[Llarry]

The final U.S. Air Force T-1A jet trainer was ferried to the boneyard last month. The T-1As were essentially retired without replacement. Future transport and bomber pilots will presumably get winged after completing training in the T-38C or new T-7A and then go on to train on their ultimate aircraft.

[3.0L]

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[3798j]

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[vreihen16]

I saw the attached meme going around last week, and decided to dig into the back-story.

TL;dr - It was a Saudi Arabian Airline 747-300, that was having some engine issues in Malaysia and was brought to a hangar.

When the plane was finished, six engineers (and apparently zero pilots) were on board to taxi it across the field to the terminal area. They reportedly forgot to turn on the hydraulic pumps and remove a locking pin from the nose gear, so the plane had no brakes and couldn't make a turn between taxiways so it went straight into the ditch.

The hull was written off as a total loss, probably because the -300 series wasn't one of the better-selling 747 variants.....

https://simpleflying.com/boeing-747-...xi-into-ditch/






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[zsid]

My favorite plane

[3.0L]

Originally Posted by 3798j

.

“Coffee, tea or me.”

My dad knew a captain who claimed the above is what stewardesses
said to him during long B747 flights across the Atlantic. Of course,
this was well before the days of locked flight decks.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by 3.0l

coffee, tea or me.

.

[Llarry]

The U.S. Navy planned to put unmanned MQ-25A Stingrays on carriers beginning this year to perform aerial refueling missions. Each carrier is to have a detachment of three UAVs for this purpose. The plan has slipped and now the deployment of the MQ-25A is scheduled for 2029.

Until the unmanned refueler becomes operational, the Navy will use refueling pods on F-18 Super Hornets.

[Llarry]

As previously posted, the U.S. Navy plans to replace the Boeing 707-based E-6B Mercury aircraft with a variant of the C-130 Hercules for the strategic communications mission. This entails the transmission of very low frequency radio messages to submerged ballistic missile submarines and USAF strategic forces (ICBMs and bombers) in an emergency.

The 16 current E-6Bs are based at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma but spend much of their time deployed to other locations.

The 12 replacement aircraft, dubbed the E-130J Phoenix II, may be based elsewhere, but will no doubt spend a lot of time deployed.

[Llarry]

U.S. Marine Corps aviation update, 2026:

The Marines publish an unclassified plan each year that lays out the current status of Marine aviation units and planning for the future. The 2026 plan was published in February and can be summarized as follows:

Fighters: The Marine transition to an all-F-35 force of fighters is well over halfway. There are 9 STOVL F-35B squadrons and 3 carrier-capable F-35C squadrons fully operational. There are also 2 F-18C Hornet squadrons still active -- these will transition to the F-35 within the next couple of years. A single AV-8B Harrier squadron is also in the force, but the retirement of the last U.S. Harrier is scheduled for next month.

The ultimate fighter-attack force will include 12 VMFAs with 120 F-35Bs (10 aircraft per squadron) although the Marines plan to increase squadron size to 12 each some years from now. There will also be 6 VMFAs with 60 F-35Cs for carrier duty -- again increasing to 72 in the 2030s.

There are also two F-35B training squadrons. F-35C pilots will train in the Navy's F-35C squadron.

Transport/refuelers: The Marines had three transport/refueler (VMGR) squadrons for many years, but a fourth squadron is now fully operational in Hawaii. Each squadron flies 15 KC-130J Hercules.

Tiltrotors: 15 VMMs fly 10 MV-22B Osprey tiltrotors each. There is also a training squadron and a dozen MV-22Bs are assigned to presidential support.

Heavy lift helicopters: A single HMH flies the new CH-53K King Stallion helicopter with a second squadron scheduled to transition in 2027. The other HMHs fly the older and much less capable CH-53E Stallion. The plan is for 6 HMHs and a training squadron to have 114 CH-53Ks.

Attack/utility helicopters: The Marines passed on the larger AH-64 Apache attack helicopter and developed advanced versions of the Vietnam-era Cobras and Hueys that are more compact for operations on amphibious assault ships. The 6 HMLAs operate 15 AH-1Z Viper attack and 12 UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters each.

Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1) supports presidential travel world-wide, as well as VIP travel in the Washington D.C. area. Older 1960s VH-3D Sea King helicopters are planned to be finally retired this year with the VH-92A Patriot replacement already in use. HMX-1 also operates some smaller VH-60N Huey helicopters and as mentioned above, 12 MV-22B Ospreys.

[Llarry]

Having looked at the Marine Corps plan, I thought it appropriate to see what the U.S. Air Force is up to. Here's what I found: (Note that these are what the president has requested, not what has actually been approved by Congress.)

B-21 bomber: The numbers bought are apparently classified, but the dollar amount is $7.3 billion for fiscal year 2027.

F-35A fighter: The budget asks for 24 F-35As. This takes the total number to 616 purchased so far. The total projected number is 1,749 aircraft.

F-15EX fighter: The request is for 24 F-15EXs, which would be 115 purchased to date. The projected total is 239 aircraft, but there is some confusing language in the USAF budget that leads me to believe that 29 more F-15EXs were purchased under a different line item -- for a possible total of 268. As a reminder, 36 F-15EXs are slated to be assigned to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa and the rest will be assigned to air defense missions with Air National Guard units in the U.S.

