the forward fuselage fuel tank and various avionicspackages were reduced.

F-16C and F-16D

Several new features included in all F-16s delivered afterNovember, 1981 expanded the F-16’s abilities of performingprecision strike, night attack and beyond-visual-range (BVR)interception missions. This improvement program led to thedevelopment of the F-16C, which replaced the F-16A, and theF-16D, which replaced the F-16B.

The USAF announced in March, 1982 that its Thunderbirdsflight demonstration team would begin flying F-16 FightingFalcons. The transition to the F-16 was completed later in1982.

The F-16 cockpit and its distinctive “bubble” canopy provideexcellent forward and top views for the pilot plus greatlyimprove views left and right. The F-16 pilot also has excellentflight control because the aircraft uses a “fly-by-wire” systemso electrical wires relay commands instead of cables andlinkage controls. Avionics systems include a extremelyaccurate inertial navigation system in which a computerprovides steering information to the pilot. Moreover, the pilotuses a side stick controller instead of the more typical center-mounted stick. A side stick controller means easier and more

accurate control of the aircraft during high G-force combatmaneuvers. (Another feature to help F-16 pilots in any highG-force turn or maneuver, was expanding the seat-backangle from 13-degrees to 30-degrees.)

The maneuverability in the air combat role and combatradius (distance it has to fly to enter air combat, stay, fight andreturn) is greater than any fighter aircraft the F-16 is likely toencounter. It can locate targets in all weather conditions anddistinguish low flying aircraft in radar ground clutter. Itsfuselage was designed to be lightweight but strong enoughso that the F-16 can withstand up to nine Gs even whencarrying a full load of internal fuel.

The F-16 has UHF and VHF radios plus an instrumentlanding system. It also has a warning system and modularcountermeasure pods to be used against airborne or surfaceelectronic threats. The fuselage has space for additionalavionics systems.

The different paint jobs of the F-16 depend on its function butthe “basic” colors are light gray in the front fading to a darkbluish gray in the back. Even today, after nearly 30 years inservice with the USAF, the F-16 Fighting Falcon remains aformidable aircraft to both opposing pilots and to groundcommanders. With constant upgrades making more andmore technological advancements with the same airframe,it’s likely to continue to serve with honor.

F-16 "Falcon" Basic Specs

Length 49 feet, 5 inches

Height 16 feet

Wingspan 32 feet, 8 inches

Basic weight 37,500 pounds

Engine F-16C/Done Pratt and WhitneyF100-PW-200/220/229 or oneGeneral Electric F110-GE-100/129

Thrust F-16C/D, 27,000 pounds

Max Level Speed 1,500 mph (Mach 2 at altitude)

Ceiling Above 50,000 feet

Tactical Radius Over 2,100 nm

26 Blue Angels Backgrounder

US Navy Blue Angels

The Blue Angels represent the finest the USNavy and US Marine Corps have to offer.Each team member, whether officer orenlisted, is specifically selected from thefleet to be part of the Blue Angels. Each yearthis select group begins a two-year or three-year rotation as Blue Angels—a group ofmen and women demonstrating the prideand teamwork found throughout the Navyand Marine Corps.

The Blue Angels have had 216demonstration pilots and 28 Flight Leaders/Commanding Officers (through the end ofthe 2002 season).

US NavyBlue

Angels

26


27Abacus Software: www.abacuspub.com

Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who was the Chief ofNaval Operations at the time, was looking for a wayof promoting naval aviation to the nation following

the end of World War II. Therefore, on April 24, 1946 heordered the Navy to form a flight demonstration team topromote naval aviation.

The original Blue Angels team, led by Flight Leader Lt.Commander Roy “Butch” Voris, performed its first flightdemonstration on June 15, 1946 at Craig Field in Jacksonville,Florida flying the Grumman F6F Hellcat. The Navy FlightDemonstration Team, only two months later however,

transitioned to the Grumman F8F Bearcat in late August.(Although you might think the nickname came from the blueocean or blue skies and angels flying high, the nickname BlueAngels actually originated during a trip by the original teamto New York in 1946. One team member noticed the name ofthe city’s famous Blue Angel nightclub in New Yorker Magazineand the name became associated with the team.)

Flight leader Lt. Cmdr. Robert Clarke introduced the famousDiamond Formation in 1947. The Diamond Formation isnow considered the Blue Angels’ trademark. The Blue Angelstransitioned to its first jet aircraft, the Grumman F9F-2 Panther,by the late 1940s.


The Korean Conflict, which started in 1950, placed greatpressure on the assets of the US Navy and especially navalaviation. The Navy responded by reassigning the Blue Angelsto the aircraft carrier USS Princeton (CV-37). The Blue Angelsbecame the nucleus of Fighter Squadron 191 (VF-191), knownas “Satan’s Kittens.”

When the Blue Angels reorganized in 1951 and reported toNAS Corpus Christi, Texas, it began flying the faster versionof the Panther, called the F9F-5. The team remained based inCorpus Christi home for the next three years before movingin early 1955 to its present home, Sherman Field, at NASPensacola, Florida. It also transitioned in 1955 to flying theswept-wing Grumman F9F-8 Cougar.

The Blue Angels transition into two more aircraft in thefollowing twenty years. In 1957 the team began flying theGrumman F11F-1 Tiger and then the McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II in 1969, the team’s first dual-engine jet.

In December 1974, the Blue Angels reorganized as the U.S.Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron with CommanderTony Less as the commanding officer and flight leader. Inaddition to adding support officers, the Navy redefined themission of the squadron to support Navy recruiting. The BlueAngels also transitioned to a new aircraft in 1974, theMcDonnell Douglas A-4F Skyhawk II.

On November 8, 1986, the Blue Angels celebrated its 40thanniversary by unveiling its current aircraft, the impressiveMcDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet. The Hornetis the first dual-role fighter/attack aircraft serving on frontlines of defense for the US armed forces. (The Blue Angelsconsidered the F-14 Tomcat to be too large and too expensivethan the F/A-18, and would be difficult to fly in the closeformations specific to Blue Angel maneuvers.)

There isn’t much difference between a Blue Angel F/A-18and F/A-18 aircraft based on aircraft carriers. Blue Angel F/A-18s have the nose cannon removed, a smoke-oil tankinstalled and a spring installed on the stick that appliespressure for better formation and inverted flying. Otherwise,a Blue Angel F/A-18 is the same as those flown in the fleet.Also, each Blue Angel aircraft is fleet-capable and must beable to return to combat duty aboard an aircraft carrier within72 hours. The squadron’s C-130 (“Fat Albert”) is a MarineCorps fleet aircraft manned by a Marine Corps detachmentand obviously not designed for routine carrier operations.(See page XXX for more information on Fat Albert.)

In 1992 the Blue Angels deployed for its first European tourin several years. More than one million people in Sweden,Finland, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, the UnitedKingdom and Spain saw the Blue Angels perform duringtheir 30-day tour. In November 1998, Commander PatrickDriscoll landed the first “Blue Jet” on a “haze gray andunderway” aircraft carrier, USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75).


More than 15 million people watched the Blue Angels performat air shows during the 2003 show season. The team has hadthe privilege of performing for more than 380 million peoplesince that first show in Jacksonville in 1946. Furthermore, theBlue Angels visit over 50,000 people a show season (Marchthrough November) at school and hospital visits.

The Department of Defense (DoD) receives hundreds ofrequests each September to hold air shows featuring theNavy Blue Angels the following year. The DoD initiallyscreens requests for basic eligibility and then sends therequests to the Blue Angels’ Commanding Officer. Thesquadron officers, along with input from the Chief of NavalInformation and Navy Recruiting Command, review each airshow request. In December, the Blue Angels EventsCoordinator, along with officials from the Navy and DoDmeet at a scheduling conference in Washington, DC for finalconsiderations and approval.

The Blue Angels must have at least three nautical miles ofvisibility horizontally from centerpoint and a minimumcloud ceiling of 1,500 feet to perform. The Blue Angels canperform a limited number of maneuvers in their “flat” showat these minimums. When the ceiling is at least 3,500 feet andvisibility at least three nautical miles, the Blue Angels performa “low” show, which includes some rolling maneuvers. The

Blue Angels can perform their “high” show, which includesall maneuvers, with a minimum ceiling of 8,000 feet andvisibility of three nautical miles.

The lowest and highest maneuver heights performed duringan air show depend, of course, on weather conditions. Thehighest is the vertical rolls performed by the Opposing Solo(up to 15,000 feet) and the lowest is the Sneak Pass (50 feet)performed by the Lead Solo. However, all maneuvers arementally and physically demanding. The solo pilots fly boththe fastest speed, about 700 mph (close to Mach 1; called asneak pass) and the slowest speed, about 120 mph (indicatedspeed; Section High Alpha) that the Blue Angels fly duringa demonstration show.

You may have wondered about the impressive smoke eachBlue Angels jet produces during the demonstration. Thesmoke is produced when a biodegradable, paraffin-based oilis shot directly into the exhaust nozzles of the aircraft wherethe oil is instantly vaporized into smoke. The reason for thesmoke is not only so the spectators can follow the flightprofile that the squadron has flown, but it also enhancessafety of flight by providing a valuable means by which thesolo pilots can see each other during opposing maneuversand conditions of lowered visibility or haze. Because the


smoke is made of biodegradable materials, it poses no hazardto the environment.

SIDEBAR:A typical Blue Angels F/A-18 uses approximately 8,000pounds or 1,300 gallons of JP-5 jet fuel at a cost of roughly$1,378. The squadron, including Fat Albert, requires about3.1 million gallons of fuel in a typical year.

Safety is the overriding consideration at every demonstration.Although each pilot is responsible for good health andsafety, the Blue Angels Flight Surgeon will medically downa pilot if one should become ill or injured. Furthermore, if theBOSS, Flight Leader/Commanding Officer is grounded formedical purposes, the Blue Angels will cancel thedemonstration. Also, the Blue Angels do not use a “backup”or reserve pilot due to the number of practice hours requiredto safely fly a demonstration. Each pilot must complete 120training flights during winter training in order to perform apublic demonstration safely. The teamwork required for thehigh-speed, low-altitude flying in the tight Blue Angelsformation takes hundreds of hours to develop, a substitutepilot would not get enough time in the formation.

The Blue Angels TeamSixteen officers and over 100 enlisted crew volunteer for toursof duty with the Blue Angels as pilots, support team andmaintenance crew. Contrary to what many people mightthink, because each member of the squadron volunteers forduty with the Blue Angels, they do not receive extra pay; eachindividual feels especially honored to be part of the BlueAngels.

The following are a few of the specific requirements that eachcandidate must meet:

* Career-minded members of the US Navy or US Marineswho are recommended for Blue Angels duty by theircurrent commanding officer.

* Officers must prove superior abilities as Navy and MarineCorps officers to replace those whose tours are complete.

* Also, because the Blue Angels meet with the public andthe press, all applicants must be comfortable talkingwith and meeting groups and individuals.

* They must demonstrate professionalism, motivation andintegrity.


Pilots

Navy and Marine pilots wanting to become members of theBlue Angels must meet the basic requirements mentionedabove. They must apply directly to the team through theOfficer Selection Officer, the number six pilot. Applicantsvisit the squadron at scheduled show sites early in the showseason to watch the team firsthand. Finalists are selectedmid-season and interviewed at the Blue Angels squadron inPensacola, Florida. The new demonstration pilots are selectedby unanimous vote.

The Chief of Naval Air Training selects the Flight Leader/Commanding Officer, who must have a minimum of 3,000tactical jet hours and commanded a tactical jet squadron. TheFlight Leader/Commanding Officer (“Boss”) flies the Number1 jet and serves a two-year tour with the team.

Navy and Marine Corps jet pilots with a minimum of 1,200tactical jet flight hours and aircraft carrier qualification areeligible for positions two through seven.

The Events Coordinator, Number 8, is a Naval Flight Officer(NFO) or a Marine Corps Weapon and Systems Officer (WSO)who meets the same criteria as the pilots. The Marine Corpspilots flying the C-130 Hercules (“Fat Albert”) must be aircraftcommander qualified with 1,200 flight hours.

Blue Angels support officers

Five officers, selected based upon their professional ability,military bearing and communication skills make up the BlueAngels Support Officers team. They serve two or three yearstour of duty, depending on their position. The officers returnto the fleet after completing after their tours of duty with theBlue Angels.

As the name suggests, the Maintenance Officer is in charge ofthe team responsible for aircraft upkeep. The Flight Surgeonis responsible for the health and fitness of each team member.The Administrative Officer and Public Affairs Officer are incharge of documenting and promoting the Blue Angels. TheSupply Officer makes certain that material and equipmentneeded to keep the Hornets and C-130 is available and ingood order.

Enlisted Team

Selected enlisted personnel can volunteer for a three-yeartour with the Blue Angels. The enlisted also return to the fleetafter completing after their tours of duty with the Blue Angels.The squadron consists of fourteen distinct workcenters jointlyresponsible for guaranteeing command readiness. Theseworkcenters are responsible for maintenance, morale,promotions, awards, medicine, physical examinations, FatAlbert, quality assurance and much more.

For more information on the Blue Angels check the website(or click the website if you have an Internet connectionavailable):

http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/flashindex.html

For a schedule of appearances the Blue Angels are planningfor 2004, check out this website:

http://www.blueangels.com

Let’s hope they’re coming to an air show near you.

If you’re looking for great artwork, posters, etc., that you canpurchase, check out this website (also includes Thunderbirdsposters):

http://www.blueangels.com/order.html

A story about the Blue Angels is not complete withoutmentioning “Fat Albert,” the Blue Angel’s C-130Hercules transport aircraft. Marine Corps Blue Angelpilots in the 1970s gave it the nickname ”Fat Albert”because of its size and shape. It’s the only MarineCorps aircraft permanently assigned to support aNavy squadron. An all-Marine Corps crew of threepilots and five enlisted personnel fly Fat Albert morethan 140,000 miles during the a typical air showseason.

Fat Albert carries 25,000 pounds of cargo, 45,000pounds of fuel, and transports the squadron’s supportand maintenance crew to each show site. Its fourAllison turboprop-engines produce enoughhorsepower so Fat Albert can land and takeoff onrunways as short as 2,500 feet. Fat Albert alsobecomes an integrel part of select air shows when itdemonstrates its Jet-Assisted Take-Off (JATO)capability. Four solid-fuel rockets are attached to theeach side of the aircraft and allow Fat Albert to takeoff within 1,500 feet, climb at a 45-degree angle andattain an altitude of 1,500 feet in seconds.




The Blue Angels represent the finest the USNavy and US Marine Corps have to offer.Each team member, whether officer orenlisted, is specifically selected from thefleet to be part of the Blue Angels. Each yearthis select group begins a two-year or three-year rotation as Blue Angels—a group ofmen and women demonstrating the prideand teamwork found throughout the Navyand Marine Corps.

The Blue Angels have had 216 demonstrationpilots and 28 Flight Leaders/CommandingOfficers (through the end of the 2002 season).

US AirForce

Thunder-birds

32


The Thunderbird solos meet at show center in the Opposing Knife Edge pass.

US Air ForceThunderbirds

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To a casual observer the mission of the United States AirForce Thunderbirds may seem as only performingprecision aerial maneuvers and showing the capabilities

of today’s high-performance aircraft. However, the missioninvolves much more for the Thunderbirds:

* U.S. Air Force recruiting

* Install public confidence in the Air Force

* Demonstrate the professionalism of Air Force personnel

* Represent the United States and its armed forcesinternationally

* Strengthen morale among Air Force personnel

* Support Air Force community relations and people-to-people programs

First Demonstration T eamPilots

Most of the first demonstration team were selected frompersonnel at Luke AFB in Arizona. The honor of being the firstteam leader went to Major Dick Catledge, a training squadroncommander at Luke AFB. Captain Bob Kanaga, an instructorat Luke, was selected for the difficult position of slot, which isthe position between both wingmen and behind the leader.

Bill Patillo and his twin brother Buck Patillo, both captains,were selected to fly left wing and right wing, respectively.They were both logical choices because each served with theSkyBlazers, a USAF/Europe demonstration team, for severalyears before joining the Thunderbirds.

35

The position of backup pilot went to Captain Bob McCormick.He also had demonstration team experience with the SabreDancers, a predecessor to the Thunderbirds.

First support team

First Lt. Aubry Brown was the team’s first maintenance officer.He and his senior enlisted man, Master Sergeant Earl Young,selected several enlisted men to help maintain the team’saircraft. The final officer selected was Captain Bill Brock, whoserved as the information services officer and team narrator.

