Public Affairs, Volume 63, Number 65
Serving the community of Edwards Air Force Base California www.edwards.af.mil - www.facebook.com/EdwardsAirForceBase
Oct. 28, 2016
Aviation legend makes final flight The aviation world has lost a world-famous pilot and Air Force Test Center icon. Robert A. “Bob” Hoover – fighter pilot, test pilot and master of aerobatics – passed away Oct. 25 at the age of 94. In his long aviation career, there wasn’t much that Hoover hadn’t accomplished. In 1944, he was shot down during his 59th combat mission off the coast of Southern France and spent 16 months as a POW in Stalag Luft 1. Just two weeks before V-E Day, he managed to escape and ultimately completed his flight to freedom in a stolen Focke-Wulf 190. After the war, he was assigned to the Flight Test division at Wright Field where he evaluated a wide variety of Japanese and German airplanes and quickly established a reputation for his remarkable piloting skills and spectacular aerial hijinks. Runner-up to Chuck Yeager from a list of more than 100 test pilots considered for the assault on Mach 1, Hoover was selected as the back-up pilot for the Air Force’s accelerated X-1 test program. He flew high chase for all Yeager’s flights and thus enjoyed a vantage point which was truly unique. Sitting in the cockpit of his FP-80 at 40,000 feet on October 14, he later recalled that “I had my head on a swivel watching for him,” and, as Yeager shot by, he managed to shoot the one-and-only photo taken of the X-1 during its milestone flight. His dreams of flying the X-1 were dashed just a month later when he broke both legs bailing out of an F-84. Following a brief stint as a test pilot with General
Motors, he went to work for North American Aviation in 1950. In addition to testing all models of the F-86 Sabre and early models of the F-100 Super Sabre, he completed the first flights of the Navy’s version of the T-28 and the swept-wing XFJ-2 Fury. Throughout his life he dazzled millions of people around the world with breathtaking demonstrations of his incomparable aerobatic skills. Whether it was a 16-point roll in his P-51 Mustang, or his famed dead-engine energy management maneuvers in the Shrike Aero Commander, Hoover performed with the same remarkable skill and precision that prompted Yeager to call him “the greatest pilot I ever saw.” -Article courtesy of the Air Force Test Center History Office
Edwards AFB kicks off 2016 Combined Federal Campaign By Kenji Thuloweit 412th Test Wing Public Affairs
With a few strokes of their pens, Brig. Gen. Carl Schaefer, 412th Test Wing commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Todd Simmons, 412th Test Wing command chief, kicked off this year’s Combined Federal Campaign at wing headquarters Oct. 24. The two filled out their pledge forms along with 1st Lt. Christophe Bangerezako, 412th Medical Support Squadron, and Master Sgt. Elizabeth Ramos, 412th Force Support Squadron, who are this year’s CFC program managers. The campaign runs through Dec. 12. This year’s theme is “Make a Difference One Step and One Donation at a Time.” Edwards Air Force Base’s goal is to raise $220,000. The CFC is the world’s largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign, where pledges made by military, federal and postal employees can support eligible nonprofit organizations that provide health and human service benefits See CFC, page 2
From left: Master Sgt. Elizabeth Ramos, 412th Force Support Squadron, watches as Brig. Gen. Carl Schaefer, 412th Test Wing commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Todd Simmons, 412th TW command chief, fill out their Combined Federal Campaign donation forms at wing headquarters Oct. 24. Ramos and 1st Lt. Christophe Bangerezako, 412th Medical Support Squadron, are this year’s points of contact. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ethan Wagner)
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Oct. 28, 2016
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Base promotes ‘Protect Power’ for energy action month
By Kenji Thuloweit 412th Test Wing Public Affairs
The 412th Civil Engineer Group Energy Management Team invited several companies to Edwards to provide a few lessons on saving energy Oct. 19, as part of the President’s 2016 Energy Action Month observance in October. Representatives from power and solar companies, as well as Corvias Military Living, set up booths in front of the base exchange to hand out energy-saving tips and free merchandise. The goals of Energy Action Month are to increase awareness about energy consumption and to encourage energy-saving actions in Airmen, civilians, and their families. The Air Force hopes that energy efficient actions highlighted during Energy Action Month will become good habits, leading to increased mission effectiveness and reduced costs. The Air Force’s Energy Action Month theme is “Protect the Southern California Edison was one of several companies invited to come Power.” It serves as a call to action for members of the Air Force to Edwards Oct. 19 to help raise awareness and provide information about energy during National Energy Action Month. Booths were set up in community to practice energy-efficient habits in their daily lives. saving front of the Base Exchange entrance. (U.S. Air Force photo by Kenji Thuloweit) To support Energy Action Month 2016, the Air Force has developed materials energy managers and interested parties mission and the role each person plays as a steward of the can download and distribute to educate individuals about the Air Force’s energy resources. Visit www.safie.hq.af.mil/Proimportant role energy plays in every aspect of the Air Force grams/Energy/Action-Month for the materials.
