F-22 Stealth Fighter Cover-up?

Whistle-blower retaliation by the Air Force...
:mad:
Lawyer: Second pilot was pulled from F-22 after interview on safety issues
May 2, 2014 — A second F-22 Raptor pilot who spoke publicly about safety issues with the fighter jet was barred from flying the plane not long after appearing on national television two years ago, his attorney said Thursday.
The revelation came the same day that U.S. Sen. Mark Warner and an Illinois congressman pressed Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to speed up what is now a two-year-long investigation into whether the Virginia Air National Guard pilots were wrongly punished for appearing on CBS's "60 Minutes" program in May 2012. Maj. Jeremy Gordon and Capt. Joshua Wilson, both assigned to the Guard's 149th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, described how the plane's defective oxygen system was endangering pilots, noting that many aviators were not willing to speak publicly for fear of reprisals. The men were treated differently in the spring of 2012 and in the months that followed the broadcast.

Gordon, 38, a fighter jet combat veteran, now does not fly the F-22 but remains in the squadron, flying a T-38 trainer jet. Attorney Rick Morgan, who represents both pilots, said Thursday that it wasn't Gordon's decision in May or June 2012 to stop flying the F-22. "Maj. Gordon indicated to his leadership that he wished to return to the F-22 and was advised that they were not prepared to return him to that airplane," Morgan said. Gordon did not face formal disciplinary action. Gordon, who has declined to be interviewed, was considered to be among the more seasoned F-22 pilots in the squadron. A 1998 Air Force Academy graduate, he holds several commendations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, stemming from his duties as an F-16 pilot in the Iraq War. He had been flying the F-22 since 2006 while a full-time aviator before switching to the Air National Guard in 2009. The Air Force made at least one attempt last year to get him back into its premier plane. Gen. Mark Welsh III, the Air Force chief of staff, who, like Gordon, began his career as an F-16 pilot, telephoned Gordon in 2013 to ask whether he wanted to fly the F-22 again, according to a source familiar with the conversation. Gordon declined.

Meanwhile, Wilson has said he's fighting to get his career back. He also is a former F-16 pilot whose goal has been to eventually become a full-time F-22 aviator. Wilson requested a Defense Department Inspector General investigation in early 2012, claiming he was the focus of punitive actions that included stopping a planned promotion and initiating a review of his flight status that prevents him from flying in the interim. He's still assigned to the squadron but hasn't flown an F-22 since early 2012. Air National Guard leaders said they won't resolve his personnel issues until the investigation is complete. Wilson, who has been grounded for two years, has seen his income plummet. His Air National Guard commander withdrew permission in 2012 to allow Wilson to work a full-time desk job at the Air Combat Command at Langley. The loss of that job, as well as F-22 flight pay, meant Wilson's military paycheck dropped to about $10,000 a year from about $100,000, said U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican and Air National Guard pilot who has been an advocate for the two aviators.

Kinzinger and Warner reiterated Thursday that Wilson has wrongly been retaliated against for pressing for fixes to a faulty oxygen system that was endangering pilots. In the past two years, the Air Force has spent millions installing a new backup system and other equipment meant to address the concern. Warner said there's been no indication when the inspector general's inquiry might be completed but noted that usually, personnel-related investigations take months. "Two years should be more than enough time," he said. Cotton Puryear, a Virginia National Guard spokesman, said he could not comment on Gordon or actions pending against Wilson. "Everything is hold until the IG investigation is complete - as long as it's done right," Puryear said. "We don't want it rushed."

http://www.stripes.com/news/us/lawy...-22-after-interview-on-safety-issues-1.281156
 
Let's see the F-22 was cancelled because it's 133 Million dollar cost per aircraft was considered way to much for one aircraft. So the DOD decides to come up with the brilliant plan to make a lower cost "one size fits all" aircraft called the F-35 only problem is it ended up costing 135 million per aircraft and now we get "oh well" and if you are in the USMC and are getting the B version your paying 195 million for what can be argued as an aircraft that is so vanilla that it under performs in every envelope it was meant to perform in and in some cases is outperformed by current generation aircraft. While its a shame the USAF took it upon themselves to shelve the careers of the two Officers who might have saved a lot of lives rather than look at it as a positive, in the end these men did a great service to the nation and the Air Force by fixing an issue that was costing lives.
 
