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Winter 2012 Serving Idaho’S Aviation Community for Over 60 Years Vol 58, Issue 1 the Battle of Palmdale By: Peter W

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Winter 2012 Serving Idaho’S Aviation Community for Over 60 Years Vol 58, Issue 1 the Battle of Palmdale By: Peter W AE S RONAUTIC Winter 2012 Serving Idaho’s Aviation Community for over 60 Years Vol 58, Issue 1 The Battle of Palmdale By: Peter W. Merlin, The X-Hunters, control systems Aerospace Archeology Team were checked, and Printed with Permission the Hellcat took off at 11:34 AM, If you have spent time in the military, climbing out over then you are acutely aware of inter- service rivalry and the pride each the Pacific Ocean. service takes in their members, their As ground state of readiness, and the cutting edge controllers equipment they have at their disposal. attempted to But we also get a good laugh when maneuver the occasionally something simple goes drone toward the awry and outmaneuvers even our most target area, it sophisticated efforts leaving in its wake became apparent a unit with egg on its face. Fortunately, that it was not what could have been a disaster of responding to monumental proportions, wasn’t. So sit back and try to imagine what it radio commands. must have been like to be on one of They had a these crews in their sleek jets, out runaway. Photos courtesy of Peter Merlin maneuvered by an old WWII warhorse. Ahead of the unguided drone lay rocket pods and no cannon, the Scorpion On the morning of 16 August 1956, thousands of square miles of ocean into was typical of the Cold-War approach Navy personnel at Naval Air Station which it could crash. Instead, the old to countering the “Red Menace.” Each (NAS) Point Mugu prepared an F6F- Hellcat made a graceful climbing turn pod contained 52 Mighty Mouse, 2.75- 5K for its final mission. The aircraft had to the southeast, toward the city of Los inch rockets. Salvo-launched, the Mighty been painted overall in high-visibility Angeles. With the threat of a runaway Mouse did not have to have precision red. Red and yellow camera pods were aircraft approaching a major metropolitan guidance. Large numbers of rockets mounted on the wingtips. Radio remote area, the Navy called for help. would be fired into approaching Soviet bomber formations to overwhelm them F6F-5K, Hellcat drone Five miles north of with sheer numbers. But today, they NAS Point Mugu, two F- would be used against a different kind 89D Scorpion twin-jet of red menace. interceptors of the 437th Fighter Interceptor At Oxnard AFB, 1Lt. Hans Einstein Squadron, were and his radar observer, 1Lt. C. D. Murray, scrambled from Oxnard leapt into their sleek F-89D. Simul- Air Force Base (AFB). taneously, 1Lt. Richard Hurliman and The crews were ordered 1Lt. Walter Hale climbed into a second to shoot down the rogue drone before it could See Battle cause any harm. Armed with wingtip-mounted Continued on page 9 INSIDE Edwards Air Force Base ... 2 PRESSURE! .................... 6 Color of Aviation ............ 10 Fly like an Airline Pilot ... 3 Fly It Forward ................. 9 Young Eagles................... 14 A Visit to Edwards Air Force Base By: Gene Nora Jessen the sound barrier was on hand for the celebration. We even saw the loading Lt. Col Kathy Hughes, MD, came pit where his “Glamorous Glennis” X-1 to Boise about ten years ago as a Flight rocket plane had been attached to the Surgeon for the Air National guard, and B-29 mother ship. while here, she also piloted the A-10 Warthog. After graduating from the Air Edwards is a flight test center Force Academy, she entered flight located in California, which includes school, then medical school, and later, the prestigious U.S. Air Force Test Pilot of course, the Idaho Ninety-Nines School and where virtually all military recruited her. Kathy owns property airplanes strut their stuff—they’re also near Council, including a hangar for known to do some research for general their Beech Debonair, so we know that aviation airplanes as well. The base is some day she and her family will return 481 square miles in size and includes to Idaho—permanently. multiple runways of both hard surface General Yeager (white hat) and dry lakebed. Base Commander, Now the 95th Aerospace Medicine Brigadier General Nolan, treated us to Squadron Commander, Kathy lives at often thought of inviting her fellow a display of some of their handiwork. Edwards along with her airline pilot Ninety Nines to visit, so when Edwards We saw, up close and personal, the husband Paul and two sons. She has planned to celebrate the 60th anniversary T-38, F-16, F-35—of which there are of the Air Force Flight Test Center, six on the