Dec. 12, 2022 CSAF hosts all-call with 17th TRW At the all-call, Brown addressed the National Defense Strategy, agile combat employment, multi-capable Airmen, and the spectrum of resiliency.
Dec. 9, 2022 Will Rogers ANGB selected as sole candidate to replace MC-12s with new AT-802U Sky Warden Formal Training Unit Will Rogers ANGB will receive 28 AT-802Us and about 80 personnel to support the mission of the 310th Special Operations Squadron.
Dec. 8, 2022 Bussiere assumes command of Air Force Global Strike Command Gen. Thomas Bussiere became the newest leader of the organization responsible for the nation's only intercontinental ballistic missile and strategic bomber forces.
Dec. 7, 2022 DAF announces 2022 Air Force Design Award winners The Air Force Civil Engineer Center recently announced the winners of the 2022 Air Force Design Awards, recognizing four facilities that demonstrate excellence in design, sustainability and energy efficiency.
Dec. 7, 2022 Department of the Air Force releases 22E9, 22S9, 23S8 promotion cycle statistics Air Force officials have selected 514 senior master sergeants for promotion to chief master sergeant, out of 2,526 eligible, for a selection rate of 20.34 percent in the 22E9 promotion cycle, which includes supplemental promotion opportunities.
Dec. 6, 2022 Aerodynamic technologies for mobility aircraft promise high return on investment As part of its effort to increase readiness and capability, the Air Force is working to introduce aerodynamic technologies on mobility aircraft to improve airflow, reduce maintenance issues, increase payload capability, and decrease fuel demand.
Dec. 6, 2022 Robins AFB takes next step in establishing new missions Four new command and control missions are coming to Robins Air Force Base, after the completion of two environmental assessments.
Dec. 4, 2022 AFGSC takes next steps in making Air Force’s first hypersonic weapon Barksdale AFB personnel have successfully taken the first steps toward implementing the Air Force’s first air-launched hypersonic weapon. The Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon, or ARRW, is scheduled to be operational as early as fall 2023.
Dec. 3, 2022 New 'Spirit Realm’ B-2 Spirit software factory keeps fleet operational — enabling combat relevancy for years to come A new software factory using the Department of Defense reference design has pushed the aircraft’s evolution further forward.
Dec. 2, 2022 B-21 Raider makes public debut; will become backbone of Air Force’s bomber fleet The U.S. Air Force unveiled its newest bomber aircraft, the B-21 Raider, designed to operate in tomorrow's high-end threat environment.
Dec. 1, 2022 US, Israeli air forces execute fighter escort, refueling exercise Ninth Air Force (U.S. Air Forces Central) F-15E Strike Eagles, F-16 Fighting Falcons, and KC-10 Extenders participated in a bilateral exercise with Israeli air force F-35 Lightning IIs and F-16s over the Eastern Mediterranean Sea Nov. 29 and 30.
Nov. 30, 2022 555th Fighter Squadron participates in multigenerational airpower exercise Falcon Strike 22 Falcon Strike 22 was designed to test and improve the ability of NATO nations to conduct multinational offensive and defensive air operations that integrate fourth and fifth-generation airpower.
Nov. 28, 2022 Increased firepower provides unique capability for combat rescue The wing searched for an innovative way to bring more firepower to the fight and with the HH-60G scheduled to be retired, it had to be cost effective and easily transferred to the new HH-60W Jolly Green II because of the similar design structures.
Nov. 24, 2022 US Air Force, Hawaii Air National Guard, Royal Australian Air Force participate in bilateral exercise Over 30 active-duty U.S. Air Force and Hawaii Air National Guard service members worked with the Royal Australian Air Force during a bilateral training exercise Nov. 12-19.
Nov. 23, 2022 A beacon of hope: How one Air Force chaplain remains hopeful amidst Russian-Ukraine conflict A U.S. Air Force chaplain, who grew up in Soviet controlled Belarus and who has family in Ukraine, discusses his hopes and fears regarding the Russian-Ukraine conflict.
