#ARMY AVIATION OPERATIONS

[armyaviaton]

ΡΩΣΙΚΑ ΕΕ/Π: ΕΜΠΛΟΚΗ ΕΠΙΓΕΙΩΝ ΟΥΚΡΑΝΙΚΩΝ ΣΤΟΧΩΝ ΜΕ ΡΟΥΚΕΤΕΣ

ΡΩΣΙΚΑ ΕΕ/Π: ΕΜΠΛΟΚΗ ΕΠΙΓΕΙΩΝ ΟΥΚΡΑΝΙΚΩΝ ΣΤΟΧΩΝ ΜΕ ΡΟΥΚΕΤΕΣ

Σε ένα της άρθρο της, η ιστοσελίδα theaviationist.com σημείωνε ότι στις 17 Μαρτίου 2022 ανέβηκε ένα ποστ στο Twitter που έδειχνε μια ασυνήθιστη μέθοδο εμπλοκής Ουκρανικών επίγειων στόχων με ρουκέτες, από Ρωσικά ελικόπτερα. Ας σημειωθεί εδώ ότι οι ρουκέτες, που τουλάχιστον φαίνονται στο παρακάτω βίντεο, που προέρχεται από Ουκρανικές πηγές, δεν ήταν κατευθυνόμενο οπλικό σύστημα ακριβείας. Russian…

[ghostwarriorrrr]

[rhk111sblog]

Elite US Special Forces Black Hawk Helicopter crashed in the Mediterranean Sea, killing five onboard

An MH-60M Black Hawk Helicopter of the Elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), nicknamed the "Night Stalkers", of the United States (US) Army crashed in the Mediterranean Sea recently, killing five Soldiers and Airmen.

The Helicopter was said to be conducting an Aerial Refueling Training when it experienced and In-Flight Emergency that resulted in the crash. The Night Stalkers provide Aerial Support to all of the US' Special Forces Units.

Here is a Link to the Article on “The Aviationist” Website: https://theaviationist.com/2023/11/13/mh-60-crashes-eastern-med/

SOURCE: U.S. Army MH-60 of Elite Night Stalkers Unit crashes in the Eastern Med Sea killing Five Soldiers {Archived Link}

Check out the Links to my other Social Media Accounts at https://linktr.ee/rhk111

If you like my Work, buy me a Coffee to help support it at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/rhk111

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The Last To Know | Part One

The Last To Know Masterlist

John Brady x Pilot!Female Reader

The 100th Bomb Group comes together for the first time with all five squadrons in Walla Walla, Washington. Naturally, not everyone will get along, but after you and Brady get off on the wrong foot, every subsequent encounter only seems to solidify your dislike of the man.

Warnings: MAJOR Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe, Original Characters, Era Typical Sexism/Misogyny, Attempted Groping, Canon Typical Violence, Language, Enemies to Lovers, Weapons of War, Inevitable Historical and Military Inaccuracies, Mature/Explicit Themes - 18+ ONLY.

Author's Note: This story contains an alternate universe where women have been allowed to fly in combat with the USAAF - in a very limited experiment. Brief references to Reader's family and backstory. This is a work of fiction based off the portrayal by the actors in the Apple TV+ series. I hold nothing but respect for the real life individuals referenced within.

Word Count: 5278

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November 1942

You should have known better than to expect anything different, even out here on the nascent base of Walla Walla, Washington, the buildings still reeking of sawdust, their rough pine construction hardly weathered in the five months they had existed.

“…there won’t be any burial costs because, those broads’ll just drive themselves straight into the ground.” The snide comment, unoriginal in any way, flew from the proudly twisted lips of a tall brunette holding court at the corner of the operations building.

His cheek bones were sharp and angled like the beak of a bird of prey and you were careful to study his face, and the faces of those men gathered around him, laughing richly or listening attentively as, encouraged by their reactions, he continued to spew his misogyny, yet to spot your approach. Each face would have a name to assign to it soon enough, and you would be certain to spread the word amongst your crew that they were not to be trusted. Not the rickety blond of middling height with his head thrown back in bright laughter, nor the broadly built man with jet black hair, and bushy mustache to match, who was slapping the speaker on his shoulder. Not even the slightly shorter brunette with a pipe clenched between two rows of perfect teeth, expression somewhat difficult to decipher – it may have been amusement or a grimace, but he was definitely not walking away or speaking up.

“You seem to have stalled, Lieutenant.” The unmistakable Texan accent of Gertrude Thornton sounded at your right elbow, and you turned quickly to salute her.

“Ma’am, just taking in the sights.”

She smirked slowly, returning the snap of her fingers to her brow, the weak grey light of the cloudy day still highlighting the silver First Lieutenant’s insignia on her shoulders, a bright contrast to the gold Second Lieutenant’s bar on yours.

“The sea of mud and fir trees, or our reluctant comrades of the 100th?” Proceeding toward the ops building, and thus the group, without hesitation, you were forced to match her stride to continue your conversation.

Dark clouds, heavy with rain, scudded across the sky, promising this dry window would be brief. It came as no surprise when the collection of Second Lieutenants neglected to salute her, gawking instead as the pair of you brushed past them towards the door.

“Holy shit, that’s The Thorn.”

It was a good thing your back was now firmly to them, the eyeroll that overtook your features nothing short of inescapably exaggerated.

A pioneer of women’s aviation, Thornton was the only reason you, and the rest of the 280th Bomber Squadron, were training to serve in combat with the United States Army Air Forces. Dubbed ‘The Thorn in Congress’s Side’ by the media, courtesy of her incessant campaigning for a female’s right to fly alongside her male comrades, most just called her ‘The Thorn.’

To the two dozen of you who’d had the privilege of training alongside her in Randolph Field, Texas, earning your USAAF pilot’s wings, she was your champion and unquestioned leader. Even if they had assigned a man to lead your squadron.

“Has Dutch emerged with those crew lists yet?” Thornton’s question made you shake your head quickly, carefully navigating along the mud-slickened boards laid down to combat the ever-present muck below.

You were grateful for the boots and loose-fitting trousers of your training uniform, your skirted Class As safely tucked away in the bottom of your footlocker.

“No ma’am, I have not seen him yet.” You replied, looking up sharply hearing a chorus of raucous laughter sound as all six feet of the freckled, red-headed Dutch – Captain Leroy Barrett – spilled out of the ops building alongside a dark-haired, mustachioed version of himself. A rather stoic blonde officer, toothpick pursed between his full lips, followed behind, holding a promising stack of papers.

“Ah! Thornton!” Dutch hollered, wiping tears of mirth from the corners of his eyes as he turned towards the pair of you.

Throwing up a pair of simultaneous salutes, which the still-giggling men casually returned while their comrade did a more precise job, Thornton cleared her throat.

“Any success with the crew assignments, sir?”

“Yes, in fact, Buck would you be so kind?”

“John Egan.” The dark-hair Captain quickly thrusted out his hand as ‘Buck’ sorted through his papers, and Thornton shook it firmly. “I’m a real fan, Ma’am. It’s a pleasure to be flying with your squad.”

“Likewise, Captain.” She nodded, offering your name in introduction.

You offered a polite smile and firm nod as you shook Egan’s broad hand.

“You and your ladies ever need anything, don’t hesitate to come to me or Buck…including if your CO proves useless.” His grin was nothing but trouble, alarm bells immediately sounding in your head, but all the same something about him instilled a deep sense of trust.

“Gale Cleven.” Buck spoke up once he set a smaller sheaf of papers in Dutch’s hands, his grip not quite as firm as Egan’s but just as warm. “And Bucky’s all bluster. We’ve known Dutch since we were just cadets and either of us would trust him with our life any day.”

“A ringing endorsement.” Thornton grinned and took the stack of crew assignments from Dutch. “I’ll see to it that these are handed out amongst the squad, thank you very much, gentlemen.”

Parting salutes exchanged, the pair of you turned to head back to the women’s quarters. Glancing back over your shoulder, you were startled to meet the light blue eyes of the silent brunette, gaze flicking to his mouth as he parted his lips to pull the stem of his pipe free.

