Public Affairs, Volume 64, Number 5
Serving the community of Edwards Air Force Base California www.edwards.af.mil - www.facebook.com/EdwardsAirForceBase
Feb. 3, 2017
Civilian aircraft crash kills EAFB pilot An officer assigned to the 419th Flight Test Squadron lost his life when the privately owned aircraft he was operating crashed near San Antonio, Texas, Jan. 25. Maj. Lee Berra, 32, a B-1B Test Pilot with the 419th FLTS, was flying a single-engine Cirrus SR22 from San Antonio International Airport to Stinson Municipal Airport in San Antonio, when his aircraft went down at approximately 3:45 p.m. He was the sole occupant of the aircraft. Berra was temporarily assigned to the 12th Flying Training Wing, Joint Base San Antonio for T-38C Pilot Instructor Training. Berra held a private pilot license and used his personal aircraft for transportation to the training location.
He was also a licensed commercial pilot. During his 10-year career, Berra flew 2,599 total military flight hours in 30 different aircraft, with 2,270 in the supersonic B-1B Lancer. From 2010 through 2015 Berra was assigned as a B-1 pilot at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. He was reassigned to Edwards Air Force Base to attend the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, where he graduated with Class 15B in June of 2016. He is survived by his wife and parents. A Catholic Mass will be held Feb. 6 at Chapel 2 at 11:30 a.m. and will coincide with Berra’s funeral in St. Louis. A non-demoniational service will be held Feb. 10 in Hangar 1600 at 2:30 p.m. To settle the estate of the deceased, Maj. Gregory Marcus, 419th FLTS, has
(U.S. Air Force photo)
been appointed as Summary Courts officer. Any persons having a claim for or against the estate Berra should contact Marcus at 275-0812 or 310-433-3683. His email is gregory.marcus.2@us.af.mil.
JSF pilot ensemble designed to keep out CB agents
By Kenji Thuloweit 412th Test Wing Public Affairs
After several tests over the past six months to contaminate and decontaminate an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter with simulated chemical and biological agents, the 461st Flight Test Squadron has now moved forward to testing a suit ensemble designed to protect the pilot from those threats. “Over a decade of planning, flight equipment and decontamination system design and build-up testing have led to this single flight test event,” said Darren Cole, 461st FLTS Human Systems Integration lead. The chemical/biological ensemble consists of a special CB suit, a Joint Service Aircrew Mask used for the F-35, a pilot-mounted CB air filter, CB socks and gloves double taped at the wrists. The ensemble also features a filtered air blower that protects the pilot from CB contamination while walking to the jet. It provides both breathing air and demist air, which goes to the pilot’s mask and goggles. All components of the CB ensemble are in addition to the pilot’s sleeved flight jacket and G suit. “Among the data we’re collecting is how much thermal stress is added to the pilot with the CB ensemble on and the impact the additional gear may have on flying the aircraft,” Cole said. The ensemble also includes a communication device so the pilot can speak to people while wearing the ensemble with helmet and mask. “It is a conversational communication unit, which is a box that integrates with the communication system so that when he speaks into his mask it lets people hear the pilot talk…it
Marine Corps Maj. Douglas Rosenstock, 461st Flight Test Squadron, is inspected by contractor Dr. Angela Theys during a chemical/biological pilot ensemble test Jan. 6. (U.S. Air Force photo by Brad White)
makes him sound like Darth Vader.” For the CB ensemble tests, an F-35B is on loan from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona. Marine Corps test pilots Maj. Aaron Frey and Maj. Douglas Rosenstock from the 461st FLTS donned the CB ensemble for the first tests Jan. 6. “The first pilot stepped to a clean jet in the CB ensemble and we contaminated it using a simulated agent. The engine run pulls in the simulant so we need to make sure the air is See CB Suit page 3