Nov. 21, 2022 DAF updates program to issue pregnant members free maternity uniforms The DAF issued updates to the Maternity Uniform Pilot Program.
Nov. 20, 2022 AFCENT's 609th AOC shifts to user-focused software suite Adopting the software, known as the Kessel Run All Domain Operating System, or KRADOS, marked the first time in history that air tasking and airspace control orders were operationally built and flown in that CAOC without TBMCS and the master air attack planning toolkit.
Nov. 19, 2022 Airmen innovate, ensure HH-60W’s first deployment A team of 41st Rescue Squadron and Rescue Generation Squadron Airmen overcame a shortfall with an innovative solution, ensuring the HH-60W Jolly Green II aircraft's first deployment.
Nov. 16, 2022 Forging the next generation: BMT leads the way Following a 16-year run, Basic Expeditionary Airman Skills Training, or BEAST, has come to an end and is being replaced with training exercise PACER FORGE, as part of Air Force basic military training.
Nov. 15, 2022 AFCENT leads US military presence alongside partners during Bahrain International Airshow 2022 Since the inception of the Bahrain International Airshow in 2010, U.S. military support and participation has continued to build and enhance enduring relationships in the region.
Nov. 14, 2022 AFSOC conducts live-fire exercise with Rapid Dragon During SOCEUR exercise ATREUS 22-4, two MC-130J Commando IIs assigned to the 352nd Special Operations Wing flew the Rapid Dragon package to a Royal Norwegian Air Force training range and deployed it over the Atlantic Ocean.
Nov. 13, 2022 X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle concludes 6th successful mission The U.S. Space Force’s unmanned, reusable spaceplane, X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle-6, successfully deorbited and landed after completing a 908-day mission.
Nov. 12, 2022 Missile wings conduct remote code change with ICU II The 90th, 91st and 341st Missile Wings have begun the process of converting their missile alert and launch facilities to ICU II, a system that allows for a remote code change – and will save the Air Force millions of dollars in resources and labor hours.
Nov. 9, 2022 DAF authorizes pass for COVID booster by Dec. 1 Airmen and Guardians who receive the COVID-19 Bivalent Booster released in September are authorized a one-day special pass from their commander as long as the booster is administered by Dec. 1
Nov. 9, 2022 Autonomous aircraft testing arrives at Eglin AFB The 40th Flight Test Squadron at Eglin AFB took possession of the first of two government-owned Kratos XQ‑58A Valkyrie, a low-cost, high-performance uncrewed air vehicle.
Nov. 9, 2022 AFCENT Deputy Commander, allies, partners attend 4th Manama Air Power Symposium Maj. Gen. David Harris, Deputy Commander, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central), and Deputy, Combined Forces Air Component Commander, U.S. Central Command, was a guest speaker at the 4th Manama Air Power Symposium, Bahrain, Nov. 8, 2022.
Nov. 9, 2022 8 African nations attend APF co-hosted by US, Tunisian air forces The APF serves as an opportunity to open dialogue between air force leaders across the continent, identify opportunities for the U.S. to assist African partners and implement collective solutions.
Nov. 8, 2022 SecAF takes closer look at JBSA missions Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall visited Joint Base San Antonio to meet with leaders across Air Education and Training Command, Air Force Personnel Center, Air Force Installation Management Support Command and Sixteenth Air Force.
Nov. 6, 2022 Airmen compete in joint global radio contest Noble Skywave Military units from across the world participated in Noble Skywave, a multi-national high-frequency radio contest hosted by the Canadian Armed Forces.
Nov. 5, 2022 US, international forces operate as a combined force in exercise Virtual Flag: Coalition The exercise integrated the full spectrum of air, land, surface, space, and cyber warfighters in a virtual battlespace in joint and coalition environments.
Nov. 4, 2022 AF provides additional information for aircrew considering flying during their pregnancy The Department of the Air Force recently introduced new procedures that empower female aircrew to make the most informed decisions about whether to fly while pregnant.
Nov. 3, 2022 AFSOC receives final AC-130J Air Force Special Operations command received its final AC-130J Ghostrider, which completes the command's transition from its legacy AC-130 variants.