Egan’s voice suddenly echoed across the clearing, each man raising his head in turn as his name was called.

“Friedkin! Pratt! Larkin! Brady! You boys looking for something to do?”

Four names, four faces. Four men to avoid.

The barracks of the 280th squadron were five long, squat, wooden buildings relegated to an out-of-the-way corner of the camp, one set of showers and latrines for the entire population of one hundred women. By the time you and Thornton returned to dole out the crew lists amongst the pilots, your boots were slick with mud that splashed up your trousers – a far cry from the red dust of Texas, and a clear indication of what the greatest enemy to cleanliness would be here.

“Lieutenant.” Thorton turned to hand you a list with your very own name at the top, a thrill unfurling through your abdomen not unlike that which you had felt when she had first appeared along the fence-line of your father’s farm looking for the local crop duster who was unrivalled in her accuracy.

“Thank you, Ma’am.”

“Oh don’t thank me, I just spoke the truth when Dutch asked me who I thought could manage it.” She winked one of her striking hazel eyes easily before proceeding into the officer’s quarters, calling out the rest of the pilot’s names.

The odds of making it here in the first place had been long, of even getting into a cockpit even longer if it had not been for your uncle’s early diagnosis of glaucoma and willingness to make you the successor to his business. You had never even dared to hope to be named as Pilot of one of the ten crews of the 280th – Co-pilot would have been more than tolerable. But you were undeniably delighted by this outcome.

Refocusing on the paper in your hands, you scanned down the other nine names on the list.

Co-Pilot: 2nd Lt. Andromeda Giannopoulos

Bombardier: 2nd Lt. Barbara Jones

Navigator: 2nd Lt. Regina Wilson

Flight Engineer: S/Sgt. Inez Veiga

Radio Operator: S/Sgt. Mildred Gaige

Ball Turret Gunner: S/Sgt. Minnie Jacobsen

Waist Gunner: S/Sgt. Dorothea Fletcher

Waist Gunner: S/Sgt. Velma Schroeder

Tail Gunner: S/Sgt. Juanita Torres

The name of your Co-pilot tugged a smile onto the corner of your mouth. Andie, as she had firmly introduced herself to you at basic training, had made you swear to never use her full name upon pain of death when you had accidentally come across some correspondence from her father – a first-generation sea sponge fisherman who had moved from Greece to settle in Tarpon Springs, Florida.

At least her secret remained safe with you.

The other eight women, most enlisted, would have trained at their various technical schools scattered across the continental United States and were thus unknown to you. For now. A few generous drops of rain splattered down onto the page, making you frown and quickly tuck it into your jacket pocket as you darted inside. Scraping the mud from your boots, you tucked your service cap beneath your arm and moved to find your cockpit mate, but suddenly found your path blocked by all five feet four inches of your closest friend, Constance Hart.

“Thornton didn’t call your name, but no one has you on a list.” She tilted her head, untameable mane of blonde curls swaying as she cracked her gum sharply between her molars. “I mean if you need a ride, you can always fly with me but…”

You watched her warm brown eyes narrow in suspicion as you began fishing around in your pocket before they shot wide upon your retrieval of your crew list.

“Hon, I knew it! I knew they wouldn’t just give us nine crews.”

The fierceness with which she pulled you into a hug drove home how very accurate Andie’s bestowal of the nickname ‘Lionheart’ on the petite woman really had been. In fact Andie was responsible for at least half of the nicknames amongst those of you with wings pinned on your uniforms and you fully expected that trend to continue with the enlisted girls as well.

“Well done to you, too, Lionheart. Though I do beg for mercy on your crew.” You pulled back with a smirk of affection, earning a loving whap on your shoulder as she giggled.

“You’re one to talk, try not to terrify them on the first day, hmmm?”

“If you’re going out there, take a raincoat.” You nodded as Lionheart moved towards the door and she waved back in thanks before you continued on in your search for your Co-pilot.

You found her tidying her rack, tightening the corners on her sheets with barely concealed aggression, and you swallowed in empathy. Andie had arrived at Randolph Field with only a few months of flying under her belt – had not even earned her civilian wings yet. Not at all unheard of for the men squawking about outside, but for this experimental squadron, Thornton had traversed the country to find women with experience who also met the strict USAAF age and physical requirements. She was green, young. If the hundred of you could make this a success, she would surely have her own plane before long.

“Hey there, Andie.” You spoke softly, watching her face snap up from her one-sided battle with her bedding, her gorgeous Mediterranean features making you feel extraordinarily plain as always.

“Well–” She let out a tremendous exhale and sat down heavily onto her cot, swiftly undoing all her hard work in one motion as the sheets wrenched from their corners. “– guess if it’s with you, it won’t be quite so terrible.”

Huffing a soft laugh, you nodded. “Look forward to flying with you too. What say you we go invade the rest of the barracks and find our crew?”

A small smile twitched onto her lips, a tiny spark that quickly grew into a blaze. Andie’s hand shot up, her fingers beckoning demandingly.

“Let me see that list.” She eyed you expectantly, a devious edge to her grin and you slowly surrendered it, watching her peruse the names rapidly. “Plenty to work with here…. Barbara? Crying out for a proper moniker, that one.”

Pleased she seemed to have found some satisfaction in plotting their nicknames, you watched her rise to her feet, walking towards the door together with your raincoats. Securing the cumbersome olive drab fabric around your bodies, naturally, brought the rain to a halt and you sighed deeply, shaking your head as you walked along the slick boards to the next building.

Two eager faces lifted from where they sat on the ends of their racks, the rest of the building already emptied as the other crews seemed to have collected their Navigators and Bombardiers. Glancing over Andie’s shoulder to confirm the names, you looked back to the hopeful women.

“Jones and Wilson?”

The speed with which they shot to their feet was nothing short of endearing and you nodded to them softly, offering your name. “Pilot. This is Andie, Co-pilot.”

“Nice to meet you, Babs.” She grabbed the hand of the willowy brunette Bombardier, shaking it firmly before turning to the Navigator with glossy dark hair and an hour-glass figure. “Gina.”

The women exchanged a curious glance and you shrugged softly. “Most of us have found it easier not to fight it, only seems to make her more determined. We’re just on our way to find the rest of our crew, care to join us?”

“Oh absolutely.” Babs gushed enthusiastically as Gina nodded with a polite “Yes, please.”

Your duo growing to a quartet, you thus moved onward, heading for the furthest of the barracks buildings. There you located the shortest member of your crew, Minnie Jacobsen, whom Andie gleefully dubbed ‘Mouse.’ It was had to deny how clever that particular one was. The pair of waist gunners, Schroeder and Fletcher – nicknames to come, apparently, were picked up in the fourth building. There you also found Torres, the tail gunner, who introduced herself as Nita, clearly in no need of Andie’s assistance.

The last two members of your crew were located in the barracks situated dead centre in the row, Flight Engineer Inez Veiga – thenceforth to be known as Ivy thanks to the amusing phonetics of her initials and Radio Operator Mildred Gaige – a simple Millie. Finding yourselves collected for the first time in an empty building, with its neatly spaced rows of beds and footlockers, cast iron woodstoves at either end for heat, you looked them all over slowly, feeling the gravity of this moment.

Their expectant faces turned to you, driving home how much they would rely upon you for direction throughout this endeavor.

“Ladies,” You nodded firmly, clearing your throat to steal a moment to pluck up your courage. “We have the opportunity to prove to our country, to the entire world, that a woman’s place can be in combat same as any man. To succeed, we have to fly faster, find our targets with more accuracy, and eliminate all threats to our squad without hesitation. Where they are satisfactory, we must be excellent, understood?”

“Yes, Ma’am!” Came a chorus of sharp replies, though several sets of eyes betrayed the nerves lurking beneath and Lionheart’s warning against intimidation whispered back through your brain.

