Podcasts about air force test pilot school

What is the difference between automation and autonomy, and where does artificial intelligence fit in when it comes to military aviation?On this episode, Ms. Jessica "STING" Peterson, Ph.D. student and part time Instructor Flight Test Engineer at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, explains the nuanced differences, drawing on her experience flight testing the RQ-4 Global Hawk and collision avoidance systems.Aircraft, both civil and military, have been equipped with auto pilots for decades. With advancing technology, it seems all but inevitable that autonomous and artificially intelligent aircraft are the next logical step.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations

An experimental fighter jet, the X-62A VISTA, has engaged in successful dogfights with an F-16 fighter jet flown by artificial intelligence (AI). The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School operates the X-62A VISTA, a modified version of the F-16, and this achievement is seen as a major step in building trust in autonomous flight. The tests were carried out as part of the Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program, which aims to refine the use of AI in air warfare. The results have been promising, demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of testing AI agents in a combat environment. The program could lead to the creation of collaborative combat aircraft. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tonyphoang/message

AFRL Space Vehicles experts Christina Straight and Evelyn Kent join the podcast to discuss satellite operations, risk posturing and the Air Force Test Pilot School's inaugural Space Test Fundamentals Course.

He first arrived as a Captain when he attended the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and today is a Brigadier General commanding the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base. Join us for this edition of Edwards: Beyond the Test as we talk with Brig. Gen. E. John Teichert. Gen. Teichert discusses new programs on the horizon for Edwards, outreach to the surrounding communities, as well as quality of life for those who live and work on the base.

Barry E. Wilmore (Captain, U.S. Navy) is a veteran of two spaceflights and has accumulated 178 days in space. In 2014, Wilmore served as a Flight Engineer for Expedition 41 until November when he assumed command of the station upon arrival of the Expedition 42 crew. He returned to Earth in March 2015. During this mission, he logged 167 days in space and performed four spacewalks. In 2009, Wilmore served as a pilot aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis for STS-129. Wilmore is from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee and earned degrees from Tennessee Technological University and the University of Tennessee. He is a captain in the U.S. Navy. Personal Data:Wilmore is married to the former Miss Deanna Newport of Helenwood, Tennessee and they have two daughters. He was raised in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee where his parents Eugene and Faye Wilmore still reside. His brother Jack and family reside in Franklin, Tennessee. Education:Mount Juliet High School, Mount Juliet, Tennessee. Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, Tennessee Technological University. Master of Science in Aviation Systems, University of Tennessee. Experience:Wilmore has accumulated more than 7,000 flight hours and 663 carrier landings, all in tactical jet aircraft, and is a graduate of the United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS). During his tenure as a fleet Naval officer and pilot, Wilmore completed four operational deployments, flying the A-7E and FA 18 aircraft from the decks of the USS Forrestal, USS Kennedy, USS Enterprise and the USS Eisenhower aircraft carriers. He has flown missions in support of Operations Desert Storm, Desert Shield and Southern Watch over the skies of Iraq, as well as missions over Bosnia in support of United States and NATO interests. Wilmore successfully completed 21 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm while operating from the flight deck of the USS Kennedy. His most recent operational deployment was aboard the USS Eisenhower with the "Blue Blasters" of Strike Fighter Squadron 34 (VFA-34), an F/A-18 squadron based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. As a Navy test pilot, Wilmore participated in all aspects of the initial development of the T-45 jet trainer to include initial carrier landing certification and high angle of attack flight tests. His test tour also included a stint at USNTPS as a systems and fixed wing Flight Test Instructor. Prior to his selection to NASA, Wilmore was on exchange to the United States Air Force as a Flight Test Instructor at the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California.NASA Experience:Selected as an astronaut by NASA in July 2000, Wilmore reported for training in August 2000. Following the completion of two years of training and evaluation, he was assigned technical duties representing the Astronaut Office on all propulsion systems issues including the space shuttle main engines, solid rocket motor, external tank, and also led the astronaut support team that traveled to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida, in support of launch and landing operations. To date Wilmore has logged 178 days in space. He completed his first flight as pilot on STS-129 where he logged more than 259 hours (11 days) in