Now showing: May 10 edition of AFTV News

  • Published
SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) --  Man’s thirst for flight highlights the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Stories from Staff Sgts. Melissa Allan and Leigh Bellinger illustrate two different ways flying has occupied and enriched two people’s lives.

Sergeant Allen profiles Maj. Andrew Lurake. Despite having his leg amputated above the knee, he spent countless hours in rehabilitation and therapy and has now regained his flying status. Sergeant Allan also reports on Major Lurake’s work with servicemembers who have had limbs amputated because of combat injuries.

Sergeant Bellinger features another example of how flight changed a person’s life. In the 1980s, Lt. Col. Robin Stoddard formed the Wright Flight program. Named in honor of Wilbur and Orville Wright, the program offers students free airplane rides if they reach a certain grade level, providing incentive for them to improve their academic standings. Wright Flight now operates in seven states with more expected, officials said.

Tech. Sgt. Pachari Lutke travels to Ascension Island off the coast of Africa to report on the Air Force tracking station located in that remote area of the world, and to talk to the two Airmen assigned there. It is a mission that involves constant tracking of just about everything in space.

Staff Sgt. Marty Rush travels to Beale Air Force Base, Calif., to see how the T-38 Talon trainer aircraft is used to teach pilots how to fly the U-2 Dragon Lady.

Staff Sgt. Kevin Dennison is at Little Rock AFB, Ark., as the C-130 Hercules unit there is the first active-duty squadron in the Air Force to receive the latest model of that aircraft, the C-130J.

Tech. Sgt. Bill Scherer is at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, to show how vegetable oil has moved from the kitchen to the machine shop.

Finally, Staff Sgt. John Anderson goes to Dover AFB, Del., to tour the recently reopened Air Mobility Command Museum that was closed to the public shortly after Sept. 11, 2001.

Air Force Television News is a biweekly production of Air Force News Service. It is distributed on videotape to more than 3,000 military and civilian outlets worldwide, and is seen on more than 700 cable TV outlets nationwide. It is also available on the Internet at www.af.mil, and can be seen regularly on The Pentagon Channel. The program is closed captioned. Viewers can comment on the program by sending an e-mail to aftvnews@afnews.af.mil.