Testers at Edwards AFB, Calif., have pushed the RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 20 unmanned aerial vehicle to its “fuel system limits” to ascertain just how long it could fly in the event of a missed landing, reports A1C Mike Young. The weeklong testing took place inside a weight and balance hangar at Edwards. The test team tilted the UAV at a 20-degree angle, which simulates a missed approach, requiring the aircraft to climb at a steep angle to recover. “We wanted to ensure that at the steep deck angle, the pumps would not create an engine flame out resulting in engine failure,” said 2nd Lt. Garrison Lindholm, the 773rd Test Squadron subsystem engineer.
Trainees in Basic Military Training and technical school no longer have the option to try alternate PT drills if they fail an initial assessment, according to a policy change the Air Force made in April. The move is part of a larger shift out of the classroom and into hands-on,…