From: owner-skunk-works-digest@ (skunk-works-digest) To: skunk-works-digest@eagle.netwrx1.com Subject: skunk-works-digest V6 #44 Reply-To: skunk-works@netwrx1.com Sender: owner-skunk-works-digest@ Errors-To: owner-skunk-works-digest@ Precedence: bulk skunk-works-digest Wednesday, April 9 1997 Volume 06 : Number 044 In this issue: Precision high altitude strike......... Re: Northrop XST Photo Re: Precision high altitude strike......... Re: Precision high altitude strike......... Latest RUMINT precisision high altitude strike....... Re: Latest RUMINT Air Tattoo Intrepid Museum One of our planes is missing Re: One of our planes is missing U-2R article One of our planes is missing. Re: One of our planes is missing Re: One of our planes is missing RE: A-10 & U-2 One of our planes is missing Missing A-10 & World Air Power Article AFNS B-2 News F-22 rollout Re: One of our planes is missing RE: A-10 & U-2 Re: Missing A-10 & World Air Power Article One of our aircraft... Re: F-22 Rollout Re: F-22 rollout A-10 Mystery See the end of the digest for information on subscribing to the skunk-works or skunk-works-digest mailing lists and on how to retrieve back issues. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 5 Apr 1997 03:12:32 -0500 From: Dan Zinngrabe Subject: Precision high altitude strike......... Here's one for the group, considering either there's a server down or everybody's holding their breath for the USAF announcement on at least one black aircraft (and no, not the F-22)........ Hypothetically...... Let's say you had an aircraft that cruised subsonic at high altitude (50k+), was designed for very low RCS, and carried only one or two Paveway II LGBs. Your fleet of these aircraft numbers maybe 20. You can put a ATARS or TARPS type of arrangement in the weapons bay if you want. What on earth would you use it for?? I'm stumped. I've come up with a few things, but none makes much sense. Dan _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ DOS Computers manufactured by companies such as IBM, Compaq, Tandy, and millions of others are by far the most popular, with about 70 million machines in use wordwide. Macintosh fans, on the other hand, may note that cockroaches are far more numerous than humans, and that numbers alone do not denote a higher life form." (New York Times) - ---------------------------------------------------Dan Zinngrabe, Multimedia Software Author _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Apr 1997 08:00:48 -0600 From: Laurel Joy Richards Subject: Re: Northrop XST Photo On 2:26 AM -0600 4/5/97, my computer, disguised as larry@ichips.intel.com said: >On Wednesday, 26 March Larry wrote: >It would be interesting to ask Peter Merlin if he's heard what happened to >the Northrop XST pole model. Maybe someone else knows. I've spoken to someone who was definitely there on the Rockwell team... they alternated days with Lockheed. He, of course, wouldn't say anything concrete about what was there... except that he was there working for Rockwell. Laurel |----------------------------------------------------------------|||| |Laurel Joy Richards "Nobody realizes that some people expend ||| |tasha@uncle.org tremendous energy merely to be normal." || | - Albert Camus | |-------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 05 Apr 1997 16:12:01 From: David Subject: Re: Precision high altitude strike......... Dan wrote: >Here's one for the group, considering either there's a server down or >everybody's holding their breath for the USAF announcement on at least one >black aircraft (and no, not the F-22)........ > >Hypothetically...... >Let's say you had an aircraft that cruised subsonic at high altitude >(50k+), was designed for very low RCS, and carried only one or two Paveway >II LGBs. Your fleet of these aircraft numbers maybe 20. You can put a ATARS >or TARPS type of arrangement in the weapons bay if you want. > >What on earth would you use it for?? >I'm stumped. I've come up with a few things, but none makes much sense. How about a LO fighter escort/laser target designator/EW platform for an aircraft that's called a fighter,(but is in fact a bomber with no form of self defence)..and Tactical Recon ? It's always struck me as a little odd that the F-117A doesn't even have a cannon, let alone a couple of missiles with which to defend itself just in case an enemy a/c stumbled on one as a target of opportunity...almost as if something else would take care of that side of things... I spoke to those who should know and they said they know nothing of any 'black' a/c being revealed...still there's lot of time to go before the Nellis celebration...and there are events scheduled for the whole year. David ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 05 Apr 1997 16:12:01 From: David Subject: Re: Precision high altitude strike......... Dan wrote: >Here's one for the group, considering either there's a server down or >everybody's holding their breath for the USAF announcement on at least one >black aircraft (and no, not the F-22)........ > >Hypothetically...... >Let's say you had an aircraft that cruised subsonic at high altitude >(50k+), was designed for very low RCS, and carried only one or two Paveway >II LGBs. Your fleet of these aircraft numbers maybe 20. You can put a ATARS >or TARPS type of arrangement in the weapons bay if you want. > >What on earth would you use it for?? >I'm stumped. I've come up with a few things, but none makes much sense. How about a LO fighter escort/laser target designator/EW platform for an aircraft that's called a fighter,(but is in fact a bomber with no form of self defence)..and Tactical Recon ? It's always struck me as a little odd that the F-117A doesn't even have a cannon, let alone a couple of missiles with which to defend itself just in case an enemy a/c stumbled on one as a target of opportunity...almost as if something else would take care of that side of things... I spoke to those who should know and they said they know nothing of any 'black' a/c being revealed...still there's lot of time to go before the Nellis celebration...and there are events scheduled for the whole year. David ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Apr 1997 09:47:09 -0600 (CST) From: drbob@creighton.edu Subject: Latest RUMINT Since my last post regarding the possible revelation of new stealth platforms at this month's 50th anniversary bash for the Air Force at Nellis AFB, I've acquired a few more details. First, at least one source says that the announcement will be at the Air Force Association activities in Washington D.C., and not at Nellis. Much as the F-117 first appeared in a badly skewed photo, so too might this announcement. Second, speculation is rife over what the platform might be. The source just mentioned claims the platforms will be RPVs, including more recent or advanced versions of those already known. Another source claims (with "absolute authority," I might add), that the airplane will be the TR-3, and that the Air Force will acknowledge not only its existence but its pivotal role in DESERT STORM. A third source says the airplane will be the F-111 replacement. As all you probably know, there will be a scheduled fly-by of stealth aircraft (F-117 and B-2). Arguably, the new airplane might join these. Incidentally, the F-22 is listed among the display aircraft. The first production aircraft is due to roll out only a week or two prior to the airshow, so I'm curious to know if they will truck it, fly it, or move the old prototype from Edwards to Nellis. I wish I could announce these details with certainty, but we all know how stupid I would look if I did. And I don't need any help in looking stupid. Robert Hopkins ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 05 Apr 1997 17:27:41 -0500 From: Ron and Louise Crawford Subject: precisision high altitude strike....... Dan Zinngrabe asked <...aircraft that cruised subsonic at high altitude (50k+), was designed for very low RCS, and carried only one or two Paveway II LGBs. Your fleet of these aircraft numbers maybe 20. You can put a ATARS or TARPS type of arrangement in the weapons bay if you want. What on earth would you use it for??> Possibilities....... 1. THAPing 2. Improving NYC streets 3. Targets with obstructed approach or sight lines, where natural or structure horizons limit guidance for faster movers or lower altitude approaches. Example- urban canyons 4. Potentially less risky alternative to low altitude delivery 5. F-117 surrogate Ron ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Jan 1981 12:43:59 +1300 (NZDT) From: Kerry Ferrand Subject: Re: Latest RUMINT On Sat, 5 Apr 1997 drbob@creighton.edu wrote: > > Incidentally, the F-22 is listed among the display aircraft. The first > production aircraft is due to roll out only a week or two prior to the > airshow, so I'm curious to know if they will truck it, fly it, or move the > old prototype from Edwards to Nellis. They're going to show one of the YF-22 prototypes..it was recently shipped out in a C-5's belly. K ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 07 Apr 1997 03:14:14 -0700 From: phraesius@rfhsm.ac.uk (gilbert blythe) Subject: Air Tattoo Very probably old news, but I'll pass it on. Taken from AREA51 mail list. Gil Blythe - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: MarkFarmer@aol.com Subject: Secretary Widnall Answer Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 02:23:09 -0500 (EST) I conducted an interview with Air Force Secretary Shelia Widnall last week for an upcoming story in Popular Science. My last question to her and her reply is as follows: Q: "Over the past couple months there have been many rumors floating about that one or two previously unaknowledged aircraft may be unveiled at the Nellis 50th Aniversary Air Tattoo." A: "I am not aware of any plans to introduce any NEW aircraft at the 50th Aniversary Air Tattoo". (emphasis added) Keep your eyes to the sky and I'll see you at the show. -Agent X ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 8 Apr 1997 07:45:57 -0400 From: John Stone Subject: Intrepid Museum Hello All, Just got this from a friend of mine that volunteers at the Intrepid Museum in NYC. Seems they are going to try and run the museum with no volunteers, here is his message.... >From: Kevin_Coyne@tdc.com >Mime-Version: 1.0 >Date: Mon, 7 Apr 1997 12:33:25 -0400 >Subject: Intrepid shakeup >To: John Stone >Status: > > John, > > I just recieved confirmation that the Intrepid has fired virtually all > the workers in the restoration and exhibits departments. Many if not > all the volunteers passes (including my own) have been cancelled! > > I have no idea how the management thinks that they can run a museum > with no staff to maintain the exhibits, especially with many of the > exhibits exposed to the weather. Some of us are looking to start an > email campaign to raise awareness of the situation. Their web site is > www.intrepid-museum.com if you want to email them... address mail to > Donald Gardener (the pres & ceo) and pass the word alog to anyone you > think would be interested. > > One of the people they got rid of was Larry Solinski (I'm not sure of > the spelling). Larry was the main person responsible for getting the > Intrepid Museum started and keeping it running so long. Larry saw the > Intrepid rusting in the Philly navy yard and got Zachory Fisher to > look at it. With Fisher's connections and clout and Larry's drive they > got the ship turned over to the Intrepid Museum Foundation. Larry ran > the ship for the first 10-12 years, and made it work. Now, Zach Fisher > is not as involved and his son is involved in running it. Larry was > kicked off the board and Gardener was brought in to replace him. Soon > thereafter the art department was disbanded and morale dropped like a > F-4 sans engines. Now, the other shoe has dropped and if the people > hadn't already quit, they were canned. > > Kevin | / ^ \ ___|___ -(.)==<.>==(.)- --------o---((.))---o-------- SR-71 Blackbird U-2 Dragon Lady John Stone jstone@thepoint.net U-2 and SR-71 Web Page:http://www.thepoint.net/~jstone/blackbird.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 08 Apr 1997 07:33:41 -0700 From: patrick@e-z.net Subject: One of our planes is missing I heard the wildest story on the 11:00 news last night. The AF reports 4 A-10's left SW Arizona (D-M?)and headed NE across Arizona and the NW corner of New Mexico for a training mission. Somewhere one of the planes turned up missing. The other three lost sight and could not make radio contact with it according to the newscast. In fact the AF claims that the pilot may have even "stolen" the airplane. All of this from the newscast, honest! Oh before I forget, they are sending out a U-2 today to hunt for the missing airplane. patrick cullumber patrick@e-z.net ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 8 Apr 1997 10:58:33 -0500 From: Tom Robison Subject: Re: One of our planes is missing Patrick wrote: >I heard the wildest story on the 11:00 news last night. The AF reports >4 A-10's left SW Arizona (D-M?)and headed NE across Arizona and the NW >corner of New Mexico for a training mission. Somewhere one of the >planes turned up missing. The other three lost sight and could not make >radio contact with it according to the newscast. In fact the AF claims >that the pilot may have even "stolen" the airplane. All of this from >the newscast, honest! Oh before I forget, they are sending out a U-2 >today to hunt for the missing airplane. All of this is essentially true, though I hadn't heard the part about the pilot possibly stealing the plane. That's pretty rugged country, but I suspect they'll find the wreckage one of these