Nov. 2, 2022 Saltzman formally elevated to Space Force’s highest position – Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman assumed the role of Chief of Space Operations, the service’s highest-ranking military post in the Space Force, from retiring CSO, Gen. John “Jay” Raymond.
Nov. 2, 2022 McConnell AFB completes KC-46 flight with limited crew The 22nd Air Refueling Wing flew a KC-46A Pegasus without a copilot to validate procedures for operating with a limited aircrew for certain potential high-end combat scenarios.
Nov. 2, 2022 Healy talks resilience, readiness at Airlift/Tanker Association symposium The chief of the Air Force Reserve and commander of Air Force Reserve Command spoke about the Reserve’s role in the airlift and tanker world at the Airlift/Tanker Association’s annual convention.
Oct. 31, 2022 Arkansas Air Guardsmen provide medical care in Guatemala Arkansas ANG members helped provide medical care in Guatemala during the Continuing Promise 2022 mission.
Oct. 30, 2022 USAF, Navy integrate for Bomber Task Force MineX The 37th Expeditionary Bomb Wing integrated with U.S. Naval forces over the Indo-Pacific region to conduct a naval mine exercise (MineX), Oct. 24.
Oct. 30, 2022 Airman to Ironman: General practices what he preaches when it comes to fitness Maj. Gen. David Smith, director of Air Force Reserve Plans, Programs and Requirements, participated in the Ironman World Championship race in Kona, Hawaii, earlier this month.
Oct. 28, 2022 SecAF visits Barksdale AFB, discusses operational imperatives Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall visited Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, Oct. 27 to meet with Air Force Global Strike Command leaders and visit with 2nd Bomb Wing Airmen.
Oct. 26, 2022 MQ-9s demonstrate new capabilities in Emerald Flag Air Force Special Operations Command’s Remotely Piloted Aircraft enterprise participated in an Emerald Flag exercise at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, Oct. 17-20.
Oct. 25, 2022 Exercise Rainier War demonstrates JB Lewis-McChord's AFFORGEN capabilities Joint Base Lewis-McChord successfully completed Exercise Rainier War 22B Oct. 6-21. Rainier War is a semi-annual exercise designed to demonstrate the 62nd Airlift Wing, 627th Air Base Group and 446th Airlift Wing’s ability to generate, employ and sustain operations.
Oct. 23, 2022 B-1B Bomber Task Force returns to Guam for multilateral training operations U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers returned to Andersen Air Force Base as part of a Bomber Task Force mission to demonstrate the Lancers' ability to deploy anytime, anywhere.
Oct. 22, 2022 Tactical Medical Augmentation Team increases combat medical capability The 920th Rescue Wing’s Aeromedical Staging Squadron developed an agile, embedded medical team that will bring a new level of patient care directly to the battlefield.
Oct. 21, 2022 Commentary: Lessons from our past – Claire Chennault on Agile Combat Employment As the Air Force leans into Agile Combat Employment, lessons can be learned from Claire Chennault's Flying Tigers and how they operated in China during WWII.
Oct. 20, 2022 B-21 bomber to be unveiled Dec. 2 The Air Force confirmed Oct. 20 it plans to reveal the B-21 Raider Dec. 2 during an unveiling ceremony hosted and sponsored by the Northrop Grumman Corporation at its production facilities in Palmdale, California.
Oct. 19, 2022 Van Ovost says TRANSCOM effectively delivering security assistance to Ukraine Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost, U.S. Transportation Command commander, provided the keynote address Oct. 17 at the National Defense Transportation Association-Transcom fall meeting.
Oct. 18, 2022 New Air Force combat dive badges approved New Air Force combat dive badges and the associated wear criteria for Airmen who have been wearing the Navy scuba badge, have been established.
Oct. 14, 2022 Readout of US Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr.’s travel to Ecuador U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. traveled to Ecuador Oct. 12-13, to affirm the U.S.-Ecuador defense partnership and discuss future enhanced cooperation.