Mebbe the Pentagon has developed a jet beyond the capabilities of humans...

Scientists Develop Quick Way for Pilots to Detect Hypoxia Symptoms
Oct 31, 2015 - Researchers with the U.S. Air Force may have found a way to detect hypoxia in pilots in real-time during flights by measuring volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, in their breath, according to a new study.
Hypoxia is a deficiency of oxygen reaching the tissues. A sudden loss of cabin pressure, speeding up the lack of oxygen flowing through the body, could result in a pilot losing consciousness before being able to take actions in the cockpit for both passengers and to keep the plane in the air. Researchers at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base think an automatic system may be able to detect hypoxia based on pilot's breath, allowing either the pilot or systems on the plane to take action.

raptor-with-vapes.jpg

"Despite the myriad of advances in aerospace technology, many modern, high-performance aircraft still rely on the pilot to recognize the symptoms of hypoxia in order to initiate appropriate procedures in the event of a malfunction," said Dr. Claude Grigsby, a technical advisor in the Human Signatures Branch in the 711th Human Performance Wing, in a press release. "This research provides the basis for both the utility of exhaled breath monitoring to monitor for hypoxia as well as targets for future solid state senor development." The researchers worked with eight pilots, simulating a "fairly standard" hypoxic event while in flight. The volunteer participants were exposed to five minutes of reduced oxygen levels to simulate higher altitudes, and then were given five minutes of oxygen "recovery," a typical in-flight response to the condition.

For each of the participants, VOC levels were measured before and after the simulated hypoxia and recovery, as well as every minute during the simulations. Although the results showed VOC levels drop after a hypoxic event, researchers are unsure how this works. "We are working to better understand hypoxic episodes mechanistically to validate our findings and to improve our non-invasive chemical sensing platforms," said Dr. Sean Harshman, a research scientist in the 711th Human Performance Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. "Our future and ongoing studies seek to confirm the data presented in this manuscript, develop a flight worthy chemical sensor, and begin further mechanistic studies of respiratory hypoxia." The study is published in the Journal of Breath Research.

Scientists Develop Quick Way for Pilots to Detect Hypoxia Symptoms | Military.com
 
Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The F-22 is currently being upgraded with a backup oxygen system, software upgrades and oxygen sensors to address the frequent oxygen deprivation issues and normalize operations.[99] In 2013, the faulty flight vest valves were replaced and altitude restrictions lifted; distance restrictions will be lifted once a backup oxygen system is installed.[100] In April 2014 the USAF stated in Congressional testimony that installation of automatic backup oxygen systems on the F-22 fleet would be completed within twelve months.[101]

All F-22s To Have Backup Oxygen Systems Within 12 Months

Most of the current backup oxygen systems in the F-22 fleet require activation by the pilot, which might not be possible in the case of extreme hypoxia-like symptoms, such as a pilot blacking out.

Lt. Gen. Charles Davis, the military deputy in the office of assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, said in testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee that it has been more than 24 months since the last hypoxia-like incident occurred. And since the F-22 returned to flight in September 2011, it has averaged about 26,000 flying hours a year.


Installed a freaking oxygen valve that fails at higher altitudes.............probably tested at ground level..............Our expert Gov't at work..........
 
Automatic oxygen backups installed in F-22's...
fingerscrossed.gif

New Technology Aims to Track Hypoxia-Like Symptoms in Fighter Pilots
Jul 15, 2016 | A British company is teaming up with the Air Force to design a system that could assess and even treat hypoxia-like symptoms in pilots before they become a threat.
Executives with Cobham Plc said the company is in the early stages of development with a system that could monitor a pilot's breathing, metabolic and physiological state and more by means of unobtrusive sensors mounted onto the pilot's breathing hose and mask. Rob Schaeffer, product director for environmental systems at Cobham, told Military.com that the product development was in response to a request for proposals from the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. Cobham already builds the on-board oxygen generation systems used in F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and other fighter aircraft. The request for proposals follows a troubling series of incidents in recent years. In 2011, the Air Force grounded its fleet of F-22 Raptors in order to investigate a pattern of pilot blackouts and other hypoxia-like symptoms. The force ultimately installed automatic oxygen backups in the aircraft.