base, and an F-22 with Col. The Rudder Flutter is published by the Idaho Division including a salute to the Space Shuttle, of Aeronautics, Office of Safety and Education. Articles Dawn Dunlop, the Test Wing appearing in this publication are the opinion of the the opportunity finally presented itself. Commander’s name, painted on the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Staff, the Administrator, or the Department. All So, Bob and I, Petra and Russ Vawter, side. (We girls were compelled to reasonable attempts are made to ensure the accuracy and Mary Ann and Steve Richards cheer.) There was a flyable B-1, an of the articles contained herein. The Rudder Flutter is published quarterly. All articles must be submitted to accepted Kathy’s offer and traveled from X-47B (a Navy robot intended to fly off this office for review. Idaho to join the festivities. Bob and I aircraft carriers), a KC-135, a Global had tried to get through the Edwards Hawk (unmanned reconnaissance gate to visit their museum once before vehicle), and a Navy A-3. Over at NASA many years ago. Bob had hoped that his Dryden we saw the X-29, F-104 and Idaho Transportation Department 1943 WWII Army Air Corps ID dating the SR-71, as well as other exotic Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter airplanes. We Director Brian Ness Administrator John “JV” DeThomas were in overload. We also made it Aeronautics Advisory Board over to Mojave Chairman Rodger Sorensen Air and Space Members Chip Kemper, Dan Scott, Port for the “Just and Mark Sweeney Plane Crazy” fly- Division of Aeronautics in on Saturday 3483 Rickenbacker St., Boise, ID 83705 morning. After a Website: http://www.itd.idaho.gov, Ph: 208.334.8775 very tasty Rudder Flutter Editor: Frank Lester Email: [email protected] breakfast at the Assistant Editors: Tammy Schoen airport café, we Email: [email protected]; Laura had the pleasure Adams, Email: [email protected] of seeing more Graphic Design: Pauline Davis Kathy and her A-10 Email: [email protected] one-of-a-kind back to his B-29 and B-17 days would airplanes, and we also ran into some help us gain entrance, but no joy. This local Ninety-Nines. time, though, Kathy was there to see that the gate was opened for all of us. A side trip into history, away from marvels of modern flight, but very Enthusiasts and gawkers alike special to us Ninety-Nines, was our crowded the base in hopes of rubbing elbows with a real aviation legend. Chuck Yeager, the 89-year-old icon of See Edwards the first X-1 flight that broke through Continued on page 16 Page 2 Rudder Flutter How can GA pilots reach safer skies? Fly like an airline pilot. By: Mike Pape hyperventilates over a gallon of $6 gas. 4. Fly boring—flying a commercial Director of Flight Operations But beyond the initial comparison, I jet from one major airport to another have identified five ways a GA pilot can can reach a level of mind-numbing It has never been a better time to improve their level of safety by simply routine. But routine or not, that’s the fly on an airline. emulating the airline pilot. passenger seat we want our family members sitting in. An airliner is flown Ok, let’s briefly forget the baggage 1. Increase your proficiency—while in the rock solid center of the flight fees, cramped seats, and poor service. an airline pilot expects to fly nearly 100 envelope 99% of the time. Approaching Those complaints aside, there is no hours a month, too many GA pilots fly aircraft limitations, steep banks and denying one significant fact: there has less than that in a year. The skills of high speeds should be left to the air never been a safer mode of piloting any airplane, large or small, are racers, not to airliners and not to GA transportation in the history of the world complex and require plenty of repetition pilots. than that of a major U.S. airline. to master. Practice makes perfect. 5. Think, act, and work like a real Airlines in 2011 achieved a new 2. Schedule a flight with a CFI—an professional—this may be the most record low rate of passenger fatalities, airline pilot will be highly tested at least important attribute we can steal from only two deaths for every 100 million annually. Why not set a similar goal of the airline pilot. Eight-five percent of passengers. A related MIT study reported adding a rating, receiving a flight review GA accidents are caused by the failure that commercial flying is now 65 times or completing a phase of the FAA’s to manage risk. A simple change in safer than driving a car. WINGS program as often? Commit attitude can make the greatest difference yourself to constant improvement so of all. On the other side of the airport you will remain sharp.
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