Oct. 13, 2022 DAF, ROKAF sign Terms of Reference for collaborating in land, air, space weather Representatives from the U.S. Department of the Air Force and Republic of Korea Air Force signed a first-of-its-kind Terms of Reference document May 23, 2022, establishing a forum for the two nations to collaborate in the areas of land, air, and space weather.
Oct. 12, 2022 CSAF visits Sheppard AFB Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., and his wife, Sharene Brown, visited Sheppard Air Force Base Oct. 6, to meet with Airmen and see how the base’s two wings are accelerating change in technical and flying training.
Oct. 12, 2022 New reporting options for sexual harassment victims Uniformed Airmen and Guardians who experience sexual harassment now have the option to file a restricted or unrestricted report with the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) office to access advocacy services and supportive referrals.
Oct. 12, 2022 Offutt AFB celebrates runway reopening Dozens of current and former members of Team Offutt recently gathered at Offutt Air Force Base to celebrate the reopening of the runway during a special event there.
Oct. 12, 2022 Readout of US Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr.’s travel to Colombia Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. traveled to Colombia Oct. 10-11 to further strengthen the longstanding and vital U.S.-Colombia defense relationship.
Oct. 10, 2022 First JB Lewis-McChord deployment with new MAFFORGEN model Members of the 62nd AW recently deployed in support of U.S. Central Command, U.S. European Command, and U.S. Africa Command operations and implemented the new Mobility Air Force Force Generation model.
Oct. 9, 2022 15th Wing, JASDF increase interoperability during first bilateral exercise Japan Air Self-Defense Force (Koku-Jieitai) Airmen spent three days training alongside 15th Wing Airmen, strengthening partnerships and familiarizing both forces with the Kawasaki C-2 and C-17 Globemaster III.
Oct. 8, 2022 Inside the 908th AW: Fire Protection If you possess a stellar attitude paired with a desire to serve and protect, then you should consider becoming a fire protection specialist with the 908th Civil Engineer Squadron.
Oct. 6, 2022 DAF reaches DAF365 Enterprise Services migration milestone The Air Force Enterprise Information Services SharePoint Team has completed the final major migration milestone to the Microsoft Office 365 collaboration platform.
Oct. 6, 2022 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year recognized during Air Force’s season of celebrations The 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2022 were recognized and honored during the Air Force’s 75th Anniversary week and the Air and Space Force Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Sept. 15-21.
Oct. 6, 2022 The red hats are here: 202nd RED HORSE continues response to Hurricane Ian Members of the Florida Air National Guard’s 202nd RED HORSE Squadron assist southern Floridians affected by Hurricane Ian, clearing damage caused by the hurricane from public roadways.
Oct. 5, 2022 Department of the Air Force rolls out plan addressing climate change The Department of the Air Force released its Climate Action Plan, which defines how it will preserve operational capability, increase resiliency, and do its part to help mitigate future climate impacts.
Oct. 5, 2022 Alaska Guard flies relief supplies to Western Alaska Members of the Alaska National Guard, Alaska State Defense Force and Alaska Naval Militia, were recently activated after remnants of Typhoon Merbok caused dramatic flooding across more than 1,000 miles of Alaskan coastline.
Oct. 3, 2022 Air Force introduces new, foundational Ready Airman Training program Ready Airman Training will prepare Airmen to develop and demonstrate the mindset required to support the Air Force Force Generation, or AFFORGEN, deployment model.
Oct. 3, 2022 Defending the human weapon system with off-duty risk management Learn to protect the human weapon system off-duty through proper risk management.
Oct. 1, 2022 349th AMW delivers ‘heaven sent’ aid for Haitian children A 349th Air Mobility Wing aircrew from Travis Air Force Base opened the tail of their C-17 Globemaster III Sept. 24 in Port Au Prince, Haiti, and delivered three yellow school buses.
Sept. 30, 2022 DAF adds additional financial incentives to recruit Child and Youth Program employees Effective Oct. 1, DAF Child Development Program direct-care employees will receive a 100% childcare fee waiver for their first child enrolled in installation Child Development Programs.