“The Army Air Forces have trained each of you in your role, you have proven yourself, earned those badges on your chests. I have every faith that we will make the finest crew they have ever seen.”

The smiles that earned brought a flutter of relief to your gut, solidified by Andie’s nod, before the sound of your name had everyone turning towards the door to see Ruby Keever eyeing you expectantly.

“Thornton is gathering the 280th in one of the classrooms, bring your crew.” She nodded firmly, ordering you as though she was not the same rank as you, before slipping back out into the once-again driving rain.

“Good ol’ Keener.” Andie chortled, earning more than a few laughs from her new audience.

“One of these days, Andie, I’m going to accidentally call her that to her face.” You huffed and affixed your cap onto your head before covering it with your hood, leading your crew out into the ugly weather.

After the excitement of crew assignments, the afternoon of lectures on decorum and the importance of the 280th as female ambassadors into the male-dominated world of combat was a stark change of pace. Having spent months in Thornton’s periphery, absorbing every bit of knowledge she saw fit to impart in your presence, not much of it was new, but she was a passionate speaker. And while some of it was tough medicine – fraternization discouraged, becoming ‘in the family way’ meaning immediate discharge, remaining civil and lady-like no matter what conditions were thrust upon you all – she still found a way to engage with each of the women gathered before her from all different walks of life.

“In four minutes I will be releasing you to enjoy your first meal in the mess. The enlisted women share their mess with men of the same rank while us officers are in a separate mess with those of our rank. I am not sure how things were handled at your various technical schools, but I recommend entering in groups, ensuring your lead and tail person are on alert for any…unwarranted attention.”

How things went in the mess had varied wildly in your experience. At first, it had been akin to running a gauntlet, swatting and dodging hands, procuring your food from the chow line to then retreat to the safety of assigned tables. Once the novelty of the female pilots had worn off, so too had the unwanted attention. It was honestly a matter of training your male colleagues. Desensitizing them.

“Tomorrow, weather permitting, we will begin training flights. To my knowledge, there are only fifteen B-17s on base at present, so there will be a rota drawn up that is fair to all squadrons. Those not flying will have classroom instruction or base duties. That is all for today ladies, thank you kindly for your attention.”

Smothering your disappointment at the typical Army lack of equipment, you parted ways with the enlisted women in your crew, watching fondly as they walked off in a tight group towards the mess.

“Lieutenant.” Thornton’s voice startled you for the second time that day and you bit back a curse at how inept you surely appeared as you saluted her. “Would you mind being our mess tail this evening?”

“Not at all, Ma’am.” You nodded, watching the officers flock toward her, patiently waving them ahead of you, including Lionheart who winked at you.

“You watching my rear?”

Rolling your eyes you shuffled after her along the somewhat drier boards, sliding your hands into your pockets for a modicum of warmth against the cool breeze that had picked up. “Safe with me, Lionheart.” You muttered, half in jest, half in earnest.

“’preciate it you know.” She giggled, stepping into the humid, bustling officer’s mess.

It was already packed, the men nearly all seated and tucked in, though all eyes were now raised to focus on your group. Stopping to pull the door shut against the wind, you were two steps behind Lionheart when you spotted the encroaching hand of some unknown Lieutenant, reaching to grab a handful of her rear end where she stood waiting in line.

Lurching forward to seize his wrist in an excessively tight grip, you turned to meet his dull brown eyes, wide as saucers.

“You’d be wise to keep your hands to yourself, Lieutenant.” You muttered coldly, tightening your hand about his wrist for emphasis before dropping it carelessly.

Turning your back to him, you met your friend’s startled face and offered her a wink. “Safe with me.” You whispered, pressing your lips together as she barely contained her giggles, quickly moving forward to close the gap with the end of the line.

“Cuddly as a cactus, that one.” The bitter voice of the would-be groper was almost inaudible over the general din of the room.

“Honestly, pal, you’re lucky she didn’t box your ears. Woulda deserved it, too; tryna to play grab ass with a lady you don’t know.” The scolding, delivered in a brash New York accent, almost made you look over your shoulder fondly. Somehow you resisted the urge.

Slowly undoing the snaps of your raincoat against the warmth of room, you looked to the side as it felt like someone was watching you. While you were aware more than several someones were, this gaze was somehow particularly aggravating…Meeting the blue eyes of that Brady from before, though he held a spoon between his lips this time rather than a pipe, his was expression just as indiscernible.

Lips hardening into a thin line, you firmly looked away, focusing intently on the way Lionheart’s hair had yet again escaped its pins to brush against the collar of her raincoat.

“You need to fix that mane before Thornton gives you a uniform violation.”

She sighed dramatically, twisting the errant locks up and ruthlessly shoving a few spare pins in to hold it. “Thinking of shaving it all off, what do you think she’d say then.”

“She’d probably have a stroke, I think.” You smirked and shuffled forward to grab two trays, handing her one once her hands were free.

“It would just be so much simpler though, wouldn’t it? I envy their haircuts, I do.” She muttered, collecting her mashed potatoes, thick stew, and pudding of a questionable consistency.

“Twice as many girls envy your hair.” You assured her. “Maybe you should start braiding it instead of using pins.”

Lionheart glanced back at you, eyes bright with the idea. “Say that’s a swell thought, wanna help me out with that tonight?”

“Sure, just keep your eyes front on the way to your seat, would ya?”

Settling into the crowded table, you allowed the conversation of the surrounding women to flow over you as you ate, suddenly realizing just how hungry you were. Despite the occasional lump, and the fact that it had not quite set, the pudding was a nice treat, a pleasant way to finish the meal before you all headed back to barracks to battle back the mud that had been tracked in throughout the day. Once your boots were polished to gleaming and set at the end of your bed, you worked with Lionheart to devise two braids to contain her hair that could then be pinned up off her collar.

Sliding, at last, beneath the rough sheets, the cumulative effort of the day allowed you to overlook the inconsistent construction of your mattress, sleep coming quickly.

The first morning of one hundred women attempting to prepare for the day using one shower house and one set of latrines was admittedly less than smooth, your eyes meeting Thornton’s several times in the midst of the uncontrolled chaos until she eventually had to send half the girls back to their barracks to finish their hair and makeup without mirrors.

“Keever, I need you to make a shower schedule. Half in the evening, half in the morning. Ten-minute intervals or we’ll never be on time.” She turned to her incessant shadow who was already bobbing her head eagerly and jotting down notes on a small notepad you had not even seen her procure.

Restricting yourself to brushing your teeth and a simple refresh in the sink, you returned to barracks to tidy your hair and dress for the day. You even had time to spare to help Lionheart with her new hairdo, which earned an approving nod from Thornton in the breakfast line.

As you were eating your cloyingly thick powdered eggs and toast, a ripple of groans began to echo across the room. Raising your head, you noticed stacks of papers were being passed around, reaching the ladies tables last. Scanning your eyes over the schedule for the next five days, you were pleased to see that the 280th was going to be flying that very afternoon – you could only assume the groans were from the boys in the 349th, 350th, or 351st as they would not have their chance until tomorrow or later.

That morning, while the 418th were breaking in the brand-new B-17s, the ambiguous words ‘base duties’ lay next to your squadron while the rest would be ‘enjoying’ classroom instruction. Base duties, as it turned out, entailed a lot of manual labor and organization of the piles of newly arrived equipment while awaiting your flight time of 1300. It was difficult to keep your eyes from drifting up to the surprisingly clear sky where the great looming shadows of planes enviably circled overhead, practicing their combat formations. You could only hope they 100th would soon have enough planes for all of you to be up there perfecting your hard-won skills…

Eating a light helping of the porkchops and rice at lunch, you were more than a little eager to get back into the cockpit, smiling warmly to the enlisted women of your crew as they waited eagerly outside the hangar.

“How’re we feeling ladies?” You asked as you, Andie, Babs, and Gina joined them.

“Well when I saw that list, I was fit to be tied Ma’am. Sure wish we could have gone up first, but second’ll do!” Mouse exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of her feet, barely able to contain her excitement.

