[MilCom] West Georgia logs 02 Oct 04

[Mike Riffle]

[119.05/269.525 LAWSON AAF TOWER]
  OCEAN 75  (C-130)
  PAT 218   (?)
  VIKING 41 (C-130)

[234.5 FT BENNING FRYAR DZ]
  OCEAN 75 and VIKING 41 (C-130s) multiple low-altitude troop drops

[142.2/255.725 LOCKHEED MARIETTA RAPTOR CONTROL]
  1600z RAPTOR ## (F/A-22) w/chase on a supersonic test flight (RAPTOR had
        a VHF radio failure so chase was relaying flight ops via 142.2)
  2115z RAPTOR 26 (F/A-22) w/chase on a supersonic test flight
  **see comments at end

[251.25 HURLBURT CP]
  2012z REACH 9712 (?) inbound

[343.75 BULLDOG MOA]
  1525z MACE 1-2 (F-16) ACM - 138.25 a/a

[344.6 METRO]
  1331z JOSA 197 (C-21) asking Keesler metro for status of freezing rain at
        Trent Lot IAP (per JOSA the AWOS was reporting it) also requested wx
        at Gulf Port and Keesler

[381.3 TYNDALL CHECKER OPS]
  1316z NAVY JR818 (#165093 C-20 "City of Annapolis") reporting inbound for
        pax pick up and fuel, CP passed them to dispatch on 372.2

[396.9 908AW TOIL OPS]
  1917z REACH 8215 (?) calling

[ARTCC]
  HUNTER 31    (F/A-18) 360.75
  JOSA 588     (C-21)   125.575
  JOSA 999     (C-21)   125.575
  NICKEL 31-32 (F/A-18) 371.95 - 283.4 a/a
  PAT 218      (?)      125.5
  RAZOR 44     (E-3C)   120.45 direct Randolph
  REACH 6014   (?)      125.925
  REACH 8215   (?)      125.575>120.45
  ?RHINO? 1-2  (?)      306.25>350.325>307.15

**FYI, a recent issue of Lockheed's Code One magazine had an article on
the production of the F/A-22 at Marietta. Of particular interest to milcom 
monitors were several paragraphs that detailed the test flights flown out
of Dobbins JARB:

"The first two or three flights of every Raptor are typically company test
flights. The first flight, which focuses on basic airframe systems, lasts a
little over an hour. The flight profile takes the Raptor in and out of
afterburner to a top speed of Mach 1.5 and to a maximum altitude of 50,000
feet. It includes pressurization checks, a military power, or
nonafterburner, climb to 30,000 feet, aerial refueling checks, auxiliary
power starts, engine airstarts, engine transients at various altitudes,
landing gear warning checks, and instrument landing system tests.

The second flight focuses on avionics, including autopilot, weapons,
communication, navigation, identification, and electronic warfare systems.
The Raptor is kept to about 20,000 feet on this flight profile. While the
aircraft is not taken to supersonic speeds, it is flown at high angles of
attack. The test pilot also performs symmetry, g-limiter, and trim checks.

Once all the company flight tests are passed, the Raptor goes through an
extensive final coating process. Its stealthy properties are verified in an
anechoic chamber. The airplane is then handed over to a government test
pilot for two or three more flight tests with profiles similar to those
flown by company test pilots. Once these tests are passed, the government
formally accepts the airplane. An Air Force pilot from the receiving base
flies the Raptor to its new home."

The full article can be found at
http://www.codeonemagazine.com/archives/2004/articles/apr_04/fa22/index.html

Mike Riffle
Cataula, GA
http://www.geocities.com/kc8mzm
West Georgia logs 02 Oct 04