Portal:United States Air Force
 The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the armed forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. Initially part of the United States Army as the Army Air Corps, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947. It was the last branch of the US military to be formed. The USAF is one of the largest and most technologically advanced air forces in the world, with about 5,573 manned aircraft in service (3,990 USAF; 1,213 Air National Guard; and 370 Air Force Reserve); approximately 180 Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles, 2130 Air-Launched Cruise Missiles, and 450 Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles; and has 330,159 personnel on active duty, 68,872 in the Selected and Individual Ready Reserves, and 94,753 in the Air National Guard. In addition, the Air Force employs 151,360 civilian personnel. The Department of the Air Force is headed by the civilian Secretary of the Air Force who heads administrative affairs. The Department of the Air Force is a division of the Department of Defense, headed by the Secretary of Defense. The highest ranking military officer in the Department of the Air Force is the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Box-header/colours' not found.
Steve Hinton flies "Glacier Girl," a Lockheed P-38 Lightning, during a heritage flight at a Langley Air Force Base air show.
Source: U.S. Air Force Photo Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Box-header/colours' not found.  The B-52 aircraft crash at Fairchild Air Force Base was a fatal air crash that occurred on June 24, 1994, killing the four crew members of a United States Air Force (USAF) B-52 Stratofortress during a training flight. In the crash, Bud Holland, who was the command pilot of the aircraft based at Fairchild Air Force Base, call sign Czar 52, flew the aircraft beyond its operational parameters and lost control. As a result, the aircraft stalled, impacted the ground, and was completely destroyed. Video of the crash was shown throughout the United States on news broadcasts. The accident investigation concluded that the chain of events leading to the crash was primarily attributable to Holland's personality and behavior, USAF leaders' reactions to it, and the sequence of events during the mishap flight of the aircraft. Today, the crash is used in military and civilian aviation environments as a case study in teaching crew resource management. Also, the crash is often used by the USAF during safety training as an example of the importance of compliance with safety regulations and correcting the behavior of anyone who violates safety procedures. 
Service considering retrofitting late-model C-130's with new engines Summary: The U.S. Air Force is interested in procuring commercial off-the-shelf engines to replace antiquated propulsion systems on C-130 aircraft. At a technology summit in Arlington, Virginia, General Philip Breedlove told of the service's efforts to follow up on the successes of the C-130J upgrade with commercially available fuel efficient engines. Breedlove says the prioritization of use of C-130J's in inter-theater operations for cost savings has tied up logistics. The C-130 also suffers from performance and maintenance issues that have led to the cancellation of the FCS Manned Ground Vehicles program that was unable to fall within weight parameters while maintaining protection requirements. While enhancing the current generation of aircraft, the Air Force is also heading an initiative to develop fuel efficient technologies for the next generation of propulsion systems. the ADaptive Versatile ENgine Technology program seeks to develop an engine that is 30% more efficient than the F119 or F135 engines that power the F-35 Lightning II and F-22 Raptor fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft. The Versatile, Affordable, Advanced Turbine Engines and Highly Efficient Embedded Turbine Engine programs are also being pursued to develop propulsion technologies for sub-sonic military aircraft. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Box-header/colours' not found.  The AH-56 Cheyenne was a four-bladed, single-engine attack helicopter developed by Lockheed for the United States Army's Advanced Aerial Fire Support System (AAFSS) program to produce the Army's first, dedicated attack helicopter. Lockheed designed the AH-56 utilizing a rigid-rotor and configured the aircraft as a compound helicopter; with low-mounted wings and a tail-mounted thrusting propeller. It was armed with a 30 mm cannon in a belly turret and either a 7.62 mm minigun or a 40 mm grenade launcher in a nose turret, as well as six wing hardpoints capable of mounting 2.75 inch (70 mm) rocket launchers and TOW missiles. The compound helicopter design was intended to provide a 212-knot dash capability in order to serve as an armed escort to the Army's transport helicopters, such as the UH-1 Iroquois. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Box-header/colours' not found.  Lieutenant General Ennis Whitehead (1895 - 1964) joined the U.S. Army after the United States entered World War I in 1917. He trained as an aviator and served in France. Posted to the 3d Aviation Instruction Center where he became a qualified test pilot. Following the war Whitehead returned to school at the University of Kansas. When he graduated he was commissioned a first lieutenant in 1920. Over the following 20 years Whitehead participated in Billy Mitchell's aerial bombing demonstration and served as commander of both the 94th Pursuit Squadron and later the 36th Pursuit Squadron among other assignments. When the U.S. entered World War II Whitehead served in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Through the course of the war he earned a Distinguished Service Cross and was named an honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire as he rose to command the Fifth Air Force. After the war he commanded the Far East Air Forces, Continental Air Command, and Air Defense Command. He retired in 1951 after he was passed over for Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. Whitehead died of emphysema on 12 October 1964 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Both his son, Ennis Whitehead, Jr. and his grandson Ennis Whitehead III became generals as well, rising to major general and brigadier general respectively. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Box-header/colours' not found. ... that the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) was classified until 1973? The first of the Air Force's 41 weather satellites was launched in 1965. The constellation continues to provide critical weather data to military and civil customers today. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Box-header/colours' not found.  "I never doubted, not ever, that we would succeed."
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Military aviation task force
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