“Second is certainly better than fifth.” You nodded in agreement and waived them inside the hangar as Dutch called for the squadron to gather round.

A large blackboard had been wheeled out into the empty space, a list of maneuvers to be practiced on the left and the last names of the ten Pilots on the right, all in an untidy hand.

“Alright ladies, listen up. Today’s flight will be below 10,000 feet, no masks required. We will not be carrying any ordinance, simply practicing combat formations and two, maybe three runs over the bomb range if time and weather permit. Just dipping our toes in the water as a squadron at this point.

I’ll be flying with Thornton in the lead, the rest of you will follow in this order. This is nothing new for any of you but the first time you are doing this with your crews – gunners you will be expected to take your positions following takeoff. Any questions?”

After a lull, several of the pilots shook their heads, feeling confident in having committed flying order to memory. Your plane would take off third, flying opposite Lionheart’s just behind the lead plane in the typical V-shape formation once assembled in the air. Dismissed to board and conduct your pre-flight checks, you were more than a little annoyed to find there was an audience of men lining the hardstands – clearly brimming with curiosity, and surely sharing Friedkin’s doubts about the entire squadron’s flying capabilities.

The hulking planes loomed ahead, bristling with machine guns, widely believed to be the safest aircraft in the sky. A ‘flying fortress’ that, thanks to the Norden bomb sight, could fly well above land-based defences. It was these very attributes that Thornton had weaponized in her battle against Congress and the USAAF, winning this experimental exception for women to fly into combat in this aircraft only. For now. The need to achieve their goals, exceed their expectations so that more progress could be made, was not lost on you.

Tossing your flight bag into the bottom of the aircraft, you gripped the sides of the hatch and easily swung yourself upwards, legs first, after it. Navigating through the cramped, narrow passages, you settled into the lefthand seat and affixed your throat mic and head set before nodding to Andie on her arrival. Running through the pre-flight checklist with her, you slid open your window to communicate with the ground crewman, starting up each engine one at a time before he pulled the chocks.

Rolling out to line-up on the runway felt like the most normal thing you had done in the days since you left Texas, wending your way up here on a series of passenger trains only to find yourself in unfamiliar landscape and a fresh crop of unfriendly faces. Thirty seconds after Lionheart successfully took to the air, you received the signal from the man on the ground, sliding your window shut and pushing up on the throttle as Andie rattled off the ever-increasing speed until the airlift swept the plane smoothly into the sky.

 It proved a beautiful day for flying, not too rough, not too many clouds. You and Andie began to build your cockpit partnership, and the hand-offs with Babs during the practice bombing runs were effortless. It honestly came as a surprise when Dutch called an end to the practice run over the radio, the entire affair having been so enjoyable, the squadron lining up for an even-more well attended landing. Sliding from your aircraft with a grin on your face, you noted the familiar faces of Friedkin, Larkin and Pratt, gathered conspiratorially, wearing broad smirks. That Brady fellow was there too, but accompanied by an unknown blond with glinting gold in his smile and a shorter man with tousled dark hair barely contained beneath his cap.

In fact, it seemed impossible to get away from that Brady fellow as, apparently a member of the 418th, you would have to endure his presence during classroom hours as well. Taking a seat as far from him as you could, flanked by Lionheart and Andie, you diligently focused on the instructor at the front of the room.

“Point of review, what is your best option if your engine catches fire?” The middle-aged Lieutenant Colonel raked his eyes over the class.

The answer immediately popped into your head, a steep dive to attempt suppressing the fire, but you hesitated to raise your hand. On more than one occasion, you had been advised to give other students a chance to answer. That perhaps you took up too much air in a classroom. And so you held your tongue, silently counting to ten.

You reached ‘eight’ before the instructor raised his eyes a few rows back.

“Yes, please state your name before you answer.”

“John Brady. Shut off the fuel and feather it, sir.” He spoke confidently, accent so mild as to be indiscernible.

You furrowed your brows as you disagreed and raised your hand immediately.

“Yes, name and answer.”

Giving your name, you swallowed. “I would put the plane into a steep dive to suppress the fire and level out once it was extinguished.”

There was an almost inaudible scoff emanating from the direction of one John Brady and you straightened in your seat.

“So that I could finish my mission, sir.” You added firmly, earning a nod of approval from the instructor.

“Fine answer.” He declared before belatedly adding. “Both of you. It was a bit of a trick question, as it would truly depend on any number of factors, which option you as the Pilot choose. However, it is important to remember that you have more than one at your disposal.”

Instruction continued for another three hours that morning, your fingers cramping from the extensive notes you added to the margins of your training manual. As you were dismissed for lunch, you waived off the pats on the back you were getting from your squadron-mates, collecting your cap from where it hung on the back of your chair. Standing stiffly, you turned to meet the icy glare of Brady, starting a little at the intensity of it.

The nerve of that man, to be caught dead in the company of men like Friedkin and his goons, and then to glare at you for providing an alternative answer in class? Narrowing your eyes in kind, you sharply turned to follow your friends from the room, entirely decided he was the worst that the USAAF had to offer.

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Read Part Two

The Last To Know Masterlist

Tag list: @luminouslywriting, @dustofbrokenheart, @precious-little-scoundrel

[nade2308]

Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, USN, Naval Aviator, "Top Gun", 1986

Lieutenant Junior Grade Daniel Kaffee, USN, JAG Corps, "A Few Good Men", 1992

Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, Geman Army, "Valkyrie", 2008

Roy Miller/Matthew Knight, CIA operative, "Knight and Day", 2010

Ethan Hunt, IMF agent in disguise as General Anatoly Fedorov, Russian Army, "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol", 2011

Jack Reacher, ex-Major and investigator for the 110th Military Police Special Investigation Unit, US Army, "Jack Reacher", 2012

William Cage, public affairs officer and Major, US Army, "Edge of Tomorrow", 2014

Jack Reacher, ex-Major and investigator for the 110th Military Police Special Investigation Unit, US Army, "Jack Reacher: Never go back", 2016

Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, USN, Naval Aviator, test pilot and flight instructor for the Navy, "Top Gun: Maverick", 2022

Barry Seal, airline commercial pilot for TWA, "American Made", 2017

"A man becomes the creature of his uniform."

- Napoleon Bonaparte

@thethistlegirl @malewifebillcage

[world-of-wales]

PRINCE OF WALES DIARIES ♔

13 MAY 2024 || ARMY AIR CORPS : HANDING OVER CEREMONY

King Charles officially handed over the role of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps to The Prince of Wales following his appointment in the role at the Army Aviation Centre in Stockbridge.

The King was met by The Prince of Wales at the Middle Wallop Control Tower where the official handover took place in front of an Apache helicopter. The father-son duo then spent time with the serving aircrew, following which the King departed.

The Prince of Wales then embarked on his first engagement with the AAC as their Colonel-in-Chief. He first received a briefing on the regiment's current work from the Colonel Commandant and viewed the training and operational aircraft used.

William then met the aircrew & the supporting groundstaff, and spoke to soldiers across a range of roles within the regiment who are involved in supporting operations.

Finally, The Prince of Wales took to the skies departing the base in an Apache helicopter.

[67-romeo]

A pair of AH-6M Little Bird gunship and a MH-6M Little Bird transport helicopter, of the US Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (160th SOAR) (Airborne). The "Nightstalkers".

[gremlins-hotel]

alfred rocking some different flight jackets (nerd stuff under cut)

The flight jacket, an iconic piece of any aviator's outerwear. Before they ever became symbols of fashion and the 'exalted' place that came with the occupation of pilot, the flight jacket as we know it was first made for function. Aircraft of World War I and the earliest designs were open cockpit machines, and many would remain that way in the Interbellum. All that to say this paramount paraphernalia's original purpose was to keep an aviator warm in the sky.