space. From September to November 2014, he served as Flight Engineer aboard the International Space Station for Expedition 41 and then as commander of Expedition 42 from November 2014 to March 2015 totaling 167 days in space. Spaceflight Experience:STS-129 (November 16 through November 29, 2009). This was the 31st shuttle flight to the International Space Station. During the mission, the crew delivered two Express Logistics Carrier (ELC racks) and about 30,000 pounds of replacement parts to maintain the station’s proper orientation in space. The mission also featured three spacewalks. The STS-129 mission was completed in 10 days, 19 hours, 16 minutes and 13 seconds, traveling 4.5 million miles in 171 orbits, and returned to Earth bringing back with them NASA astronaut, Nicole Stott, following her tour of duty aboard the station. Expedition 41/42 (September 25, 2014 through March 12, 2015). Wilmore and cosmonauts Elena Serova and Alexander Samokutyaev launched to the International Space Station in a Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Wilmore assumed command of the station in November 2014. On March 12, 2015 the Expedition 42 crew safely touched down in Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan after a 167 day mission aboard the International Space Station. Wilmore performed three spacewalks to prepare for new international docking adapters and future U.S. commercial crew spacecraft. In addition, he completed a spacewalk with fellow astronaut Reid Wiseman to replace a failed voltage regulator. Wilmore now has logged 178 days in space and has 25 hours and 36 minutes of time in four spacewalks. Awards/Honors:Personal Decorations Include: The Defense Superior Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Two Navy Meritorious Service Medals, Five Air Medals, Three with Combat 'V' designation, Six Navy Commendation Medals, Three of which also hold the Combat 'V' designation, The NASA Distinguished Service Medal, Two NASA Space Flight Medals and Two Navy Achievement Medals. Other Awards Include: Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS) “Distinguished Naval Graduate.” Initial Naval Flight Training “Commodores List with Distinction.” United States Atlantic Fleet “Light Attack Wing One - Pilot of the Year” (1991). U.S. Atlantic Fleet "Strike Fighter Aviator of the Year" (1999). Recipient of the Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic “Scott Speicher Award” for Weapons Employment Excellence (1998). Tennessee Technological University “Sports Hall of Fame” Inductee for football (2003). Tennessee Technological University Outstanding Alumnus and Engineer of Distinction (2010). Honorary Doctorate, Tennessee Technological University (2012), University of Tennessee Accomplished Alumni Award (2015). University of Tennessee Mechanical, Aerospace & Biomedical Engineering (MABE) Hall of Fame Inductee (2017). NCAA Theodore Roosevelt Award (2018). Pronunciation:BEAR-ee WILL-more

Today's story: U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School applications for 2019 are due by May 29th.

We are happy to re-cast a wonderful conversation we had with former NASA Astronaut, Col. Rick Searfoss back in 2016.  He joined us to talk about rockets, The Space Shuttle, and being an astronaut! Col. Rick Searfoss From his NASA Bio: PERSONAL DATA: Born June 5, 1956, in Mount Clemens, Michigan, but considers Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to be his hometown. Married; three children. He enjoys running, soccer, radio-controlled model aircraft, Scouting, backpacking, and classical music. EDUCATION: Graduated from Portsmouth Senior High School, Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1974; received a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the USAF Academy in 1978, and a master of science degree in aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology on a National Science Foundation Fellowship in 1979. USAF Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College, and Air War College. ORGANIZATIONS: Association of Space Explorers, National Eagle Scout Association, Air Force Association, Academy of Model Aeronautics. SPECIAL HONORS: Awarded the Harmon, Fairchild, Price and Tober Awards (top overall, academic, engineering, and aeronautical engineering graduate), United States Air Force Academy Class of 1978. Air Force Aero Propulsion Laboratory Excellence in Turbine Engine Design award. USAF Squadron Officer's School Commandant's Trophy as top graduate. Distinguished graduate, USAF Fighter Weapons School. Named the Tactical Air Command F-111 Instructor Pilot of the Year, 1985. Selected for Outstanding Young Men of America, 1987. Recipient of the Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, NASA Spaceflight Medal (3), NASA Exceptional Service Medal, NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, and Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross. EXPERIENCE: Searfoss graduated in 1980 from Undergraduate Pilot Training at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona. From 1981-1984, he flew the F-111F operationally at RAF Lakenheath, England, followed by a tour at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, where he was an F-111A instructor pilot and weapons officer until 1987. In 1988 he attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, Patuxent River, Maryland, as a USAF exchange officer. He was a flight instructor at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, California, when selected for the astronaut program. He has