The unit adopted the nickname “Thunderbirds” based partlyby the strong Native American culture and folklore of the areanear their Arizona base. Native American legend speaks of theThunderbird with great fear and respect. Some NativeAmericans considered the Thunderbird to be a giant eagle

while others considered it to be a hawk. Regardless of whattype of bird it was, the earth trembled from the thunder of itsgreat wings when it took flight. The legend says that lightningbolts shot out from its eyes and no man, in fact, nothing innature, could challenge this bird of thunder.

Early AircraftRepublic Aviation F-84G Thunderjet

The first aircraft the new Air Force demonstration team selectedwas the straight wing Republic Aviation F-84G Thunderjet.The Air Force considered the straight wing configuration ofthe F-84G well-matched for aerobatic maneuvers. Althoughthe F-84G was not supersonic as was the case with other

The Thunderbird Delta formation during the Delta Loop over EielsonAFB, Alaska. (Photo courtesy United States Air Force and the

Thunderbirds.)

36

military aircraft of the time, it nevertheless met the requirementsfor a demonstration aircraft at the time.

In the early demonstrations, the backup pilot took off a fewminutes ahead of the other pilots to run a weather check,alerting the team to any encroaching traffic and double-checking the location of obstructions before landing so hisaircraft could be used as a spare if needed. The demonstrationsthe Thunderbirds perform today last about an hour but theearly demonstration sequences lasted only about fifteenminutes and consisted of a series of formation aerobatics. Asthe first season progressed, the team began performing “solo”maneuvers with the spare aircraft while the Diamond formationburned off fuel and repositioned itself out of the crowd’svisual sight.

Republic Aviation F-84F Thunderstreak

Because the Air Force wanted to show off its best aircraft, theThunderbirds began flying the swept wing F-84FThunderstreak as their second aircraft in 1955. TheThunderstreak was modified for the team by adding smoketanks for the first time plus red, white and blue drag chutes.

Republic Aviation F-100 Super Sabre

The Thunderbirds became the world’s first supersonic aerialdemonstration team in 1956 when they switched from the F-84F to the F-100 Super Sabre. Also in 1956, the Thunderbirdsmoved to Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Although actually never a routine part of the Thunderbirdshow in 1956, the solo aircraft would fly supersonic if thesponsor of the air show would request it. However, the FederalAviation Authority (forerunner to the Federal AviationAdministration) banned all supersonic flight at air shows,which is still in effect today so today’s demonstrations for boththe Thunderbird’s and the Navy’s Blue Angels are all subsonic.

McDonnell-Douglas F-4E Phantom II

The Thunderbirds began their 1969 training season with the F-100Ds, but the team received the first of the new McDonnell-Douglas F-4E Phantom IIs in spring 1969 and the team begantransitioning to their new aircraft.

The transition to the F-4 was the most extensive in the team’shistory. In addition to the expected and planned modifications,the paints that had worked on the F-100 made the F-4 lookpatchy because of multicolored alloys used in the F-4 to resistheat and friction at Mach II speeds. Therefore, the Air Force

A Thunderbird formation makes a pass near Indian Springs, Nevada onFebraury 6, 2004. The United States Air Force Air Demonstation Squadronpractices from November through March preparing for the upcoming show

season. (Photo courtesy U.S. Air Force)

The Thunderbirds used the F-105B Thunderchief butonly for six shows in spring of 1964. The F-105 requiredextensive modifications at the time and the Air Force hadto decide whether to cancel the remainder of the showseason or to transition back to the Super Sabre, which iswhat they did. Although the switch back to the F-100Dwas supposed originally considered a temporary fix, theThunderbirds never used the F-105 again and t he F-100remained with the team for almost thirteen years.

37

began using a polyurethane paint base to cover the problem.The white paint base remains a part of today’s Thunderbirdaircraft.

Compared with its predecessors, the F-4 was not only powerfulbut also big and very heavy. Thank to its earth-shaking roar ofeight J-79 engines from the four diamond aircraft, nodemonstration aircraft accomplished the mission ofrepresenting American airpower more impressively than thePhantom.

Northrop T-38A Talon

Due to the fuel/energy crisis of 1974, the Air Force switchedfrom the F-4 Phantom to the sleek and maneuverable NorthropT-38A Talon. The T-38 was the first supersonic trainer used bythe Air Force but more impressive for the Thunderbirds duringthe mid-1970s, five T-38s required the same amount of fuelthat one F-4 Phantom required. Furthermore, fewer peopleand less equipment was required to maintain the smaller T-38A Talon.

Although the Talon did not fulfill the Thunderbird tradition offlying front-line jet fighters, it did meet the criteria ofdemonstrating the capabilities of a prominent Air Force aircraft.

The Air Force used the T-38A extensively in many roles inaddition to the Thunderbirds because of its design, economyof operation, ease of maintenance, high performance andexceptional safety record. Air Force fighter pilots still fly theT-38 during undergraduate pilot training today.

General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) F-16AFighting Falcon

The Thunderbirds returned in 1983 to the tradition of flyinga premier fighter aircraft, in this case, transitioning to theGeneral Dynamics (later Lockheed Martin) F-16A FightingFalcon. The F-16 used by the Thunderbirds is identical to acombat ready F-16 except that the radar and internallymounted 20mm cannon are removed and a smoke-generatingsystem is installed.

Capt. Mark Smith, Thunderbird Two, concentrates on maintaining hisleft-wing position. Pilots in diamond formation must overcome the naturaltendency to look at the ground and instead devote full attention to the lead

aircraft. (Photo courtesy U.S. Air Force)

The Thunderbirds were designated as the official UnitedStates Bicentennial Organization as part of the nation’s200th birthday in 1976. The aircraft numbers weremoved to the fuselage duing 1976 and the Bicentennialsymbol replaced the numbers on the tail.

38

In 1992, the Thunderbirds transitioned to Lockheed Martin’smore advanced F-16C, the team’s ninth aircraft. (TheThunderbirds were the last active duty Air Force unit to usethe F-16A model.)

The F-16 has remained the choice of the Thunderbirds for overtwenty years, the longest performance era of any one aircraft.

The TeamAs you should expect, there are people who work behind thescenes for the Thunderbirds; the squadron consists of morethan just the pilots who fly the F-16s. The squadron is an AirCombat Command unit and actually consists of eight pilots(six of whom fly the demonstration F-16s), four support officersand about 120 Active-duty, Air National Guard and Reserveenlisted people and four civilians performing in more thantwo dozen different career fields.

A Thunderbirds air demonstration is a mix of six aircraft,performing formation flying and solo routines. The four-aircraft diamond formation demonstrates the training andprecision of Air Force pilots and the solos highlight themaximum capabilities of the Lockheed Martin F-16 FightingFalcon. The pilots typically perform about forty maneuvers ineach demonstration. The entire show, including ground andair, runs about one hour. The demonstration season lasts fromMarch to November and the remaining months (“off season”)is used to train new pilots.

Officers serve a two-year assignment with the squadron andthe enlisted corps serves three to four years. Almost one-thirdof all personnel are replaced each year so a constant mix ofexperience levels is maintained.

The squadron performs no more than 88 air demonstrationseach year but has never canceled a performance due tomaintenance difficulty. Since the unit’s inception in 1953,more than 315 million people in all 50 states and 60 foreigncountries have witnessed the red, white, and blue jets in morethan 3,850 official aerial demonstrations.

The Thunderbirds maintain a strict policy concerning weatherrequirements. The Thunderbirds must have at least five nauticalmiles of visibility horizontally from show center and aminimum cloud ceiling of 1,500 feet. These minimums allowthe Thunderbirds to perform their “flat” show, which consistsof a limited number of maneuvers. The team performs a “low”show, which includes some rolling maneuvers, when theceiling is at least 3,500 feet and visibility at least five threenautical miles. The Thunderbirds can perform their “high”show, which includes all maneuvers, with a minimum ceilingof 8,000 feet and visibility of five nautical miles.

You may have wondered about the impressive smoke eachThunderbirds jet produces during the demonstration. Thesmoke is produced when a biodegradable, paraffin-based oilis shot directly into the exhaust nozzles of the aircraft where

the oil is instantly vaporized into smoke. The reason for thesmoke is not only so the spectators can follow the flight profilethat the squadron has flown, but it also enhances safety offlight by providing a valuable means by which the solo pilotscan see each other during opposing maneuvers and conditionsof lowered visibility or haze. Because the smoke is made ofbiodegradable materials, it poses no hazard to the environment.

If you’re looking for great artwork, posters, etc., that you canpurchase, check out this website (also includes Blue Angelsposters):


For more information on the Thunderbirds, check the website(or click the website if you have an Internet connectionavailable):

http://www.airforce.com/thunderbirds/

The website also includes a calender of appearances theThunderbirds are planning for 2004. Let’s hope they’re comingto an air show near you.

You’re unlikely to see both the Blue Angels and theThunderbirds flying together due to current Departmentof Defense (DoD) policy. The DoD wants to maximizeuse of all military demonstration teams for recruitingand the best way to accomplish this is for the BlueAngels and Thunderbirds perform sepearately in asmany locations as possible throughout the year.



Weapons loaders from the Virginia Air National Guard’s 192nd Fighter Wing perform end of runway checks before an F-16C FightingFalcon takes off in support of Operation Noble Eagle. (U.S. Air Force photo Senior Airman Michele G. Misiano) (VIRIN: 011030-F-0017M-007)

Navy & Aviator Slang TermsAAAA Acronym for Anti-Aircraft Artillery and pronounced “triple a.” Usually computers and radar are used to control rapid

firing cannon or machine guns.

ACM Acronym for Air Combat Maneuvering. Another term for dogfighting.

Admin The rented room, usually at a foreign port of call, that serves as the party headquarters ashore.

Afterburner A system that feeds raw fuel into a jet’s hot exhaust. It increases thrust but also fuel consumption.

AGL Acronym for Above Ground Level. Although the altimeter reads height above Mean Sea Level (MSL), a more realisticaltitude measurement over land is the height Above Ground Level. Most military aircraft have a “radar-altimeter”to determine height above ground level.

Air Boss The person who rules the flight deck on board a carrier. He’s also called the Head of the Air Department.

Air Wing The entire complement of aircraft on a carrier, especially in battle. A carrier’s air wing includes fighters, attack jets,early-warning planes, tankers and more.

Airdale, airedale Refers to a member of the aviation community but especially a naval aviator (also called a “Brownshoe”). The termis often modified by non-aviation types with the adjective “f*****g”.

Alert 5 A manned aircraft on five-minute alert (one that can launch within five minutes). Since this usually means the aircrewmust be seated in the aircraft, the Navy has time restrictions as to how long a crew can stand an Alert-5 watch. Theremay also be aircraft/aircrews on alert 15, Alert 30, etc.

Aluminum cloud A reference to the F-14 because of its large size.

Alpha Mike Foxtrot Also called by its acronym of “AMF”. It’s a polite form of “Adios, My Friend” but refers to “Adios Mother F****r.”

Angels This term has two meanings. The first refers to altitude when measured in thousands of feet. For example, “angelstwenty” refers to 20,000 feet above sea level. It’s also what a downed pilot or crewmen calls a rescue helicopter.

Angled deck The landing area of a modern carrier. This area is offset 10 degrees from the ship’s centerline to provide for safe bolters(see Bolters). It’s also called the angle deck or the angle.

Anti-Smash Light The strobe or flashing anti-collision beacon on an aircraft.

Arresting Gear Device used to stop an aircraft safely on a carrier.

ASW Acronym for Anti-submarine warfare.

B“Back to the Taxpayers” This is where you send a wrecked or severely damaged aircraft.

Bag This term has two meanings. As a noun it refers to the flight suit or anti-exposure suit. As a verb it means to collectitems.

Bag season Cold weather or water conditions that require the pilots to wear anti-exposure gear. This type of gear is unpopularbecause it’s very restrictive and uncomfortable.

Ball An amber visual landing aid used by the pilot to adjust aircraft-relative position to a desired final approach glideslope.The primary optical landing device on the carrier.

Bandit Any aircraft positively identified as hostile in a dogfight.

Barricade (or barrier) A device resembling a large tennis net. It’s rigged and used to stop an aircraft that cannot stop on its own.

Basement Hangar deck of the aircraft carrier.

Bat decoder A sheet of paper carried on all fight operations that is the key to current airborne communication codes.

40 Fighter Pilot Information: Navy & Aviator Slang Terms

Bat turn Derives from the impressive 180-degree maneuver used by the Batmobile in the old “Batman” tv series and refers toa tight, high-G change of heading.

Beaded Up A pilot who is worried or excited.

Behind the power curve A pilot who is not meeting expectations.

Bent Something that is damaged or broken.

Bingo Minimum fuel for a safe return to base or vector to a tanker. As a verb, it refers to the act of returning to base or a tankerbecause of low fuel state. Although aircraft can fly and fight past bingo fuel in combat situations, it’s very dangerousto do so.

Bingo field Land-based runway where carrier aircraft can go if necessary when damaged, low on fuel , etc.

Bird farm A nickname for the aircraft carrier.

Birds The aircraft aboard the carrier.

Blackshoe A member of the surface or submarine community. The term comes from the only approved footwear had to be, untilrecently, black for these communities.

Blower A nickname for the afterburner(s).

Blue-Water ops Carrier flight operations beyond the reach of land bases or bingo fields. At this point it’s literally sink or swim for thepilot. If he cannot trap successfully, he and the aircrew must eject.

Boards out Refers to having the speed brakes extended

Boarding rate The percentage of carrier approaches that result in successful arrestments. The term applies to a pilot, a squadron oran airwing.

Boat The traditional aviation term used to refer to an aircraft carrier, for example, the aircraft carrier is “THE Boat”.

Bogey Any unidentified aircraft. The aircraft may be friendly or hostile.

Bolt, Bolter The “go-around” that occurs when the aircraft’s tailhook misses the arresting wires but when the aircraft landing gearcontacts the deck (otherwise it is a “low pass”). It’s possible only on carriers with an angled deck. An aircraft missingthe arresting wires before the angled deck resulted in a barricade engagement or a crash into the pack.

Boola-Boola Radio call made when a pilot shoots down a drone.

Boresight Technically, a method of aligning guns to a sighting system. However, pilots use the term to describe excessiveconcentration on one situation out of many situations.

BOREX A boring exercise (a busy or tense one might be a SWEATEX).

Bought the Farm Someone who has died. Although this term has many origins, one popular one derives from when the governmentreimbursed farmers for crops destroyed due to aviation accidents. The farmers would sometimes inflate the value oflost crops to the point that, in effect, the pilot involved “bought the farm.”

Bounce or Tap This term has two meanings. One refers to carrier landing practice and the second is an unexpected air-to-air attackby a fighter, usually from behind.

Bravo Zulu Phonetic pronunciation of “BZ” and signifies “Good Job” or “Well Done.”

Bubbas Fellow squadron members or anyone who flies your same type of aircraft.

BuNo It’s the permanent serial number assigned to an aircraft by the Navy.

Buster Controller term to use maximum speed available without using afterburners (a speed called full military power).

CCAG Acronym for Carrier Air Group but it also refers specifically to the commander (the carrier’s chief pilot) of the Carrier

Air Group.


Carqual or CQ Term for carrier qualification. It’s a preset number of carrier takeoffs and landings required in training and at periodicintervals of all carrier flight crews.

Cat Shot A takeoff assisted by a steam-powered catapult. A cold cat refers to a launch where insufficient pressure has been setinto the catapult. This can send the aircraft into the water. A hot cat is when the catapult has too much pressure andcan damage the nose wheel assembly or the launching bridle. These two problems are quite rare on today’s carriers.

CAVU Acronym for Ceiling And Visibility Unlimited. It’s the best possible flying weather.

Centurion An aviator who has made 100 shipboard landings on one carrier. The pilot is then issued a centurion patch and wearsit on the flight jacket.

Charlie Sierra Polite form of “Chicken s**t.” It refers to something tacky or meaningless.

Charlie time The assigned time for an aircraft to land on a carrier. “Signal Charlie” means ‘come on down and land upon arrival.’

Check Six Visual observation of the rear quadrant, from which most air-to-air attacks can be expected. Refers to the clock systemof scanning the envelope around the aircraft; 12 o’clock is straight ahead, 6 o’clock is directly astern.

Cherubs An altitude measured in hundreds of feet but below 1,000 feet. For example, “cherubs three” refers to 300 feet.

Cold nose Also called “lights out” It refers to having the aircraft’s radar turned off.