More recently, Breaking Defense reported an uptick in "physiological events" indicative of oxygen deprivation symptoms for Navy F/A-18 Hornet pilots over the last five years. Schaeffer emphasized that the root causes of these problems is not known, and hypoxia is only a hypothesis. The system now under development, he said, could isolate the root causes and generate data to help researchers determine when the problem occurs and how best to fix it. While the current model of the system is platform-agnostic, linking in to a pilot's breathing apparatus, Cobham is also evaluating a platform-specific design that would be built into the aircraft. "If you have a sensor like this, what we'd like to do is integrate this into the aircraft and make this an automated backup oxygen system," said Stuart Buckley, Cobham's senior director of business development and sales.

Cobham plans to deliver airworthy hardware to the Air Force by April 2017 for testing according to the service's flight protocols that would demonstrate the sensors' ability to collect pilot data and download it at the end of flight. While there is no formal agreement with the Navy regarding the project, Schaeffer said the service is aware of it. "We have participated in many briefings with [U.S. Naval Air Systems Command] and the Office of Naval Research, and there is a high degree of interest," he said. The final solution could analyze pilot health in flight far beyond oxygen levels: Schaeffer said the company was looking at building in electrocardiogram capability and assessing factors like Gs pulled, climbing altitude, temperature, humidity and pressure to isolate causes of hypoxia-like incidents in order to solve the problem. "If I can help the government find the root cause, I've got a better chance to solve the problem," Buckley said.

New Technology Aims to Track Hypoxia-Like Symptoms in Fighter Pilots | Military.com
 
F-18 and EA18G's affected too?...
icon_omg.gif

Cockpit Hypoxia 'Number One Safety Issue' for Naval Aviation
Aug 19, 2016 | The U.S. Navy has yet to solve a troubling pattern of hypoxia-like symptoms in the cockpit among pilots of F/A-18 Hornet variants and EA-18G Growler aircraft, and the head of naval aviation said this week that resolving the dangerous problem is his top safety priority.
Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, the commander of Naval Air Forces, told an audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies this week that Marine Corps and Navy aviation leaders were pushing forward with a multi-pronged approach that included better training for pilots and a close analysis of apparent problems with the onboard oxygen generation system. "Where cabin pressurization has issues, we've adjusted the warnings we get in the cockpit and adjusted the emergency procedures for how we respond to various scenarios," Shoemaker said. "We've been out to the fleet to talk about how to test, how the maintainers work and maintain those systems."

Incidents of reported oxygen loss, cockpit depressurization and air contamination among Navy and Marine Corps pilots have steeply risen in recent years. Navy Times reported in May that 2015 had seen the highest number of these kind of reports in at least six years, with 103 reported Navy incidents and 12 reported Marine Corps incidents. Since 2009, the paper reported, there have been 424 hypoxia-related incidents reported by Navy pilots and 47 by Marine Corps pilots. Shoemaker suggested that the bump in reporting could actually be a function of heightened awareness, rather that more incidents occurring. "So guys are going back and saying, 'Look, there's nothing wrong with reporting this.' We need to make sure we understand all the failure modes. So I think we're doing a good job of that," he said.

hornet-pilot-600x400.jpg

An F/A-18C Hornet pilot climbs into the cockpit of his aircraft in preparation for operations off the deck of the USS Enterprise.​

In the fleet, he said, pilots in training now spend time in aircraft simulators in which oxygen levels are gradually degraded so they can learn to identify the symptoms associated with hypoxia. Navy leaders have also spoken with pilots to draw attention to the problem and encourage them to make reports, he said. On the engineering side, NAVAIR personnel are working to better understand the onboard oxygen generation system and potential problems. "There are some contaminants in the system that we're still struggling with a little bit, but the engineers are figuring out ways to filter and identify that," Shoemaker said. Shoemaker said the Navy expected to introduce a new technology to the fleet soon that would "scrub" the air delivered to the cockpit and remove these kinds of contaminants. And to address cabin pressurization problems, he said, engineers have adjusted cockpit warnings and emergency response procedures to alert pilots to issues sooner and give them more time to respond.