logged over 5,000 hours flying time in 56 different types of aircraft and over 939 hours in space. He also holds FAA Airline Transport Pilot, glider, and flight instructor ratings. NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected by NASA in January 1990, Searfoss became an astronaut in July 1991. Initially assigned to the Astronaut Office Mission Support Branch, Searfoss was part of a team responsible for crew ingress/strap-in prior to launch and crew egress after landing. He was subsequently assigned to flight software verification in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL). Additionally, he served as the Astronaut Office representative for both flight crew procedures and Shuttle computer software development. He also served as the Astronaut Office Vehicle System and Operations Branch Chief, leading a team of several astronauts and support engineers working on Shuttle and International Space Station systems development, rendezvous and landing/rollout operations, and advanced projects initiatives. A veteran of three space flights, Searfoss has logged over 39 days in space. He served as pilot on STS-58 (October 18 to November 1, 1993) and STS-76 (March 22-31, 1996), and was the mission commander on STS-90 (April 17, to May 3, 1998). Searfoss retired from the Air Force and left NASA in 1998. For the next few years he worked in private industry and, more recently, was a research test pilot at NASAs Dryden Flight Research Center. In February 2003, Searfoss left Dryden to pursue private business interests.

We are happy to re-cast a wonderful conversation we had with former NASA Astronaut, Col. Rick Searfoss back in 2016.  He joined us to talk about rockets, The Space Shuttle, and being an astronaut! Col. Rick Searfoss[/caption] From his NASA Bio: PERSONAL DATA: Born June 5, 1956, in Mount Clemens, Michigan, but considers Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to be his hometown. Married; three children. He enjoys running, soccer, radio-controlled model aircraft, Scouting, backpacking, and classical music. EDUCATION: Graduated from Portsmouth Senior High School, Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1974; received a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the USAF Academy in 1978, and a master of science degree in aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology on a National Science Foundation Fellowship in 1979. USAF Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College, and Air War College. ORGANIZATIONS: Association of Space Explorers, National Eagle Scout Association, Air Force Association, Academy of Model Aeronautics. SPECIAL HONORS: Awarded the Harmon, Fairchild, Price and Tober Awards (top overall, academic, engineering, and aeronautical engineering graduate), United States Air Force Academy Class of 1978. Air Force Aero Propulsion Laboratory Excellence in Turbine Engine Design award. USAF Squadron Officer's School Commandant's Trophy as top graduate. Distinguished graduate, USAF Fighter Weapons School. Named the Tactical Air Command F-111 Instructor Pilot of the Year, 1985. Selected for Outstanding Young Men of America, 1987. Recipient of the Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, NASA Spaceflight Medal (3), NASA Exceptional Service Medal, NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, and Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross. EXPERIENCE: Searfoss graduated in 1980 from Undergraduate Pilot Training at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona. From 1981-1984, he flew the F-111F operationally at RAF Lakenheath, England, followed by a tour at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, where he was an F-111A instructor pilot and weapons officer until 1987. In 1988 he attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, Patuxent River, Maryland, as a USAF exchange officer. He was a flight instructor at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, California, when selected for the astronaut program. He has logged over 5,000 hours flying time in 56 different types of aircraft and over 939 hours in space. He also holds FAA Airline Transport Pilot, glider, and flight instructor ratings. NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected by NASA in January 1990, Searfoss became an astronaut in July 1991. Initially assigned to the Astronaut Office Mission Support Branch, Searfoss was part of a team responsible for crew ingress/strap-in prior to launch and crew egress after landing. He was subsequently assigned to flight software verification in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL). Additionally, he served as the Astronaut Office representative for both flight crew procedures and Shuttle computer software development. He also served as the Astronaut Office Vehicle System and Operations Branch Chief, leading a team of several astronauts and support engineers working on Shuttle and International Space Station systems development, rendezvous and landing/rollout operations, and advanced projects initiatives. A veteran of three space flights, Searfoss has logged over 39 days in space. He served as pilot on STS-58 (October 18 to November 1, 1993) and STS-76 (March 22-31, 1996), and was the mission commander on STS-90 (April 17, to May 3, 1998). Searfoss retired from the Air Force and left NASA in 1998. For the next few years he worked in private industry and, more recently, was a research test pilot at NASAs Dryden Flight Research Center. In February 2003, Searfoss left Dryden to pursue private