COD Acronym for Carrier On-Board Delivery aircraft. It’s used to transfer personnel and cargo to and from the carrier.

Colorful actions Flathatting, showing off, or otherwise ignoring safe procedures while flying.

Conning The act of making contrails with your aircraft.

Contract Both minor and serious agreements and ground rules between two-man fighter crews or between wingmen.

Cranie Protective headgear worn by flight deck crewmembers. It features hearing protection and impact protection. A craniemay be color-coded like the flight-deck jerseys.

Crossdeck pendant The arresting wire (cable) on an aircraft carrier that the hook of a carrier aircraft catches to complete an arrested landing.

DDash Two The second plane in a two-or-more aircraft formation.

Deck spotter Derogatory term for a pilot who looks away from the ball to peek at the deck.

Delta Refers to a holding pattern at the boat. This instruction tells the pilot, when arriving at the carrier, to stay clear andsave gas.

Delta Sierra A nice form of the term “dumb s**t.” It describes a stupid action and erases all previous Bravo Zulus and Sierra Hotels.

Departure Literally departure from controlled flight. This is normally caused by excessive angle of attack combined with partialpower loss in one engine. All aircraft depart differently, but some anxious moments and some loss of altitude willresult before control can be regained. Some jets cannot be recovered from certain departures.

Dirty Aircraft configured for landing with gear and flaps down.

Dot Refers to how a distant aircraft looks on the horizon.

Double ugly Fond nickname for the legendary but less than beautiful F-4 Phantom.

Double nuts Aircraft with side number zero-zero (usually the CAG’s bird).

Down An aircraft or pilot that is not flying. For example, a sick pilot is “down”.

Downtown Any enemy target area where heavy anti-aircraft opposition is expected.

EECM Acronym for Electronic Countermeasures. It’s a system for jamming or misleading enemy weapons, communications

and radar.


Envelope An aircraft’s maximum performance parameters. Flying at the edge of the envelope is exciting but dangerous.

Evap Also called the “still.” A distilling unit used to produce fresh water at sea.

FFAG Acronym for Fighter Attack Guy. It’s a derogatory term for F/A-18 pilots.

Fangs Out When a pilot is really hot for a dogfight.

Fangs Sunk in Floorboard When a fighter pilot boresights on a kill but ends up getting shot himself.

Feet wet/dry Feet wet refers to “over water” and feet dry to “over land.”

Flathatting Unauthorized low-level flying and stunting. Although it can be thrilling, it’s also sometimes fatal and usually is career-ending if caught.

Flare The nose-up landing posture normal for most land-based aircraft. However, navy pilots eliminate flare and prefer aslamming contact with the deck.

Fly-by-wire Electronic, computer-controlled operation of aircraft control surfaces. Replaces the mechanical/hydraulic controlscommon in earlier jets. Examples of fly-by-wire aircraft include the F-16 Falcon and F/A-18 Hornet.

FM Acronym for “f*****g magic.” It’s used to describe how something high tech works but you’re not quite sure how.

FOD Acronym for Foreign Object Damage. It’s always a concern on carrier decks. Any object , including people, can besucked into a jet engine. Even the smallest item can seriously damage jet turbine blades. The term can also be used asa noun (“Look at the piece of FOD I picked up.”)

FOD walkdown Refers to an unpopular activity aboard a carrier where all personnel not actually on watch (such as gawkers, walkers,and talkers) line up and walk the flight deck from end to end. They pick up any object that might damage an engineor, if picked up by jet blast, an eye.

Foul Deck A flight deck that is unsafe for landings. Situations causing a foul deck can be a crash, other aircraft, gear, personnelor the condition of the deck surface itself.

Foul Line The painted lines on the flight deck showing an area that must be kept clear for flight operations to proceed safely.

Fox One, Two, Three Radio calls indicating a Sparrow (Fox One), Sidewinder (Fox Two) or Phoenix air-to-air missile (Fox Three) was fired.Fox Four is sometimes used derisively to refer to a midair collision.

FTN Acronym for “F**k The Navy.” It’s a term used by short-timers, attitude cases and sailors having a bad day.

Fur ball A confused aerial engagement with many combatants. Several aircraft in tight ACM.

GG. G-loading, G-rating High-performance aircraft subject airframes and occupants to centrifugal forces far beyond simple gravity. One-G

equals normal gravity; a pilot and plane pulling 4-Gs in a turn will feel forces equal to four times the weight of gravity.

G-suit Also called speed slacks or speed jeans. G-suits are nylon trousers that wrap around the legs and abdomen. Theyautomatically become filled with compressed air in high-G maneuvers to prevent the pooling of blood in the lowerextremities, thus reducing the tendency to lose consciousness.

Gate Also called “Zone five.” It refers to maximum afterburners.

Gear (the) The arresting gear.

Glove The huge wing root of the F- 14 Tomcat. The glove houses the mechanism for moving the variable- geometry wings.

Go Juice Refers to jet fuel.

Goat Locker Refers to the Chiefs’ quarters and mess. The term originated during the time of wooden ships when Chiefs were incharge of the milk goats on board.

Goes Away What something does when you hit it with a missile.


Gomer Slang for a dogfight adversary (taken from the Gomer Pyle television show).

Goo Bad weather that makes it impossible to see; in the clouds.

Golden rivet The mythical last rivet usually found in the depths of the engineering spaces that completes a ship.

Grape Member of the flight deck fuels crew so called because they wear purple jerseys.

Gripe A mechanical problem on an aircraft. An “up” gripe means the aircraft can still fly but a “down” gripe means theaircraft cannot be flown.

G-suit Gear worn by flight crews in tactical aircraft. It uses compressed air to squeeze the calves, thighs and stomach to reducethe effects of G’s.

HHangar queen An aircraft that suffers chronic “downs”; hangar queens are often pirated for spares for the squadron’s other aircraft,

so when the aircraft leave the carrier at the end of the cruise, the maintenance officer normally flies the hangar queenbecause he knows which parts have been taken (the “queen’s” ejection seats are especially well preflighted).

Hard Deck An established minimum altitude for training engagements. Early Top Gun hops honor a 10,000 foot AGL hard deck.

Hawk Circle The orbiting stack of aircraft waiting to land on the carrier.

Head on a swivel Also called “doing the Linda Blair” for the 360-degree head rotation in “The Exorcist” movie. It refers to watching outfor an adversary.

Heater Sidewinder missile which homes in on heat sources.

Heaving deck Call from the LSO to a pilot on approach that wind and wave action is causing the deck to move vertically so muchthat it’s a factor in the approach..

Helo A Navy and Marine term for helicopter. Only the Army refers to a helicoptor as a “chopper.”

Hook Point The part of the tailhook that actually engages the arresting wires. It must periodically replaced because it becomesworn down by contact with the deck or by field arrestment.

Hoover Nickname for the S-3 Viking because of the vacuum cleaner-like sound of its turbofan engines. It can also refer to anyjet aircraft since they tend to suck objects and debris up off the flight deck.

Hop Another name for mission or flight.

HOTAS Acronym for Hands On Throttle And Stick. Today’s fighters have several functions mounted on either the stick (righthand) or the throttle quadrant (left hand) so the pilot doesn’t need to look around the cockpit.

HUD Acronym for Heads Up Display. A transparent screen mounted on the dashboard on which important data from flightinstruments and weapons systems are projected. The HUD eliminates the need to look down into the cockpit to readinstruments.

Hummer A nickname for the E-2 Hawkeye because of the sound of its turboprop engines. It can also refer to a plane, especiallyany propeller-driven aircraft, whose actual name can’t be recalled. .

I-LIn-flight engagement Also called in-flight arrestment. It occurs during an arrested landing if the hook engages while the main gear are not

on deck. In other words, your aircraft snags the arresting wire before the wheels touch the deck. This can damage anaircraft.

In the spaghetti The spot where you catch the wires.

Judy Radio call signaling that your bandit is in sight and you can complete the intercept without further assistance.

Kick the tires and light the fires This used to refer to overlooking the required routine of physically inspecting the aircraft before flight.Its current meaning is “let’s get this aircraft preflighted and outta here pronto!”

Knife fight in a phone booth Also called a “knife- fight.” It refers to a close-in, slow-speed aerial dogfight with a nimble adversary.


Lethal cone, Cone of vulnerability Area to the rear of the jet’s tailpipe. This is the ideal spot to aim most infrared missile and gun attacks.

Lost the bubble A pilot who has become confused or forgot what was happening.

Loading/Unloading Increasing or decreasing angle of attack so reducing the G-forces

LSO Acronym for Landing Signals Officer (also called Paddles). A specially qualified pilot who observes landingapproaches. The LSO is also responsible for grading the landings of the pilots.

M-NMake a play for the deck A maneuver guaranteed to attract the anger of the LSO. It’s where the pilot tries to salvage a bad approach by

diving for the deck and the arresting wires. It can damage the aircraft and possible cause a crash on the flight deck.

Meatball The luminous yellow glideslope indication lights that pilots watch when they’re trapping.

Military power Refers to maximum ‘dry’ power. In other words, maximum jet engine power without engaging afterburner.

Mini-boss Refers to the Assistant Air Boss.

Mother or Mom The ship from where you’re launched or on which you are deployed.

Mud-mover, Ground-pounder Nicknames for low-level attack aircraft such as the A-6 Intruder. The F/A-18 can also be called a mud-mover.

Music Electronic Jamming designed to deceive radar.

My fun meter is pegged A sarcastic comment for “I am not enjoying this.”

NAS Acronym for Naval Air Station.

NFWS Acronym for the Navy Fighter Weapons School. It’s a graduate school for fighter pilots (better known as “Top Gun”).

Nice vapes Comment on an exciting fly-by when high speed at low altitude or high G causes dramatic vapor trails.

No-Load A term for an underachieving pilot.

Nonskid An epoxy compound applied to deck surfaces to improve traction for feet and aircraft wheels. Since the nonskid isusually worn away by the end of a cruise, even taxiing (not to mention landing) can be even more of an adventure.

O-POh Dark Thirty Also called “Zero Dark Thirty.” It refers to a time very late at night or very early in the morning (technically a half-

hour after midnight). It’s commonly used to describe any event scheduled to occur after midnight but before sunrise.

Opportunity to excel A disagreeable job without the time or resources to properly complete.

Oversweep When onboard, the F-14 can sweep its wings to seventy-two degrees aft making it easier to store.

Pack (the) Aircraft ranged about the deck of an aircraft carrier, especially forward of the landing area.

Padlocked To have a bogey firmly in your sights.

Painted Scanned by radar.

Papa Hotel Phonetic pronunciation of the signal ‘P-H’. It means “all hands return to ship”.

Passing gas Refers to what an aerial tanker does during a mid-air refueling.

Pass The point at which fighters, closing head-on, flash past each other. Also, an attempt at landing.

Peeping Tom A nickname for a reconnaissance version of the Tomcat, specifically an F-14 equipped with the TARPs pod.

Penalty Box This is where you go if you get a wave off or a bolter.

Pickle A device held by the LSO that activates the “cut” light on the lens. It also means to drop a bomb or external fuel tank.

Pinging On Paying close attention to an event or situation.


Pinkie A landing occurring at first light (dawn) or last light (dusk). Although it generally counts as a night landing, it’s alsoconsidered cheating. Pinkie is the preferred type of “night” landing by 0-4’s and above.

Playmates The pilots of other aircraft on the same mission as you.

Plumber An inept or bad pilot.

Popeye What you are when you’re flying in the goo.

Pole Control stick.

Prang To bump, crunch, or break an aircraft.

Pucker factor A measure of the stress level in a situation. In other words, how scary something is.

Puke Someone who flies a different kind of aircraft than you, as in fighter puke or attack puke.

Punch out To eject (also called “Do the Elvis”).

RRamp (the) The aftmost several feet of the flight deck. Slopes toward the water at about 45 degrees.

Ramp strike Occurs when an aircraft on approach lands short and hits the ramp. The result can be a crash or other damage to theaircraft (such as losing the hook point).

Radome Streamlined fiberglass enclosure covering a radar antenna.

Redout A condition caused by excessive negative G’s. The name is derived from the temporary loss or obstruction of visioncaused by too much blood in the retinas.

Redshirt Refers to the aviation ordnanceman. The term derives from their red jersey. Responsible for loading and downloadingordnance from aircraft, and other ordnance-handling duties such as assembling and attaching guidance packages.

RIO Acronym for Radar Intercept Officer (also called GIB or Guy In Back). It specifically refers to the back-seat crewmanin the F-14 Tomcat and F-4 Phantom. Also called a R2D2 (a reference to Luke Skywalker’s robot backseater in the StarWars movies).

Roof The flight deck on the carrier.

SSA Acronym for Situational Awareness. Although an universal term it specially applies in aviation and refers to one’s

awareness of the surroundings, circumstances and tactical situation. Loss of situational awareness is often fatal incombat and is a contributing factor in many military-aviation mishaps.

SAM Acronym for Surface-to-air missile.

Scooter Nickname for the A-4 Skyhawk, used as a MiG simulator at Top Gun.

Section Two aircraft operating together as a tactical unit.

Shooter The catapult officer directing the firing of the catapult.

Side number Numbers appearing on the nose of an aircraft to serialize it as to type and squadron.

Sierra Hotel A term for SH or the polite form for “S**t Hot.” It refers to high praise and is the pilot’s favorite expression of approval.For example, “Man, that was a sierra hotel takeoff.”

Smoking Hole An airplane crash site.

Sniffer A device used on the flight deck to make certain that an aircraft is broadcasting IFF transmissions.

Snuggle Up During formation flight, to close up under the wing of another aircraft.

Sortie A single mission by one aircraft.

Splash Signifies an air-to-air kill, for example, “Maurader one-six, splash one.”


Spooled Up A pilot who is very excited.

Spud locker The part of a carrier well down on the fantail and definitely where you don’t want to land. This is where a really lowramp strike occurs.

State Refers to your fuel level. Mother requests, “Say your state.” This is answered with the number of hours and minutesof fuel onboard. For example, “State three plus three zero to splash” means 3 hours and 30 minutes of flying timeremaining.

TTACAN Acronym for TACtical Aid to Navigation. It’s a navigation aid that provides bearing and distance (slant range)

between it and an airplane.

TACTS Acronym for Tactical Aircrew Combat Training System. It’s a system of computers and other electronics that allowreal-time depiction of an aerial dogfight. TACTS is an integral element of Top Gun training.

Tank Refers to a refuelling

Tango Uniform Polite form of “tits up” which means it’s inoperative or broken (also called “sneakers up” and “belly up”).

Texaco Refers to an aerial tanker.

Three down and locked Landing gear down and ready for landing. A required conformation call before landing at Air Force bases. Pilotswho fly fixed-gear aircraft are known to modify this call as “three down and welded”.

Three-Nine Line Imaginary line across your airplane’s wingspan. A primary goal in ACM is to keep your adversary in front of yourthree-nine line.

Throttle Back To slow down and take it easy.

Tiger Refers to an aggressive pilot.

Trap An arrested landing on a carrier. “Night traps” refer to night landings. .

Trick-or-Treat If you don’t make this pass, you must tank or land ashore.

V-ZVarsity play for the deck A skillful landing attempt.

Vulture’s Row The catwalks and galleries along the island of an aircraft carrier where personnel can watch flight operations.

Warm fuzzy Feeling of confidence or security. When things feel right.

Wash Out To not make the grade at flight school.

Waveoff When the LSO orders a pilot not to trap.

Whiskey Charlie Phonetics for “Who cares”

Whiskey Delta Phonetics for “weak dick”, a pilot who can’t cut it. Such a scurrilous term that it’s almost never used.

Wingman Second pilot in a two-ship pair. He’s responsible for ensuring that his leader’s six o’clock remains clear.

Wire The crossdeck pendant of the arresting gear aboard a carrier. The wires are numbered 1 to 4 (aft forward). Carriersfrom WWII and the Korean War could have 20 or more wires.

Workups Putting a ship through certain tests and exercises before going on cruise.

Yankee Station A position typically occupied by an aircraft carrier off the coast of Vietnam. ‘Yankee’ was the northern station, taskedwith disruption of commerce and logistics.

Zoombag Flight suit.


Air Force & Aviator Slang TermsAA/C Abbreviation meaning aircraft.

A/D Abbreviation meaning aerodrome, airdrome or airfield.

A/F Abbreviation meaning airfield.

AA Antiaircraft artillery or weapons used in shooting down aircraft (also called Ack-ack or Flak)

AAA Anti-Aircraft Artillery used in shooting down aircraft. AAA is a heavy version of the AA gun and is usually mountedon an armored vehicle (also called Triple-A or flak).