Havin’ a ball
Branch Elementary School students have some new athletic equipment to play with thanks to Edwards’ Middle Tier Association, Air Force Security Forces Association and Chief Master Sgt. Todd Simmons, 412th Test Wing command chief. Recently, students brought home flyers requesting donations of physical education equipment for the school. Members of the MTA saw the flyers and contacted the principal to ask what was needed. The MTA got together with the AFSFA and Simmons and raised $900 to buy the new PE equipment. Everything from basketballs and footballs, to hula hoops and dancing ribbons were purchased and donated to the school Oct. 7. (U.S. Air Force photos by Joseph Gocong)
Largest, most successful workplace charity campaign begins From CFC, page 1
throughout the world. Federal workers, retirees and government contractors are also eligible to donate to the CFC. On the pledge forms, people can make a one-time donation by check or cash, or set up payroll deductions. Donations can also be made through MyPay. For more information regarding Edwards AFB’s 2016 CFC, contact your unit representative or this year’s CFC program managers, Bangerezako and Ramos at 277-8109 and 277-4366. Visit www.opm.gov/combined-federal-campaign/.
www.cfcofgreatersocal.org
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Announcements
October 28, 2016
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AAFES Veterans Day holiday hours Main Exchange 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Robin Hood - NASA Closed
Barber Shop 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Express 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Mary's Place - Bldg. 1600 Closed
Lock & Leave Storage Center Closed
Burger King 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
American Eatery - South Base Closed
Enterprise Rent-A-Car 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Starbucks Closed
Domino's Pizza - Bldg. 7210 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Beauty Shop Closed
Charley's Closed
Domino's Pizza - Food Court Closed
GNC 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Arby's 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The Cleaners Closed
Petals & Blooms Closed
Taco Bell 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Stripes Alterations Place Closed
Firestone 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Popeye's 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The Specialty Store Closed
Mobile Kiosk 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
American Eatery - NASA Closed
Optical Center Closed
NAPA Auto Parts 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Anthony's Pizza - NASA Closed
Jack's Jewelry Closed
King Photography Closed
412th Security Forces Squadron issues speeding citations The 412th Security Forces Squadron issued three speeding citations and processed three driving suspensions from Oct. 17 through Sunday.
Citations issued 1 to 10 mph........................... 0 11 to 15 mph.......................... 1 16 to 20 mph......................... 1 21 to 24 mph......................... 1 25+ mph................................. 0
Driving privilege suspensions (current) 15 days...................................... 0 30 days...................................... 0 45 days...................................... 0 90 days...................................... 2 180 days (six months).............. 3 365 days (one year)................ 19 730 days (two years)................ 0 1,095 days (three years)........... 1
Per AFI 31-218 and EAFBI 31-218, a DD Form 1408 Armed Forces traffic tickets (no-fine) are issued to military members. Military members receiving 1408s are subject to Uniform Code of Military Justice action. A U.S. District Court Violation Notice (USDCVN) (a fine) is issued to all civilians, dependents, and retirees. If issued a USDCVN, violators may be required to be present at Magistrate Court in Bakersfield, California, receive traffic violation points against their state-issued driver’s license, and potentially receive suspension of on-base driving privileges.