Sept. 30, 2022 Senate confirms Saltzman to be Space Force’s next CSO With his confirmation in hand and his promotion to general, Saltzman is poised to step into the position held by Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond. The latter has served as the Space Force’s highest-ranking military officer since the service was created on Dec. 20, 2019.
Sept. 30, 2022 CCAF data migration leads to limited services for next several months The Community College of the Air Force will have limited services available to current and former students for the next several months as Air University migrates the college’s student academic records to a new enterprise-wide student information system.
Sept. 30, 2022 Hurricane Hunters fly last mission into Ian The unit flew weather reconnaissance missions around the clock for more than a week into Hurricane Ian to gather vital weather data for National Hurricane Center forecasts.
Sept. 29, 2022 RAAF, USAF leaders sign Joint Vision Statement in Washington The Joint Vision Statement builds on the U.S. and Australian strategic partnership and conveys the two countries’ intent to work together to direct and support the development and operations of their air forces.
Sept. 28, 2022 Operational Test Airman builds radar range, sets standard for Air Force innovation An Operational Test imagery analyst at the 410th Test and Evaluation Squadron built an entire range of radar targets used to test the accuracy of U-2 and RQ-4 Global Hawk sensors.
Sept. 27, 2022 Kendall visits JB Langley-Eustis During his time at JB Langley-Eustis, Kendall visited several units where he discussed key issues, emphasized strategic intent, recognized Airmen and discussed the way ahead during an all-call.
Sept. 27, 2022 Air Force, Army air defenders demonstrate enhanced air, missile defense system Air Forces Northern teamed up with the 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command and the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation and Missile Center to conduct a Deployable Integrated Air Defense System Technology Demonstration.
Sept. 26, 2022 US, Timor-Leste partnership strengthened through Pacific Angel 22-4 The operation focused on capacity building through health services outreach, engineering civic action program construction projects and subject matter expert exchanges.
Sept. 25, 2022 NextGen 2.0 helmets on the way to security forces across DAF The Air Force Security Forces Center is rolling out the NextGen 2.0 helmet later this year with several improvements.
Sept. 23, 2022 Defense Department moving ahead on recommendations to combat sexual assault The DoD now has a framework in place to track the implementation and effectiveness of its efforts to stop sexual assault and harassment, which includes regular progress reviews through senior leadership forums.
Sept. 22, 2022 Austin pledges to 'ease the load' for service members In a memo titled "Taking Care of Our Service Members and Families," Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III outlined efforts to address the needs of married service members and their families, as well as single service members.
Sept. 22, 2022 Air Force announces hypersonic missile contract award The Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile is an air-launched, scramjet-powered hypersonic weapon designed to hold high-value targets at risk in contested environments from standoff distances.
Sept. 22, 2022 Win or die: AMC commander presents Mobility Manifesto Gen. Mike Minihan, commander of Air Mobility Command, presented his case for the state of air mobility to a packed audience of Airmen at the 2022 Air, Space and Cyber Conference, Sept. 21.
Sept. 21, 2022 Communities in the Fight panel underscores importance of collaboration The Air and Space Forces Association hosted a “Communities in the Fight” panel discussion at the AFA’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference at National Harbor Sept. 20.
Sept. 21, 2022 Air Force recruiters using new tools, new thinking to meet targets in difficult environment As the head of recruiting for the Air and Space Forces, Maj. Gen. Ed Thomas is in a job that requires him to be pragmatic and creative and occasionally willing to test boundaries in the quest to meet never slacking personnel demands of the two services.
Sept. 21, 2022 PACAF boss speaks at AFA conference, emphasizes importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific Wilsbach provided remarks as one of three panelists for a “Preparing for Global Competition” presentation, hosted a media roundtable on “Defending the Indo-Pacific Theater,” and hosted a think tank.
Sept. 21, 2022 Accelerating change by improving distributed, scalable battle management, expediting kill chain The Tactical Operations Center-Light experiment was designed to continue development of future command and control concepts intended to expedite kill chains and improve distributed battle management.
Sept. 20, 2022 KC-46A cleared for worldwide deployments following first combat refuel The KC-46A recently completed an employment concept exercise in the U.S. Central Command area of operations, during which it was evaluated while filling real-world taskings in support of combat operations, supplementing other tanker aircraft in theater.