AAM Abbreviation for Air-to-Air Missile.

AB Abbreviation either for afterburner capability or airbase.

Abort Turn back from a mission before reaching the target.

Acceptable loss What military planners consider as affordable combat loss versus results obtained.

Ace in a Day Term for downing five or more enemy aircraft in one sortie.

Ace Pilot destroying five or more enemy aircraft in the air.

ACM Air Cooperation Mission or close air support of ground troops.

AD or Air Div Abbreviation meaning Air Division.

Aerial combat Combat between or among hostile air forces.

AFB Abbreviation meaning Air Force Base.

AGL Abbreviation for Above Ground Level. It’s a measure of the plane’s altitude above the terrain over which it is flying.In other words, a plane maybe be flying at 1,500 ft. ASL, but be only 500 feet above ground level.

AGM Abbreviation for Air-to-Ground Missile.

Ailerons Wing control surfaces for aircraft’s bank and roll.

AIM Abbreviation for Air-Intercept Missile.

Airstrip Aircraft landing field.

Air Support Party Communications team assigned to Air Strike.

ALARM Abbreviation for Air-Launched Anti-Radiation Missile. Missile with active infrared transmitter in nose that homesin on targets emitting heat energy.

Altitude Position of height of in the air and usually expressed in feet.

Ammo Slang for ammunition.

AMRAAM Abbreviation for Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile. This is a missile that uses active radar transmitter inits nose to track a target to use a strategy of “fire and forget.”

Anchor An attempt to reduce speed rapidly by applying air brakes, flaps, etc.

Angels Altitude expressed in thousands of feet (for example, “Angels ten” means you’re at 10,000 feet).

Anoxia A lack of oxygen in the blood that can be experienced in nonpressurized cockpits at high-altitudes.

AoA Abbreviation for Angle of Attack and is the aerodynamic angle formed between the chord of an airfoil and thedirection of the relative wind.

AoT Abbreviation for Angle off Tail and is the angle between the flight path of an attacker and its target.

48 Fighter Pilot Information: Air Force & Aviator Slang Terms

API Abbreviation for Armor-Piercing Incendiary weapon.

Approach speed Maximum speed in knots at which the aircraft can land without crashing.

ASL Abbreviation for Above Sea Level which is your aircraft’s altitude above sea level and is usually expressed in feet.

ASR Abbreviation for Air-Sea Rescue.

ASTOVL Abbreviation for Advanced Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing.

ATF Abbreviation for Advanced Tactical Fighter, taken from the original name of the F-22 program. It refers to a groupof fighter prototypes that use modern design, materials, avionics and weaponry to enhance combat performance.

ATGM Abbreviation for Anti-Tank Guided Missiles and refers to missiles (such as Hellfire and TOW-2) that are used againstarmored ground vehicles and that are guided by either lasers, wires or infrared signals.

Attrition Permanent loss of aircraft to operational or defined causes.

Auger Slang for crashing an aircraft.

Authenticate Secret code challenges and answers that are usually changed daily.

Auxiliary Refers to something secondary such as a target.

AWACS Abbreviation for Airborne Warning And Control System. An AWACS aircraft features long range radar that is usedto provide tactical and target information to air and ground control units. AWACS aircraft are usually considered tobe high priority, both to defend and to attack.

B“Birds are walking” Refers to weather conditions that include heavy overcast cloud cover.

Bag A victory or a mission tally, for example, to “bag” an enemy aircraft.

Bailout Eject, parachute or otherwise jump out of an aircraft.

Bandit Slang for a confirmed enemy aircraft.

Bank Aspect of rotation your aircraft about its longitudinal axis.

Barrage fire Antiaircraft fire that saturates an area with ammunition instead of trying to hit a specific aircraft.

Beat up the field Unauthorized high-speed “buzz” over friendly airfield.

Belly-in Slang for Wheels-up/Landing gear-up landing.

Big friends Fighter crew slang for friendly bombers.

Bigger game Large formation of enemy aircraft.

Bingo When your aircraft has just enough fuel for a return flight to base and successful landing.

Bird Refers to any airplane.

Blackout Refers to the situation in which a pilot loses vision and possibly consciousness when too much blood leaves the brainbecause the aircraft is pulling too many Gs.

Blind approach Approach to landing under very low visibility conditions.

Blown canopy Refers to a full-view “bubbletop” canopy.

Boa Cumulus Clouds around a mountain top.

Bogey Unidentified aircraft (either from radar or visual contact).

Bomb racks Internal and external devices for mounting bombs.

Boomer Boom operator working in a refueling tanker.

Bounce Attack, by surprise, another aircraft or a ground target.


Breakoff Halt or stop the attack.

Briefing Detailed instructions given to Combat Crews before a mission.

Buck fever Slang for the nervousness or apprehension of a rookie pilot.

Bullseye Code word for a specific reference point from which the position of target aircraft are determined.

Busting Refers to an aircraft performing a strafing attack.

Buzz To fly low over the deck or airfield.

BVR Abbreviation for Beyond Visual Range.

C“Copy” Radio transmission acknowledgment for “received and understood.”

CAAU Close Air Attack Unit

Call Sign A code word for pilot identification.

Canopy Plexiglass covering for the cockpit area of an aircraft.

CAP Abbreviation for Combat Air Patrol and refers to cruising at medium-to-high altitude over a certain area whilesearching for enemy aircraft.

Captured The condition of a target onto which the laser tracker has locked .

Carpet bombing Concentrated saturation bombing of enemy positions.

CAS Abbreviation for Close Air Support and refers to dropping bombs to support of ground troops.

Ceiling Zero Altitude less than fifty feet from the ground to cloud base.

Ceiling Height from the ground to the lowest layer of clouds.

Chaff Metal foil strips dropped from an aircraft to disrupt and confuse radar detection and radar guided weapons (alsocalled window).

Chandelle Reversing course by making a sharp climbing turn.

Chatter Excessive or unnecessary radio talk.

Check six Look behind to make sure the “6 O’clock” position is clear.

Chop up A strike so devastating that the target is ripped to pieces.

Clobber Destroy or damage an airplane or area.

Closing Decreasing the range to the bandit, bogey or target.

CM Abbreviation for Countermeasures, which airborne vehicles use to defend against air-to-air or SAM weapons (chaff,flares and jammers).

Cold turkey Refers to either a certain kill or straightforward talk without “mincing” words.

Combat radius Distance in nautical miles an aircraft can fly from base with enough fuel remaining to return to base.

Contrails Vapor condensation trails behind engines of aircraft flying at high altitudes (for example 35,000 feet).

Credit A confirmed victory claim.

Cripple Slang for an aircraft so damaged that it requires assistance or escort from the combat area back to the base.

DDamaged Enemy aircraft seriously damaged but likely repairable.


Dead stick Slang for no engine power or gliding in, such as “a dead stick landing.”

Deck Refers to ground level or height quite close to the ground.

Deflection angle Angle of moving target from the firing aircraft.

Deflection shot Gunnery fire at a moving target from a side angle while “leading” the target.

Designate Using the aircraft’s systems to identify a ground objective/aircraft as a target for weapons employment.

Ditch Crash-landing into water with the intention of abandoning the aircraft.

Dive bomb Drop bomb on target from a high angle diving approach.

Dogfight Aerial battle between two or more aircraft.

Drag Force or resistance that counteracts an aircraft in flight.

Drop tanks Expendable external fuel containers to be “dropped” before engaging target.

Dry run Refers to a rehearsal for a mission.

EE.T.A. Abbreviation for Estimated Time of Arrival.

ECM Abbreviation for Electronic Countermeasures and refers to using the electromagnetic spectrum to confuse or defeatenemy radar.

Egress Outbound (exit) part of an air-to-ground attack profile.

Element The basic fighter unit of two aircraft — lead and wingman.

Elevators Control surfaces on the horizontal tail of aircraft for controlling pitch.

Escort Fighter protection for bombers on a mission.

FAC Abbreviation for Forward Air Controller.

FFat Cat Another term for Ace.

Ferry A flight for delivering an aircraft from one location to another.

Fighter sweep A fighter mission to an area without a specific target.

Flak happy Refers to either the fear of flying through flak or the stress accompanying flying through flak.

Flak Antiaircraft fire (borrowed from the German “FLieger Abwehr Kanonen”).

Flamed Refers to an aircraft that is shot down, such as “I just flamed one.”

Flaps Control surfaces of inner wings to increase lift on takeoff and braking when landing.

Flare Source of heat energy used to defeat or confuse infrared missiles.

Flat-hatting Slang for high speed flying on the “deck.”

Fledgling A rookie pilot fresh from training.

Flight Leader Leader of four aircraft flight but a position not necessarily related to a rank.

Flight Formation of two elements or four aircraft (see Elements).

FLIR Abbreviation for Forward-Looking InfaRed and refers to a sensor that detects the heat signatures of nearby objects.

Fly By Wire (FBW) An aircraft with FBW capability uses a computer to correct pilot control input according to the flight condition datait receives (altitude, airspeed, terrain, etc.). It then adjusts flight surfaces (rudder, ailerons, etc.) by using this data.


Foray Intrusion into unfriendly territory.

Forced landing Unintentional landing of aircraft due to mechanical problems, enemy fire or other circumstances.

Fox-1 Radio call for short range radar missile launch.

Fox-2 Radio call for infrared missile launch.

Fox-3 Radio call for AIM-120 AMRAMM missile launch.

Full bore Flying an aircraft at full throttle.

Furball Turning to fight with many aircraft.

FW Abbreviation for Fighter Wing.

GG or Gs Abbreviation for the force of gravity, where 1G equals one force of gravity (as we normally experience). Levels of 5G

or greater may lead to vision loss and 6Gs or greater may lead to unconsciousness.

G limit Structural limit of G-force the aircraft can withstand (expressed in G-forces).

Gaggle A collection aircraft flying in loose formation.

Gear Slang for landing gear/wheels

GIB Abbreviation for Guy in Back and is a slang term for WSO, RIO and B/N

Glider Slang for loss of engine power.

Gold Fish Club Unofficial award, Survival in a dinghy.

Gray out Start of a “black out” when pulling too many Gs, blood leaves the brain and vision is lost.

Greenhouse Slang for cockpit canopy or canopy framing.

Ground pounder Slang for ground crewman.

Group Usually refers to 48 aircraft ( three or four squadrons).

G-suit Form-fitting “anti-G” suit inflated with water or air to restrain blood flow during high-speed maneuvers.

HHARM Abbreviation for High-speed, Anti-Radiation Missile and refers to a missile that homes in on radar-emitting sources.

Heater Slang for an infrared missile.

Hit the silk Parachute from an aircraft, usually because of mechanical problems, enemy damage or other circumstances.

Hover ceiling The maximum height at which a helicopter can maintain hover.

HUD Abbreviation for Heads-Up Display and refers to a section of glass mounted at the front of the cockpit. It displaysimportant combat and flight information so the pilot doesn’t need to watch the instrument panel.

Hypoxia A condition when there is insufficient oxygen in the blood.

IIAS Abbreviation for Indicated Air Speed.

IFF Abbreviation for Identification, Friend or Foe which is a coded message sent to the IFF transponder of a target.

ILS Abbreviation for Instrument Landing System and is a radio device at airports to help pilots navigate in low-visibilitylandings.


Indicated airspeed The speed at which you would be traveling at sea level in calm air. An aircraft flying at the same true airspeed willshow different indicated airspeeds at different altitudes and under different wind conditions.

Ingress Inbound (entry) part of an air-to-ground attack profile.

Initial point The waypoint just before to a target point, in other words, the location at which your aircraft turns to approach a targetdirectly.

Internal weapons load Maximum weight of ordnance carried inside an aircraft.

IR Abbreviation for Infrared and refers to the range of the electromagnetic spectrum where a signal’s intensity is directlyrelated to its heat signature.

JJammer Electronic countermeasure that emits microwaves to distort and confuse enemy radar.

Jink A sudden evasive maneuver.

Jump Attack an enemy aircraft

KKill Slang for confirmed victory or destroyed aircraft but doesn’t refer to the death of the pilot - only the aircraft.

Knot A measure of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour.

LLag pursuit Pointing the nose of your aircraft just behind an enemy’s flight path during a turn.

Lead pursuit Pointing the nose of your aircraft just ahead of an enemy’s flight path during a turn.

LGB Abbreviation for Laser-Guided Bomb.

Lift Amount of upward force generated by the wings of an aircraft.

Little friends Bomber crew slang for friendly fighters.

MMach Speed of sound at sea level (760 feet a second) that is measured in multiples (Mach 1, Mach 2, etc.) and used to measure

fast flight.

Mark-20 Canister bomb containing bomblets that are used against armored targets.

Mark-82 General purpose 500-pound bombs.

Mark-84 General purpose 2000-pound bombs.

Maximum dive speed Maximum speed safely attained during a downward dive.

Maximum external fuel capacity Weight of fuel held by external fuel tanks attached to hardpoints.

Maximum internal fuel capacity Weight of fuel held by internal fuel tanks

Maximum landing weight Limit at which aircraft can make a safe landing.

Maximum payload Generally means total weight (load) carried of weapons, cargo or other mission equipment.

Maximum weapons load Maximum weight of ordnance loaded after aircraft is loaded with full internal fuel and avionic equipment.

MAYDAY International radio distress call.

MiG Common nickname for Soviet designed fighter aircraft.


Mil power Maximum aircraft power but not using afterburners.

Mission A preplanned foray or objective of any number of sorties.

NNapalm A fire bomb of jellified gasoline that was used in the Vietnam War.

NAS Abbreviation for Naval Air Station.

Nautical mile Aeronautical measurement of distance equal to 6,076 ft.

No joy No visual contact was made with the enemy.

Nose-over Aircraft tips over its nose during landing or while moving on the ground.

OO’clock Direction relative to the observer so, for example, the direction 12 o’clock is directly ahead and 6 o’clock is directly in

back.

Ops Acronym for operations.

Ordnance Expendable weapons, such as missiles, ammunition, etc.

Out Radio talk to acknowledge end of communication.

Overshoot Fly past the enemy aircraft during an attack.

PPGM Abbreviation for Precision Guided Munition but is more commonly called a “smart bomb.”

Pickle Refers to the pilot or other crew member pressing the weapons release button.

PNVS Abbreviation for Pilot’s Night Vision Sensor and refers to a device that aids night vision by translating heat emissionsinto pictures.

Port Refers to the leftside of aircraft or vessel when facing forward.

Probable This occurs when the enemy aircraft is considered so badly damaged that it is likely destroyed but unconfirmed asa “kill.”

RRadar signature Measure of an aircraft’s visibility to radar (also called radar cross section).

RCS Abbreviation for Radar Cross Section.

Red Alert An enemy attack is probable or imminent.

Red Line Safe maximum indicated on flight instruments.

Redout Refers to the situation in which a pilot loses vision when too much blood enters the brain and blocks the pilot’s retinasbecause the aircraft is pulling too many negative Gs.

Reef it in Sudden violent change of flight direction.

Rhubarb Slang for an aerial dogfight.

RIO Abbreviation for Radar Intercept Officer and is an U.S. Navy term for the back-seat weapons and targeting systemsoperator.

Roger Radio acknowledgment for “Received O.K.”


Roger-Wilco Radio acknowledgment for “Received O.K. Will comply.”

Roll Rotation of airplane around its longitudinal axis.

Rudder Control surface on vertical tail unit of aircraft to control its yaw.

RWR Abbreviation for Radar Warning Receiver and refers to an aircraft device that warns the pilot if he is being trackedby an enemy missile guidance system or air intercept radar.

RWS Abbreviation for Range While Search and refers to a radar that uses continuous wave emissions to provide contactrange and bearing at extremely long range.

SSAM Abbreviation for Surface-to-Air Missile.

SARH Abbreviation for Semi-Active Radar Homing and is a radar-guided missile that relies on aircraft radar guidance.

Scramble Getting into the air quickly, usually to intercept enemy aircraft.

Scrap Slang for dogfight against opposing forces.

Scrub Abort or cancel a flight, mission or sortie.

Service ceiling The height that equals the air density at which the maximum attainable rate of climb occurs.

Shakedown Slight penetration operational training mission with little or no enemy resistance expected.

Sidewinder An AIM-9 IR missile.

Snaking Aircraft yawing from side-to-side (similar to a snake).

Snap roll Abrupt maneuver aided by the engine torque/prop rotation.

