Two B-1Bs from the 28th Wing at Ellsworth AFB, S.D., are in Australia this week to participate in the Avalon Airshow near Melbourne. The show starts today and runs through March 15. The flight over of the B-1s caused some press buzz, apparently by hyping an incident that occurred with the arrival of one of the B-1s. Here’s what happened, according to the wing: The first B-1 landed at Avalon without incident. Due to a delayed arrival, the second B-1 had to divert from landing at Avalon to Melbourne airport as it was past sunset and Avalon’s airstrip closes at sunset, SSgt. Eric Bolt, a spokesman for the wing, told the Daily Report yesterday. Upon landing at Melbourne, this B-1 did blow a tire, but the landing was still safe, said Bolt. This B-1 did not have to divert due to an in-flight emergency. Nor, he said, was the landing an emergency situation as reported in the Australian press. (Here’s what the Australians said: Herald Sun report, ABC News Australia report)
RTX’s Raytheon unit was able to “significantly” extend the range of the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile using mostly software changes in experimental tests last year, expanding the reach and lethality of the standard U.S. dogfighting weapon, company officials said Sept. 15.