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Announcements
October 28, 2016
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412th Force Support Squadron upcoming events Airman and Family Readiness 90 Farrell Drive, Bldg.5620 277-0723
Pre-Separation Counseling is Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. - noon. Pre-Separation Counseling is a prerequisite for the five-day Transition Assistance Program. Spouses are highly encouraged to attend. Newcomer’s Orientation is December 15, 7:40 a.m. - 2 p.m. Required for all active-duty members and provides vital information regarding base resources and services, policies, procedures, recreation opportunities and more. Spouses are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Arts and Crafts Center Auto Hobby 200 Methusa Rd. 275-ARTS / 275-AUTO
Wood Safety Orientation Class is every other Saturday, 1 p.m. Participants will learn the safety basics of common woodworking equipment. Once people complete the class they can use the full range of equipment in the Wood Hobby Shop. Basic Vehicle Maintenance Class is Saturdays, 10 a.m. Participants will learn the basics of good vehicle maintenance. Learn how to operate a lift, change oil, and check and balance tires. Call the Auto Hobby Shop at 275-AUTO (2887) for more information.
Club Muroc
275 Doolittle Parkway 275-CLUB
Mummies & Ghouls Dance Party is Saturday, 3 to 7 p.m. Moms and sons, dress up in your favorite Halloween costume and enjoy dinner, dancing and costume contest. First Friday is November 4, 4 to 6 p.m. Free hors d’oeuvres for members. Game winners will receive FSS gift cards. Crud open play is every Friday in Pancho’s. Monthly tournament is October 28, 5:30 p.m. Quarterly tournament is November 18, 5:30 p.m. Football Frenzy is every Sunday, Monday, and Thursday to watch the games. Food and drink specials each day. Catch the Word of the week for a chance to win prizes! Karaoke is every Wednesday, 7 - 11 p.m. Specialty wing sauces each week.
High Desert Lanes Bowling Center
205 Fitzgerald, Bldg. 5214 275-BOWL Halloween Special is Monday, 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Bowlers wearing costumes will receive a free game of bowling! Glow in the dark bowling all day. NFL Sunday Ticket is Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Active duty members who wear their team’s shirt, get a free game of bowling with rental shoes. Breakfast
Veterans Day FSS holiday hours Aero Club.................................... Flying from sunrise to sunset. Office closed. Joshua Tree Inn Brunch.....................................................................................6 a.m. - 1 p.m. Dinner.........................................................................................4:30 - 7 p.m. Midnight meal........................................................................ 11 p.m. - 1 a.m. High Desert Inn.............................................................................. always open Muroc Lake Golf Course.......................................................7 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Sandbagger Grill........................................................................7 a.m. - 2 p.m. Rosburg Fitness Center.............................................................8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
All other facilities will close for Veterans Day. Normal hours will resume Nov. 12
Trick or Treating is 6 - 8 p.m. Halloween Night, Oct. 31. Please watch for children around the housing areas. served all day. Appetizers and wing specials available.
Library
5 W. Yeager Blvd., Bldg. 2665 275-BOOK Children’s Story Time is every Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. Toddlers and pre-school children are invited for story time and to create very unique craft projects. Volunteer readers are welcome! Special Holiday Story Time for Halloween is today.
Oasis Community Center
205 W. Popson Ave. 275-CNTR Halloween Craft Night is today, 5 - 7 p.m. Participants can make their own animal mask.
Teen Center
100 Kincheloe Ave., Bldg. 7211 275-8336 Keystone Club meeting is every Wednesday, 2:15 p.m., at the Teen Center. The Keystone Club is a leadership club that performs community service projects around the base. The club also helps teens to maintain focus in high school, graduate and prepare for college.
Youth Programs
24 Lathrop Dr., 275-5437 Gymnastics classes for ages 3 - 17 are Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays. Call 570-640-5895 or email ssgymnastic1@yahoo.com for more information. Beginning Ballet for ages 3 - 4 have started Call 275-KIDS for more information
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Edwards boom operators set sight on future KC-46 testing
From left to right: Master Sgt. Aaron Ray, Senior Master Sgt. Scott Scurlock, and Tech. Sgt. Colin Wernecke of the 370th Flight Test Squadron pose for a photo in front of a KC-135 Stratotanker test aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Kenji Thuloweit)
By Kenji Thuloweit 412th Test Wing Public Affairs
Earlier this year in Everett, Washington, workers from the 418th Flight Test Squadron, Detachment 1, and Boeing teamed to achieve major test milestones for the KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling tanker, which resulted in the Department of Defense authorizing initial production in August 2016. Going forward in the test program, the KC-46 will complete a robust schedule of Federal Aviation Administration and military certification flight testing, including refueling test flights, in order to achieve certification for aircraft in the Air Force and Department of Defense inventory. As with all aerial tankers, the plane requires an Airman to operate the refueling boom that transfers gas to receiver aircraft. To date, boom operators from Edwards are the only Airmen to have flown the boom on the KC-46 and are paving the way for future testing and training with the new system. “The initial cadre of boom operators was selected from the test boom cadre here at Edwards,” said Senior Master Sgt. Scott Scurlock, 370th Flight Test Squadron boom operator. “You had to
be a test boom operator to be considered for the initial KC-46 developmental test cadre; this is a test program and the KC46 test organization in Seattle, Washington is a detachment of the 418th Flight Test Squadron.” Scurlock said Edwards has three qualified KC-46 boom operators here at the 370th FLTS and five active-duty operators assigned to the 418th FLTS, Detachment 1, in Washington.