business interests. SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: Searfoss served as STS-58 pilot on the seven-person life science research mission aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, launching from the Kennedy Space Center on October 18, 1993, and landing at Edwards Air Force Base on November 1, 1993. The crew performed neurovestibular, cardiovascular, cardiopulmonary, metabolic, and musculoskeletal medical experiments on themselves and 48 rats, expanding our knowledge of human and animal physiology both on earth and in space flight. In addition, the crew performed 16 engineering tests aboard the Orbiter Columbia and 20 Extended Duration Orbiter Medical Project experiments. The mission was accomplished in 225 orbits of the Earth. Launching March 22, 1996, Searfoss flew his second mission as pilot of STS-76 aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis. During this 9-day mission the STS-76 crew performed the third docking of an American spacecraft with the Russian space station Mir. In support of a joint U.S./Russian program, the crew transported to Mir nearly two tons of water, food, supplies, and scientific equipment, as well as U.S. Astronaut Shannon Lucid to begin her six-month stay in space. STS-76 included the first ever spacewalk on a combined Space Shuttle-Space Station complex. The flight crew also conducted scientific investigations, including European Space Agency sponsored biology experiments, the Kidsat earth observations project, and several engineering flight tests. Completed in 145 orbits, STS-76 landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on March 31, 1996. Searfoss commanded a seven person crew on the STS-90 Neurolab mission which launched on April 17, 1998. During the 16-day Spacelab flight the crew served as both experiment subjects and operators for 26 individual life science experiments focusing on the effects of microgravity on the brain and nervous system. STS-90 was the last and most complex of the twenty-five Spacelab missions NASA has flown. Neurolab's scientific results will have broad applicability both in preparing for future long duration human space missions and in clinical applications on Earth. Completed in 256 orbits, STS-90 landed at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on May 3, 1998. FEBRUARY 2003

To end 2016, we want to share with you some of our favorite interviews with favorite Solid Gold Satellite Sisters. This week, we bring you Commander Eileen Collins. When the space shuttle Columbia blasted off on July 23, 1999, pilot Eileen Collins became NASA's first female shuttle commander.SynopsisIn 1990, Eileen Collins was only the second woman to graduate as a test pilot and be selected as a NASA astronaut. She became the first woman to pilot a space shuttle mission during the Discovery's rendezvous with the Mir space station in 1995. By 1999, she had logged 419 hours in space and was given command of the space shuttle Columbia, another first for a woman.Early Life and EducationLike Amelia Earhart, Valentina Tereshkova (a Soviet cosmonaut and the first woman in space, in 1963), and Sally Ride (the first American woman in space, in 1983), Collins has become a pioneer in the world of aviation, as the first woman to command a space shuttle mission.From the time she was very young, Eileen Marie Collins wanted to be a pilot. She earned an associate's degree in science from Corning Community College in New York and a B.A. in mathematics and economics from Syracuse University in 1978. After college, Collins enrolled in the pilot training course at Oklahoma's Vance Air Force Base; her class was one of the first at the base to include women. She completed the course in 1979 and then stayed on at Vance for three years as an instructor.In 1983, Collins was transferred to Travis Air Force Base in California, where she flew C-141 cargo planes as part of various military and humanitarian missions all over the world. She received an M.S. degree in operations research from Stanford University in 1986 and an M.A. in space systems management from Webster University in 1989. That same year, she was accepted at the competitive Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, also in California. In 1990, she became only the second woman to graduate as a test pilot and was selected to be an astronaut by NASA.First Female AstronautIn February 1995, after several years of training with NASA, Collins became the first female astronaut to pilot a space shuttle mission, she served as second-in-command of the shuttle Discovery during its unprecedented rendezvous with the Russian space station Mir. In 1996, she took time off to give birth to a daughter, with her husband Pat Youngs, a former Air Force pilot who works for Delta Airlines. A year later, in May 1997, Collins piloted her second mission, on the shuttle Atlantis, during its delivery of 7,000 pounds of equipment to Mir.Collins had logged 419 hours in space by the time she was chosen by NASA to become its first female shuttle commander. The shuttle Columbia, under Collins' command, made history on July 23, 1999, when it blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on its way to the deployment of a $1.5 billion telescope into earth's orbit.In 2005, Collins retired from the Air Force and in 2006 from NASA. Since her retirement, Collins has received numerous awards and honors, including induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame and inclusion on the Encyclopedia Britannica's list of 300 Women Who Changed the World.