In July, executives with Cobham Plc., the maker of the Super Hornet's onboard oxygen generation system, told Military.com the company is also developing a system with input from the Air Force and Navy that would monitor pilots' breathing and other physical indicators to alert them to potential cockpit oxygen issues sooner. "We're putting a full court press on this," Shoemaker said of efforts to address the cockpit problems. "It is our number one safety issue. [But] with awareness across the fleet and the importance of just understanding emergency procedures and complying with those, I think it's manageable."

Cockpit Hypoxia 'Number One Safety Issue' for Naval Aviation | Military.com
 
Similar to F-22 problem...
confused.gif

F-35s Grounded at Luke AFB After Pilots Report Hypoxia-Like Symptoms
9 Jun 2017 | The Air Force has grounded all F-35 Joint Strike Fighters at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, after pilots complained of hypoxia-related issues, officials said Friday.
"The 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, canceled local flying operations today for F-35A Lightning II aircraft due to a series of five incidents in which pilots have experienced hypoxia-like symptoms," Air Force spokesman Capt. Mark Graff said in an email. A total of 48 aircraft and 49 pilots are affected by the temporary stand-down, according to Maj. Rebecca Heyse, a spokeswoman for the base. "Flying operations are planned to resume Monday, June 12," she said in an email. The incident is "limited to Luke" at this time, meaning other bases aren't affected by the order, Graff said.

Since May 2, five F-35A pilots have experienced "physiological incidents while flying," according to the statement from Heyse. In each case, the aircraft's backup oxygen system kicked in and the pilot followed the correct procedures to land safely, it stated. "In order to synchronize operations and maintenance efforts toward safe flying operations, we have canceled local F-35A flying," Brig. Gen. Brook Leonard, 56th Fighter Wing commander, said in the statement. "The Air Force takes these physiological incidents seriously, and our focus is on the safety and well-being of our pilots. We are taking the necessary steps to find the root cause of these incidents."

f35-luke-afb-1500-ts600.jpg

Brig. Gen. Scott Pleus, the 56th Fighter Wing commander, lands the flagship F-35 Lightning ll at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.​

The Air Force on Friday contacted other F-35 squadrons and international partners operating the aircraft to educate pilots on the incident, according to the statement from Graff. Graff didn't say whether B or C model variants, flown by the Navy and Marine Corps, have experienced similar problems. The issue of military pilots suffering hypoxia-like symptoms -- shortness of breath, confusion, wheezing -- isn't limited to the F-35 fleet. Pilots flying the F-22 Raptor fifth-generation stealth jet experienced hypoxia symptoms on various occasions between 2008 and 2012. One pilot died as a result, and one had a near-death scare, with dozens more pilots experiencing confusion and disorientation while flying, according to an ABC News investigation at the time.

Then-Pentagon spokesman George Little said investigators found the cause to be a faulty valve in the high-pressure vest worn by the pilots at extreme altitude, which was restricting their ability to breathe. More recently, the Navy went so far as to equip the aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush with specialized equipment called a transportable recompression system, or hyperbaric chamber, amid a review of physiological episodes affecting pilots who flew the T-45 trainer and the F/A-18 Hornet. Graff couldn't say whether the F-35 and T-45 incidents are somehow connected.

MORE
 
During WW2 they had a full proof method for working out design flaws and taking care of fighters that were hard to fly. They gave them to the Marines. The Corsair was one.
more like "impossible to fly" as the pilot needs to breathe

What makes it worse, as Trump pointed- out, is the exorbitant cost of these planes
 
During WW2 they had a full proof method for working out design flaws and taking care of fighters that were hard to fly. They gave them to the Marines. The Corsair was one.
more like "impossible to fly" as the pilot needs to breathe

What makes it worse, as Trump pointed- out, is the exorbitant cost of these planes
Trump has been harping on F-35......F-22 was stopped to sbaotouge our forces and substitute crappy overpriced f-35 whose repalcement is alrdy on the drawing board it is such a failure
 
During WW2 they had a full proof method for working out design flaws and taking care of fighters that were hard to fly. They gave them to the Marines. The Corsair was one.
more like "impossible to fly" as the pilot needs to breathe

What makes it worse, as Trump pointed- out, is the exorbitant cost of these planes
Trump has been harping on F-35......F-22 was stopped to sbaotouge our forces and substitute crappy overpriced f-35 whose repalcement is alrdy on the drawing board it is such a failure

