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  • Critical Lessons Learned

    Walking into the briefing room, it seemed like it would be just another combat mission on the EC-130H. I was a high-time co-pilot in the squadron and therefore was teamed with a low-time aircraft commander for the deployment. Due to the long missions, a mission planning team plans, files and

  • "Cougar 21"

    "Cougar 21, confirm you have landed; tower does not have visual." I looked over at the aircraft commander, took a deep breath, and replied "Affirmative."   "OK, take the next taxiway to your left and tell us which one it is; we will send a follow-me out to help you taxi to parking." You might be

  • Big City Lights!

    So "there I was," no kidding, I had arrived. Or at least, I thought I had. Our squadron was TDY to no other than the "home of the fighter pilot," Nellis AFB, Nev. Many fighter pilots, if not all, have dreamed of flying in and around Nellis, mainly because of its wide-open training ranges and almost

  • Code One

    It was a dark and stormy night. Well, all right, it was dark. My squadron was in the final week of a Green Flag exercise at Nellis AFB. This was a night week for me, as I had flown day sorties for the first half of the exercise. My flight lead and I were fragged for a night CAS sortie, and we were

  • Ripples in the Water

    Imagine sitting by a pristine lake: the view is "perfect," the temperature is outstanding, and the lake is like glass -- not one ripple is visible. You think to yourself, "Man, this is perfect." You grab a pebble and toss it into the lake. You watch in amazement as the initial pebble ripple builds

  • My 41-Hour Bus Ride

    It started out in the planning stages as one of the best FAIP cross-countries seen to date (at Columbus at least). My buddy (to protect the innocent) and I planned a three-hop cross-country on Presidents Day weekend from Columbus AFB, Miss. to March ARB, Calif. We had training squares to be filled

  • When It Rains, It Pours; Don't Be Your Own Raincloud

    I knew it was my turn to die. As I looked through the drizzle-covered canopies of the three other Vipers lined up with me at EOR, I could see my slant-tailed killers taxiing to join us. Secretly I hoped one of the Hornets would make a mistake during our 4v4 Air Combat Training mission, so I could be

  • How Low Did You Go?

    Nearly 20 years ago, I learned some very valuable lessons that are part of the reason that I am still alive and flying today. However, there was much more that could have been learned at the time, and it could have been learned by more than just the six pilots in the flight. Our safety culture has

  • Message from the Chief of Safety

    I congratulate all Airmen for logging another successful year in aviation safety. After setting the record in fiscal year 2006 for the safest flying year in history, the U.S. Air Force came up a little short of matching that accomplishment in FY07. The Air Force experienced 27 Class A aviation

  • Brownout

    In the Air Force, we focus on a lot of fixed-wing safety issues, such as mid-air collision avoidance, aerobatics, and bird control for runway operations. But for helicopters, the safety concerns are much different. Operations for the combat helicopters, such as the HH-60G PaveHawk and the MH-53

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