RAF Flight Lieutenant Dan Robinson reverted to the wide-eyed wonderment of childhood during his first foray into the cockpit of a new F-22A Raptor at Langley AFB, Va., according to the Hampton Roads Daily Press. The RAF pilot arrived at the Air Combat Command base this month as the first allied pilot to train on the Raptor—a highly coveted exchange slot, according to Robinson, who normally flies an F-3 Tornado. At Langley, Robinson will be part of the 27th Fighter Squadron, undergoing the same training as every US Raptor pilot. He will get his first taste of what it’s like to fly the new stealth fighter at the F-22 schoolhouse at Tyndall AFB, Fla., where he will begin flight training next month. In July, as a fully trained Raptor pilot, Robinson will return to Langley for a three-year tour.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.