Keep in mind that the images above may not reflect every specimen of their type. Jackets differed in design by manufacturer, production block, and even by the military branch (Navy jackets also often have a different name) & unit ordering them. A great example is the wide range of looks for the quintessential B-3. My apologies in advance for them being all American designs. I would love to show off some of the British flight jackets, but I would rather do a little more research (and practice drawing Arthur more)!

A-1 (1927-1931) A thin leather jacket designed for lower altitudes and made with a flattering fit high on the waist, the A-1 was the kickstart to the wide variety the Army Air Corps would come to know. The A-1 had differing designs between the Navy and the infant Air Corps, and early A-1s are distinguished by having seven buttons and a knit collar, which later models did not keep. However, later models did retain the knit waistband and cuffs.

A-2 (1931-1943) The direct successor to the A-1, the A-2 quickly replaced its older brother. This is one of the more recognizable jackets from the States after becoming the standard for the Air Corps in the early 1930s. The quality of the jackets would fall due to wartime rationing, with early designs of horsehide and silk becoming goatskin and cotton, however, the general look remained. The A-2 was still primarily for open cockpit designs, lower altitudes, and warmer climes. Identifiable from the A-1 by its snap-down leather collar, zipper, and varying shapes and sizes of a hook-and-eye clasp at the collar to close it.

G-1 (1938-present) This looker would replace the A-2 in form and function during the 1940s, first becoming popular with the Army and Navy before being adopted by USAAF. Originally named the ANJ-3/AN-J-3 the jacket gained its new designation by the time the Air Corps caught on. The G-1 came with a mouton collar and a bi-swing back to allow for greater arm movement, meanwhile, it lacked the over-zipper 'wind flap' of its predecessors. A keen eye for pop culture might realize that this is the jacket from the 1986 hit Top Gun.

B-3 (1934-1943) Ah, the B-3! Commonly known simply as the "bomber jacket," the B-3 was made with a high-altitude bomber in mind, unlike previous designs. Incredibly bulky and lined with sheepskin the B-3 was made to keep crews at 25,000 feet above from freezing in their unpressurized cabins, with many such as the early B-17 Flying Fortresses possessing open waist gunner ports. The wide collar could be closed with two leather straps and the jacket did not come with the famous knit waistband or cuffs that others did. "The General" was a B-3 design made specifically for General George S. Patton, who popularized the B-3 outside of the Air Corps. (The B-3 had a slimmer cousin - the B-6 - designed as the 'quality of life' inside bombers improved, such as pressurized cabins.)

B-7 (1941-1942) Short-lived, the B-7 Parka was manufactured for pilots operating in the brutal cold of Alaska. However, not much is known of it due to its limited production. In fact, the B-7 was discontinued swiftly due to its high manufacturing cost. Either way, the B-7 is a funky one-off that is easily distinguishable from the lineup by its three-quarter length and coyote-lined hood.

B-15 (1944-1954) The infamous green flight jacket that many today typically know as the "bomber jacket". The B-15 quickly replaced its older brother, the B-10 (1943-1944). Like other designs it had many variations. Similar to the G-1, the B-15 shared the same pocket design and lack of a wind flap, yet the B-15 was cloth with a mouton collar and a knit waistband and cuffs. The shell was produced in a range of materials including nylon and cotton-rayon. It was lighter weight and far less warm than its sheepskin predecessors and spoke to the advancements in aviation technology. A quirk of its design that soon became standard was the designated pen pocket on the upper left arm.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

[usafphantom2]

The Story Of The Soviet Pilot Who Defected To Japan With A Secretive MiG-25 Foxbat

September 6, 2016 Military Aviation, Military History, Russia, Troubled Areas

Image credit: Alex Beltyukov

OTD in 1976, Viktor Belenko, “stole” a MiG-25 and landed in Japan.

The then Lieutenant Belenko was a pilot with the 513th Fighter Regiment, 11th Air Army, based in Chuguyevka, Primorsky Krai, in the east of the country. When he brought his MiG-25 “Foxbat” to Hakodate he gave the Western intelligence officers the opportunity to give a first close look at one of the most secretive airplanes of those years: a supersonic interceptor featuring a powerful radar, four air-to-air missiles and a top speed above Mach 3.

In order to assist the American experts in evaluating the aircraft, Belenko brought with him the pilot’s manual for the MiG-25 “Foxbat”, expecting to assist American pilots in evaluating and testing the aircraft. Even if the Japanese government didn’t originally give full access to the plane, the Americans were later invited to examine the aircraft extensively: the MiG was dismantled for such purpose and later returned to the Soviet Union.

In his “MiG pilot” book (1983) John Barron claims that Viktor Belenko’s defection was completely voluntary and was the result of Belenko’s distrust on communist regime.

The MiG was delivered to Japan without the missiles, which were to be introduced in the Belenko’s training later on. The mission was launched earlier than initially planned, because the KGB was about to stop Viktor Ivanovich Belenko from defection.

Although pilot defections during the Cold War were not a rarity, what made Belenko’s defection unique was the fact that the MiG-25 was largely unknown in the West. This is the main point to bear in mind when thinking about Belenko and, unfortunately, this fact is often forgotten.

The ideological background for the events which took place in 1976 is deeply rooted in the beginnings of the post-war period. As the Cold War was in progress there were many incidents and crises which closely led to a confrontation between the two superpowers. One of these events was Francis Gary Powers’s U-2 spy flight on of May 1, 1960.

Power’s U-2 took off from USAF Peshawar Air Base in Pakistan for a GRAND SLAM mission, to investigate the Soviet missile and plutonium production plants. Targets were Sverdlovsk, Plesetsk (ICBM sites) and Mayak – a plutonium plant.

The U-2 was a plane designed to fly well above the Soviet air defense Surface to Air Missile systems. Its operational ceiling was out of the range of the Soviet interceptors and missiles but Powers’ flight was expected, all of the units and surface-to-air defenses were put on alert. The MiG pilots were ordered to ram the aircraft if necessary. The U-2 was eventually shot down by an S-75 Dvina missile near Degtayrsk in the Ural region. Because of high g-force Powers had no chance of reaching the airplane’s self-destruction button and had to eject.

What is interesting is the fact that SAM crews did not know that the plane had already been shot down because the MiGs’ IFF transponders were not updated (May 1st is a national holiday), therefore several Soviet aircraft were also shot down by S-75 rockets.

The political consequences of the spy flight were severe.

Shortly after the incident the Americans created a cover up story for Powers’ failure. NASA had announced in a very specific press release that the pilot, having lost consciousness due to the problems with the oxygen equipment, had strayed into the Soviet territory with his autopilot engaged while carrying out a weather flight.

On May 7, Khrushchev announced that Powers had survived the crash and, nine days later, on May 16, 1960, during a Four Powers Paris Summit meeting with Harald MacMillan, Charles de Gaulle and Dwight Eisenhower he called the U-2 incident an act of a “deliberate aggression.”

Eisenhower refused to apologize for the incident, claiming that the U-2 flight was not of aggressive nature, having only a purpose of ensuring US safety. The meeting collapsed. At the time, Eisenhower was a proponent of so-called Open-Sky Policy, according to which both sides would allow for reciprocal reconnaissance flights over their territories. Khrushchev did not agree. Powers was sentenced to 7 years of hard labor in a Gulag, but he was exchanged for a Russian spy Rudolf Abel on the famous Glinecke Bridge in Potsdam, connecting West and East Germany.

Gary Powers incident sparked the development of the American Oxcart programme, with the goal to design the SR-71 spy plane, which in addition to flying high, also flew very fast, out of the range of the Soviet missiles’ operational envelope.

What is more, a D-21 drone reconnaissance system was developed, to be carried by SR-71 as a parasite. The drone would be dropped, fly over the Soviet Union, return over the Pacific and drop the reconnaissance materials on a parachute.

Both these designs led to the development of a Soviet countermeasure – the MiG-25, known in NATO code as the Foxbat.

MiG-25 take off

The main reason for the importance of Belenko‘s defection cannot be understood without going deeper in the aviation context of the event. The Cold War was the time when both sides used the nuclear armament as a psychological weapon. Therefore ways to deliver warheads were some of the priorities in the development in the field of military industry.

