98-Year-Old TBM Radioman Joe Will Revisits Some Memories

The annual TBM Reunion took place on May 17 and 18 at Illinois Valley Regional Airport. Despite challenging weather conditions across the nation, ten TBM Avengers flew in to participate in the event. The Commemorative Air Force's Ghost Squadron has three TBM Avengers, and the Rocky Mountain Wing's TBM 309 and the Missouri Wing's TBM were present. Unfortunately, the Capital Wing's TBM Doris Mae couldn't attend due to an ongoing maintenance project on the propeller.

Training Built Familiarization And Shared Tactics, Techniques And Procedures

As Washington National Guard helicopter crews can confirm, emergencies can happen anywhere, at any time in the state. Hikers slide down cliffs and a routine walk on a nature trail could require an emergency airlift. To build familiarization and share tactics, techniques and procedures, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crew from 1st Battalion, 168th General Support Aviation, joined members of the Central Pierce Fire and Rescue team May 15 at Crystal Mountain ski resort to rehearse rescue operations with military aircraft.

Capsized Vessel Located Near Dauphin Island, Alabama

The Coast Guard rescued four boaters after their vessel capsized near Dauphin Island, Alabama, Thursday. Coast Guard District Eight watchstanders received a call at approximately 1:50 p.m. from the Coast Guard National Command Center reporting an SOS signal from a satellite communicator. Watchstanders were able to link to the satellite communicator and communicate with one of the boaters who reported that the 28-foot catamaran vessel he was on had capsized with four persons aboard.

Coast Guard Has A VERY Busy Weekend

A U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Savannah aircrew rescued a 35-year-old male diver, Friday, after he drifted away from his vessel while diving 75 miles offshore Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Coast Guard District Seven command center watchstanders in Miami, Florida received a notification from an emergency GPS beacon around 1:50 p.m., activated by the dive boat crewmembers aboard the 28-foot vessel when he didn’t resurface.

Paint Echoes Original Design of YF-16 in 1974

The U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper Demonstration Team showed off a brand new paint scheme to celebrate their 50th anniversary, mirroring the design of the original YF-16 prototype from 1974. The pain design took much longer than they'd expect, stretching a 3-week job into 8 weeks after all was said and done. The team worked with the 412th Test Wing to ensure it was done correctly, since their logistics manager Tony Accurso would be directing the Edwards AFB F-16 50th Anniversary celebration. He became their go-to for historical accuracy, ensuring the resulting paint scheme would be a spot-on evocation of the original prototype.

Deal Helps Bolster Development Process on Road to Production for Helix eVTOL

Pivotal signed an 'Other Transaction Authority' contract with the US Air Force and its AFWERX Agility Prime program, providing them with access to testing facilities, segregated airspace, and "expert resources" for a 2-year term. The firm sees the contract as a very solid step in the right direction, where they'll be able to make the best use of government testing facilities and space to keep up developmental pace on their Helix eVTOL. “This OTA (Other Transaction Authority) Contract with the USAF is our first direct-to-government contract and only our second DoD related transaction. We see this as a strong vote of support for the mission potential of Pivotal’s technology,” said Ken Karklin, CEO of Pivotal.