Rio Air Force - 2nd Lt. Anthony D. Wentz, 23, Falcon, Colo. The accident raised many questions, but few answers. Courtesy of the US Air Force
Unfortunately, this old truth came true again on November 19 when another T-38C Talon trainer crashed on the runway at Laughlin AFB near Del Rio.
Rio Air Force
The accident was reported by Air Force Lt. Anthony D. Killed Wentz, 23, of Falcon, Colo. And two more people were injured. One was treated and released from Val Verde Regional Medical Center in Del Rio, while the other remains in critical condition at Brooke Military Medical Center.
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The tragedy shows the courage and sacrifices of those who protect our country. An important way to show public respect for your service is to pay attention, ask questions, and demand transparency.
We've been paying attention and have seen the Air Force release some details about the Laughlin crash. Express-News reported that the service does not reveal anything as simple as a plane landing or taking off.
The move is yet another example of the military's slow slide into the dark side of its response to other threats.
This reluctance runs counter to the Army's principle of "maximum disclosure, minimum delay" and the Air Force's principle of "revealing undisclosed facts about the mission the aircraft is performing" and what the crew was doing in the event of an accident.
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"Describe the purpose of the flight," the service's public guidelines say, and provide as many facts about the mission as possible if safety permits.
Laughlin and his staff — the aviation education and training team at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph — have so far failed to do so.
Basic training is unclassified, so why hide the landing or takeoff of the aircraft and not just the other information? When asked, Laughlin and an AETC representative said the incident was under investigation.
The Laughlin crash is similar to a crash two years ago, on Nov. 21, 2019, at Vance AFB, Okla. land almost at once. The instructor, Lt. Col. John "Matt" Kincaid, 47, and his student pilot, 2nd Lt. Travis Wilkie, died in the crash.
People From Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, Del Rio, Texas, Ciudad Acuna, Mexico And Surrounding Community Gathered Together For The 2018 Fiesta Of Flight Open House And Airshow, Laughlin Air Force Base,
An Air Force investigation report pointed to pilot error, and after an outcry from the family, the service eventually aborted the landing.
People can better understand accidents when people quickly disseminate background information. However, when word gets out, the rumor mill spins faster.
Not saying anything because the truth is uncomfortable or inconvenient is a breach of trust and affects trust. The Air Force's silence on the Laughlin crash is a reminder that government agencies must be transparent and accountable to maintain public trust. Lack of information only encourages speculation.
The Defense Department's information guidelines state that "information will not be classified or withheld to protect the government from criticism or embarrassment."
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The truth about the Laughlin crash will come out with an Air Force Accident Investigation Board report, but that process could take months.
Since 2017, five T-38 fighter jets have claimed the lives of eight pilots. At least three non-fatal accidents occurred during the same period. The 60-year-old aircraft is expected to be replaced by the T-7A Red Hawk starting in 2023.
In every community, and especially one like the San Antonio area, where T-38s fly over thousands of people almost every day, the Air Force has transparency.
We need an army to organize, train and equip forces to defend the country. We don't need it to protect us from the truth. The Cold War at home explains why US Navy F-14 pilots had to be trained to "do things" to fly in the back seat of a non-RIO Tomcat.
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US Navy pilots explain why they must be trained to "do some tricks" to fly in the back seat of a non-RIO Tomcat.
While the F-14 pilots have flight controls in the front seat, the Tomcat Radar Interceptor (RIO) has a lot of things only in the back seat.
The F-14 Tomcat was designed as both an air superiority fighter and a long-range maritime interceptor, allowing it to serve as an escort aircraft during service. The Sparrow missile, when equipped, served as a deterrent to fleet air defenses. With the Phoenix Rockets.
The F-14 is designed with a two-seater cockpit with a bridge canopy that allows the crew to assist in air combat. The roof is wide and equipped with four mirrors.
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While only the pilot controls the flight in the front seat, there are many things that only happen in the back seat of the radar interceptor officer (RIO).
Given these facilities, whether the Tomcat is capable of flying with a civilian passenger in the rear seat of the RIO, as two-seat F-15s and F-16s can fly, is in the WSO cockpit.
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"The back seat is not just another ejection seat where the pilot has to do some things to fly," Chuck Hunter, a former F-14 pilot, told Quora. 'Before we get there, all the people flying in the planes have to be trained on the exhausts, the oxygen systems and the other equipment they wear. Most of the time the reality is very simple and there is a lot of "THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN". This applies to the F-15, F-16 and F-14.
Us Air Force Capt. Karen Brown, A T 38 Talon Instructor Pilot With The 87th Flying Training Squadron, Laughlin Air Force Base, Del Rio, Texas, Performs A Preflight Check Of The Aircraft Prior
The 'F-14's rear seat has no flight controls, but has split duties. The pilot has to do the RIO or guest OBC (Aircraft Check), which involves a lot of preparation for the flight and can only be done from the back seat. The rear seat should also have an IMU, and finally an inertial system, then a weapon system (you can go without multiple weapon systems). There is a switch that needs to be pushed to activate the Outboard Spoiler system. You can't run on deck for long without overheating, so it's done before launch.
'If it's just a trip, you can get in the air afterwards, but the pilot has to work the back seat to fight the plane.
'I've brought non-RIOs from flight attendants to flight surgeons, and while we've shown them more, they've had at least as much to learn. I still remember trying to talk to the flight surgeon about a particular fracture site while on the catapult because it was a problem. It still took a minute or two, but we were on the plane.
'Yes, there's a lot of stuff in the back seat, including some power switches. You also need the RIO to power the weapon system and inertial system. However, you can start the jet, close the hood, and land on a silent jet, for some reason. I can't think of any real-world situations where you have to do it without putting it in the backseat.
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A stick in the back seat does not make the plane fly. It's like a mouse for a weapon system. It controls the cursor on the screen and can move the position of radar and TCS (Television Camera System) etc. Pulling the trigger is similar to clicking to place things or close things.
Can the F-14 be flown without the RIO (or any of the aforementioned seats)?
John Chessier, a former US Navy F-14 Tomcat pilot, said on Quora: “If a transponder is needed, it's possible, but not legal.
'RIO is the only person who can always turn on and control the transponder in question. We used to laugh about it when we were pilots. RIOs had a large voice in the development of the F-14. It makes it difficult to fly without them, which we think we can do with the F-4. '
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Dario Leone Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the founder and editor of The Aviation Geek Club, one of the most widely read military aviation blogs in the world. His writing has appeared in the National Interest and other media outlets. He reported from Europe and flew Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.
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