Sept. 20, 2022 AFCENT commander conducts first round of regional partner engagements Building relationships within the force and with allies and partners, Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) commander, travelled across the USCENTCOM AOR to meet with U.S. embassy, coalition, regional, and U.S. military leaders.
Sept. 19, 2022 DAF announces new integrating program executive officer, ABMS execution construct The Department of the Air Force is establishing a new integrating program executive officer for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management, which will have the authorities required to ensure integration of all C3BM related programs throughout the DAF.
Sept. 18, 2022 Hurlburt Field wing takes ACE C2 to next level for lead wings The 705th Training Squadron executed Air Combat Command’s first Lead Wing Command and Control Course at Hurlburt Field, Florida, Aug. 23-26
Sept. 15, 2022 South Carolina Air National Guard wraps up exercise Relampago VII The exercise focused on training techniques, tactics and procedures, and strengthening interoperability between the U.S. and Colombian air forces as allies under NATO standards.
Sept. 15, 2022 B-1s border Arctic for Baked Alaskan; enhance ACE practices Two B-1B Lancers and approximately 50 Airmen assigned to Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, engaged in an Agile Combat Employment exercise, Baked Alaskan, at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Sept. 9-10.
Sept. 14, 2022 Senate committee considers Saltzman’s nomination to be Chief of Space Operations Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman is considered by the Senate Armed Services Committee to be the next Chief of Space Operations Sept. 13.
Sept. 13, 2022 305th AMW activates 911th ARS The 911th Air Refueling Squadron is the Air Force's very first active-duty squadron that is located within a reserve wing.
Sept. 12, 2022 Pitch Black 2022 concludes international interoperability exercise Approximately 110 U.S. Airmen from PACAF participated in Exercise Pitch Black 2022, the Royal Australian Air Force Chief of Air Force’s biennial capstone international engagement activity with forces drawn from a wide range of regional, coalition and allied nations.
Sept. 8, 2022 ACE provided by 317th AW during exercise Patriot Fury Agile Combat Employment is a proactive and reactive operational scheme of maneuver executed within threat timelines to increase survivability while generating combat power.
Sept. 8, 2022 Field ordering officers with HEART 22 enable mission success The supplies and equipment bought with Overseas Humanitarian Disaster and Civic Aid funds are a large part of the impact the Health Engagements Assistance Response Team 2022 is making at the participating hospitals and on the patients in Guatemala and Honduras.
Sept. 7, 2022 DAF counters insider threat risks Insider threat awareness keeps everyone affiliated with DoD to do their part in keeping installations, information, resources and personnel safe.
Sept. 7, 2022 US, Germany, Australia air forces’ generals share airspace together The desire to build upon foundational multilateral capabilities is paramount to international cooperation in maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific. Leaders often set the example for the development of international relationships.
Sept. 7, 2022 52nd FW first in AF to upgrade F-16s with AESA radar systems The AESA upgrade provides F-16s enhancement in combat capabilities, improving pilot effectiveness, air defenses and overall aircraft survivability when faced by enemy forces.
Sept. 6, 2022 US, partners conduct Middle East BTF through air, land, sea United States ground and naval units, as well as coalition and regional partner air forces executed a Bomber Task Force mission across the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Sept. 4.
Sept. 4, 2022 Shaw AFB accelerates ACE abilities during Iron Hand Exercise Iron Hand 22-09 was developed as a proof of concept for Airmen to train in a contingency location in an unfamiliar geographic situation.
Sept. 3, 2022 Joint Battle Labs assess DARPA program, reduce joint-fires execution time In partnership with the Army and Air Force, ASTARTE is a DARPA-sponsored program designed to enable efficient and effective airspace operations and deconfliction in a highly congested battlespace.
Sept. 2, 2022 Remembering Flying Tiger Flight 923 Flying Tiger Flight 923 may not be a well-known story; however, it is a story military history should never let die. As the Air Force celebrates its 75th anniversary, now is the best time to look back and reflect on aviation moments like this.