“When you compare the KC135, a tanker that was developed in the 50s ... and you think about the new systems that we’re dealing with today in the KC-46, it’s a huge difference” Senior Master Sgt. Scott Scurlock 370th Flight Test Squadron boom operator.
He and Master Sgt. Aaron Ray of the 370th FLTS are the first two Airmen in the Air Force Reserve ever to be qualified on the KC-46. They have recently been joined by Tech. Sgt. Colin Wernecke who transferred to the reserve after spending three years with the 418th FLTS in Washington. The 370th FLTS is an Air Force Re-
serve unit with the mission of providing aerial refueling test support to the Edwards 412th Test Wing. The three KC-46 test boom operators went through formal initial cadre training consisting of classroom academics taught by Boeing, simulator time and flight training. All are seasoned veterans of the legacy KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-10 Extender tanker aircraft. “When you compare the KC-135, a tanker that was developed in the 50s and uses a lot of 1940s technology when it comes to the boom system, and you think about the new systems that we’re dealing with today in the KC-46, it’s a huge difference,” Scurlock said. One of those huge differences is the new location of the boom operator’s workplace. “We have transitioned from laying down on your stomach or sitting at the back of the airplane, looking out a window at receiver aircraft, to sitting up front in the airplane at an air refueling operators’ station looking through a 3-D stereoscopic vision system,” said Wernecke. The new vision system is designed to replicate depth perception under all lighting conditions, he said. “Aspects, such as lighting, have been designed into the AROS to make operating the boom easier. Lighting shouldn’t play as big a part with the new remote vision system. They’re able to utilize cameras in such a way that conventional external lighting from the tanker looking down on the receiver doesn’t play as big a part. While operating legacy systems, you have to adjust your lights to allow the boom operator to gain depth perception in dark environments,” Wernecke added. Operators still fly the boom with their right hand and extend the boom with their left as with legacy tankers, but the KC-46 fly-by-wire boom system is more advanced. “The control and operation of the boom is similar, but the boom handling qualities are improved drastically,” said Scurlock. Scurlock and Wernecke said the KC46 boom operators from the 418th and 370th FLTS are providing feedback to Boeing to help with training and further development of the new tanker boom system.
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This Week in Edwards Flight Test History On Oct. 24, 1968 at Edwards - The X-15 made its final flight, piloted by Bill Dana. In 199 flights, the hypersonic aircraft completed one of the most successful space and atmospheric research programs to date. (Edwards History Office file photo)
Springing for fall The 412th Medical Group held its Family Fall and Health Fair Oct. 21 at Wings Field. The event was held in observance of Domestic Violence Prevention Month and featured family attractions and booths manned by 412th MDG personnel to pass out information about healthy living. Children of all ages participated in face painting, bouncy houses, and health and safety displays. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which evolved from the “Day of Unity” held in October 1981, conceived by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The intent was to connect advocates across the nation who were working to end violence against women and their children. For more information, contact 412th MDG Family Advocacy at 2777063. (U.S. Air Force photo by Christopher Ball)
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Commander, 412th TW ................ Brig. Gen. Carl Schaefer Installation Support Director ..................... Dr. David Smith Command Chief .............. Chief Master Sgt. Todd Simmons Director, 412th TW, Public Affairs ................... Ed Buclatin Editor ......................................................... Kenji Thuloweit Contributors ................... Christopher Ball, Dawn Waldman To submit articles or upcoming events send an email to newsroom@edwards.af.mil
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