Army CWO James K. Church sets a recognized turbine engine helicopter class record for altitude in horizontal flight (36,122 feet), Capt. B.P. Blackwell sets a record for altitude (31,165 feet) with a 2,200-pound payload, CWO Eugene E. Price sets two records for altitude (31,480 feet and 25,518 feet) with 4,400-pound and 11,000-pound payloads, and CWO Delbert V. Hunt sets a record for time-to-climb to 29,700 feet (five minutes, 58 seconds) all in the same Sikorsky CH-54B at Stratford, Conn.
The Air Force is on track to reach its annual goal of graduating 1,500 new pilots that had proved elusive to this point, one year after the service launched a sweeping overhaul of its undergraduate pilot training program, Air Education and Training Command said Sept. 14.
