Air traffic controllers at Edwards AFB, Calif., operating what’s called Space Positioning Optical Radar Tracking, or SPORT, help keep track of aircraft flying test missions in the base’s restricted—and hazardous—test airspace. They often work one-on-one with test pilots, providing information on all aircraft that are in close proximity and air space boundary and weather notifications, among other duties. According to ATC supervisor, Charles Cooper, the SPORT controllers have many years of experience and are highly trained for their test mission role.
The crash of a T-38 trainer jet this May—which caused a weekslong pause in flights across the fleet—was caused by an improperly installed pin for one of the jet’s horizontal stabilizers, according to a new accident report released Oct. 30. When the pin disengaged midflight, it created the slightest amount…