The 133rd Airlift Wing in St. Paul, Minn., has its first-ever female instructor pilot. Maj. Dana Novinskie earned her private pilot’s license while studying engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, then went into specialized undergraduate pilot training in 2004, according to a press release. She qualified in the C-130 in 2007, and has deployed multiple times, flying missions in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and New Dawn. She has flown more than 670 combat and combat support sorties. Novinskie transferred to the Minnesota ANG in 2012 and was selected to attend C-130 instructor pilot training. She became the wing’s first female instructor pilot this year. Novinksie said she believes airmen should “be judged on performance, and not on our race, gender, or sexual orientation. None of that matters.” She said she is “just glad we’ve arrived at a time in history where that’s possible.”
F-16 Tests ‘Rusty Dagger’ Extended-Range Missile
April 20, 2026
The Air Force recently tested the Rusty Dagger, a low-cost cruise missile, with the F-16, one of several industry offerings in the Pentagon's larger effort to field affordable weapons. The Air Force release states that the Team Eglin Test Enterprise conducted Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM) testing at Eglin Air…