The Total Tutor Neil Haley and Rico Racosky will interview Astronaut Kevin Chilton. Gen. Kevin P. Chilton is Commander, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. He is responsible for the plans and operations for all U.S. forces conducting strategic deterrence and Department of Defense space and cyberspace operations.  General Chilton is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and a Columbia University Guggenheim Fellow.  A distinguished graduate from the U.S. Air Force pilot training and test pilot Schools, he flew operational assignments in the RF-4C and F-15 and weapons testing in the F-4 and F-15. The general also served 11 years at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and commanded STS-76, his third space shuttle mission.  The general has commanded at the wing, numbered air force, major command and unified combatant command levels.  EDUCATION 1976 Distinguished graduate, Bachelor of Science degree in engineering science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.  1977 Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering, Columbia University, New York, N.Y.  1982 Distinguished graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.  1984 Distinguished graduate, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, Calif.  1985 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence 2001 Air War College, by correspondence http://www.just2choices.com  

A You're The Best Encore Interview from the satellite Sisters Archives. This week, we talk to Commander Eileen Collins.  When the space shuttle Columbia blasted off on July 23, 1999, pilot Eileen Collins became NASA's first female shuttle commander. Synopsis In 1990, Eileen Collins was only the second woman to graduate as a test pilot and be selected as a NASA astronaut. She became the first woman to pilot a space shuttle mission during the Discovery's rendezvous with the Mir space station in 1995. By 1999, she had logged 419 hours in space and was given command of the space shuttle Columbia, another first for a woman. Early Life and Education Like Amelia Earhart, Valentina Tereshkova (a Soviet cosmonaut and the first woman in space, in 1963), and Sally Ride (the first American woman in space, in 1983), Collins has become a pioneer in the world of aviation, as the first woman to command a space shuttle mission. From the time she was very young, Eileen Marie Collins wanted to be a pilot. She earned an associate's degree in science from Corning Community College in New York and a B.A. in mathematics and economics from Syracuse University in 1978. After college, Collins enrolled in the pilot training course at Oklahoma's Vance Air Force Base; her class was one of the first at the base to include women. She completed the course in 1979 and then stayed on at Vance for three years as an instructor. In 1983, Collins was transferred to Travis Air Force Base in California, where she flew C-141 cargo planes as part of various military and humanitarian missions all over the world. She received an M.S. degree in operations research from Stanford University in 1986 and an M.A. in space systems management from Webster University in 1989. That same year, she was accepted at the competitive Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, also in California. In 1990, she became only the second woman to graduate as a test pilot and was selected to be an astronaut by NASA. First Female Astronaut In February 1995, after several years of training with NASA, Collins became the first female astronaut to pilot a space shuttle mission, she served as second-in-command of the shuttle Discovery during its unprecedented rendezvous with the Russian space station Mir. In 1996, she took time off to give birth to a daughter, with her husband Pat Youngs, a former Air Force pilot who works for Delta Airlines. A year later, in May 1997, Collins piloted her second mission, on the shuttle Atlantis, during its delivery of 7,000 pounds of equipment to Mir. Collins had logged 419 hours in space by the time she was chosen by NASA to become its first female shuttle commander. The shuttle Columbia, under Collins' command, made history on July 23, 1999, when it blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on its way to the deployment of a $1.5 billion telescope into earth's orbit. In 2005, Collins retired from the Air Force and in 2006 from NASA. Since her retirement, Collins has received numerous awards and honors, including induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame and inclusion on the Encyclopedia Britannica's list of 300 Women Who Changed the World.  

