15 Nov 2005

Tinker earns command excellence award

Gen. Bruce Carlson, commander, Air Force Materiel Command, named Tinker Air Force Base the AFMC Commander-in-Chief's Installation Excellence Award winner for 2005.General Carlson also presented Special Recognition awards to 14 AFMC individuals and organizations. AFMC provides the Air Force with war-fighting capabilities on time and on cost. AFMC is

15 Nov 2005

Fit to fight, fit to live

After Jim Staffan, a member of Air Force Materiel Command's Inspector General Office, passed the half-century mark he decided his once-lean physique was in need of help. He was 51, a smoker and overweight with a 41-inch waist, 25 percent body fat, and elevated cholesterol.He said he knew he needed to make some changes. But, the impetus for him to

15 Nov 2005

Edwards Air Force Base commanders test wheelchair accessibility

The Air Force Flight Test Center has a long history of testing aircraft and parachutes, but one little known fact is that each year leaders here also "test" wheelchairs.Edwards' annual Wheelchair Test Day is held during National Disabilities Awareness Month in October.Organizers of the day said the intent is to explore the accessibility of the work

15 Nov 2005

Animals still in need of help following Katrina

Four weeks ago and several weeks after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast areas with high winds and severe floods, Joyce Kahl went to New Orleans to rescue dogs.An anesthesiology technician at the Wright-Patterson Medical Center, Ms. Kahl is also a volunteer for Purebred Rescue of Ohio, an organization that attempts to find responsible

15 Nov 2005

Maintainers resurrect historic aircraft

A group of Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., aircraft maintainers recently joined efforts to restore a historic aircraft for the Air Force Flight Test Center museum. Edwards AFB is part of Air Force Materiel Command, which provides the Air Force with war-fighting capabilities on time and on cost. AFMC is headquartered at Wright-Patterson AFB,

15 Nov 2005

Air Force depots exceed major maintenance goals

For the second straight year, the Air Force's three air logistics centers exceeded their aircraft production goal and met their engine production goal, putting more hardware essential to the Global War on Terrorism and peacetime training missions into the hands of U.S. warfighters.The overall on-time delivery rate for aircraft rose to 96 percent,

15 Nov 2005

Icing tests continue for Airbus A380 engine certification

The U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center is currently performing a series of icing tests on the Engine Alliance GP7200 engine for the Airbus A380 commercial airliner. The EA is a 50-50 joint venture between GE Aircraft Engines and Pratt & Whitney.The prime objective for this particular test series is to get Federal Aviation

15 Nov 2005

The AC-130U Gunship program explores viper strike capability

The AC-130U gunship, managed by Aeronautical Systems Center's Special Operations Forces Systems Group at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is undergoing an Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration for a standoff precision-guided munition called Viper Strike.Viper Strike is a small, precision attack munition with guide/glide fins and a

15 Nov 2005

Tunnel 9 completes vehicle testing

The Arnold Engineering Development Center's Tunnel 9 facility in White Oak, Md. is playing a crucial role in the ongoing Falcon program, with the completion of mission-critical testing of the Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 1.The Falcon initiative is a joint Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Air Force program. The objective is to develop

2 Nov 2005

New technology dazzles aggressors

A laser technology being developed by Air Force Research Laboratory employees at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., will be the first man-portable, non-lethal deterrrent weapon intended for protecting troops and controlling hostile crowds.The weapon, developed by the laboratory's Directed Energy Directorate, employs a two-wavelength laser system and is