Sept. 4, 2019 Precision Impact Range Area enhances test capabilities Winding roads snake through the desert and the hot summer sun scorches down on sandy expansions of land at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Within these twisting roads and sandy spaces lies one of the Air Force’s most valuable test resources, the Precision Impact Range Area (PIRA).
Aug. 5, 2019 AFRL achieves record-setting hypersonic ground test milestone WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – An Air Force Research Laboratory and Air Force Test Center ground test team set a record for the highest thrust produced by an air-breathing hypersonic engine in Air Force history.“AFRL, in conjunction with Arnold Engineering Development Complex and Northrop
June 21, 2019 What it means to me to be back in the Air Force – The grass is not always greener At 38 years old I know I am one of oldest, or as I like to refer to it, “most senior” active duty lieutenants around. Considering the journey I’ve taken just to get right where I am now, I would say I feel the deepest privilege just to do what I do each day here in the Air Force.
March 27, 2019 Joint test effort augments Navy, USMC F-35 night refueling The F-35 program recently completed testing on an improved lighting assembly with the KC-135 that will enable the Navy and Marine Corps F-35 variants to refuel behind the tanker at night. Flight testing of the redesigned light, which attaches to a refueling probe, was led by Patuxent River Naval Air
March 21, 2019 Air Force’s top NCO gets look at all things Edwards Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright received a whirlwind tour of the Center of the Aerospace Testing Universe March 18-19.The highest ranking enlisted member in the Air Force got a firsthand look at almost every squadron and unit on Edwards. Wright visited with everyone from security
March 20, 2019 New VISTA paint scheme gets artist's approval Renowned aviation artist Mike Machat officially endorsed his latest work for the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School March 7 when he applied his signature to the school’s NF-16D VISTA in-flight simulator.The VISTA is sporting a new paint scheme designed by Machat. The one-of-a-kind aircraft is a staple
March 7, 2019 Innovative solution reduces cost of runway repair After years of heating up in the summer and freezing in the winter, the North Base runway developed severe cracking and was closed in October 2016. Traditional repair methods such as sealing the cracks would only last a few months and full replacement would have cost $20 million. The 412th Civil
March 7, 2019 Innovation success: Reusable containers save thousands At the Joshua Tree Dining Facility, Styrofoam containers have been the container of choice for grabbing a meal on the go.Recently, the cost for these containers was set to increase from $8,000 per month to $24,000 per month as a result of an increase in price and usage. In the long run, these costs
March 6, 2019 Emerging Technologies CTF conducts first autonomous flight test The 412th Test Wing’s Emerging Technologies Combined Test Force conducted its first autonomy flight test Feb. 26-28. The team collected data on the Testing of Autonomy in Complex Environments system, or TACE. The TACE system is test middleware developed by Johns Hopkins University that sits between