Opperman Report 9-12-14LAS VEGAS ANTI-GUN POLICY: KILL AND COVERWilliam B. Scott is a former Rocky Mountain Bureau Chief for Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine. During his 22 years with the publication, he also served as Senior National Editor, Avionics Editor and Senior Engineering Editor. He is a co-author of three books: Space Wars: The First Six Hours of World War III; Counterspace: The Next Hours of World War III, and Inside the Stealth Bomber: The B-2 Story. A solo-written novel, The Permit, is based on the murder of his eldest son, Erik Scott. Scott holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from California State University-Sacramento, and is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School. In 35 years of military and civilian flight testing, plus evaluating aircraft for Aviation Week, he has logged approximately 2,000 flight hours on 80 aircraft types.On July 10, 2010, Erik B. Scott, a 1994 U.S. Military Academy at West Point graduate with an MBA from Duke University, was shot to death by three Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (“Metro”) officers in front of a Las Vegas, NV, Costco big-box store. While many readers will recall that egregious, senseless murder, few know what followed: A jaw-dropping cover-up more typical of the old Soviet Union than America.To every man and woman, who carries a firearm, the Erik Scott shooting is a chilling reminder that billion-dollar companies, such as Costco, have irrational, secret, anti-gun policies that literally kill their customers.Erik, a Boston Scientific cardiac pacemaker sales rep, was carrying a legally registered concealed firearm, while he and his girlfriend were shopping at Costco-Summerlin in Las Vegas. He also had a concealed-carry permit in his wallet, issued by the same Metro police force that killed him.When Erik squatted on the floor to verify that three metal water bottles would fit into a soft-sided, zip-up cooler, a Costco employee spotted Erik's Kimber Ultra Carry .45-caliber semiautomatic in an inside-the-waistband holster. A civil interchange with a Costco manager ensued, and Erik was told that a Costco policy banned guns inside company stores—although there were no signs to that effect posted outside or inside, and there's no mention of a gun-ban policy in the membership application. Erik calmly responded that his sidearm was legal and that he had a concealed-carry weapon (CCW) permit on his person. The manager never asked Erik to leave the store, and the two parted on good terms, according to witnesses.The Costco manager reassured a plainclothes security guard, Shai Lierley, that Erik would be leaving soon. For reasons known only to him, the young, cocky Lierley—defying management practices and company policy—placed a 311 call to the local police, falsely claiming Erik “had a gun and was acting erratic.” Thinking an armed madman was barricaded inside, Metro cops rushed to the store in overwhelming force—15 police cruisers, a helicopter, an incident-command team and an ambulance.An inbound Metro lieutenant suggested that Costco managers quietly evacuate the store. Unaware that the evacuation had anything to do with him, Erik and his girlfriend calmly walked out with the crowd, passing three Metro officers waiting at the entrance and exit doors. Costco's Shai Lierley identified Erik to an agitated, scared Metro officer, William Mosher, who was clutching a semiautomatic, visibly shaking and sweating profusely. Alarmed, Mosher spun around and immediately yelled something, which even nearby cops failed to comprehend.Erik turned to find a frightened, obese cop shouting three conflicting commands. With his left hand, Erik lifted his T-shirt to expose the Kimber, and repeated, "I am armed, I am armed..." Witnesses said he moved his right elbow enough to expose the Kimber. In his right hand, Erik held a BlackBerry cell phone. Mosher instantly panicked and fired two shots with a .45-caliber Glock 21. The cop's first hollow-point slug struck Erik in the heart; the second went through his right thigh, well below his jeans' front pocket.Two other officers hesitated a long beat, then fired another five rounds, all into Erik's back. Erik was shot a total of seven times. The five that hit him in the back were fired after