Author: Jan-Peter

Categories
Eagle Country

The 494th FS spearheads a new deployment model

By Tech. Sgt. Dhruv Gopinath and Tech. Sgt. Rachel Maxwell

SOUDA AIR BASE, Greece —
U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles assigned to the 494th Fighter Squadron, stationed out of Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, conducted an Agile Combat Employment movement to Souda AB Greece, within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, July 15, 2022.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Curtis Culver, 494th Fighter Squadron commander, smiles as he watches two F-15E Strike Eagles return after completing an Agile Combat Employment movement between combatant commands, at Souda Air Base, Greece, July 15, 2022. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Rachel Maxwell)

“We wanted to operationalize the concept of agile forces conducting operations in multiple combatant commands from a single geographic location,” said Lt. Col. Curtis Culver, 494 FS commander. “We demonstrated that we can rapidly move aircraft between combatant commands, and be ready for contingency operations in either.”

U.S. Air Force Capt. Sean Blye, an F-15E Strike Eagle pilot assigned to the 494th Fighter Squadron, from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, conducts pre-flight checks at Souda Air Base, Greece, July 15, 2022. Blye acted as mission flight lead while conducting flight operations from Souda AB to an undisclosed location within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, in an effort to exercise cross-combatant command Agile Combat Employment operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Rachel Maxwell)

In order to validate the concept, the 494 FS flew two of its Strike Eagles from Souda Air Base, Greece to the CENTCOM AOR, which landed, refueled and then returned the same day.

“It was a really cool experience overall,” said Capt. Sean Blye, the mission’s flight lead. “It was great to see all the different teams come together to make it seamless and show just how easy it is to send out airpower across multiple combatant commands in a single day.”

Continue reading “The 494th FS spearheads a new deployment model”
Categories
Eagle Country

Prototype F-15 71-0284

Celebrating 50 years of the Mighty Mighty this month. Today a closer look on the fifth prototype built. F-15A 71-0284. 0284 made its first flight on 7 March 1973, and was used as the trials aircraft for armament development. It was the first Eagle with the internal M61 cannon fitted. It was also used for external fuel tank jettison testing. Used by the combined McDonnell Douglas/USAF F-15 Joint Test Force at Edwards between 1973 and nov75 (noted with code ‘5’ on latter date). Early in 1974 the Air Force initiated Operation ‘Streak Eagle’, the time to climb record. One aircraft would have had to be modified, and the choice was between 71-0284 and 72-0119. The latter was chosen and 71-0284 continued its testing career.


71-0284 was retired and re designated a GF-15A; it became an instructional aircraft at the Sheppard TTC by April 1977. Remained in use until October 1991 at least; and although it arrived in its former test colors, it later was repainted in grey camo and carried an ‘HO’ code on one side of the aircraft and ‘FF’ on the other. Last noted as instructional aircraft in October 1990, it was noted with the name ‘City of Iowa Park’ during much of this instructional period. 71-0284 was noted on the dump at Sheppard in July 1992, but ended up as an instructional airframe at Goodfellow AFB (TX). First noted there in April 1995, last in May 2008, the aircraft carried the ‘GD’ tail code during this entire period.

Categories
Eagle Country

MISSION READY
INSIDE THE BEST FIGHTER SQUADRON OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE

written by Patrick “Red” van Dam

Mission Ready is a visual narrative about a world that’s not accessible to most of us. Until now. Documentary photographer and creative director Patrick van Dam gives us a realistic and uncensored insight into the “Best Fighter Squadron of the U.S. Air Force”. Through compelling images, he offers an insider perspective of the legendary 493rd Fighter Squadron’s daily operations. This is not Top Gun. This is better. This is real.

From 2016 to 2021, Van Dam was granted access to several restricted military airbases and experienced first-hand what it takes to be a fighter pilot during a training mission in an F-15 Eagle. His contemporary photography is never shy of demystifying a sometimes romanticized world, yet always with an aesthetic point of view.

Continue reading “MISSION READY
INSIDE THE BEST FIGHTER SQUADRON OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE”
Categories
Eagle Country

159th Fighter Wing Air Refueling

Some great behind the scene footage; Eagles from the 159th Fighter Wing, Louisiana, “Coonass Militia” were refueled by KC-135 Stratotankers from the 914th Air Refueling Wing, New York, July 10, 2022 over Southeastern United States. U.S. Air Force photographer Tiffany A. Emery joined the tanker crew and made these awesome shots.

Continue reading “159th Fighter Wing Air Refueling”
Categories
Eagle Country

The 1st F-15 Eagle (71-0281)

As we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first flight this month, and the start of the Eagle test program. I would like to highlight some of the prototypes who laid the foundation of 50 years air supremacy. Today 71-0280, this was the first prototype of the F-15 Eagle. It was rolled out at McDonnell Douglas’s factory in St Louis during a ceremony on June 26 1972. Following the aircraft’s roll-out, it was dismantled, loaded aboard a C-5 and fl own to Edwards AFB on July 11th 1972.

On July 27th 1972 Irv Burrows made the first test flight of the F-15. The flight lasted for 50-minutes

71-0280 would become the trials aircraft for flight envelope exploration, general handling and external stores carriage tests. Although it had been rolled out in a grey color scheme, for the first flight the aircraft had received day-glo tail and wing markings. Within a week, the aircraft had reached Mach 1.5 and 45,000 ft! It was used by the combined McDonnell Douglas/USAF F-15 Joint Test Force at Edwards AFB between July 1972 and November 1975,


Following its testing career, 71-0280 was retired and used by the Air Force Orientation Group at Gentile AFS (OH) between 1979 and June 1991. It was later preserved at the History and Traditions Museum. 71-280 was repainted and remarked as ’85-114/EG’ ( Cesar “Rico” Rodriguez’s MiG Killer from Desert Storm) were it is still on display.