Sparrow Refers to an AIM-7 semi-active radar missile.

Spike Enemy air intercept radar warning on the RWR.

SSM Abbreviation for Surface-to-Surface Missile.

Stall A condition that occurs when the angle of attack is too steep for the aircraft’s wings to maintain any lift.

Starboard Rightside of aircraft or vessel facing forward.

Stooging Refers to an aircraft that is flying slowly.

STOVL Abbreviation for Short TakeOff and Vertical Landing and refers to an aircraft that redirects thrust using nozzles orother methods for controlling yaw or pitch.

Strafe Refers to using gunfire when diving or otherwise attacking ground targets with gunfire.

Straggler An aircraft that is too damaged to keep up with formation and requires assistance and escort to return to base (alsocalled cripple).

Strike Offensive attack mission or observed hit while firing at enemy aircraft.

Sweep A patrol in enemy territory with the goal of searching and destroying enemy aircraft.

TT.O.T. Abbreviation for Time Over Target.

Tactical Air Power Air Superiority; isolation of battlefield (interdiction) and close-support of frontline troops.

Tally Refers to having visual contact with the bandit (opposite of “no joy”).

Thrust Horizontal, directional force that overcomes drag and powers the aircraft in the desired direction.

Top Dog Another term for ace.


Tracer A pyrotechnic bullet or other projectile that becomes visible when fired.

True airspeed Refers to the velocity of an aircraft, which considers altitude, temperature, wind direction/speed and other factors.

TWS Abbreviation for Track While Scan and refers to a radar mode that uses pulse-Doppler radar to target a contact,providing detailed tracking information at short range.

V-ZVSI Abbreviation for Vertical Speed Indicator.

WSO Abbreviation for Weapons Systems Officer and is a U.S. Navy term for the back-seat weapons and targeting systemsoperators.

Vector The direction and distance to a specific point.

Victory Refers to the confirmed destruction of enemy aircraft.

Victory roll Refers to a pilot performing the barrel roll maneuver to celebrate a victory.

War-weary Aircraft removed from combat assignment but kept on roster. A war-weary aircraft is identified by a “WW” serialnumber prefix.

Wilco Abbreviation for “will comply” or “will cooperate” and is a radio acknowledgment.

Wild weasel Aircraft designed to take out SAM sites before strike attacks begin.

Wingspan Distance between wingtips.

Yaw Rotation or aspect of an aircraft upon its horizontal plane.


F-14 TomcatThe development of Grumman’s F-14A Tomcat is itself anexample of perseverance and tenacity. Grumman AircraftCompany was the mainstay of the U.S. Navy’s fighter, fighter-bomber and attack aircraft forces in WWII before providingthe Navy with the F9F Pantherjet, its first practical carrier-based jet fighter. The F9F Pantherjet saw widespread use inKorea as did its swept-wing variant, the F9F Cougar. However,the remarkable performance of the Mig-15 in Korea diminishedthe Cougar’s appeal. Grumman partly solved the Navy’sdissatisfaction by incorporating the newly discovered “area-rule” in its next aircraft, the F11F Tiger, which, with a topspeed of 754 mph, made it the Navy’s first supersonic carrier-based fighter, but even this did not prove to be enough.

In the 1960s, Congress and the Defense Department, in aneffort to eliminate redundancies among the branches of theArmed Forces, tried to get the Navy and Air Force to agree tothe same basic aircraft designs. The biggest and mostcontroversial of these projects was the General Dynamicsswing-wing F-111. The Air Force believed in the aircraft fromthe start, but the Navy did not because the proposed F-111BNavy variant was just too big and heavy for the demandingcarrier operations. Grumman, which was a major subcontractoron the F-111 project, could see the Navy’s dissatisfaction anddecided to go ahead with an all new design for a smallercarrier-based air superiority jet fighter — in a gamble that theNavy would reject the F-111B but then find itself in theposition of having no successor to its aging fleet of F-4Phantoms. The gamble paid off when the Navy finally rejectedthe F-111B and Congress cut off all funding for the project in1968. The Navy then turned to its principle manufacturers forbids on the next generation of naval fighters.

Grumman was now in position to reinsert itself in the thick ofNaval fighter production. The Grumman team’s work on theF-111B project showed that the swing wing concept was wellsuited to a high-speed high-performance fighter aircraft thatalso had to land as slowly as possible on a rolling and pitchingcarrier deck but it had to be small and light enough. The newGrumman design drew heavily from the F-111B as well asfrom the experience of the Navy’s Vietnam experience with F-4 Phantoms. Along with the swing-wing geometry, Grumman’snew design would use the F-111B’s AN/AWG-9 track-while-scan radar, its Phoenix long-range missiles and even its Pratt& Whitney TF30 turbofan engines. The idea for tandem seatingand combining medium-range Sparrow and short-rangeSidewinder missiles was taken from the Phantom. Also, becausethe F-4 Phantoms were not equipped with cannons in theVietnam Conflict, an internally-mounted high speed 20mmcannon was incorporated for close-in air-to-air combat. Anotherresult of lessons learned during the Vietnam Conflict was thedecision to mount the engines in separate, widely-spacednacelles in order to minimize the risk of both being damagedsimultaneously.

Grumman and its design managed to win the new Navycontract from its competitors in January 1969. Work proceeded

quickly on the Tomcat, with a mock-up unveiled in June andthe first F-14A completed in November 1970. This first Tomcatmade its initial flight on December 21, 1970 with test pilotsRobert Smyth and William Miller at the controls. Unfortunately,this aircraft was lost due to a catastrophic hydraulic failureonly nine days later but both crewmen ejected safely. Luckilyfor the Tomcat story, the problem was quickly discovered andcorrected with a minimum of delay for the overall project.Tests resumed in May 1971 and seven more Tomcats had takento the air by December. Initial carrier trials began from the USSForrestal in May of 1972 and F-14A Tomcats were finding theirway to their first active squadron (VF-124) by early 1973 atNAS Miramar, California.

As Tomcats started replacing the older F-4Bs and F-4Js as theNavy’s newest frontline fighter, pilots often found themselvesin for a pleasant surprise. The Phantom had been such asuperlative design when it first saw service in 1959 that it hadsimply outclassed every other aircraft flying for several years.Pilots quickly believed in the idea that the Phantom was theultimate in fighter aircraft. The new Tomcat was considerablybigger and, at first glance, may have appeared to be just arehashed version of the F-111B that the Navy had so soundlyrejected. But when these same pilots got their chance in the F-14, most were instantly converted. The F-14A could out-climb,out-accelerate, out-gun and most impressively, evenoutmaneuver the latest Phantom variants. Furthermore, theTomcat boasted a greater range and carried the next generationavionics, fire control and weapons systems. Some Phantompilots even found themselves a bit dismayed — their F-4s wereconsidered the hottest birds in the air but now a new aircraftappeared that humbled the Phantom in virtually everycategory.

One continual source of problems to the early Tomcats werethe many accidents resulting from their F-111B era Pratt &Whitney TF30-P-412A turbofan engines. A program to replacethese with more dependable but similarly rated TF30-P-414Asbegan in 1983. A more significant performance upgrade wasthe updating the engine of F-14As with 27,000-poundafterburning General Electric F110-GE-400 turbofans beginningin late 1986, resulting in the F-14A (Plus). A similarly ratedPratt & Whitney engine had powered two F-14Bs in 1973, butthat engine was also prone to problems and the project wasscrapped due to budgetary cutbacks following the VietnamWar. This re-engined “Super Tomcat” has sufficient power tomake carrier takeoffs without using afterburner, and can,depending on the load, boast a power/weight ratio exceedingunity. The F-14A(Plus) program was superseded by the adventof the F-14D in 1988. The F-14D is equipped with the same F110engines as the F-14A(Plus) but carries much improved avionics,radar, fire-control and other electronic systems. Cutbacks inmilitary budgets after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989slowed the conversion of existing F-14As to F-14A(Plus) aircraftas well as the production of new F-14Ds.

Prior to the Gulf War, Tomcats had more opportunities for aircombat than other contemporary U.S. fighters because of their

57

role as the primary Fleet Air Defense aircraft for carrier taskforces in the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Sidran, where Col.Mohmar Khadafi was prone to rattle his sabre a bit excessivelyfor American tastes. In August of 1981, two VF-41 Tomcatcrews downed two Sukhoi Su-22 Fitters with AIM-9LSidewinders after being fired upon by the Russian-built Libyanjets. In March and April of 1986, Tomcats of VF-33, VF-74, VF-102, and VF-103 from the USS America flew CAP missions insupport of raids against Libyan targets, keeping Libyan aircraftout of the fleet’s airspace and escorting the attacking Americanjets to the target zone. And on January 4, 1989, Tomcats fromthe USS John F. Kennedy downed two Libyan MiG-23 FloggerE’s after the Libyan jets threatened the America carrier force.Tomcats did not play nearly so prominent a role in the 1991Gulf War largely due to the geography of that conflict. Whereasground attacking Naval and Marine F/A-18 Hornets oftenfound themselves in the thick of battle in the skies over Iraq,Tomcats, by virtue of their role as the Navy’s Fleet Air Defensejet, spent much of their time defending the airspace over thefleet from would-be Iraqi attackers that never made it past theAir Force’s shore-based screen of F-15 Eagles. Still, the Tomcatsvigilance in that role assured the security of the American fleetfrom airborne attack at a time when the Iraqis had proventhemselves capable of delivering devastating air-to-ship Exocetmissiles accurately to target.

The F-14 Tomcat story continues to the present day and,although it is now some 30 years since the first F-14 stretchedits wings and took to the air, F-14D Super Tomcats still play therole of Fleet Defender, and will continue to do so until replacedby F/A-18E and F models by 2010.

F-18 HornetWhen the United States Air Force (USAF) selected theMcDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle in late 1969 to replace the F-4Phantom as its frontline all-weather capable fighter, there wasa perceived need for a cheaper, simpler and smaller design tosupplement the highly complex Eagle. The new design ideawas for a daytime dogfighter for use in visual conditions withrudimentary air-to-air electronics. The concept placed apremium on a lightweight, simple design that would excel inmaneuverability, climb rate and acceleration.

Of the six manufacturers that submitted design proposals inFebruary 1972, the designs from Northrop and GeneralDynamic were selected for further development as prototypes.The two designs, the Northrop YF-17 Cobra and the GeneralDynamics YF-16 Falcon, were then to compete in a grueling300-hour fly-off program at Edwards AFB in California. Bothprototypes were flying by early 1974. The USAF in January1975 selected the YF-16 design due to its greater combatradius, speed, altitude performance and lower fuelconsumption compared to the Northrop design.

Although unsuccessful in winning the Air Force contract, theNorthrop design wasn’t without its own advantages. Moreover,the Navy, like the Air Force with its F-15, decided that the

expensive and large F-14A Tomcat needed supplementingwith a simpler, smaller attack aircraft. Although Congressagreed with the Navy that it should procure cheaper aircraft,if possible, Congress also dictated that the Navy choose fromthe prototypes already developed for the Air Force projectinstead of the Navy pursuing new design ideas.

To increase their chances of winning the Navy contract,Northrop teamed with McDonnell-Douglas to improve thebasic YF-17 Cobra design. The resulting McDonnell-Douglas— Northrop design won the bid for the Navy’s newest attackfighter on May 25, 1975. McDonnell-Douglas, according to theagreement, was responsbile for manufacturing thecarrier-ready US Navy and US Marines versions whileNorthrop would further develop an even lighter and higherperformance land-based variant intended for overseas sales.Northrop, unfortunately, was never successful in marketingtheir land-based variant. However, McDonnell-Douglas wasnot only successful in winning the Naval competition, butironically went on to sell its version to the armed forces ofseveral other nations.

The new aircraft was essentially a larger and redesigned YF-17Cobra that was capable of carrier operations. In addition to thefitting of an arresting hook, the new jet had strengthenedlanding gear, upgraded engines (from the YF-17 Cobra’s two15,000-pound thrust to two 16,000-pound thrust turbofans),increased fuel capacity and significant upgrades of avionics,fly-by-wire controls and fire control systems. The F/A-18 wasoriginally designed to be manufactured in three models:

1. F-18, which was intended to replace the F-4 Phantom as afighter

2. A-18 attack aircraft to replace the A-7 Corsair II

3. A two-seat TF-18 as a fighter trainer

However, McDonnell-Douglas found that by careful designengineering, the two single-seat variants could be merged intoa single dual-purpose F/A-18A version capable of both fighterand tactical attack roles. Likewise, the two-seat trainer wasmade combat capable of both roles and was re-designated theTF/A-18A and TF/A-18B.

The first flight of the new aircraft, nicknamed Hornet, wasdelayed slightly due to the extensive redesigning andre-engineering that became necessary, and so did not occuruntil November 18, 1978. Extensive testing followed, withcarrier trials commencing aboard the USS America on October30, 1979. Engineers and the design team fixed several earlyproblems that occurred, such as weak landing gear, pooracceleration above Mach 1 and lower than specified roll rate.One problem that was never completely solved was a shortfallin range, despite several partial fixes that included adding fuelspace, reducing drag and getting higher efficiency from itstwo turbofans.

Despite this shortcoming, the Hornet’s range was still greaterthan the F-4J Phantom it was replacing in the fighter escort role

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and only about ten percent less than the A-7E Corsair II it wasreplacing in the attack role. When all aspects of the new jet’sperformance were considered, especially those of air-to-aircombat capability and weapons delivery accuracy, the Navydecided that the problem of less than specified range did notjustify further modifications. Thereofore, the Navy placedorders for the new F/A-18A Hornet and McDonnell-Douglasswent into full production on the aircraft.

VFA-125, based at Lemoore, California, was the first squadronto receive the new F/A-18A Hornet in February 1981. Thissquadron, designated Hornet Fleet Replacement squadron,was responsible for transitioning various Navy attack andMarines fighter and attack squadrons from their A-7E aircraftand F-4 aircraft into the new F/A-18A Hornet. Marine FighterAttack Squadrons VMFA-314 and 323 at MCAS El Toro(California) became the first operational squadrons in early1983. All Marines F-4 squadrons, Navy F-4 squadrons andNavy A-7E squadrons were subsequently converted to Hornets.The Navy began replacing the aging A-6E Intruders withnight-capable F/A-18D two-seater Hornets as all-weather/night attack bombers beginning in 1990.

F/A-18 Hornets have proved their value many times oversince their first operational deployment in the early 1980s. Inparticular, the simplicity of the original Northrop design hasadded to the Hornet’s success, resulting in an aircraft that hasproved exceptionally reliable, requiring about half themaintenance hours of the much more complex F-14A Tomcatsand A-6E/KA-6D Intruders.

F/A-18 Hornets saw their first combat in March and April1986 when President Reagan ordered the Sixth Fleet into theGulf of Sidron to challenge Libyan dictator Mohmar Khaddafi.Hornets repeatedly intercepted and discouraged Libyan MiG-23s, MiG-25s, Su-22s and Mirage F-1s from threatening thefleet when flying FORCAP (Task Force Combat Air Patrol) inearly March. F/A-18s also participated in “retaliatory” actionsby firing HARM missiles during defense suppression missionsand flying CAP for joint USAF/Navy strikes against Libyantargets in and around Tripoli and Bengazi.

In February 1986, the Navy announced that its flightdemonstration team, the famed Blue Angels, would begintransitioning from their A-4F Skyhawks to F/A-18A Hornets.The Hornet is still the Blue Angels aircraft and there are noplans to change of aircraft anytime soon. As anyone familiarwith the Blue Angels show can tell you, the F/A-18 Hornet isperhaps the perfect aircraft for the role, combining an eye-catching form with impressive power and maneuverablity.

During the initial hours of Desert Storm, 161 Navy and MarineCorps F/A-18Cs conducted both defense suppression andstrike missions against Iraqi targets. The US Navy F/A-18Hornets flew 4,449 sorties and the Marine Corps’ F/A-18C’sflew 4,936 sortiesresulting in 4,551 strikes against targetsduring Operation Desert Storm. A total of 174 U.S. Navy andMarine Corps Hornets participated in Desert Storm alongwith 26 Canadian F/A-18s (called CF-18). Despite these

numbers and the dangerious missions flown, only two Hornetswere lost during the war, plus one more in a noncombataccident.

The F/A-18C Hornet and F/A-18D Hornet have replaced theearlier F/A-18A and B models, but the even those models areslowly being replaced by the F/A-18E and F (single -seat andtwo-seaters, respectively). The F/A-18E and the F/A-18Frepresent a major step up in size, power, carrying capacity,avionics, weapons delivery systems, sophistication, rangeand speed. This new Hornet pair is, in fact, so much morecapable than its predecessors that it is slated to replace eventhe F-14D Super Tomcat in the next few years. Look for theseSuper Hornets at the forefront of naval air power for a longtime.