One of the ways to deliver warhead to its target was to use the strategic bomber. The bombers in the US – the B-52s – were subsonic, and could have been easily intercepted by the MiG-21, which was capable of reaching speeds of Mach number up to Mach 2 and altitudes of 60,000 feet.

Problems began to emerge when the B-58 Hustler was designed. This plane was capable of flying with the same level of performance as any MiG-21, which for the Soviet designers meant they had to look for a better countermeasure.

The Strategic Air Command of the United States Air Force at the time was into creating a nuclear-powered bomber of infinite range. The project had been dropped in 1964 when North American aviation announced that it could build a bomber capable of attaining speeds of Mach 3 throughout the entire length of its mission.

Secondly, after the failure of U-2 spy plane, launched the Oxcart program, which lead to the development of Mach 3 strategic reconnaissance aircraft, SR-71.

That put the Moscow designers on alert, and an assignment was given to the design bureaus of MiG (Mikoyan and Gurevich) and Sukhoi to develop a countermeasure.

The surface-to-air missiles were considered insufficient. The aim was to develop a single-seat interceptor capable of attaining extremely high speeds and altitudes.

New problems for the Soviet scientists emerged, such as thermodynamic heating, leading to immense development of the Moscow research institute, TsAGI – transliteration of the Russian abbreviation which stands for Центра́льный аэрогидродинами́ческий институ́т (ЦАГИ) – Central Aero-Hydrodynamic Institute. Mikhail Gurevich was the leader of the MiG-25 project.

According to Discovery Channel’s TV series Wings of the Red Star many Western experts argue that the Foxbat was inspired by the North American Aviation A-5 Vigilante. The design programme for MiG-25 was founded in 1958. The basic design of E-155 which later became MiG-25 was the work of Artion Mikoyan.

The E-155, the prototype of what was to become Foxbat was propelled by two large turbojet engines designed by Tumansky. The prototype itself was designed in the period of 1961-1962.

No aluminum, so popular in the West at the time, was used for construction. Steel and nickel alloys were used instead, with limited use of titanium on leading edges and places where heat loads were expected to be high.

The aircraft had to be light, to that extent that weight was traded for strength. The G-load it could withstand was only 5 g, two times less than other fighters which were designed to fight in close combat.

The maiden flight of E-155 was made by famous MiG test pilot, Alexander Fedotov on May 1, 1964.

The MiG-25’s mission as an interceptor required development of fire control system which would be able to work at the speeds the plane could reach.

The radar on the plane, RP-25 Smerch, designated in the NATO nomenclature as Foxfire, 1,100 pounds in weight, was the largest device of this type at the time. According to Barron, the radar was very powerful (600 kilowatts), as

“[Belenko] also dared not touch the radar switch because the impulses from the MiG-25 radar were so powerful, they could kill a rabbit at a thousand meters. Hence, it was a crime to activate the radar on the ground.”

Its purpose was to burn through any jamming systems known at the time and to provide a stable lock-on allowing the pilot to use the air-to-air missiles that Foxbat was carrying.

Also in May of 1964 the XB-70 aircraft was made a research airplane, and presented to the public in Palmdale, California, after being canceled three times (in 1959, 1960 and in 1961). At same time, the U-2 missions were still a danger, so as the SR-71, US Air Force ultimate Mach 3 spy plane. For these reasons the development of Foxbat was not canceled.

Mikoyan left his design bureau in March 1964 for health reasons. Never had he an opportunity to see the MiG-25 enter service dying in December from the heart attack.

In March 1965 the first public announcements of the plane’s performance were made, which was that it completed 150 kilometers closed circuit flight at the speed of 1,400 miles per hour.

The Foxbat made its first public appearance at the airshow organized in connection with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution on Jul. 9, 1967 on the Domodedovo airfield. When three MiG-25s appeared in the sky the show announcer referred to them as “Interceptors capable of Mach 3”.

Both the Western experts and Russians were puzzled, as even in the Soviet Russia there was almost no information about the MiG-25 available to the public whatsoever, up until 1972.

Mig-25 side takeoff

Besides being an interceptor, the Mig-25 was also a high altitude reconnaissance aircraft. It was operated in the conditions of direct radio communication with the ground and was capable of taking photographs of whole United Kingdom within one flight.

The West had an opportunity to see what the aircraft was capable of in a proxy war between Israel and Egypt.

Four MiGs, referred to as X-500, were shipped to Egypt in fall 1971. The Egyptians were forbidden to come close to them, and even though the aircraft had Egyptian markings, they were flown by Soviet pilots and serviced by Soviet crews.

When one of the Israeli F-4 Phantom fighters tried to intercept the MiG reconnaissance aircraft at Mach 2,5, the MiG simply accelerated to Mach 3.2 and disappeared.

The MiG-25 engines were capable of producing 12,500 kG each. The design assumptions of the construction were not to create a good close combat fighter, but to propel it throughout the airspace as fast as possible.

In the late 1960s the USA developed the F-15 which was a fruit of the vague understanding of what MiG-25 was. That understanding was based on the speed and altitude records Foxbat had broken (see below).

The Western experts assumed that it was faster in straight line than expected. They also thought that it was made of lightweight, modern composite materials and that it was powered by modern turbofan engines. It was also believed to have a long-range and good close air combat capabilities.

As a result of that, American engineers designed the ultimate fighter jet, which was very complex, and due to that – quite costly. In the beginning of its existence it broke many of the climb records established earlier by hte Foxbat.

It was late 1972 when F-15 entered service, and it was long until 1976 for the MiG to remain a mystery.

On Sept. 6, 1976, when Viktor Belenko defected taking off from the Sokolovka airbase and landing in Japan, the Western perception of Foxbat changed.

It turned out that the airplane was heavier and simpler in construction than expected, hence it had shorter range. It was far from being a close combat jet with its rugged construction. It also had very poor low-speed capabilities.

As Peter Ustinov of the Wings of the Red Star TV series summarizes: “MiG-25 was indeed an extraordinary machine, but not the one the West had imagined.”

Nevertheless the simplicity of Foxbat could not stop it from breaking many world records, nor could the Americans at the time.

MiG-25 front left

The prototypes were made lighter and their purpose was to break several records. As it is stated in the classification of FAI (International Aeronautical Federation), Foxbat belonged to the category C1 (III) which specifies jet powered aircraft with unlimited take-off weight.

The records broken by Foxbat were of various nature.

They included: speed record on a 1,000 km circuit by chief MiG test pilot Alexander Fedotov: 2319,12 km/h on Mar. 16, 1965; the Foxbat broke several time-to-height records, for example climbing to 20,000 m in 2 minutes 49,8 seconds. The MiG-25 also set several absolute world records that still stand. Absolute world altitude records with 1,000 kg payload, and without payload: 35,230 m and 36,240 m respectively were also set.

Air-to-air_left_side_view_of_a_Soviet_MiG-25_Foxbat-E_aircraft

As already explained, the West had almost no knowledge of MiG-25 whatsoever until 1971, and very poor knowledge by September 1976 when Belenko defected.

It was a great surprise, and present for the Western experts when Belenko flew a brand new MiG-25 to a Japanese airfield.

At first the Soviet officers at Sokolovka airbase, where Belenko was stationed, thought that it was navigation systems problem that occurred and lead to the event. The defection, however, was preplanned and premeditated.

Several authors say that Belenko, had been an aviation enthusiast from his earliest childhood.

He received his flight training in order to become a flying instructor and devoted most of his time to learning and perfecting his flying craftsmanship.

He got a job as an instructor in Amarvir Pilot School, flying Sukhoi Su-15 planes, always being a top notch airman. It was in the beginning of the 1970s when he heard about a MiG-25 for the first time.

Almost immediately, wanting to learn about the new plane, he asked for transfer to flight training on Foxbat in 1972. The unit he applied to was Rostov, near Iran, but he was soon moved to the far east, to Sokolovka, the 530th Fighter Regiment.

