-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War! 001526. Air Force sets aviation safety records WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- The Air Force has achieved its lowest numbers in major aviation mishaps and also saw its second-best year in on-duty ground safety in the service's 53-year history; a "tremendous accomplishment," says the Air Force's chief of safety, Maj. Gen. Tim Peppe. For fiscal 2000, the aviation mishap rate was 1.04 per 100,000 flying hours, compared to the previous best rate set in fiscal 1991 of 1.11, according to Peppe. "In the Air Force, we define a major aviation mishap as an accident which results in a fatality or in which an aircraft is destroyed or exceeds $1 million in damage," he explained. In accomplishing this year's feat, the Air Force realized records in three major aviation safety categories: the lowest number of major aircraft mishaps, 22; the lowest number of aircraft destroyed, 14; and the lowest number of total aviation fatalities, 7, including three pilot fatalities. "These aviation rates are pretty significant, especially when you account for the increased ops tempo, deployments and operations in austere locations such as Southwest Asia," Peppe noted. "This is a tremendous accomplishment." Previously, the Air Force's record was 24 major aircraft mishaps in fiscal 1998; 20 aircraft destroyed in fiscal 1998, and nine total aviation fatalities in fiscal 1999. The general said this fiscal year's record lows are evidence of a downward trend seen over the past few years. "We are pleased to see this continuing decline overall in our safety categories but realize that challenges remain ahead of us. It may not be realistic, but we want to see a zero in every category." The general said one significant decline was in the logistics category, which covers mechanical failures. "This year, the Air Force confirmed four cases of aircraft mishaps due to mechanical failures, compared to fiscal 1999's total of 20, a significant decline," he said. He noted the number might rise to seven, due to ongoing investigations of aircraft mishaps. Peppe attributes the decline to continued commander involvement at all levels and increased funding in spare parts. "We are going to keep a close eye on this to see if this downward trend continues." Along with the aviation records comes the service's second best year in on-duty ground safety. "For fiscal 2000, we had six on-duty fatalities, which equates to a 1.02 percent rate (per 100,000 people)," Peppe said. Previously, the service's lowest rate was three fatalities in fiscal 1998. "Off duty," he said, "the Air Force lost 51 airmen, compared to a previous low record of 41 fatalities seen in fiscal 1999." "The primary causes remain motor vehicle accidents, alcohol use and people who are not wearing seat belts," Peppe said. "We are optimistic that with continued focus and commitment to make operational risk management a part of on- and off-duty life, we can do better. We feel even one fatality is one too many." Peppe said this fiscal year's aviation record is a stellar effort that reflects the Air Force's team effort. "Clearly, commander awareness and emphasis, increased funding for spare parts and a commitment to make operational risk management a part of everyone's daily schedule all contributed to these superb aviation safety records," he said. 001525. Raptor structural testing closer to completion WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- The F-22 Raptor successfully completed another air vehicle ultimate load static test recently. This was the third of three such tests conducted in September, according to F-22 program officials. "We have completed 16 of 19 major structural tests, which are significant elements in certifying the strength of the (airframe)," said Dave Bushroe, F-22 System Program Office strength and static test leader. "The latest tests were designed to evaluate how well the F-22's vertical tails and rudders withstood 1.5 times the loads exerted upon them when performing critical aircraft operating maneuvers," he said. The air vehicle tests, scheduled to run through the end of October, are the first phase of the full-scale ultimate static test program. The final three tests will focus on the aft fuselage and the wings. Last year, the Raptor successfully underwent 19 limit load tests, which simulated the loads that could be experienced by the aircraft in its operating environment, Bushroe said. Following the limit load tests, the F-22 began ultimate load testing -- which tests the strength of the Raptor's primary components -- at 1.5 times (the conventional safety factor for aircraft design) the forces and pressures experienced in actual flight. Full-scale static testing of the F-22 is being conducted at Lockheed Martin's Marietta, Ga., facility. When the air vehicle cases are completed, the F-22 program will begin the full-scale ultimate static test program's second phase, which is a series of tests designed to exercise critical detail structural components such as engine mounts, weapons bay components and cockpit systems. These tests will run through April 2001. 001523. Space surveillance complex changes hands; telescope becomes operational MAUI, Hawaii (AFPN) -- The Defense Department's most sophisticated telescope complex, the Maui Space Surveillance Complex here, changed hands Oct. 1, from Air Force Space Command to Air Force Materiel Command. In conjunction with the changeover, Air Force officials announced that the complex's 3.67-meter telescope -- the world's largest for taking pictures of passing satellites -- was now fully operational. The complex, located atop Mt. Haleakala, is used primarily to track and "photograph" satellites, and for research into technologies and techniques for improving the quality of the images that are taken. The change reflects a greater emphasis on the site's research activities, on closer collaborations with academic researchers, and on developing and implementing techniques that will further improve the quality of images collected. A majority of the operations have now transferred from Det. 3, 18th Space Surveillance Squadron, to Det. 15, Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate. Construction of the telescope was completed in 1998. But for the past two years, scientists have been adding instrumentation and deformable optics (a mirror that can change its shape) that will permit the telescope to compensate for the distorting effects of the atmosphere and get clear images of objects in space. The telescope, known as the Advanced Electro-Optical System, is available to visiting experimenters. Last year, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the National Science Foundation announced they were making more than $2 million available over two years for civilian researchers to use the telescope. The two organizations are also contributing an additional $500,000 for civilian groups to use the telescope for upper atmospheric research. Multiple groups or institutions can use the telescope, because images captured by the telescope can be routed through mirrors to seven independent experimental labs located beneath the telescope. "By allowing civilian researchers to use this telescope, the academic community benefits and their involvement can lead to improvements that we can use in our space surveillance work," said Maj. J. Raley Marek, chief of the directorate's Space Surveillance Systems Branch. The telescope, along with a 1.6-meter telescope, 1.2-meter twin telescopes, a 0.8-meter beam director-tracker and a 0.6-meter beam director are part of a space surveillance network for identifying and pinpointing objects in space for U.S. Space Command. Earlier this year, the telescope complex received $15 million to continue operations and research and development, and for performance enhancements, in addition to supporting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA often uses the 1.2-meter telescope to track asteroids passing near earth. *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. 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