KC-46A tanker/transport: 15 KC-46As are requested, which would equate to 184 aircraft procured so far. The budget indicates that the goal is 259 KC-46As.

T-7A advanced trainer: The budget proposes the purchase of 23 T-7As. If approved, that would be 37 aircraft so far, with a goal of 342 total T-7As. (Note that the Navy is on the hunt for a new advanced jet trainer and the T-7 is a strong contender.)

MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter: The MH-139A is a recent addition to the USAF inventory. A variant of the Augusta-Westland AW139, it is replacing the antique UN-1N Huey in the role of support to ICBM wings. 4 MH-139As are requested, which would make 34 so far. The budget says that the total will be 44, but I suspect that the USAF wants more.

C-37C Gulfstream: A single C-37C is in the budget. The Air Force wants a total of 17 to replace older C-37As and C-37Bs. (Generals like comfy rides with good communications connectivity.) (Not pictured)

EA-37B Compass Call: 3 of these are requested. This is the new highly modified electronic attack version of the Gulfstream used to disrupt adversary radars and communications. 2 of the legacy EC-130H Compass Call aircraft were recently damaged or destroyed in Iranian missile attacks in the Middle East.

Cooperative Combat Aircraft: This $1.1 billion budget item is for advance procurement of components for a future uncrewed combat aircraft that would potentially be controlled by a conventional fighter. (No photo)

HH-60W Jolly Green II combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopter: The USAF originally planned to buy 112 of these improved CSAR variants of the Army's UH-60M Blackhawk, but the total ended up being 91 and all have been ordered. Interestingly (scandalously?) the Air Force now plans to convert 26 of these new and important rescue helicopters to utility/VIP transport helicopters for use in the Washington D.C. area. Edit: Perhaps not as scandalous as I originally thought, these converted HH-60Ws (CH-60W? UH-60W?) are also intended for "continuity of government" duties -- to move senior government officials quickly out of Washington in the event of a mass casualty event.

[Llarry]

I'll finish the 2027 budget request recap with the Navy/Marine Corps numbers:

F-35C carrier fighter: The budget request is for only 14 aircraft. However, the submission predicts that the request for the F-35C will increase to over 30 aircraft in 2028. 208 aircraft have been already procured (but of course it may take quite a while until an aircraft is actually delivered.) The F-35C is flown by both Marine Corps and Navy squadrons.

F-35B STOVL fighter: The 2027 request includes no F-35Bs, although 201 have already been procured. Like the F-35C, this appears to be a one-year hiatus, with requests resuming in 2028. Perhaps the factory is backed up?

E-2D Advanced Hawkeye: The E-2D buys are nearing the end -- 124 have been already budgeted and the total program is for 136 aircraft. 6 E-2Ds are requested for 2027.

P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft: This was a surprise to me, as the P-8A buy was completed a couple of years ago at 138 aircraft, but the 2027 budget adds a final 12 P-8As.

KC-130J tanker/transport: The KC-130J purchases are also nearing the end, but 11 are requested for 2027. The Marine Corps squadrons are full-up, but more KC-130Js are planned for Navy Reserve squadrons. The planned total is 115 KC-130Js for both USN and USMC.

CH-53K heavy lift helicopter: The request is for 22 CH-53Ks.

For KC-130J and CH-53K photos see the Marine Corps post above.

[peter uto]

1937 Spartan.
Flying it feels like being in heaven!

[peter uto]

Originally Posted by peter uto

1937 Spartan.
Flying it feels like being in heaven!

Sorry for the previous picture. I don’t know how to turn it…

[JJ 911SC]

FT4U...

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by JJ 911SC

FT4U...

It looked faster when it was doing a nose dive in the original post.....

[vreihen16]

The RCAF Snowbirds are reportedly getting new planes, based on the Pilatus PC-21:





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[3.0L]

Originally Posted by peter uto

Sorry for the previous picture. I don’t know how to turn it…

My former A & P/AI mechanic owned a Spartan. He kept it the back of
his service hangar and was in the process of restoring it. Last time I saw
it, it was sitting on its wheels and in full zinc chromate primer. Sadly, he
passed away before completing it. He also owned and flew a Culver
Cadet.

[Llarry]

A couple of smaller news items on the military aircraft front:

-- 2025 saw the delivery of 191 F-35s to various nations. The assembly line is really humming!

-- Speaking of F-35s, the Navy may be revisiting the plan to put two stealthy F-35C strike fighter squadrons aboard each aircraft carrier. I haven't seen anything definitive yet, but the rumor is that only one F-35C squadron -- slightly larger with 14 aircraft -- may be the definitive configuration. Carrier decks are quite crowded -- will this mean that an air wing will have only three strike fighter squadrons (one with F-35C, one with F-18E and one with two-seat F-18F)? Time will tell.

-- There was talk of cancelling the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail airborne warning and control aircraft. Congress pushed back and the last I heard the E-7 program was a go.

[85Shark]

The enDEavor aIr crew

how it started ...

...how its going!

[vreihen16]

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[M-technik-3]

Better him than me...