The
perils of flying aging aircraft was an issue at last February’s AFA Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla., and it remained on the mind of Gen. John Corley, Air Combat Command head, at this year’s event. During his presentation Friday, Corley reminded attendees that, this time last year, the Air Force was still in the midst of ascertaining what caused an F-15C to break apart in flight over Missouri in November 2007, and numerous F-15s remain grounded. This year, the rigors of age are continuing to plague the A-10 fleet. Corley said 108 A-10s—in a fleet of roughly 350—remain on the ground due to a systemic issue with wing cracks in the thinner winged variant of the aircraft. And, 53 more have yet to be inspected; probably 10 of those will end up grounded, too, he said.
Dozens of former Airmen are running for Congress in the 2026 midterms, with Election Day fast approaching on Nov. 3. But the potential impact of the election for the Air Force and Space Force goes beyond just the number of former service members on Capitol Hill—the results will also decide…