F-15 Eagle

The idea for the F-15 Eagle began in the mid-1960s as theFighter Experimental (FX) concept when the United States AirForce (USAF) began planning to replace the McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom as its primary fighter aircraft. The F-4Phantom, a large, twin-engine, two-seat aircraft, was theprimary fighter in service with the USAF throughout much ofthe Vietnam War in the 1960s and early 1970s.

The USAF, based on its experience in the Vietnam War whereit relied more on superior radar and long-range missiles, wasalso looking for an aircraft design that could handle close-inair-to-air fighting. Aircraft from “nonfriendly” nations were,of course, changing too so the USAF needed an aircraft thatcould establish air superiority against any projected enemythreats through the rest of the 20th century. In addition to theprimary air-to-air combat role, the aircraft also had to performa secondary air-to-ground mission.

McDonnell-Douglas was awarded the contract for the F-15 onDecember 23, 1969. The McDonnell-Douglas team agreedalmost immediately against using a variable-swept wingbecause it was too complex, heavy and expensive. Instead,they selected a large-area, fixed-geometry wing with 45-degreesweep at the leading edge. Also the single-seat configurationthat the USAF required could be accomplished by usingadvanced avionics and electronics.

F-15AThe F-15A made its first flight on July 27, 1972 at Edwards AFBin California. The first Eagle destined for a combat squadronwas delivered in November 1974. By October 29, 1973, the F-15s had reached a maximum speed of Mach 2.3 and an altitudeof 60,000 feet. Because of buffeting problems in early testing ofthe F-15, engineers removed four square feet in wing areadiagonally from the wing tip. This change gave the F-15 itscharacteristic “raked” wingtips.

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F-15BThe F-15B was the two-seat training version of the F-15A andwas first flown in July 1973. It used the basic airframe of the F-15A but featured a second seat behind the pilot and below anenlarged canopy. The Internal Countermeasure Set (ICS) wasremoved to make room for the second seat and the fuelcapacity was decreased slightly. The F-15A and F-15B areotherwise identical and with similar performancecharacteristics.

F-15C and F-15DThe first F-15C flew in early 1979. Most F-15Cs were deliveredwith Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-100 turbofans but they werereplaced with more reliable F100-PW-220 engines in November1985. The F-15C resembled the F-15A externally was markedlydifferent internally. These internal design changes, along withan improved electronics suite plus other changes, made the F-15C a much more capable fighter aircraft. The F-15D, whichfirst flew in mid-1979, is the two-seat version of the F-15C andis otherwise identical to the F-15C.

F-15C and F-15Ds were deployed to Dhahran in Saudi Arabiawhen the U.S. started Operation Desert Shield on August 6,1990. They were followed a week later by F-15Es. The F-15C/Ds began flying combat air patrols in cooperation with Saudiand British forces. Additional F-15Cs were deployed inNovember, 1990 from bases in the U.S., Germany, Turkey andthe Netherlands.

The F-15C were involved in most of the air-to-air engagementsduring the war and were credited with 36 enemy aircraftdestroyed without a single loss in air-to-air engagements.However, very the F-15C participated in little close-indogfighting — at which it was built to excel — because mostof the kills were made BVR (Beyond Visual Range) by theAIM-7 Sparrow missile. The AIM-7 performed so poorly inVietnam but was a resounding success in the Gulf War.

After the war officially ended, F-15Cs continued to performcombat air patrols by enforcing the “no-fly” restrictions onIraqi fixed-wing aircraft imposed under the terms of the cease-fire. On March 22, an F-15C pilot used an AIM-9 missile toshoot down one of two Iraqi Su-22s. The second Su-22 made aquick landing. Two days later, another F-15C pilot shot downa Su-22 violating the no-fly order. A second F-15C pilot wasable to force down a Pilatus PC-9 trainer that was flying nearthe downed Su-22 when its pilot bailed out without firing ashot.

Armament for the F-15 first consisted of four AIM-7 Sparrowmissiles mounted on the lower corners of the fuselage and fourAIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles carried on wing stations.A 20-mm M61A1 cannon was installed in the starboard wingleading edge. Although the air-to-ground role was onlysecondary for the F-15, plans were made for it to carry three

610-gallon drop tanks or up to 9000 pounds of air-to-groundbombs.

The F-15 can carry a mix of air-to-air weaponry, includingcombinations of four air-to-air weapons:

* AIM-7F/M Sparrow missiles or AIM-120 AdvancedMedium Range Air-to-Air Missiles on its lower fuselagecorners

* AIM-9L/M Sidewinder or AIM-120 missiles on two pylonsunder the wings

* An internal 20mm Gatling gun (with 940 rounds ofammunition) in the right wing root

An automated weapon system enables the pilot to performaerial combat safely and effectively, using the heads-up displayand the avionics and weapons controls located on the enginethrottles or control stick. When the pilot changes from oneweapon system to another, visual guidance for the requiredweapon automatically appears on the head-up display.

Low-drag, conformal fuel tanks were especially developed forthe F-15C and D models. Crews can attach conformal fueltanks to the sides of the engine air intake trunks under eachwing and are designed to the same load factors and airspeedlimits as the basic aircraft. Each conformal fuel tank containsabout 114 cubic feet of usable space. These tanks reduce theneed for in-flight refueling on global missions and increasetime in the combat area. All external stations for munitionsremain available with the tanks in use. AIM-7F/M Sparrowand AIM-120 missiles, moreover, can be attached to the cornersof the conformal fuel tanks.

Although designed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, it stillremains the primary air-superiority fighter serving with theUSAF, and will remain so well into the first decade of the 21stcentury. The F-15 has an impressive success record of air-to-airkills in service with the United States, Israeli and Saudi Arabianair forces, perhaps approaching 100, with no known air-to-airlosses.

F-15E “Strike Eagle”In the late 1970s, McDonnell Douglas and Hughes Aircraftconsidered the possibility of modifying the basic F-15 Eagle tothe air-to-ground attack role. Although the original plans forthe F-15 was as a multirole aircraft, the fighter role becamemore important. McDonnell Douglas converted the two-seatF-15B in a project called the Strike Eagle. The pilot wouldremain in the front cockpit and a Weapons System Officer(WSO), who would operate the weapons delivery systems,would be in the rear cockpit. The aircraft was equipped withthe FAST conformal fuel tanks, first introduced on the F-15C/D, and with six stub pylons on the lower corners and on thebottoms of each of the FAST packs for carrying bombs. Thismodified aircraft first flew on July 8, 1980. A centerline gunpod and a Pave Tack laser designator pod (similar to those

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carried by some F-4Es and F-111Fs) were later added on theleft side of the Strike Eagle prototype’s forward air intake. Thismade the aircraft capable of delivering smart laser-guidedbombs without needing a second “designator” aircraft.

Also during this time, the USAF considered possible conceptsfor an Enhanced Tactical Fighter (ETF) to replace the GeneralDynamics F-111. The Air Force was looking for an aircraft thatdid not require fighter escort, electronic jamming aircraft orAWACS support. To save both time and money, the USAFconsidered converting either the F-15 or F-16 to meet the ETFrequirement instead of developing a new aircraft. The USAFselected the F-15 after a fly-off competition and full-scaledevelopment of the production version of the Strike Eagle,designated F-15E, began in 1984. The first production F-15Eflew on December 11, 1986.

The F-15E shares many design features and capabilities of theearlier F-15 Eagle models. The main design feature differencefrom earlier F-15 models is that the Strike Eagle has two seats.The cockpit for the pilot features redesigned controls, a widefield of vision heads-up display and three monitors that providemultipurpose displays of navigation, weapons delivery andsystems operations. The rear cockpit for the Weapons SystemOfficer (WSO) has four monitors for radar, selecting weaponsand following enemy tracking systems.

The F-15E maintains the conformal fuel tank of the F-15DEagle but the air-to-ground weapons load is larger (maximumof 23,500 pounds). The F-15E also has the 20-mm M61A1cannon of the F-15D but the ammunition capacity is reducedto 512 rounds. Furthermore, the F-15E has the same air-to-aircapability of the F-15D version and can carry AIM-7M Sparrowmedium-range missiles and AIM-9M Sidewinder short-rangemissiles.

Although the F-15E appears externally similar to the two-seatF-15D model, the F-15E is redesigned with a stronger structureso that it can safely operate at takeoff weights up to 81,000pounds. The structure is furthermore designed to last up to16,000 hours, which is double the lifetime of earlier F-15aircraft. Two Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 turbofans enginespowered the first F-15Es but more powerful F100-PW-229engines later replaced those engines. A slight decrease ininternal fuel capacity provides additional room for moreavionics.

The heart of the electronics suite in the F-15E is the AN/APG-70 radar. It’s designed so that the enemy’s air defensescannot detect it when the F-15 pilot switches it on. It does thisby requiring only one sweep to acquire a radar image of atarget area located as much as 45 degrees to either side of theaircraft’s flight path. Then to make it difficult for an enemy topick up the AN/APG-70 radar emissions and track the F-15E’slocation and flight path, the pilot quickly switches off theradar a few seconds later. The pilot can update the radar map,which can be “frozen” on the screen, by new sweeps as the F-15E gets closer to the target. The radar display terminalsprocess the radar signals received and can provide an overhead

view of ground targets. These views are not only higherresolution, but also from higher altitude than images producedby previous radar. This lets the F-15 pilot identify roads,bridges and airfields from up to 100 miles away. As the F-15Eapproaches the target, image resolution becomes increasinglysharper, which lets the pilot locate smaller targets, such asarmored personnel carriers, trucks, aircraft, tanks, etc.

After operational tests and other evaluations were completed,F-15Es were first delivered to Luke AFB for crew training. Thefirst operational F-15E squadron was at Semour Johnson AFBin North Carolina, which received its first planes in early 1989.Only limited operational capability was achieved with the F-15E by October 1989 and full operational capability wasn’texpected before August 1990. When the U.S. and the CoalitionForces began Operation Desert Shield on August 6, 1990, theF-15E Strike Eagle was still not ready for combat because thetargeting pod of its LANTIRN system was not yet installed.

The LANTIRN system (Low-Altitude Navigation andTargeting, Infra-Red for Night), which works with the F-15’sAN/APG-70 radar, consists of two pods that are carried beloweach air intake. The pod on the left side, called AAQ-14, is atargeting pod that contains a high-resolution tracking FLIR, amissile boresight correlator, used to guide the Maverick air-to-surface missile and a laser designator used for weaponssuch as laser guided bombs that home in on reflected laserlight. The pod on the right side is used for navigation andcontains a FLIR (Forward-Looking, Infra-Red) that shows ahigh-quality video image of the oncoming terrain on thepilot’s heads-up display. This allows the F-15 to perform high-speed low-level flights at night under clear weather conditions.The navigation pod also carries terrain-following radar that iseffective in bad weather. The F-15 pilot can manually respondto cues from the system or can couple the system to the flightcontrols for “hands-off” automatic terrain-following flight ataltitudes as low as 200 feet above ground level.

Nevertheless, the F-15Es crews began training for possiblestrike missions. Eventually, 48 F-15Es flew various missions inthe war, including search-and-destroy missions looking forIraqi Scud missile launchers. Although most of the Scud huntmissions were unsuccessful, the F-15Es attacked other Iraqitargets of opportunity. Because most of these sorties wereflown at medium altitudes, the F-15E was not able to test itslow-level capabilities. Two F-15E Strike Eagles were lost toground fire (January 18 and January 19). The crew of the firstF-15E were lost and the crew of the second were captured andbecame POWs.

The final F-15E was delivered to the USAF in June 1994.However, some attrition replacements were ordered in through1998.

F-16 Fighting Falcon

Although the F-16 is used primarily by the United States AirForce (USAF), it’s not an American-only design. It was built by

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an agreement between the United States and a consortium ofNATO countries (Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norwayand Portugal). The F-16s built by the consortium are assembledfrom components manufactured in all five countries. Finalairframe assembly lines were located in Belgium and theNetherlands. Belgium also provides final assembly of theF100 engine used in the European F-16s. These countriesjointly produced an initial 348 F-16s for their air forces. Thisprogram has several advantages, including sharing of thetechnology among the nations producing the F-16 and acommon-use aircraft for NATO nations. Furthermore, thesupply and availability of repair parts in Europe is greater andthe combat readiness for the F-16 is improved.

Engineers borrowed proven systems and design techniquesfrom other aircraft, such as the F-15 and F-111, when designingthe F-16. These decisions simplified production and reduceddevelopment costs and as well as maintenance costs. Theengineers could also reduce the size and weight of the F-16.

The F-16A, a single-seat model, first flew in December 1976and the first operational F-16A was delivered in January 1979to Hill Air Force Base in Utah. A two-seat model, called the F-16B, is used in training flights. Its two cockpits are about thesame size as the one cockpit in the F-16A and a single bubblecanopy covers both cockpits. A student pilot sits in the forwardcockpit during training flights and the instructor pilot is in therear cockpit. To make room for the second cockpit, the forwardfuselage fuel tank and various avionics packages were reduced.

Several new features included in all F-16s delivered afterNovember, 1981 expanded the F-16’s abilities of performingprecision strike, night attack and beyond-visual-range (BVR)interception missions. This improvement program led to thedevelopment of the F-16C, which replaced the F-16A, and theF-16D, which replaced the F-16B.

The U.S. Air Force announced in March, 1982 that itsThunderbirds flight demonstration team would begin flyingF-16 Fighting Falcons. The transition to the F-16 was completedlater in 1982.

U.S. Air Force F-16s played a major role in the 1991 PersianGulf War air campaign. The F-16 flew in 25 percent of allsorties and successfully attacked several types of targets,including fixed sites, radar systems, tanks and other vehicles.The F-16s carried four AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles early inDesert Storm because military planners considered the Iraqiair force to be a serious threat. However, the Iraqi air forceproved to be a minimal threat so the F-16s carried only twoSidewinders. The F-16 never did encounter Iraqi fighters,although more F-16s were used than any other fighter. (F-15CEagles shot down all the Iraqi fixed-wing aircraft downed indogfights during Desert Storm.) Because the F-15s were alsogiven priority to use LANTIRN pods, most F-16 sorties occurredonly during daylight hours.

An F-16 was eventually credited with a kill over Iraq in lateDecember, 1992. Two Iraqi Air Force MiG-23 Floggers were

detected violating the no-fly zone over southern Iraq. TheIraqi pilots ignored several verbal warnings and turned toconfront the F-16s. The F-16 shot down one MiG while theother MiG managed to escape to Iran.

The F-16 cockpit and its distinctive “bubble” canopy provideexcellent forward and top views for the pilot plus greatlyimprove views left and right. The F-16 pilot also has excellentflight control because the aircraft uses a “fly-by-wire” systemso electrical wires relay commands instead of cables andlinkage controls. Avionics systems include a extremely accurateinertial navigation system in which a computer providessteering information to the pilot. Moreover, the pilot uses aside stick controller instead of the more typical center-mountedstick. A side stick controller means easier and more accuratecontrol of the aircraft during high G-force combat maneuvers.(Another feature to help F-16 pilots in any high G-force turn ormaneuver, was expanding the seat-back angle from 13-degreesto 30-degrees.)

The maneuverability in the air combat role and combat radius(distance it has to fly to enter air combat, stay, fight and return)is greater than any fighter aircraft the F-16 is likely to encounter.It can locate targets in all weather conditions and distinguishlow flying aircraft in radar ground clutter. Its fuselage wasdesigned to be lightweight but strong enough so that the F-16can withstand up to nine Gs even when carrying a full load ofinternal fuel.

The F-16 has UHF and VHF radios plus an instrument landingsystem. It also has a warning system and modularcountermeasure pods to be used against airborne or surfaceelectronic threats. The fuselage has space for additional avionicssystems.

The different paint jobs of the F-16 depend on its function butthe “basic” colors are light gray in the front fading to a darkbluish gray in the back.

The F-16 carries one M-61A1 20mm multibarrel cannon with500 rounds. Its external stations can carry up to six air-to-airmissiles, conventional air-to-air and air-to-surface munitionsand electronic countermeasure pods.

US Navy Blue Angels

Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who was the Chief of NavalOperations at the time, was looking for a way of promotingnaval aviation to the nation following the end of World War II.Therefore, on April 24, 1946 he ordered the Navy to form aflight demonstration team to promote naval aviation.

