Free Republic

PALMDALE - The once top-secret Blackbirds on display in Palmdale have a new nest mate: the F-117A Nighthawk, also known as the stealth fighter. The dart-shaped aircraft, the fourth of its kind built and used solely for testing, was moved into display position Monday at Blackbird Airpark, taking its place beside other former "black" aircraft, the SR-71 and U-2. "Look at how many black airplanes you can come see right here," said Fred Johnsen , curator of the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum, of which Blackbird Airpark is a satellite. Escorted by members of the 410th Flight Test Squadron,...

PALMDALE - Florida's loss may turn out to be Palmdale's gain, if space shuttle facilities damaged by Hurricane Frances cause some operations to be transferred back to The Boeing Co.'s Palmdale plant. Among the billions of dollars of damage caused when Hurricane Frances slammed into Florida last week was NASA's Kennedy Space Center, home to the nation's space shuttle fleet and launch operations. The Thermal Protection System facility, where space shuttle tile and blankets are manufactured, suffered significant damage. Work is under way to recover critical spaceflight material, such as tile molds, from exposed areas. The damage could mean finding...

TIKRIT, Iraq - Troops from the California National Guard running truck convoys in Operation Iraqi Freedom encountered an ambush that resulted in wounds to one sergeant and less serious injuries to two other soldiers. A convoy from the 1498th Transportation Company was leaving Tikrit Airport on Sunday when one of the vehicles in the convoy struck a mine, witnesses at the scene said. The explosion, coupled with a secondary explosion, resulted in a vehicle fire that caused the loss of the heavy equipment transportation truck. Exiting the stricken vehicle, Staff Sgt. Anthony Arrington, 36, suffered burns. They were described as...