You're right about the Trump F35 issue but doesn't mean the F22 is much better. Gates and McCain were right to point it out as Pork years ago. BTW- you serve? When? Where? :mad-61:

Just funnin' :p


3Xqz5MT.jpg
 
During WW2 they had a full proof method for working out design flaws and taking care of fighters that were hard to fly. They gave them to the Marines. The Corsair was one.
more like "impossible to fly" as the pilot needs to breathe

What makes it worse, as Trump pointed- out, is the exorbitant cost of these planes
Trump has been harping on F-35......F-22 was stopped to sbaotouge our forces and substitute crappy overpriced f-35 whose repalcement is alrdy on the drawing board it is such a failure

You're right about the Trump F35 issue but doesn't mean the F22 is much better. Gates and McCain were right to point it out as Pork years ago. BTW- you serve? When? Where? :mad-61:

Just funnin' :p


3Xqz5MT.jpg


F-22 flies higher faster futher and outmanuevers F-35 like the sled it is and bests the plane it replaces F-15 by wide margin
 
During WW2 they had a full proof method for working out design flaws and taking care of fighters that were hard to fly. They gave them to the Marines. The Corsair was one.
more like "impossible to fly" as the pilot needs to breathe

What makes it worse, as Trump pointed- out, is the exorbitant cost of these planes
Trump has been harping on F-35......F-22 was stopped to sbaotouge our forces and substitute crappy overpriced f-35 whose repalcement is alrdy on the drawing board it is such a failure

You're right about the Trump F35 issue but doesn't mean the F22 is much better. Gates and McCain were right to point it out as Pork years ago. BTW- you serve? When? Where? :mad-61:

Just funnin' :p


3Xqz5MT.jpg


F-22 flies higher faster futher and outmanuevers F-35 like the sled it is and bests the plane it replaces F-15 by wide margin
how much they cost TO THE TAXPAYER EACH? That was a rhetorical question.
 
During WW2 they had a full proof method for working out design flaws and taking care of fighters that were hard to fly. They gave them to the Marines. The Corsair was one.
more like "impossible to fly" as the pilot needs to breathe

What makes it worse, as Trump pointed- out, is the exorbitant cost of these planes
Trump has been harping on F-35......F-22 was stopped to sbaotouge our forces and substitute crappy overpriced f-35 whose repalcement is alrdy on the drawing board it is such a failure

The F-22 was stopped be because we only have X number dollars. It was a good choice considering the F-22 cannot be matched by any other Fighter in performance. The Upgrades to the F-15C and E keeps the newer F-15s able to take on anything except the F-22. This includes the SU-35.

Meanwhile, we need a all around fighter. The F-18 really can't do the job and the F-16 can't either in a contested area. Hence the need of the F-35.

Just remember, the F-22 AND the F-18 had the same problem. It turned out it was a faulty valve that has since been upgraded and replaced. The F-22 spends more of it's like at 50K or better so they also added an external breathing Oxy tank in case the main fails. It's just the F-35s turn to get the new stuff. At one time, both the F-22 AND the F-18 was grounded fleet wide until the problem was taken care of.

No big thing. Just teething problems. And can happen to even the older birds. Gremlins are real.
 
Granny says dey need to fix dat a-fore somebody conks out inna cockpit...
eek.gif

Air Force: No Clear Cause for F-35A Hypoxia-Related Problem
16 Jun 2017 | The revelation comes one week after the service grounded all 55 F-35A Lightning IIs at Luke Air Force Base.
The Air Force still hasn't determined what is causing pilots to experience oxygen deprivation symptoms at Luke Air Force Base, an official said Friday. The revelation comes one week after the service grounded all 55 F-35A Lightning IIs at the Arizona base and other previously undisclosed incidents have come to light. "We learned a lot from each other" over the past week, Brig. Gen. Brook Leonard, 56th Fighter Wing commander, told reporters during a call Friday, referencing ongoing maintenance and strategic initiatives the base has been working on since operations halted June 9. But "we did not find a specific cause that we could put our finger on and just fix and then all of a sudden return to flying with safe operations," said Leonard, an F-35 instructor pilot and former F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot.