The permission for transfer given by the commander being an exception in those times was justified with the Belenko’s great interest in the modern air technology. His records were flawless, so he was selected, and he was appointed a party secretary of the squadron.

Belenko’s training program progressed without any trouble. After the individual flights program ended the group flights began. The group flights started at the end of August and were to be conducted for one month.

On Sept. 6, 1976 Belenko walked his child to the kindergarten and went to the base to fly.

The weather conditions were good for flying – the cloudiness was of about 7/10 with the lower cloud surface at 1,500-2,000 meters and upper at 5,000 meters. Take-off was to take place at 12:50.

Soon after the take-off Belenko reported engine problems and separated from the group. He dropped to an altitude of 50 m above the sea, so no problems that usually occur in a low-level flight were present. He was flying low, so the radars could not track him. The direction the plane was going was eastward. Directly towards the Japanese archipelago.

Getting closer to the shore Belenko climbed to 6,700 m, waiting for the reaction of the Japanese air defense.

370 kilometers from the island he was finally spotted by the radars. The Japanese at Chitose airbase scrambled a pair F-4J fighters to intercept him. Knowing that he had been detected he descended again but he soon entered the clouds, experiencing difficulties in navigation.

At 13:52 he spotted an airfield and attempted a landing, but had to abort it and go around because of a Boeing 727 airliner taking off. According to his assessment, the airstrip was a bit shorter from what he had seen on military airfields. He made a long landing, overshooting the runway and rolling about 240 meters beyond the threshold.

After getting out of the cockpit he spotted the name of the airfield. Unfortunately it was not a military base, but civilian Hoktado strip. Nevertheless, Belenko was in Japan, which was his main objective. Just after getting out of the cockpit he made a warning shot and warned the Japanese not to come close to the plane because it was secured with explosives (at the time the Soviet Air Force used to secure the MiG-25 from getting into the Western hands by using explosives and self-destruction system).

He also asked the personnel to cover the aircraft in such a way that the Soviet markings were not visible. Then, he asked to be put in contact with the US Air Force representation. The airfield was closed down for five hours. Belenko asked for a political asylum.

The time between the afternoon of September 6th and 7th was very eventful.

The media showed a large interest in the incident and disseminated the news all across the Western world. Aeroflot sent a delegation, but they were not allowed to see nor to come close to the Foxbat.

Diplomacy was a major problem. In order to justify keeping the pilot and plane on the Japanese territory the authorities accused Belenko of illegal border trespassing.

The plane was moved to a hangar and afterwards was transported to military airbase in Hyakuri, located 80km north from Tokyo. On Sept. 19 a C-5 Galaxy cargo plane was brought from the US in order to transport the MiG-25; eleven experts from Wright-Patterson AFB were brought in order to examine the aircraft.

Also 64 Japanese experts took part in the examination. The aircraft was partially dismantled and transported in escort of F-4J and F-104J fighters.

The examination included infra-red photos of Foxbat with the engines working at full military power. It was essential for western air-to-air missiles designers to know the heat spectrum of the engines, so that they could develop missile guidance systems according to the characteristics of the Foxbat engines.

The diplomatic struggle went on. The official statement of the Japanese was that the plane would be returned to the Soviets but no sooner than Oct. 5, 1976. Due to the fact that samples of materials were taken from the wings the Foxbat could not go back by air.

It was dismantled again and sent back on a container ship in parts, in 13 containers. The Japanese secured the containers so that the Soviet personnel would not do the review of the plane in the daylight.

But the Russian methodology was unknown to the Japanese. The personnel had opened the containers with crowbars and it turned out that some equipment was still in the hands of the West. The Soviets asked the West to pay for the missing aircraft instrumentation and avionics. The Japanese in a reply asked the Russians to pay for transport and formalities.

Belenko’s family was detained and KGB started an investigation. A personal diary in which fuel calculations were carried out was found in Belenko’s flat.

It was also found out that the pilot was in Moscow a week prior to the deception.

All these factors suggested that the incident was a long preplanned operation of the American intelligence as Belenko could have met a US agent in Moscow.

What is more, the Soviet pilot very often used the confidential library of the airbase, more often than other pilots. It was supposed that he might have been taking photos of the MiG-25 manual.

After Belenko arrived he was isolated from the third parties.

He got a political asylum in the USA, where he started working in an aviation company. Afterwards, in many interviews, like in one for Full Context magazine, he said that the main reason behind the defection was to get away from the communism.

He received American citizenship and opened his own company. He got married to an American woman, with whom he had 3 children. According to Barron’s book his family life in USSR was going towards a bitter end – a divorce – so he fled to the US.

After publishing this article we received an email from one of our readers who provided some more behind the scenes details. Here’s what he’s written to us:

Actually, they did, and Russia was totally unaware of it. It was rolled into a hangar, dismantled, and flown to Area 51 by C-5A Galaxy, where it was totally examined, taken apart, reassembled, and flown by Victor Belenko against our first line fighters of the time. It was then disassembled, crated, loaded back onto the C-5, and flown back to Japan, where it was placed on the dock to await a Russian freighter’s pick-up.

We expected to find high tech alloys used for the wings, but the rust through the paint revealed they were steel. Where we expected high tech electronics, we found vacuum tube electronics.

You must remember that Russia builds for durability, and survival under war-time conditions. Just like their AK-47 Automatic rifle…bullet proof, easy to manufacture, and repair under war conditions. Which is easier to construct, and repair during wartime..high tech, or low-tech items? You’ll find the inside of Antanov’s giant aircraft made the same way, especially loading ramps, which are hollow, with an aluminum thin covering and internal ribs, with a reverse dimple texture. Hydraulics actually glass jars !!

Area 51 was the site of many Russian MiG tests, obtained from many different sources. we had a number of pilots versed in, and trained in MiG operations and evaluations.

Yes, Japan DID allow the removal, and testing, by us, of Belenko’s MiG 25..but it was highly secret.

About Jacek Siminski

Standing contributor for TheAviationist. Aviation photojournalist. Co-Founder of DefensePhoto.com. Expert in linguistics, Cold War discourse, Cold War history and policy and media communications.

@TheAviationist.co

[captain-price-unofficially]

Ukrainian Army Aviation Mi-24 Hind gunship operations.

[militarymenrbomb]

U.S. Army Warrior Fitness Team Member

Capt. Brian Harris

Capt. Brian Harris, was born in Edmond, Oklahoma and graduated from Edmond North High School in 2009. He was a member of the high school’s baseball and wrestling teams throughout high school. He enlisted in the Oklahoma Army National Guard in August of 2009 as a firefinder radar operator (13R) in field artillery. While serving in the Guard from 2009 to 2013, Harris attended the University of Oklahoma and actively participated in the Army ROTC program. During this time, he was introduced to functional fitness and began competing at a high level at various competitions around the country. In 2013, Harris commissioned into the Regular Army as a Medical Service Corps officer and that year was selected as one of twenty two medical service officers to attend flight training and be trained as an aeromedical evacuation officer (67J) / UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot.

Harris’ assignment history includes Fort Rucker, Alabama where he attended Army flight school followed by Fort Carson, Colorado as a section leader, platoon leader and staff operations officer for the 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade. During his time with 4th CAB, Harris participated in several full-scale training exercises and served one nine-month deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation’s Freedom Sentinel and Resolute Support providing aeromedical evacuation services across RC-East and RC-North. In 2016, he was named the 4th Infantry Division’s “Junior Officer of the Year” for his efforts both in combat and garrison. After his time in Colorado, Harris returned to Fort Rucker to serve as the operations officer for their Air Ambulance Detachment (110th Aviation Brigade) known as “Flatiron” providing 24/7 crash rescue support to the Aviation Center of Excellence, as well as, routine support to 6th Ranger Training Battalion at Eglin Air Force Base and support to the local civilian population in accordance with the Wiregrass Letter of Agreement.