The original Blue Angels team, led by Flight Leader Lt.Commander Roy “Butch” Voris, performed its first flightdemonstration on June 15, 1946 at Craig Field in Jacksonville,Florida flying the Grumman F6F Hellcat. The Navy FlightDemonstration Team, only two months later however,transitioned to the Grumman F8F Bearcat in late August.(Although you might think the nickname came from the blue

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ocean or blue skies and angels flying high, the nickname BlueAngels actually originated during a trip by the original teamto New York in 1946. One team member noticed the name ofthe city’s famous Blue Angel nightclub in New Yorker Magazineand the name became associated with the team.)

Flight leader Lt. Cmdr. Robert Clarke introduced the famousDiamond Formation in 1947. The Diamond Formation is nowconsidered the Blue Angels’ trademark. The Blue Angelstransitioned to its first jet aircraft, the Grumman F9F-2 Panther,by the late 1940s.

The Korean Conflict, which started in 1950, placed greatpressure on the assets of the US Navy and especially navalaviation. The Navy responded by reassigning the Blue Angelsto the aircraft carrier USS Princeton (CV-37). The Blue Angelsbecame the nucleus of Fighter Squadron 191 (VF-191), knownas “Satan’s Kittens.”

When the Blue Angels reorganized in 1951 and reported toNAS Corpus Christi, Texas, it began flying the faster versionof the Panther, called the F9F-5. The team remained based inCorpus Christi home for the next three years before moving inearly 1955 to its present home, Sherman Field, at NAS Pensacola,Florida. It also transitioned in 1955 to flying the swept-wingGrumman F9F-8 Cougar.

The Blue Angels transition into two more aircraft in thefollowing twenty years. In 1957 the team began flying theGrumman F11F-1 Tiger and then the McDonnell Douglas F-4JPhantom II in 1969, the team’s first dual-engine jet.

In December 1974, the Blue Angels reorganized as the U.S.Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron with Commander TonyLess as the commanding officer and flight leader. In additionto adding support officers, the Navy redefined the mission ofthe squadron to support Navy recruiting. The Blue Angelsalso transitioned to a new aircraft in 1974, the McDonnellDouglas A-4F Skyhawk II.

On November 8, 1986, the Blue Angels celebrated its 40thanniversary by unveiling its current aircraft, the impressiveMcDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet. The Hornetis the first dual-role fighter/attack aircraft serving on frontlines of defense for the US armed forces. (The Blue Angelsconsidered the F-14 Tomcat to be too large and too expensivethan the F/A-18, and would be difficult to fly in the closeformations specific to Blue Angel maneuvers.)

There isn’t much difference between a Blue Angel F/A-18 andF/A-18 aircraft based on aircraft carriers. Blue Angel F/A-18shave the nose cannon removed, a smoke-oil tank installed anda spring installed on the stick that applies pressure for betterformation and inverted flying. Otherwise, a Blue Angel F/A-18 is the same as those flown in the fleet. Also, each Blue Angelaircraft is fleet-capable and must be able to return to combatduty aboard an aircraft carrier within 72 hours. The squadron’sC-130 (“Fat Albert”) is a Marine Corps fleet aircraft manned bya Marine Corps detachment and obviously not designed for

routine carrier operations. (See page XXX for more informationon Fat Albert.)

In 1992 the Blue Angels deployed for its first European tour inseveral years. More than one million people in Sweden, Finland,Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, the United Kingdom andSpain saw the Blue Angels perform during their 30-day tour.In November 1998, Commander Patrick Driscoll landed thefirst “Blue Jet” on a “haze gray and underway” aircraft carrier,USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75).

More than 15 million people watched the Blue Angels performat air shows during the 2003 show season. The team has hadthe privilege of performing for more than 380 million peoplesince that first show in Jacksonville in 1946. Furthermore, theBlue Angels visit over 50,000 people a show season (Marchthrough November) at school and hospital visits.

The Department of Defense (DoD) receives hundreds ofrequests each September to hold air shows featuring the NavyBlue Angels the following year. The DoD initially screensrequests for basic eligibility and then sends the requests to theBlue Angels’ Commanding Officer. The squadron officers,along with input from the Chief of Naval Information andNavy Recruiting Command, review each air show request. InDecember, the Blue Angels Events Coordinator, along withofficials from the Navy and DoD meet at a schedulingconference in Washington, DC for final considerations andapproval.

The Blue Angels must have at least three nautical miles ofvisibility horizontally from centerpoint and a minimum cloudceiling of 1,500 feet to perform. The Blue Angels can performa limited number of maneuvers in their “flat” show at theseminimums. When the ceiling is at least 3,500 feet and visibilityat least three nautical miles, the Blue Angels perform a “low”show, which includes some rolling maneuvers. The Blue Angelscan perform their “high” show, which includes all maneuvers,with a minimum ceiling of 8,000 feet and visibility of threenautical miles.

The lowest and highest maneuver heights performed duringan air show depend, of course, on weather conditions. Thehighest is the vertical rolls performed by the Opposing Solo(up to 15,000 feet) and the lowest is the Sneak Pass (50 feet)performed by the Lead Solo. However, all maneuvers arementally and physically demanding. The solo pilots fly boththe fastest speed, about 700 mph (close to Mach 1; called asneak pass) and the slowest speed, about 120 mph (indicatedspeed; Section High Alpha) that the Blue Angels fly during ademonstration show.

You may have wondered about the impressive smoke eachBlue Angels jet produces during the demonstration. The smokeis produced when a biodegradable, paraffin-based oil is shotdirectly into the exhaust nozzles of the aircraft where the oil isinstantly vaporized into smoke. The reason for the smoke isnot only so the spectators can follow the flight profile that thesquadron has flown, but it also enhances safety of flight by

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providing a valuable means by which the solo pilots can seeeach other during opposing maneuvers and conditions oflowered visibility or haze. Because the smoke is made ofbiodegradable materials, it poses no hazard to the environment.

SIDEBAR:A typical Blue Angels F/A-18 uses approximately 8,000 poundsor 1,300 gallons of JP-5 jet fuel at a cost of roughly $1,378. Thesquadron, including Fat Albert, requires about 3.1 milliongallons of fuel in a typical year.

Safety is the overriding consideration at every demonstration.Although each pilot is responsible for good health and safety,the Blue Angels Flight Surgeon will medically down a pilot ifone should become ill or injured. Furthermore, if the BOSS,Flight Leader/Commanding Officer is grounded for medicalpurposes, the Blue Angels will cancel the demonstration.Also, the Blue Angels do not use a “backup” or reserve pilotdue to the number of practice hours required to safely fly ademonstration. Each pilot must complete 120 training flightsduring winter training in order to perform a publicdemonstration safely. The teamwork required for the high-speed, low-altitude flying in the tight Blue Angels formationtakes hundreds of hours to develop, a substitute pilot wouldnot get enough time in the formation.

Sixteen officers and over 100 enlisted crew volunteer for toursof duty with the Blue Angels as pilots, support team andmaintenance crew. Contrary to what many people mightthink, because each member of the squadron volunteers forduty with the Blue Angels, they do not receive extra pay; eachindividual feels especially honored to be part of the BlueAngels.

The following are a few of the specific requirements that eachcandidate must meet:

* Career-minded members of the US Navy or US Marineswho are recommended for Blue Angels duty by theircurrent commanding officer.

* Officers must prove superior abilities as Navy and MarineCorps officers to replace those whose tours are complete.

* Also, because the Blue Angels meet with the public andthe press, all applicants must be comfortable talking withand meeting groups and individuals.

* They must demonstrate professionalism, motivation andintegrity.

PilotsNavy and Marine pilots wanting to become members of theBlue Angels must meet the basic requirements mentionedabove. They must apply directly to the team through theOfficer Selection Officer, the number six pilot. Applicants visitthe squadron at scheduled show sites early in the show seasonto watch the team firsthand. Finalists are selected mid-season

and interviewed at the Blue Angels squadron in Pensacola,Florida. The new demonstration pilots are selected byunanimous vote.

The Chief of Naval Air Training selects the Flight Leader/Commanding Officer, who must have a minimum of 3,000tactical jet hours and commanded a tactical jet squadron. TheFlight Leader/Commanding Officer (“Boss”) flies the Number1 jet and serves a two-year tour with the team.

Navy and Marine Corps jet pilots with a minimum of 1,200tactical jet flight hours and aircraft carrier qualification areeligible for positions two through seven.

The Events Coordinator, Number 8, is a Naval Flight Officer(NFO) or a Marine Corps Weapon and Systems Officer (WSO)who meets the same criteria as the pilots. The Marine Corpspilots flying the C-130 Hercules (“Fat Albert”) must be aircraftcommander qualified with 1,200 flight hours.

Blue Angels support officersFive officers, selected based upon their professional ability,military bearing and communication skills make up the BlueAngels Support Officers team. They serve two or three yearstour of duty, depending on their position. The officers returnto the fleet after completing after their tours of duty with theBlue Angels.

As the name suggests, the Maintenance Officer is in charge ofthe team responsible for aircraft upkeep. The Flight Surgeon isresponsible for the health and fitness of each team member.The Administrative Officer and Public Affairs Officer are incharge of documenting and promoting the Blue Angels. TheSupply Officer makes certain that material and equipmentneeded to keep the Hornets and C-130 is available and in goodorder.

Enlisted TeamSelected enlisted personnel can volunteer for a three-year tourwith the Blue Angels. The enlisted also return to the fleet aftercompleting after their tours of duty with the Blue Angels. Thesquadron consists of fourteen distinct workcenters jointlyresponsible for guaranteeing command readiness. Theseworkcenters are responsible for maintenance, morale,promotions, awards, medicine, physical examinations, FatAlbert, quality assurance and much more.

For more information on the Blue Angels check the website (orclick the website if you have an Internet connection available):


For a schedule of appearances the Blue Angels are planningfor 2004, check out this website:


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Let’s hope they’re coming to an air show near you.

If you’re looking for great artwork, posters, etc., that you canpurchase, check out this website (also includes Thunderbirds posters):

US Air Force Thunderbirds

To a casual observer the mission of the United States AirForce Thunderbirds may seem as only performingprecision aerial maneuvers and showing the capabilities

of today’s high-performance aircraft. However, the missioninvolves much more for the Thunderbirds:

* U.S. Air Force recruiting

* Install public confidence in the Air Force

* Demonstrate the professionalism of Air Force personnel

* Represent the United States and its armed forcesinternationally

* Strengthen morale among Air Force personnel

* Support Air Force community relations and people-to-people programs

Pilots

Most of the first demonstration team were selected frompersonnel at Luke AFB in Arizona. The honor of being the firstteam leader went to Major Dick Catledge, a training squadroncommander at Luke AFB. Captain Bob Kanaga, an instructorat Luke, was selected for the difficult position of slot, which isthe position between both wingmen and behind the leader.

Bill Patillo and his twin brother Buck Patillo, both captains,were selected to fly left wing and right wing, respectively.They were both logical choices because each served with theSkyBlazers, a USAF/Europe demonstration team, for severalyears before joining the Thunderbirds.

The position of backup pilot went to Captain Bob McCormick.He also had demonstration team experience with the SabreDancers, a predecessor to the Thunderbirds.

First support team

First Lt. Aubry Brown was the team’s first maintenance officer.He and his senior enlisted man, Master Sergeant Earl Young,selected several enlisted men to help maintain the team’saircraft. The final officer selected was Captain Bill Brock, whoserved as the information services officer and team narrator.

The unit adopted the nickname “Thunderbirds” based partlyby the strong Native American culture and folklore of the areanear their Arizona base. Native American legend speaks of theThunderbird with great fear and respect. Some NativeAmericans considered the Thunderbird to be a giant eaglewhile others considered it to be a hawk. Regardless of whattype of bird it was, the earth trembled from the thunder of its

great wings when it took flight. The legend says that lightningbolts shot out from its eyes and no man, in fact, nothing innature, could challenge this bird of thunder.

Republic Aviation F-84G Thunderjet

The first aircraft the new Air Force demonstration team selectedwas the straight wing Republic Aviation F-84G Thunderjet.The Air Force considered the straight wing configuration ofthe F-84G well-matched for aerobatic maneuvers. Althoughthe F-84G was not supersonic as was the case with othermilitary aircraft of the time, it nevertheless met the requirementsfor a demonstration aircraft at the time.

In the early demonstrations, the backup pilot took off a fewminutes ahead of the other pilots to run a weather check,alerting the team to any encroaching traffic and double-checking the location of obstructions before landing so hisaircraft could be used as a spare if needed. The demonstrationsthe Thunderbirds perform today last about an hour but theearly demonstration sequences lasted only about fifteenminutes and consisted of a series of formation aerobatics. Asthe first season progressed, the team began performing “solo”maneuvers with the spare aircraft while the Diamond formationburned off fuel and repositioned itself out of the crowd’svisual sight.

Republic Aviation F-84F Thunderstreak

Because the Air Force wanted to show off its best aircraft, theThunderbirds began flying the swept wing F-84FThunderstreak as their second aircraft in 1955. TheThunderstreak was modified for the team by adding smoketanks for the first time plus red, white and blue drag chutes.

Republic Aviation F-100 Super Sabre

The Thunderbirds became the world’s first supersonic aerialdemonstration team in 1956 when they switched from the F-84F to the F-100 Super Sabre. Also in 1956, the Thunderbirdsmoved to Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Although actually never a routine part of the Thunderbirdshow in 1956, the solo aircraft would fly supersonic if thesponsor of the air show would request it. However, the FederalAviation Authority (forerunner to the Federal AviationAdministration) banned all supersonic flight at air shows,which is still in effect today so today’s demonstrations for boththe Thunderbird’s and the Navy’s Blue Angels are all subsonic.

McDonnell-Douglas F-4E Phantom II

The Thunderbirds began their 1969 training season with the F-100Ds, but the team received the first of the new McDonnell-Douglas F-4E Phantom IIs in spring 1969 and the team begantransitioning to their new aircraft.

The transition to the F-4 was the most extensive in the team’shistory. In addition to the expected and planned modifications,the paints that had worked on the F-100 made the F-4 look

65

patchy because of multicolored alloys used in the F-4 to resistheat and friction at Mach II speeds. Therefore, the Air Forcebegan using a polyurethane paint base to cover the problem.The white paint base remains a part of today’s Thunderbirdaircraft.

Compared with its predecessors, the F-4 was not only powerfulbut also big and very heavy. Thank to its earth-shaking roar ofeight J-79 engines from the four diamond aircraft, nodemonstration aircraft accomplished the mission ofrepresenting American airpower more impressively than thePhantom.

Northrop T-38A Talon

Due to the fuel/energy crisis of 1974, the Air Force switchedfrom the F-4 Phantom to the sleek and maneuverable NorthropT-38A Talon. The T-38 was the first supersonic trainer used bythe Air Force but more impressive for the Thunderbirds duringthe mid-1970s, five T-38s required the same amount of fuelthat one F-4 Phantom required. Furthermore, fewer peopleand less equipment was required to maintain the smaller T-38A Talon.

Although the Talon did not fulfill the Thunderbird tradition offlying front-line jet fighters, it did meet the criteria ofdemonstrating the capabilities of a prominent Air Force aircraft.

The Air Force used the T-38A extensively in many roles inaddition to the Thunderbirds because of its design, economyof operation, ease of maintenance, high performance andexceptional safety record. Air Force fighter pilots still fly the T-38 during undergraduate pilot training today.

General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) F-16A FightingFalcon

The Thunderbirds returned in 1983 to the tradition of flying apremier fighter aircraft, in this case, transitioning to the GeneralDynamics (later Lockheed Martin) F-16A Fighting Falcon. TheF-16 used by the Thunderbirds is identical to a combat readyF-16 except that the radar and internally mounted 20mmcannon are removed and a smoke-generating system isinstalled.

In 1992, the Thunderbirds transitioned to Lockheed Martin’smore advanced F-16C, the team’s ninth aircraft. (TheThunderbirds were the last active duty Air Force unit to usethe F-16A model.)

The F-16 has remained the choice of the Thunderbirds for overtwenty years, the longest performance era of any one aircraft.

As you should expect, there are people who work behind thescenes for the Thunderbirds; the squadron consists of morethan just the pilots who fly the F-16s. The squadron is an AirCombat Command unit and actually consists of eight pilots(six of whom fly the demonstration F-16s), four support officersand about 120 Active-duty, Air National Guard and Reserve

enlisted people and four civilians performing in more thantwo dozen different career fields.