The 56th Fighter Wing halted operations for all F-35As last week after pilots complained of hypoxia-related issues. But the base hopes it can return its F-35s to flight by Tuesday, Leonard said. Engineers, maintainers and aeromedical specialists, including officials from the aircraft's manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, have been on the case, he said. Without giving specifics, Leonard said, "We did eliminate a lot of areas" of what the causes could be regarding the maintenance or aircrew management side of operations that could cause physiological incidents. "The solution is going to be a very multi-layered human and machine solution," he said. "We're progressing toward that." On Thursday, Air Force officials disclosed to Military.com that there have been 15 reported F-35A in-flight and ground physiological events since April 2, 2011, including the most recent events at Luke.

f35a-fix-1800-ts600.jpg

Airman 1st Class Nkosi Jones 61st Aircraft Maintenance Unit weapons Airman, secures a panel while Staff Sgt. Martin De La Vara, 61st AMU crew chief, prepares to pull the chocks​

Leonard on Friday added that within that same timeframe, 23 cases have occurred across the Joint Strike Fighter fleet -- 15 Air Force models, three Marine Corps B models and five Navy C models. He said the other services' incidents occurred "some years back." In the 23 cases, 13 -- across all three models -- were discovered to have a root cause, the commander said. A defense official told Military.com on Friday those 13 were plagued by "pressure issues, contaminated oxygen and ground events." Ground events, for example, could be attributed to "lots of jets on a ramp, of which exhaust fumes may have played a role," the official said. The remaining 10 remain unexplained. "We may never arrive at a determination for some of these," the official said. As for recent events, which are limited to Luke, "Some are specific to the person," the defense official said. "How they were flying, at what altitude they were flying," among other variables could play a role, the official said.

Leonard said the hypoxia-like symptoms at Luke were linked to pilots flying at a particular altitude, but would not disclose specifics. The general said the Air Force hasn't ruled out that the issue could be linked to the On-Board Oxygen Generating System, known as OBOGS. "We do think the OBOGS system is not as robust as it can be; however, according to all our testing, it meets the minimum standard," he said. There are plans to modify the system, made by Honeywell, Leonard said, but he would not give details. "While that could be weakness in the OBOGS system … we did not find that a causal across the five instances," he said. Of the recent incidents, four jets belong to the U.S. Air Force and one to an international partner, Leonard said. Australia, Norway and Italy are currently training alongside the service at the base.

Avoiding Flight Envelopes
 
Granny says dey need to fix dat a-fore somebody conks out inna cockpit...
eek.gif

Air Force: No Clear Cause for F-35A Hypoxia-Related Problem
16 Jun 2017 | The revelation comes one week after the service grounded all 55 F-35A Lightning IIs at Luke Air Force Base.
The Air Force still hasn't determined what is causing pilots to experience oxygen deprivation symptoms at Luke Air Force Base, an official said Friday. The revelation comes one week after the service grounded all 55 F-35A Lightning IIs at the Arizona base and other previously undisclosed incidents have come to light. "We learned a lot from each other" over the past week, Brig. Gen. Brook Leonard, 56th Fighter Wing commander, told reporters during a call Friday, referencing ongoing maintenance and strategic initiatives the base has been working on since operations halted June 9. But "we did not find a specific cause that we could put our finger on and just fix and then all of a sudden return to flying with safe operations," said Leonard, an F-35 instructor pilot and former F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot.

The 56th Fighter Wing halted operations for all F-35As last week after pilots complained of hypoxia-related issues. But the base hopes it can return its F-35s to flight by Tuesday, Leonard said. Engineers, maintainers and aeromedical specialists, including officials from the aircraft's manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, have been on the case, he said. Without giving specifics, Leonard said, "We did eliminate a lot of areas" of what the causes could be regarding the maintenance or aircrew management side of operations that could cause physiological incidents. "The solution is going to be a very multi-layered human and machine solution," he said. "We're progressing toward that." On Thursday, Air Force officials disclosed to Military.com that there have been 15 reported F-35A in-flight and ground physiological events since April 2, 2011, including the most recent events at Luke.

f35a-fix-1800-ts600.jpg

Airman 1st Class Nkosi Jones 61st Aircraft Maintenance Unit weapons Airman, secures a panel while Staff Sgt. Martin De La Vara, 61st AMU crew chief, prepares to pull the chocks​

