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T-38s Cleared to Fly
Air Force Association ^ | 5/9/2008 | staff

Posted on 05/10/2008 7:44:11 AM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity

Air Education and Training Command has lifted the stand down of its T-38C trainers that was imposed May 1 after the fatal crashes of two T-38s in separate incidents between April 23 and May 1. AETC Commander Gen. William R. Looney cleared the trainers to resume flying operations May 6, according to a command release. They will resume normal operations after individual aircraft are cleared for flight. A T-38C crashed April 23 during a training sortie at Columbus AFB, Miss., killing the student pilot and instructor. Eight days later, the second T-38C went down at Sheppard AFB, Tex., similarly claiming the lives of its two pilots. Initial information indicates that the crashes were not related, according to AETC’s statement. But one area of interest that has arisen based on preliminary data is the aircraft’s ailerons, the San Antonio News-Express reported May 8. Accordingly, the command is inspecting them, although they have not been identified outright as factors in the crashes yet, the newspaper said.


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: usaf
According to the San Antonio Express-News, all T-38s are undergoing inspections on the ailerons before being returned to flight.
1 posted on 05/10/2008 7:44:11 AM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
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To: Excuse_My_Bellicosity

2 posted on 05/10/2008 7:52:50 AM PDT by null and void (My brain is a sieve, and Aratosthenes is nowhere to be found. ~ Stolen from Darksheare...)
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To: null and void

Aren’t these the Top Gun aggressors?

Basic design has been around as long as I have.


3 posted on 05/10/2008 8:45:59 AM PDT by bill1952 (I will vote for McCain if he resigns his Senate seat before this election.)
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To: bill1952

Yes. And Yes.


4 posted on 05/10/2008 8:50:39 AM PDT by null and void (My brain is a sieve, and Aratosthenes is nowhere to be found. ~ Stolen from Darksheare...)
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To: Excuse_My_Bellicosity

Northern Edge is happening now in Alaska. A flight of eight F-16s went right over my house yesterday. High altitude, leaving eight contrails horizon to horizon.


5 posted on 05/10/2008 8:56:31 AM PDT by RightWhale (It's still unclear what impact global warming will have on vertical wind shear)
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To: Excuse_My_Bellicosity
Image hosted by Photobucket.com i wish the USAF would of bought at least a few F-20's for training and it might of saved the project to go on to foreign sales, but nobody wants to buy something the USAF wont... that was a shame.
6 posted on 05/10/2008 10:08:25 AM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist ©®)
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To: bill1952

Top gun used F-5E aircraft. The F-5 has more powerful engines, larger wing area and other changes to make it combat-ready.


7 posted on 05/10/2008 10:19:58 AM PDT by MediaMole
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To: Excuse_My_Bellicosity; Aeronaut
Glad to hear it.

I have a few hundred hours in them. What a terrific aircraft. It is like flying an empty soda can with two rocket engines strapped to it.

Just DON'T GET SLOW at low altitude in a T-38.

Ever.

I suspect that is what killed those officers.

Prayers to their families.

8 posted on 05/10/2008 10:41:01 AM PDT by SkyPilot ("I wasn't in church during the time when the statements were made.")
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To: Chode

Unfortunately, the F-20 was too good of a competitor with the F-16. The USAF felt that they had to kill the F-20 to protect the then-current procurement of F-16s. It’s really too bad, that’s what happens when you have a DemonRat (or RINO) Congress. The F-20 would’ve been good to add to the inventory. No one weapon system can do all the work (that’s why you have many classes of Navy ships), and that’s the major flaw of the Navy only having F-18s (for their sake, the F-35 had better work out).


9 posted on 05/10/2008 8:35:00 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity (Liberals: can't live with them, can't ship them to Syria.)
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