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Posted on 05/08/2002 5:20:57 PM PDT by balrog666
TWO TRAINING PLANES FROM N-A-S PENSACOLA COLLIDED THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO.
IT'S LIKELY ALL *SEVEN* PEOPLE ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT WERE KILLED.
RESCUE CREWS ARE NOW ON THE SCENE OF THIS AFTERNOON'S MISHAP.
THEY'VE LOCATED DEBRIS FROM THE PLANES ABOUT 4O-TO-50 MILES SOUTH OF PENSACOLA BEACH.
BUT HAVE NOT FOUND ANY BODIES.
THE TWO T-39'S WERE ON A ROUTINE TRAINING MISSION. THEY CRASHED ABOUT THREE-THIRTY THIS AFTERNOON... THAT'S WHEN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL LOST RADAR CONTACT WITH BOTH PLANES.
SO, IT'S ASSUMED THEY COLLIDED.
THE T-39 SABRELINER IS BASICALLY A MILITARY-MODIFIED BUSINESS JET.
A PILOT.. AN INSTRUCTOR AND TWO STUDENTS CAN FLY IN THEM DURING TRAINING.
THERE WERE FOUR PEOPLE ONBOARD ONE PLANE AND THREE ONBOARD THE OTHER.
THE AIRCRAFT ARE ASSIGNED TO TRAINING AIRWING SIX. CAPTAIN CHAUNCE MITCHELL RECENTLY TOOK OVER AS THE COMMANDER OF THAT AIRWING.
WE SPOKE WITH HIM ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF FLIGHT TRAINING.
Capt. Chaunce Mitchell/TRAWING 6 CMDR: "Thinking at 600 miles per minute, but also being able to navigate the airplane, communicate as you need to, aviate the airplane and when you get to the fleet - operate the weapons systems and do that effectively is probably where the challenge is."
THE AIRCRAFT ARE UNDER AIRWING 6 - AND ASSIGNED TO TRAINING SQUADRON EIGHTY-SIX.
THAT TRAINING SQUADRON RECENTLY CELEBRATED TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF MISHAP-FREE FLYING. THE LONGEST STREAK IN NAVAL AVIATION HISTORY.
IS THERE ANY CHANCE THAT THE AVIATORS SURVIVED?
I HATE TO SAY THERE'S NO CHANCE. BUT THE T-39S DO NOT HAVE EJECTION SEATS...
SO RIGHT NOW.. N-A-S PENSACOLA IS ASSUMING THEY'VE LOST SEVEN PEOPLE FROM ONE OF THE MOST ADVANCED AND TALENTED TRAINING SQUADRONS IN THE NAVY.
Amen,..........More Grace and Mercy,..........InJesus' Name, Amen!!!
Simulating a bomber/attack aircraft formation? IOW, they may have been the "targets" for some exercise involving fighers or even ships. Just speculation of course.
Sir, I recognize your experience. Can you explain to this ignorant one why these two aircraft would be flying so close to each other?
Um........not to split hairs over such a tragedy, but...........I know a little about the T-39 and it's not capable of anywhere near such speeds. Nothing unclassified is. 'Nuff said.
I almost responded to waterdragon, but I could not post a reply that would not have demeaned the 7 dead. I was not a pilot, but two of MY pilots bit a mountain in Europe on what was an orientation flight for me, and a standard training flight for them.DOWNED AIRMAN PLEASE REPLY is a phrase that will haunt me to my death.I knew them both, and their families.I am probably the only person who has turned down F-15 rides.I have been civilian for many years, but the pilots of the USAF will always be MY pilots.And it always hurts when they go down.War or Training.To ask their sex or race as a condition of compassion is vile IMHO.
The aircraft fly out and return in formation to the training areas over the water for the radar intercept training.
I suspect that the accident occured during an intercept or rendezvous in marginal weather conditions.
A former BN's humble $0.02 worth.
But I've also been reading lately about the efforts of the Clinton administration, the diversity kooks, to use the military as a social experimentation laboratory, and that question did come to mind.
Demonizing me for merely asking a question is what liberals do to the entire country all the time. There is one post here that addresses my question, and I'm grateful for information provided in that response. The rest seem to delight in attacking me for merely asking.
TRAWING SIX graduates approximately 600 USN, USMC, USAF, and international students annually. Germany (the largest international contingent), Italy, Saudi Arabia, Norway, Singapore, and Denmark represent about ten percent of the total. Like their U.S. counterparts, international students can be found in each training pipeline.
More: Training Air Wing Six
There is no dumbing down of standards for women pilots.
YGBSM!!!
As a former USN aviator (9 years), and an instructor, I can say that your statement may be wishful thinking, but is utter BS. Standards for women are reduced at every step in the progression from civilian to aviatrix, and mission commander qualifications.
The examples of the military, especially the USN, pandering to women aviators is legion. Perhaps you should retain your credibility and stay away from reciting the standard USN BS.
Sad day, however.
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