Will there be an F-35 mishap in the future? Very possible. This happens in testing. But how much risk should new trainee pilots wear? They are not test pilots.
What matters is if the mishap has a high degree of being preventable. Below, I have converted a portion of an Inside Defense story about a Osprey mishap.
Let us see if it has legs with the current F-35 program management attitude. With a limited flight envelop almost 6 years after first-flight, what defines unwarranted risk?
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F-35 Crash Report Cites Pilot Error, Wind And Flight Manual
(CNN) A fatal F-35 Joint Strike Fighter crash in Florida this past fall was due largely to mistakes made by the pilot, but wind was also a key factor, according to a Marine Corps investigation report. The report also recommends the aircraft's flight manual had inadequate guidance for the circumstances involved.
3 comments:
This is exactly why it is incomprehensible and even (I might add) reprehensible of Marine Corps to start training.
Not only one has to wonder what are they training for because of the lack of full software load, most weapons not tested yet,etc...but what the heck happens when we see regular pilots not military/civilian test pilots or quasi test pilots with tons of flight hours start using F35 for "joy rides"?
Sure, the first batch of trainees is highly experienced with ton of rank, they aren't going to screw up but pretty soon when you get lower rank/less experience trainees, then what? You want me to believe these guys are just going to fly circles around the airfield? They aren't going to pull any Gs or always stay under 10 degrees AOA? AS ELP mentions, what happens if they get into trouble without going into some extreme situation? OOPPPSSS, that isn't covered in the flight manual because we haven't TESTED IT YET???
What happens when they are flying and their buddies flying Hornets call "fight's on!"? What are they going to say: " Sorry, my mommy doesn't want me to play with you?" and go home? You think the news media won't run with that story:" New $150 million jet won't fight?"
Yeah, this is an accident waiting to happen...not like we haven't told you so.....
They must have squashed this crash - never heard about it...
Folks, this was a hypothetical future news briefing...
Based on completely hypothetical possibilities for any tragic, potential future test or training flight. (Be it Marine variant or Air Force, or foreign).
It's for discussion purpose only.
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