Somewhere in Iraq, there is a very good C-5 flight crew that is badly in need of a change of laundry. An Air Force C-5 Galaxy transport departing from Baghdad International Airport declared an in-flight emergency shortly after taking off. The crew said there was "excessive vibration" in their No. 4 engine, combined press information center officials said. The craft returned safely to the airport, with no injuries among the 63 passengers and crew aboard. Air operations at the facility continue, said officials.

Environmental Tectonics Corporation has delivered and installed a GAT-II General Aviation Trainer at Randolph AFB, Texas. Randolph Air Force Base is one of the few bases in the Air Force that does instructor pilot training. Joint Undergraduate Navigator and Electronic Warfare Officer Training is also held at Randolph. The 12th Flying Training Wing provides air transportation and immediate response emergency airlift, and trains and equips its people to meet the Air Force's worldwide mobility commitment. In addition, the 12th Flying Training Wing is responsible for the operational test and evaluation of newly acquired training systems and modifications to existing systems. The USAF will use the GAT-II(R) to provide pilots' training in the hazards associated with spatial disori

Poor situational awareness was the likely cause of an F-16 Fighting Falcon crash in South Korea on Sept. 9, a U.S. Air Force investigation team determined. Capt. Kevin Dydyk, of the 35th Fighter Squadron at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, sustained minor injuries when the aircraft he was flying crashed into the Yellow Sea about 56 miles southwest of the base. Neither Captain Dydyk nor Capt. Tood Houchins, an instructor pilot flying another F-16, gained enough situational awareness of a low-altitude condition early enough to prevent the crash, according to the investigation report. Captain Dydyk was flying lead in a two-ship training formation over the Yellow Sea when the mishap occurred. On the final mission of the day he unknowingly set-up and began the engageme

An American Black Hawk helicopter, performing Medevac duty, was shot down Thursday, near Fallujah. Originally described as an emergency landing, the downed Black Hawk had nine persons on board, now reported to all be soldiers. The area of the accident is a major area of concern in that it has become a major battleground for Iraqi insurgents and has been the scene of previous helicopter downings.  Military sources now say that the aircraft was crewed entirely by soldiers, though a number of media reports detailed conflicting stories that postulated as few as four soldiers and as many as five "passengers" were on board (though most reports now agree that there were a total of 9 people on board), while the aircraft was a Medevac version. It has not