Leonard on Friday added that within that same timeframe, 23 cases have occurred across the Joint Strike Fighter fleet -- 15 Air Force models, three Marine Corps B models and five Navy C models. He said the other services' incidents occurred "some years back." In the 23 cases, 13 -- across all three models -- were discovered to have a root cause, the commander said. A defense official told Military.com on Friday those 13 were plagued by "pressure issues, contaminated oxygen and ground events." Ground events, for example, could be attributed to "lots of jets on a ramp, of which exhaust fumes may have played a role," the official said. The remaining 10 remain unexplained. "We may never arrive at a determination for some of these," the official said. As for recent events, which are limited to Luke, "Some are specific to the person," the defense official said. "How they were flying, at what altitude they were flying," among other variables could play a role, the official said.

Leonard said the hypoxia-like symptoms at Luke were linked to pilots flying at a particular altitude, but would not disclose specifics. The general said the Air Force hasn't ruled out that the issue could be linked to the On-Board Oxygen Generating System, known as OBOGS. "We do think the OBOGS system is not as robust as it can be; however, according to all our testing, it meets the minimum standard," he said. There are plans to modify the system, made by Honeywell, Leonard said, but he would not give details. "While that could be weakness in the OBOGS system … we did not find that a causal across the five instances," he said. Of the recent incidents, four jets belong to the U.S. Air Force and one to an international partner, Leonard said. Australia, Norway and Italy are currently training alongside the service at the base.

Avoiding Flight Envelopes

Agreed. They may do a temp fix in the meantime like they did with the F-22 and put a backup system with external tanks. The F-35A was never designed to fly at 50k feet nor do they want it there. If they keep it below 30K it may be okay. But if it needs to zoom to 50K it may need that backup system. It's a temp fix but it works and gets the F-35A back into the air while they iron out a real fix.
 
During WW2 they had a full proof method for working out design flaws and taking care of fighters that were hard to fly. They gave them to the Marines. The Corsair was one.
more like "impossible to fly" as the pilot needs to breathe

What makes it worse, as Trump pointed- out, is the exorbitant cost of these planes
Trump has been harping on F-35......F-22 was stopped to sbaotouge our forces and substitute crappy overpriced f-35 whose repalcement is alrdy on the drawing board it is such a failure

You're right about the Trump F35 issue but doesn't mean the F22 is much better. Gates and McCain were right to point it out as Pork years ago. BTW- you serve? When? Where? :mad-61:

Just funnin' :p


3Xqz5MT.jpg


F-22 flies higher faster futher and outmanuevers F-35 like the sled it is and bests the plane it replaces F-15 by wide margin
how much they cost TO THE TAXPAYER EACH? That was a rhetorical question.

The last run on the F-22 was right around 135 mil a copy. The more you make the cheaper it is. Unfortunately, the plant that it was made in is now making other things. I don't foresee them cranking up another run on the F-22 since it's replacement is on the drafting table.
 
During WW2 they had a full proof method for working out design flaws and taking care of fighters that were hard to fly. They gave them to the Marines. The Corsair was one.
more like "impossible to fly" as the pilot needs to breathe

What makes it worse, as Trump pointed- out, is the exorbitant cost of these planes
Trump has been harping on F-35......F-22 was stopped to sbaotouge our forces and substitute crappy overpriced f-35 whose repalcement is alrdy on the drawing board it is such a failure

You're right about the Trump F35 issue but doesn't mean the F22 is much better. Gates and McCain were right to point it out as Pork years ago. BTW- you serve? When? Where? :mad-61:

Just funnin' :p


3Xqz5MT.jpg


F-22 flies higher faster futher and outmanuevers F-35 like the sled it is and bests the plane it replaces F-15 by wide margin

That's good to hear. I imagine the Russians are worried on the F-22 considering the latest mods on the F-15 allows it to do better than head to head with the Russian SU-35. And the F-35A makes dog meat out of the F-15C/D/E. So, the F-35A isn't quite up to the F-22's standard. But, then again, what is? Nothing short of a Librician Death Ray.

BTW, in 1976, the same was being said about the F-15. Even today, the F-15SX and E are over 110 mil a copy. Politics shut down the F-22 Assembly line. Aren't you happy that the powers that be didn't listen when the same things were being said about the F-15?
 

Forum List

Back
Top