A Thunderbirds air demonstration is a mix of six aircraft,performing formation flying and solo routines. The four-aircraft diamond formation demonstrates the training andprecision of Air Force pilots and the solos highlight themaximum capabilities of the Lockheed Martin F-16 FightingFalcon. The pilots typically perform about forty maneuvers ineach demonstration. The entire show, including ground andair, runs about one hour. The demonstration season lasts fromMarch to November and the remaining months (“off season”)is used to train new pilots.

Officers serve a two-year assignment with the squadron andthe enlisted corps serves three to four years. Almost one-thirdof all personnel are replaced each year so a constant mix ofexperience levels is maintained.

The squadron performs no more than 88 air demonstrationseach year but has never canceled a performance due tomaintenance difficulty. Since the unit’s inception in 1953,more than 315 million people in all 50 states and 60 foreigncountries have witnessed the red, white, and blue jets in morethan 3,850 official aerial demonstrations.

The Thunderbirds maintain a strict policy concerning weatherrequirements. The Thunderbirds must have at least five nauticalmiles of visibility horizontally from show center and aminimum cloud ceiling of 1,500 feet. These minimums allowthe Thunderbirds to perform their “flat” show, which consistsof a limited number of maneuvers. The team performs a “low”show, which includes some rolling maneuvers, when theceiling is at least 3,500 feet and visibility at least five threenautical miles. The Thunderbirds can perform their “high”show, which includes all maneuvers, with a minimum ceilingof 8,000 feet and visibility of five nautical miles.

You may have wondered about the impressive smoke eachThunderbirds jet produces during the demonstration. Thesmoke is produced when a biodegradable, paraffin-based oilis shot directly into the exhaust nozzles of the aircraft wherethe oil is instantly vaporized into smoke. The reason for thesmoke is not only so the spectators can follow the flight profilethat the squadron has flown, but it also enhances safety offlight by providing a valuable means by which the solo pilotscan see each other during opposing maneuvers and conditionsof lowered visibility or haze. Because the smoke is made ofbiodegradable materials, it poses no hazard to the environment.

For more information on the Thunderbirds, check the website(or click the website if you have an Internet connectionavailable):


The website also includes a calender of appearances theThunderbirds are planning for 2004. Let’s hope they’re comingto an air show near you.

Commercial Aircraft

Extreme Scenery - Commercial Aircraft

We hope that this new add-on will “immerse”you in the exciting world of flying sea and floatplanes!

Rather, we’d like to see you master the tech-niques of flying off the water as you discoverthe hundreds of sea plane and float plane basesin Flight Simulator 2004 and 2002.

Enjoy flying off the water as you master theadvenetures in the remote Alaska wilderness, thesporty Florida Keys and the lovely Greek Islesof the Mediterranean.

• Bombardier CL 415• Cessna 185 Float• Zenith CH801 Float• Republic RC-3 SeaBee• DHC6 Twin Otter Float

Sea Plane Adventures

Do you have theskills to land onwater?

S515 $29.95

Bush Pilot

Head out into thewilderness!

S514 $29.95

Pack your gear and get ready to head off intothe wilderness! Bush pilots are a unique breedof pilots that fly in and out of some of the mostremote spots on the planet. Join in theadventure as you transport goods andpassengers to isolated areas.

Fly cross continent from Glacier NationalPark, through the Yukon and NorthwestCanada to Bettles, Alaska. A movement of theyoke one way or another and you’ll be eatingdirt, break an axle or worse!

There are five new Bush Planes included inBush Pilot, each with exquisite visualmodeling, virtual cockpit, advanced animation,accurate flight characteristics and instrumentpanel. Zenith CH-801, DHC-6 Twin , PiperSuper Cub, Aviat Husky and Found BushHawk.

Works great with FS 2004 and FS 2002. Works great with FS 2004 and FS 2002.

Includes "off road" landing andtakeoffs.

Try you hand at flying off thewater.

USA Extreme Landscapes

So Real - It’sUnReal!

S546 $29.95

Commuter Pilot

Flying the ‘ShortHops’!

S547 $29.95

This new adventure package delivers an extremelevel of scenic accuracy that you’ll have to seeto believe. Drop in USA Extreme Landscapesand we’ll transform these magnificent sceneriesinto even more visual spectacles. How do theydo it? Using Flight Simulator’s elevated meshterrain technology, we’ve replaced the defaultelevation data with higher resolution 38 and 76meter info which increases the detail 32-fold. Thedetail is ‘so real – it’s unreal!

For your “flightseeing” pleasure fly the pre-planned tours in the venerable Piper Dakota fromCarenado. You’ll be able to fly “low and slow”and have a chance to see the new landscape up-close. You’ll enjoy the new landscapes with newadventures from noted writer and private pilotDoug Horton. Doug outlines his recent cross-country flight from the Chicago area to MtRushmore, Yellowstone and Grand Tetons aswell as other adventures that explore the grandeurof the USA.

Before

AfterWorks great with FS 2004 and FS 2002.Works great with FS 2004 and FS 2002.

Fly to the various ‘hubs andspokes’ of commuter airlines.See the United States - in highly

detailed 3D resolution.

As many flight sim pilots know, major airlinesbuild their routes around a “hub and spokesystem”. Using this scheme, smaller commuterplanes fly passengers from smaller towns tohub cities where they board larger planes forlonger flights to distant cities.

The goal is to fly the most economical aircrafton any given route routes to maximize profits.This has led to the popularity of the commuterairlines. The new Commuter Pilot packagegives you the ability to become a CommuterPilot.

You’ll be flying these popular aircraft: ATR-72, CRJ-700, BAE-146, Beech 1900D, Boeing757. Additionally, there are several commuterroutes that are included with this package toshow the various ‘hubs and spokes’ ofcommuter airlines’ routes.


Military Aircraft from Abacus Software.

Military Aircraft from Abacus Software.

Try your skills with the all-new Flight Deck III’scarrier-based aircraft for FS 2002 & 2004! Climbinto the cockpit of these super-detailed, highperformance aircraft (and helicopter!) and put yourpiloting skills to the test.For a real rush, try setting a plane capable ofsupersonic flight down on the deck of a short,narrow slab.You’ll need a cool head and hot hands when makingyour approach. A movement of the stick one wayor another and you’ll either be flying, swimmingor worse! On a good day the sea will be calm andthe deck will be level. Otherwise, landing on aheaving deck can terrify even the most seasonedNavy pilots. There’s a good reason that the flightcrew refers to a landing aircraft as a “recovery.”Yes, landing on an aircraft carrier is a real challenge.Abacus Exclusives! – Flight Deck III includes fullyfunctioning realistic ‘arresting cables’, catapult and‘booster shield’!

Step up to thechallenge of carrierbased flight!

S511 $29.95

Flight Deck III

Flying fighters is a challenge even for the mostexperienced virtual pilots. There are 4 fightersincluded in this package with over 85 differentversions including all the ‘Thunderbirds’ and ‘BlueAngels’ to name just a few.

Each plane is dressed in authentic paint schemesand is beautifully rendered and features full-functionvirtual cockpits. Each aircraft features authentic andaccurate instrument panels, exquisite visual detailsand handles as close to the real-thing as you canget! This impressive fleet of aircraft in FS FighterPilot will keep you at the edge of your seat!

Serious pilots will appreciate the selection of someof the most famous military planes from many ofour past packages. Each plane is dressed in authenticpaint schemes and is beautifully rendered, includinganimated flight control surfaces and accurate flightmodels. This impressive fleet of aircraft features:US Navy F-14 Tomcat, US Air Force F-15 Eagle,US Navy F/A-18 Hornet, US Air Force F-16Fighting Falcon.

Features accuratelydetailed militaryaircraft!

S552 $29.95

Fighter Pilot


There's excitement in piloting ‘mean’fighter planes.

Carrier-based flight is the ULTIMATECHALLENGE in aviation!

An all new add-on for FS2004 and FS2002 putsyou into the seat of all of these 13 awesomemilitary planes including:

F/A-18 Blue Angel, F-14 Tomcat, S-3 Viking,A-7 Corsair II, A-6 Intruder, B-2 Spirit, A-10Thunderbolt II, Harrier Jet, OH-58D KiowaWarrior, KC-135-R Stratotanker, CH-46E SeaKnight Helicopter, P-61 Black Widow, DHCChipmunk.

Flying military aircraft is a challenge even forthe most experienced virtual pilots. This newpackage has some of the finest aircraft availablefor FS2004 and FS2002. We’ve taken the bestof the best military aircraft and combined themto create one of the highest quality productsavailable today.

Military AircraftCollector’s Edition

Get into the seat of13 awesomemilitary planes!

S532 $19.95

Includes legendaryUSS Enterprisecarrier!

S548 $29.95

WWII Carrier Ops

We take you back to the historic era of carrier-based aircraft during World War II. You’ll be flyingfrom the deck of the USS Enterprise where youwill experience the ultimate challenge in aviation.

If fate is on your side and you outlast the enemy,you’ll fly back to “mother”. You’ll need a coolhead and hot hands when making your approach.A movement of the stick one way or another andyou’ll be swimming or worse!

You’ll be flying these historic craft: F4U Corsair,F4F-4 Wildcat, F6F-3 Hellcat, TBF-1 Avenger,SDB-3 Dauntless.

Includes Richard Hogan’s ArrestorCable programfor realistic simulate carriers landing aboard theEnterprise.


Step up to the challenge of carrierbased flight with the USS Enterprise

as your new base. Includes some of the finest aircraftavailable.


FS Tools and Accessories.

FS Tools and Accessories.

The simplestway to navigate!

S549 $29.95

Custom Panel Designer

CPD features aNEW drag n dropinterface for ease ofuse!

S542 $29.95

Whether you’re making a panel from scratch ortweaking one “just the way you like it”, CustomPanel Designer is the “can do” program. WithCustom Panel Designer you can make your ownpanel. Whether you’re doing minor “touch up” workor designing a complex multi-window panel, youcan count of Custom Panel Designer to make thework fast and easy.

Works great with FS 2004, FS 2002, FS 2000 andCFS 2.

EZ VFR

New Version 3! Drag and drop your wayto a new cockpit

New Version 2! The simplest way yet to navigate:“Look out the window” and you’ll see the airportnames and locations superimposed over the scenery.One of the worlds favorite add-ons.

Among the abundance of data inside of FlightSimulator are the names and locations of the 20,000+airports for FS2004 & FS2002. Wouldn’t it be cool ifyou could see where these airports are located as youfly over the scenery? With EZ-VFR you can!

Works great with FS 2004, FS 2002 and FS 2000.

This revolutionary software lets Flight Simulatorusers easily change the look of their aircraft. FSRepaint can be used to repaint most any aircraftincluding stock FS2004 and FS2002 planes, FSDesign Studio aircraft and GMax aircraft, bothfreeware and pay ware.

FS Repaint is an aircraft-repainting tool thatFlight Simulator users have been asking for.You’ll view your changes instantly in 3D on thescreen without needing to open Flight Simulator.For example, you can change the color of a silverplane to a bright green one; convert “Low & SlowAirlines” to “Stealth Airways” or add a touch ofred to the tires.

With FS Repaint you can make impressivechanges to your favorite aircraft in just minutes.

FS Repaint is the simplest way yet to customizethe visual appearance of your aircraft.

Works great with FS 2004 and FS 2002.

FS RePaint

S540 $29.95

The simplest wayyet to change thevisual appearanceof your aircraftery!

Revolutionary tool easily changesthe look of your aircraft!!

Flying is a great way to visit Europe. By simply addingEuropean Enhanced Terrain, we transform thesemagnificent places into “eye-popping”, visual spectacles.Based on Flight Simulator’s adaptable elevated meshterrain technology, we’ve boosted the detail 16-fold forEurope.

The result is incredible scenic accuracy bringing theFlight Simulator experience even closer to reality. Foryour “flightseeing” pleasure you’ll fly our pre-plannedtours in the venerable Piper Super Cub. When you flythe Super Cub “low and slow”, you’ll see the enhancedterrain up-close.

Spot the sites from miles away. Fast Loading. MultipleDatabases.

EZ-Landmark is like having your own private tourguide.The idea behind this ingenious software issimple: “display the name of the landmark for you tosee”. Includes more than 1.2 million sites arranged inseveral databases as well.Works great with FS 2004, 2002 & 2000.

Incredible scenicaccuracy!

S544 $29.95

European Enhanced Terrain

Your personalsightseeing tourguide!

S497 $29.95

EZ Landmark

Easily spot sites miles away!FS Design Studio Pro

Gives you the toolsto making pro-quality aircraft &3D scenery!

S510 $49.95

FS Design Studio is “Flight Sim friendly” andpowerful too. This easy to use software givesyou the tool for making professional qualityaircraft and 3D scenery.

Look around and you’ll find thousands of planesavailable for FS 2002, FS 2004, and CFS 2. It’scommon knowledge that almost all of them aremade using this truly remarkable software.Developed by Louis Sinclair, FS Design Studiocontinues to earn accolades from users aroundthe world. In this new version of FS DesignStudio we add the latest visual techniques andgraphic effects to an already large repertoire ofcommands, time-saving shortcuts, andcomfortable user interface and built-inanimation.

Together they’ll let you create any kind ofaccurate, detailed textured models at recordspeed. FS Design Studio V2 puts an aircraftfactory at your fingertips.

Works great with FS 2004, 2002 and CFS 2

Make professional quality aircraft &3D scenery!


Add Ons For Fast Internet Delivery!

You can fly any of these Premier Collection aircraft free for 7 Days - ourexclusive “fly before you buy” policy. After the 7 Day Trial period you canpurchase a registration key for unlimited usage. All only $10 each.

Private PlanesBeech Baron Cessna 310DHC3 Otter FS2004 & FS2002 DHC6 Twin Otter FS2004 & FS2002GeeBee Racer Glassair IIIMooney Ovation M20R Piper AztecPiper Comanche 250 Piper CubPiper Navajo Twin BonanzaZenith CH801 STOL and Pilatus PC-12, both for

FS2004 & FS2002

Military Planes & Helicopters

A-10 Thunderbolt II FS2004, FS2002, FS2000, CFS2B-2 Spirit FS2004 & FS2002 CH-46E Sea Knight 2004 & FS2002DHC Chipmunk - 5 versions F-15C Eagle FS2004 & FS2002F-16 Thunderbird FS2004, FS2002 & CFS2F/A-18 Blue Angel Harrier Jets - 6 versionsKC135-R Stratotanker FS2004 & FS2002P-61 Black Widow FS2004, FS2002, FS2000, CFS2F4U-5 Corsair Messerschmitt Me262OH-58A/OH-58D Kiowa/Warrior FS2004 & FS2002P-51 “Dakota Kid” Mustang S-3A Viking FS2004 & FS2002Supermarine Spitfire UH-60 Blackhawk FS2004 & FS2002

Large/Commercial Planes

Boeing 747 Boeing 777-200Bombardier CL-415 FS2004 & FS2002 Concorde SST

Add Ons For Fast Internet Delivery!

You can fly any of these Premier Collection aircraft free for 7 Days - ourexclusive “fly before you buy” policy. After the 7 Day Trial period you canpurchase a registration key for unlimited usage. All only $10 each.

Private PlanesBeech Baron Cessna 310DHC3 Otter FS2004 & FS2002 DHC6 Twin Otter FS2004 & FS2002GeeBee Racer Glassair IIIMooney Ovation M20R Piper AztecPiper Comanche 250 Piper CubPiper Navajo Twin BonanzaZenith CH801 STOL and Pilatus PC-12, both for

FS2004 & FS2002

Military Planes & Helicopters

A-10 Thunderbolt II FS2004, FS2002, FS2000, CFS2B-2 Spirit FS2004 & FS2002 CH-46E Sea Knight 2004 & FS2002DHC Chipmunk - 5 versions F-15C Eagle FS2004 & FS2002F-16 Thunderbird FS2004, FS2002 & CFS2F/A-18 Blue Angel Harrier Jets - 6 versionsKC135-R Stratotanker FS2004 & FS2002P-61 Black Widow FS2004, FS2002, FS2000, CFS2F4U-5 Corsair Messerschmitt Me262OH-58A/OH-58D Kiowa/Warrior FS2004 & FS2002P-51 “Dakota Kid” Mustang S-3A Viking FS2004 & FS2002Supermarine Spitfire UH-60 Blackhawk FS2004 & FS2002

Large/Commercial Planes

Boeing 747 Boeing 777-200Bombardier CL-415 FS2004 & FS2002 Concorde SST


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