An article in Wednesday’s Dallas Morning News has rehashed the debate over the number and cost of the Air Force’s F-22A Raptor, calling out critics who bemoan variously the high price, low numbers, and supposed technical problems. Buried in the article are quotes from the airmen who maintain and fly the Raptor. They are worth reading. A maintainer says of two temporarily broken F-22s one morning, “All airplanes break. It’s actually a lot more durable than some aircraft I’ve worked on.” And, the fixes were easy. As to whether the few F-22s can take on a superior number of aircraft, an F-22 pilot says that with eight missiles on his Raptor, he can handle eight other fighters. That is high praise from the guys who should know.
Gene Smith, Former POW and AFA Chair, Dies at 91
Jan. 19, 2026
Lt. Col. Richard “Gene” Smith, who overcame five and a half years as a prisoner of war in the notorious Hanoi Hilton from 1967 until 1973, died Jan. 16. He was one day short of his 91st birthday.