days, especially if their going to use a U-2. The AF is anxious to find it before someone else does, as it was reported to be carrying four live 500-lb bombs. Of course CNN reassured everyone by saying "the bombs can only be *activated* by the pilot". Tom Robison tcrobi@most.fw.hac.com Hughes Defense Communications, Fort Wayne, IN ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 08 Apr 1997 12:16:31 -0400 From: Ron and Louise Crawford Subject: U-2R article Spring issue (Vol.28) of World Airpower Journal has a feature article on the U-2R. Highly recommended for the photo coverage. BTW I saw the same newscast as Patrick. Intimation of the story was that the missing A-10 was on a practice sortie and carrying live ordnance and available tracking showed it far (circa 400 miles) off course. Report did not mention that the ordnance wouln't be armed. No followup on this morning's news. Ron ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 08 Apr 1997 11:23:10 -0700 From: patrick@e-z.net Subject: One of our planes is missing. I was so worried I dreamed this last nite. One other bizarre point was made in the local newscast I saw. They seemed to imply the plane just flew off and they suspected Utah as the location because the pilot would fly to Utah every chance he got. Then the part about the U-2 flying over Utah today. (I sound like my rich lawyer uncle mentioning the term "real estate" once in his conversation in order to justify claiming an lunch as an income tax deduction!) patrick cullumber patrick@e-z.net ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 08 Apr 1997 14:40:05 -0400 From: Steve Subject: Re: One of our planes is missing Tom Robison wrote: > > Patrick wrote: > > >I heard the wildest story on the 11:00 news last night. The AF reports > >4 A-10's left SW Arizona (D-M?)and headed NE across Arizona and the NW > >corner of New Mexico for a training mission. Somewhere one of the > >planes turned up missing. The other three lost sight and could not make > >radio contact with it according to the newscast. In fact the AF claims > >that the pilot may have even "stolen" the airplane. All of this from > >the newscast, honest! Oh before I forget, they are sending out a U-2 > >today to hunt for the missing airplane. > > All of this is essentially true, though I hadn't heard the part about the > pilot possibly stealing the plane. That's pretty rugged country, but I > suspect they'll find the wreckage one of these days, especially if their > going to use a U-2. > > The AF is anxious to find it before someone else does, as it was reported > to be carrying four live 500-lb bombs. Of course CNN reassured everyone by > saying "the bombs can only be *activated* by the pilot". > > Tom Robison tcrobi@most.fw.hac.com > Hughes Defense Communications, Fort Wayne, IN Heh.. anyone else see Broken Arrow?? =) - -Steve stevek@bmts.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 8 Apr 1997 14:31:50 -0500 From: Tom Robison Subject: Re: One of our planes is missing I wrote >> All of this is essentially true, though I hadn't heard the part about the >> pilot possibly stealing the plane. >> >> The AF is anxious to find it before someone else does, as it was reported >> to be carrying four live 500-lb bombs. Then Steve wrote: >Heh.. anyone else see Broken Arrow?? =) Broken Arrow entered my mind, too, but it seems to me there would be lots easier ways to steal a couple hundred pounds of conventional explosive material. (of course we're all assuming right now these "500 lb. bombs" were indeed conventional high-explosive weapons. What else might they have been? Surely not nukes, but perhaps the latest chemical or biological weapon, or something entirely new?) What is the active ingredient in a HE bomb? I can't think of the word right now. doesn't it start with "th..."? All I can think of is thiokol. Titronal, or something like that? Tom Robison tcrobi@most.fw.hac.com Hughes Defense Communications, Fort Wayne, IN ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 8 Apr 97 15:14:32 EDT From: JOHN SZALAY Subject: RE: A-10 & U-2 If you wish to read the news-releases concerning the current SAR mission http://www.dm.af.mil/press.htm The U-2 is one from the 9th SRW. FTW: the released map shows a straight line flight path with both radar and visual sightings. This would be consistant with a pilot that was incapacitated. ( such as with O2 failure, etc ) I remember that the local ANG had a RF-4C pilot blackout due to flu effects, and the GIB had to keep things stable until, he recovered enough to land the A/C. If he had not recovered, GIB was going to fly to Ft Knox ranges and punch them both out, since he was not going to try to land the plane from the backseat, ( he was,nt a pilot either) this all happened several years agom, since then the local AFNG has switched to C-130H. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 08 Apr 1997 13:08:39 -0700 From: patrick@e-z.net Subject: One of our planes is missing Only appropriate I end this thing. I listened to an AF spokesman who was interviewed on the radio. There is no substance whatever to the "stolen aircraft" theory. The plane was lost approximately a week ago and a search still continues for the wreckage. patrick cullumber patrick@e-z.net ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 08 Apr 1997 19:39:19 -0400 From: Frank Markus Subject: Missing A-10 & World Air Power Article I found a map that shows the track of the missing A-10 as it circled near Vail and Aspen: http://www.dm.af.mil/a10/map2.jpg The new Air Power Journal for Spring 1997 includes a large and lavishly illustrated article by Chris Pocock entitled 'U2: the second generation." I have not yet read it but it should be interesting. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 8 Apr 97 21:06:13 EDT From: JOHN SZALAY Subject: AFNS B-2 News Recieved this as part of this evenings air force news - ---------------------------------------------------------------- 970411. B-2 fleet stands down WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. (AFNS) -- The 509th Bomb Wing commander has placed the unit's B-2s under a precautionary stand-down of routine training missions starting April 8. A concern regarding a shaft assembly between the engine and accessory drive is the cause of this action. Air Force engineers are working closely with the B-2's prime contractor, Northrop Grumman, and subcontractor to solve the shaft assembly concern. A precautionary stand-down is a temporary suspension of routine training missions when a safety or maintenance concern has been identified in one or more planes. This stand-down will continue until all aircraft have been inspected and cleared to resume flight training. (Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Service) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 09 Apr 97 03:39:03 GMT From: betnal@ns.net Subject: F-22 rollout Flight International has a special 35 page supplement this week dealing with the F-22. Lots of illustrations, lots of color, etc. One interesting note is that at the top of supplement page 5 there is a picture that is identified as the proposed NATF. That picture actually looks closer to what I remember one of Lockheed's many, many (They were partnered with darn near everybody on that one) proposals for the A/FX, this being the one offered by the F-22 partners in their combined bid (they also had their own bids where they were competing with each other). Does anyone know if that picture is of the NATF or the A/FX? On a related note, both Flight and AvWeek say that the favored name for the aircraft is not Lighting II but Raptor. AvWeek, though, notes that some are questioning the name. Not for the aggressiveness of it, after all that's kinda what a fighter is supposed to be. No, the objection is even stupider than usual. It seems that the Latin root of "raptor" is "rapere", which means to seize. Well, that Latin word also happens to be the root for the word "rape". This may prove unacceptable to the clones of the Politically Correct. I am not making this up! Art ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 8 Apr 1997 21:46:29 -0700 From: Earl Needham Subject: Re: One of our planes is missing > From: Tom Robison , on 4/8/97 2:31 PM: > What is the active ingredient in a HE bomb? I can't think of the word right > now. doesn't it start with "th..."? All I can think of is thiokol. > Titronal, or something like that? I believe it's TNT, which comes out to be tri-nitro-toluene, I think. Earl Needham KD5XB Clovis, NM Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Pi Chi, '76 KD5XB@AMSAT.ORG From the Radio Amateurs Code: Considerate, Loyal, Progressive, Friendly, Balanced, Patriotic ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 08 Apr 1997 18:43:04 -0400 From: Frank Markus Subject: RE: A-10 & U-2 The latest news (per NPR) is that the pilot may not have been so incapacitated after all. I believe that they reported that the A-10 circled the Vail, CO airport and then flew on. They did not say where to but they did say that the search was focusing on a five sq. mile area near Vail. Sounds like a cross between Broken Arrow and Atlas Shrugged (which I read a very, very long time ago.) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Apr 1997 03:45:13 -0400 (EDT) From: Wei-Jen Su Subject: Re: Missing A-10 & World Air Power Article On Tue, 8 Apr 1997, Frank Markus wrote: > I found a map that shows the track of the missing A-10 as it circled near > Vail and Aspen: > > http://www.dm.af.mil/a10/map2.jpg For me, looks like the pilot have problems with the navegation and radio. Remind me of a friend of mine whom was flying in a training mission with a F-15D over NJ, his copilot made a navegation mistake making the airplane to fly south-west instead of north-west. Radar control peoples notices that but didn't say anything until the airplane was flying over Langley AFB. Suddenly all his warning signal lights up done by the ground control!! (radar missiles warning, IR missiles warning, etc). In this case... his radio was working. May the Force be with you Su Wei-Jen E-mails: wsu02@utopia.poly.edu wjs@webspan.net ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Apr 1997 08:59:12 -0500 From: Tom Robison Subject: One of our aircraft... From todays Air Force News Service: 970412. Search continues for missing A-10 DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. (AFNS) -- The Air Force continues its search for a missing A-10 aircraft. Capt. Craig Button, a student pilot, disappeared in an A-10 attack plane around noon April 2 while on a routine training mission. The plane, assigned to the 357th Fighter Squadron, was on a three-ship mission near the Barry Goldwater training range, west of Tucson, Ariz. It was last seen at 11:58 a.m. by another flight member, but didn't respond to a radio call about a minute later, said Col. Barry Barksdale, 355th Wing commander. The search has expanded from Arizona to Colorado in an area north of Telluride, and extended to a location 15 miles southwest of Vail, Colo. The search area is based on data from military and Federal Aviation Administration radar, eyewitness sightings and public response to a special hot line. The latest aircraft to join the search is a U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance plane from the 9th Reconnaissance Wing, Beale Air Force Base, Calif. Other aircraft and organizations taking part in the search include: - -- Civil Air Patrol units from Colorado and Arizona - -- The Arizona Army National Guard, 1st Battalion, 258th Aviation, flying OH-58 helicopters - -- The 162nd Fighter Wing Air National Guard from Tucson, flying a C-26 twin-engine, turbo prop aircraft - -- An EC-130 Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center aircraft from the 42nd Air Combat Control Squadron at Davis-Monthan has been participating to help ensure the safety of the aircraft conducting the search - -- The 305th Rescue Squadron at Davis-Monthan flying H-60 helicopters - -- The Maricopa County sheriffs office flying OH-6A helicopters and a McDonnell Douglas 369D helicopter The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Langley AFB, Va., is directing the search effort. (Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Service) & Tom Robison tcrobi@most.fw.hac.com Hughes Defense Communications, Fort Wayne, IN ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Apr 97 11:15:45 PDT From: gregd@cambertx.com (Greg Fieser) Subject: Re: F-22 Rollout betnal@ns.net wrote: > > On a related note, both Flight and AvWeek say that the favored name > for the aircraft is not Lighting II but Raptor.... > Art Two or three of the PC-based F-22 flight simulators have either named or are changing the name of their products to F-22 Raptor. Novalogic and Interactive Magic are the two I can think of off the top of my head... fyi: Novalogic: http://www.novalogic.com/f22.htm and http://www.novalogic.com/press/raptorre.htm iMagic: http://www.imagicgames.com/f22.dir/f22.html Both these sites contain screen shots showing just how far PC-based flight sims have come since the days of "Falcon AT"... %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Greg Fieser 4/9/97 gregd@cambertx.com 11:15:45 AM (aka habu@why.net) %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Apr 97 9:55:53 nA From: ahanley@usace.mil Subject: Re: F-22 rollout Please disregard my ATF/NATF question of last night. Has anyone else run into a problem with posting to netwrx-1, but pmihwy is OK? Art Hanley Once again, do not make the mistake of believing that whatever I droned on about above has anything to do with I am authorized to drone on about. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 09 Apr 97 13:28:49 GMT From: "Terry Colvin" Subject: A-10 Mystery ___________________________ Forward Header __________________________________ Subject: A-10 Mystery Author: Terry Colvin at FHU2 Date: 4/9/97 1:20 PM :MISSING A-10 PLANE IS A MYSTERY PHOENIX-- Capt. Craig Button took off in a $9 million Air Force attack jet last week for a practice run. Within minutes the plane and its arsenal of four 500-pound bombs were gone. All that's known for sure is that the A-10 Thunderbolt was last spotted on radar over the Colorado Rockies -- nearly 800 miles off course. Did it crash? Was it sabotaged? Or did the pilot steal it, like something out of the movie "Broken Arrow"? "Anything you can think of has probably been looked at," said Staff Sgt. Rian Clawson at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson. "But the evidence so far doesn't indicate any of these wild hypotheses, like he was trying to steal it, or he went off to Telluride to go skiing." The Air Force rebuffs the idea that Button, an avid skier, purposely veered the plane off course. But officials acknowledged Tuesday that investigators are looking into Button's background. "The investigation ... includes all aspects of the plane and pilot, anything to do with the situation," said Staff Sgt. Bret Zieman at Davis-Monthan. People who live near the base consider anti-government or even cult activity possible. "It sounds fishy," said Bob Jones, a customer at Famous Sam's Restaurant and Bar. "He could be part of a militia, for all anyone knows." Officials had theorized the pilot could have become incapacitated and may have put the single-seat plane on autopilot. But radar and witness accounts suggest the plane was being maneuvered and wasn't simply gliding. The mystery began last Wednesday morning about 90 minutes after Button's plane took off in formation with two other A-10s bound for the Barry M. Goldwater bombing range. It was carrying conventional, not nuclear, weapons. One of the jets reported seeing Button's plane flying in the rear, but a minute later the lead pilot radioed Button and got no response. When the other pilots realized the plane was missing, they broke formation and began the search. Initially, it focused in Arizona, but it shifted to Colorado three days later after authorities checked radar records and witnesses reported seeing a low-flying plane. Pentagon officials were looking into the time Button spent at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas, where he was a flight instructor until he arrived in Tucson in February to train on the A-10. CBS reported that Button had asked that his training flights at Laughlin be routed through Colorado. An Air Force official at the Pentagon, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Button had made many cross-country flying trips during his training, and they may have involved stops in Colorado. Button has a brother in Denver. Button's relatives said they knew of nothing suspicious involving the 32-year-old Massapequa, N.Y., native. "He was A-OK, stable, didn't seem to be under any stress. But he was having to study hard," said the captain's father, Richard Button, who had trained pilots during World War II. The elder Button said his son had a passion for flying and dreamed of living a life like the pilots in the movie "Top Gun." "We're hoping he bailed out. There's no evidence that he bailed out, but there's no evidence that he didn't," he said. The Air Force doubts Button bailed out; his ejection seat would have automatically sent out a homing beacon. The jet itself didn't have its tracking device turned on because it was flying in formation, said Maj. Joe LaMarca, spokesman for Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Va., the headquarters for all combat bases. "It's part of a normal procedure when you're in formation that only the lead aircraft turns it on," LaMarca said. The last radar track showed the jet near the 12,467-foot New York Mountain near Edwards, Colo. Button's plane was fully fueled when it took off, but it would have been nearly empty by then. "In some instances if a plane crashes it's easy to see, but not always," LaMarca said. "If it crashed and is now covered with snow, that makes it more challenging. And no one saw it go down." ------------------------------ End of skunk-works-digest V6 #44 ******************************** To subscribe to skunk-works-digest, send the command: subscribe skunk-works-digest in the body of a message to "majordomo@netwrx1.com". 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