Combat Edge articles from March 2002

Combat Edge archives from March 2002

Accent on safety.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Since Sept. 11th, we have all been doing some things differently. Staying alert and protecting our resources have taken on new meanings. Some bases have made temporary physical modifications to their facilities and established new procedures,...

Deployment debacle: "During the deployment sortie, therapid transition through multiple-time zones and a sun that never set impacted our circadian rhythms.".(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... In 1989, deployment opportunities for the B-1 were limited, to say the very least. Alert commitments, maturation of the aircraft, and aircrew readiness to support higher headquarters' missions were the community's highest priorities. When the...

Low-level locusts: Think through the potential on sequences of any plan.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Back in the summer of 1986, I was in a B-52G that was flying at 0.8 Mach, 400 feet off the deck through a winding low-level route over portions of Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota. The Director of Operations for the 319th Bomb Wing was the...

Great balls O'Fire.(flying among thunderstorms)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... My first assignment after pilot training was to L.A. -- not Los Angeles, but "Lower Alabama." Flying the CT-39 Sabreliner, we routinely shuttled Air University guest speakers into and out of Maxwell AFB. I moved to "Bama" in the fall and...

Small things matter.
March 1, 2002... It was a beautiful day as I made a circular motion with my index finger giving the flight the engine run-up signal. JayJay flight was four F-16 Fighting Falcons with engines screaming at 80 percent power preparing for takeoff. The flight passed...

Forward firing munitions procedures.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The flightline can be a hazardous place to work for a host of different reasons. One of those reasons is the presence of forward firing munitions. Air Force Manual (AFMAN) 91-201, Explosives Safety Standards, defines forward firing munitions as...

Squadron flies 400th combat sortie. (Safety Shorts).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (ACCNS) -- The 20 EBS flew its 400th combat sortie Jan. 20. "We have been privileged to contribute to American airpower history," said the unit's squadron commander. "From the precision weapons, the persistent...

Deployment kits will help physical and mental health. (Safety Shorts).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (ACCNS) -- Airmen deploying from here have a new tool to help them maintain their physical and mental health. The "deployment stress kit" includes exercise bands, a stress-reduction squeeze ball, and...

Pilot Safety Award of Distinction. (Monthly Award Winners).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Maj. Jeffrey Olesen was flying his U-2S above 70,000 feet in support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH. Three hours into the sortie, the engine began to experience "rollbacks." The fuel-flow fell toward zero with an accompanying severe loss of...

Ground Safety Award of Distinction. (Monthly Award Winners).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... On Oct. 5, 2001, at 7:00 p.m., A1Cs. Ted Rossman and Travis Turnbow were heading east on Interstate 10 approximately 40 miles east of Defuniak Springs, when they came across a semi-truck traveling approximately 75 miles per hour. They noticed...

Aircrew Safety Award of Distinction. (Monthly Award Winners).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Approximately 4 hours into a high-altitude training mission, instructor pilot, Maj. Michael Means, and upgrade pilot, Capt. Stephen Rodriguez, encountered an electrical malfunction of a type that had never occurred in the history of the U-2....

Flightline Safety Award of Distinction. (Monthly Award Winners).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... MSgt. Thomas J. Niznik 9th Reconnaissance Wing Beale AFB, Calif. While on a lengthy deployment in support of Operation JOINT FORGE, MSgt. Thomas Niznik twice discovered discrepancies that could have resulted in the loss of aircraft. While...

Using the "ORM box.".(explaining the concept of operational risk management to aircraft maintainers)
March 1, 2002... Recently, my wing received a Staff Assistance Visit (SAV) from our Numbered Air Force (NAF) Safety office. Part of the SAV involved the NAF Chief of Safety interviewing a randomly selected group of commanders and asking them about their safety...

Operational risk management.(Air Force safety regulations)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... From virtually day one of the Air Force's adoption of Operational Risk Management (ORM), we in Air Combat Command (ACC) have consistently promoted three themes: 1) Commanders and supervisors must tailor their units' use of ORM to their...

Did I leave a tool ... in the jet?(military aircraft maintenance)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The sun had just cracked the horizon over Sunrise Mountain that morning at Nellis AFB, Nev. Everyone was in a great mood because the Thunderbird team was going to be on the road again. Midland, Texas, was going to be the location of our first...

Mishap statistics.(Airforce flight safety)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... Aircraft Notes As of 31 Jan, FY02 has not been a good year for flight safety in ACC. We have already experienced four rate-producing flight Class A mishaps (compared to six in all of FY01), plus several "non-rate producers" such as UAVs...