Langley AFB celebrates F-22A Raptor's initial operational capability

AirForce ^

[MARKUSPRIME]

1/13/2006 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- The 1st Fighter Wing held a ceremony here today to celebrate the F-22A Raptor's initial operational capability.

The event comes after the 27th Fighter Squadron was officially declared IOC on Dec. 15 by Gen. Ronald E. Keys, commander of Air Combat Command.

The IOC declaration proves the F-22A is mission ready. The base now has 19 Raptors.

[MARKUSPRIME]

Good news we have over 60 Raptors throughout the nation now. Langley is a great AFB.Glad they got a Raptor sqaudron patroling the DC area.

[Global2010]

What was Langley AFB named after?

[carumba]

How many Hurricanes and Spitfires did UK have for the battle of Britain? Does not sound like much to me. I suppose that any potential enemy has fewer than 60 aircraft capable of posing a threat to our nation.

[nwrep]

What good is a thread like this without pictures?

[ovrtaxt]

This is prime aircraft porn material.

WHERE ARE THE PIX !!???

[Blueflag]

Just like we do for Ann Coulter, we need to have a picture rule for Raptors.

Certain aircraft just deserve pix -- F4U Gullwing Corsairs, F-14Cs, (swept-wing) B1-Bs and Raptors.

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/f-22-19990601-f-0000l-001.jpg

[Blueflag]

I still don't know how to post a friggin pic.

Such a noob.

[ovrtaxt]

[Blueflag]

[ovrtaxt]

[capt. norm]

We have had raptors here in the FL Panhandle (Tyndall AFB) for quite some time now. It's a great sight to see a pair of them flying over, but it isn't that common as I think they do most of their flying over the Gulf.

[Global2010]

Wow
Picture perfect

[ovrtaxt]

http://www.defence.co.kr/weaponbook/wimage/movie/f22-aim120.mov

[Lucky Dog]

What was Langley AFB named after?

As I recall, Langley AFB was named for Samuel P. Langley. He was a contemporary of the Wright brothers and a competitor in attempting to be the first to achieve heavier-than-air, manned flight. Obviously, he failed to come in first. However, his efforts initially got much more press and elelvated the concept in the public perception.

[ovrtaxt]

http://f22fighter.taxsos.com/movies.htm

I found a bunch of movies here.

[ken5050]

We're looking at the best, and the LAST manned combat plane that we will ever build..

[Global2010]

That is what I thought but I wasn't sure.

[RoadTest]

"What was Langley AFB named after?"

A man who was also working on a heavier-than-air craft at the time Wilbur and Orville Wright were.

[Blueflag]

I think you are right. The next generation of BOMBER aircraft will certainly be crewless. The B-2 has a crew of 2 for no apparent REAL purpose (with today's technologies). CAS (as opposed to loiter-snoop-and-shoot like a Predator or Global HAwk) will likely long require a human in the driver's seat to do target acquisition, discrimination and authentication -- i.e., make sure we actually shoot the bad guys the grunts need us to shoot. Interdiction missions, strategic bombing even furballs will likely be done best by unmanned airframes. e.g., the F-18 is roll-restricted in the fly-by-wire system because the airframe can generate and withstand roll rates fast enough to incapacitate the pilot. Future fighters will be dizzingly maneuverable because they don;t have to worry about keeping a pilot alive.

Points to a different future for kids in video games too! It just might be that Red Flag exercises will soon look like a LAN party for Counterstrike ;-)

[barkeep]

Before we purge piloted craft completely, consider situations where older might be better. Heard one felloew on the radio warning of the effect of an EMP burst disabling everything from commo to cars. Well, thinks me, maybe not so much, I will still be puttering about in my propane powered early 70's hard-wired ignition pickup.

Generally, I agree. Airframe capability has exceeded pilot endurance for a long time now.