Harris is a CrossFit Level 2 certified trainer and master fitness trainer (phase 1) and has accumulated more than 700 hours of one-on-one and group coaching time teaching functional fitness methodologies to servicemembers and civilians enabling them to reach their fitness and lifestyle goals. He has competed at the local, regional and national level in functional fitness competitions. Under the old CrossFit season format, Harris was a 2 time regional qualifier and recently represented the United States of America as a member of the national team at the International Federation of Functional Fitness World Championships in Malmo, Sweden (2018).

His awards and decorations include the Air Medal with “C” device, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal with 2 bronze oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal with 3 bronze oak leaf clusters, Meritorious Unit Citation (2-4 GSAB, 4CAB), National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Action Badge, Basic Army Aviator’s Badge, Parachute Badge, and the Air Assault qualification badge.

[bekolxeram]

Heya, I've got a question since you seem to know a lot about aviation. So this point is a bit of a 'controversy' among the fans: does Tommy fly both helicopters and planes, or just helicopters? People are inferring the former because of the episode in season 2 where Chimney called Tommy, and then the water-bomber plane came, and, watching this, Chimney thanked Tommy. Now, I find it to be entirely plausible that a) Chimney meant it as a thanks because Tommy organized the rescue rather than being the pilot himself and b) also a minor detail that, while written back then, was never meant to come back in the way it did. Now, however, we have a lot more background info on Tommy, and to me it seems unlikely that he got training for both helicopters and planes, and that he does fly both in his line of work. Also, if he was able to fly planes as well and had access to them at work, why would they take a helicopter to Vegas when a light aircraft would be the better option? (I assume, though I could be wrong). What are your thoughts and your expertise on this?

Thank you for asking! Always love an aviation related question.

One of the first posts I've ever written here is about this very topic. The US Army operates mainly helicopters. Yes, they do have like a hundred or so fixed wing aircrafts for transport and recon missions, but that's nothing compared to the 4000+ helicopters currently in service. You also have to finish your entire helicopter pilot training before you can even apply for fixed wing training program for the Army. Tommy's timeline is already tight enough, I don't think he had the time to learn how to fly a plane in the military. (You need like at least 800 hours on a multi-engine airplane as pilot-in-command to be considered for the CAL FIRE training program for instant.)

But the most damning evidence is that the news reporter in 2x14 actually said the air tanker was with CAL FIRE, so not LAFD, a completely different agency. I imagine Air Ops had their hands tied during that major power outage already, so Tommy had to pull some strings and call other agencies for help. (Shamelessly pugging my own hc of Tommy dating a CAL FIRE pilot in the past here.)

And yes, light fixed wing aircrafts are much more suited for medium range trips. They are also cheaper to rent and more widely available than helicopters. So there's a chance that Tommy has no experience on an airplane at all. Helicopter pilots do have a head start when learning how to fly a plane though, the basics of flight are the same, it's just the mechanical side of things that differs between rotary and fixed wing. For example, you have to closely monitor your air speed when flying a plane, because it generates lift by deflecting the incoming stream of air downward. If you fly too slow, you risk stalling the plane and falling out of the sky. A helicopter on the other hand, actively moves air downward by spinning the main rotor, so air speed is not that important for safety, you can move straight up and down without moving an inch horizontally.

That's not to say it's impossible for Tommy to know how to fly a small airplane. He may simply have more connections in the rotary wing world, or he feels more comfortable flying a friend in a helicopter since he's more experienced. Helicopters also have the advantage of landing straight down in tight spaces, eliminating the need to wait for a landing slot on a runway when traffic is high.

[sgtgrunt0331-3]

On October 19, 2001, several 12-man Special Forces detachments from the U.S. Army Special Operations Command’s 5th Special Forces Group, began arriving in Afghanistan in the middle of the night, transported by aviators from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.

They were the first ground Soldiers of the war on terrorism following the attacks on September 11.

[vintagelasvegas]

McCarran Field on opening day, December 19, 1948, with an air show of military aircraft. Photo by Las Vegas News Bureau.

TIMELINE OF LAS VEGAS AIRPORTS

• ‘20: First flight. Randall Henderson piloted a Curtiss “Jenny” to Las Vegas, landing south of Las Vegas, 5/7/20.

ANDERSON FIELD-ROCKWELL FIELD ('20-'29)

• '20: Anderson Field. Las Vegas’ first airport, designed by Robert Hausler and named after the property owner, opened 11/25/20. Location: southeast of present Sahara Ave & Paradise Rd. • '25: Leon & Earl Rockwell purchase Anderson Field from Hausler; renamed Rockwell Field. • '26: Western Air Express (WAE) launches airmail route utilizing Rockwell Field. The air strip is closed in '29 after purchase by Leigh Hunt.

LAS VEGAS AIRPORT-NELLIS AFB ('29-present)

• '29: Las Vegas Airport built by “Pop” Simon, present location of Nellis AFB. • '33: Simon sells Las Vegas Airport to WAE; renamed Western Air Express Field. • '41: City of Las Vegas buys WAE Field Jan. '41; dual use facility becomes McCarran Field, and Las Vegas Army Air Field. • '48: McCarran Field relocates to Alamo Field. • '49: Las Vegas AFB reopened Jan. '49 at the former McCarran Field/Las Vegas Army Air Field site. Renamed Nellis AFB in '50.

BOULDER CITY AIRPORT ('33-'88)

• '33: Boulder City Airport, dedicated 12/10/33. Later replaced by nearby Boulder City Municipal Airport ('90-present).

SKY HAVEN-NLV AIRPORT ('41-present)

• '41: Sky Haven Airport. From '59-65 known as Thunderbird Field. Ralph Englestad bought and sold to City of North Las Vegas, who renamed it North Las Vegas Air Terminal. Howard Hughes bought, '67. Sold to Clark County, '87. Renamed North Las Vegas Airport.

ALAMO AIRPORT-LAS AIRPORT ('42-present)

• '42: Alamo Field est. by George Crockett south of Las Vegas, present site of Harry Reid International (LAS Airport). • '48: The new McCarran Field (LAS Airport). Clark County purchases Alamo Field, opening new airport 12/19/48. Alamo Airways, and Alamo Airport in name, continue operations at McCarran Field. • '63: Field terminal (T1) opens at McCarran, 3/15/63. Airport gateway relocated to Paradise Rd. Alamo Airways continues operating at the original Las Vegas Blvd location. • '67: Hughes Terminal at McCarran. Howard Hughes buys Alamo (airport and airline) in '67, and Air West in '70. • '68: McCarran renamed McCarran International Airport (LAS). Renamed Harry Ried International Airport in 2021.

RANCH CLUB/D4C AIRFIELD ('45-49) SKY CORRAL AIRPORT ('46-'49)

• '45: Ranch Club Airfield. 1700' unpaved runway at Nevada Ranch Club, in the area of present of S. Arville St between W Desert Inn Rd and W Flamingo Rd, circa '45-48. • '46: Sky Corral Airport. Located west of Last Frontier Hotel; air strip approximately the path of present Interstate 15 at Desert Inn Rd. Closed by '49.

SKY HARBOR-HENDERSON EXECUTIVE AIRPORT ('70-present)

• '70: Sky Harbor Airport. Founded by Arby Alper. Present site of Henderson Executive Airport.

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Sources: D. Lamb. “North Vegas Seeks Thunderbird Field.” Review-Journal, 8/25/65; “Southern Nevada Enjoys Long Aviation History.” Review-Journal, 6/11/98; J. Przybys. “Airport Museum.” Review-Journal, 10/1/2000; “History of Nellis and Creech.” Aerotech News, 12/21/2018; Paul Freeman. Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Nevada: Las Vegas. Accessed 6/23/2004.

Below: Senator Pat McCarran at the gateway of the original McCarran field in North Las Vegas, dedicated 3/15/41. The 25-ton pillars were moved to the new McCarran field in 1948. (Nellis Air Force Base Photograph Collection, PH-00028, UNLV Special Collections.