Engineers at Edwards AFB, Calif., have installed a first-of-its-kind aeronautical telemetry ground system at the Air Force Test Pilot School. The new system is expected to improve the ability of aircraft performance data to be transmitted to personnel on the ground during flight testing. The new equipment is capable of acquiring airborne telemetry data in the C-band, L-band and S-band frequency ranges. The prior system could only receive in the L-band and S-band. “Due to technological advances and the increase in civilian use of various frequencies … there has been a need to expand our range of frequencies for flight testing,” said John Ward, who manages this upgrade project. Early testing of this system has been very encouraging and it is expected to be fully operational by July, according to Edwards officials. (Edwards report by Kenji Thuloweit)
The Air Force will promote 11.07 percent of eligible master sergeants to senior master sergeant this year, a decline from last cycle that snaps a four-year streak of increases. Out of a pool of 13,315 eligible individuals, 1,474 new E-8s were selected.