he was on the ground, dying.Based on a recording of Lierley's 311-call, we've confirmed that Mosher gave Erik three conflicting commands and fired, all within two seconds. Mosher then knelt on his victim's back and handcuffed Erik's hands.Costco had numerous security cameras inside the store and at least four trained on the entrance, where the lethal shooting took place. Violating department policies, Metro detectives did NOT immediately seize the surveillance system's two digital video recorders' hard disks. They left the critical DVR and hard drive in Costco's control for five days, allowing Costco-Summerlin personnel and the store's IT contractor to tamper with video data. Five days after the shooting, Metro detectives finally decided to pick up one Costco DVR. After valiant attempts to “recover” critical imagery, the DVR was sent to the U.S. Secret Service's Los Angeles office, where forensics experts examined it. The experts later testified that 96 percent of the DVR's data were recovered. The four percent not recoverable just happened to encompass the time Erik was in Costco, as well as the fatal officer-involved shooting. The hard disk's platter sectors, where that critical four percent of unrecoverable data resided, was physically damaged, as if the disk were running, “then dropped from about chest high,” according to forensic experts' testimony.Within hours of the shooting, a Clark County Deputy Public Administrator and a Metro cop illegally broke into Erik's condominium and stole several of his firearms. One pistol, a small Ruger LCP, was later produced as "proof" that Erik was carrying two guns. Why two? Because the AMR ambulance crew had reported finding a gun on Erik's body. The sole gun Erik really was carrying (the Kimber) had already been removed from the corpse and placed on the ground at Costco, still in the holster, as if Erik had pulled it, thereby “justifying” Mosher's murder. In fact, the only item Erik ever had in-hand was his BlackBerry smartphone. In a state of panic, Mosher couldn't distinguish a BlackBerry from a semiautomatic pistol. He literally executed Erik.There is absolutely no doubt that Erik was murdered. However, integrity-challenged cops of Metro's “Blue Wall” immediately resorted to post-shooting procedures that are standard practice for hundreds of corrupt Las Vegas police officers: Conceal the facts, destroy and manufacture “evidence,” coerce selected eyewitnesses, and systematically demonize the deceased victim. The cover-up of Erik's murder-by-cop was aided and abetted by the Clark County District Attorney, an unprincipled union—the Las Vegas Police Protective Association—and wealthy power brokers, who control The Strip.My family filed two lawsuits in federal court—one against the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the three shooters and the sheriff, Douglas Gillespie, and a second against Costco. For unbelievable reasons, both suits went nowhere. After the second was dismissed, our lawyer said, “I don't think it's possible to get justice in this town.”The truth about Erik's murder and its blatant cover-up is so bizarre that non-Las Vegas citizens would never believe it. Consequently, I resorted to asymmetric warfare. I wrote a novel based on the actual events of my son's senseless execution. Entitled The Permit, the book is “faction”—truth wrapped in a techno-thriller story. According to reviewers, The Permit is a fast-moving, riveting tale of intrigue, corruption and accountability. Synopsis of “The Permit:” A murder-by-cop victim, “Erik Steele,” was actually a covert assassin for Checkmate, an ultra-secret Department of Homeland Security counterterrorism team. Arrogant, low-intelligence Las Vegas Metro cops had brazenly killed a high-value federal agent. As Metro leaders soon realize, their trigger-happy cretins truly did kill the wrong guy.Metro's clumsy attempts to cover-up Erik's execution triggers a deadly campaign codenamed Operation Gold Shield. Activated by the highest office in America, Shield is designed to neutralize INDIGO, a new, dangerous class of domestic terrorist that has killed more Americans since 9/11 than were lost on that modern day of infamy: Rogue cops and their corrupt allies. Shield is launched to prevent the U.S. from erupting in armed revolt. However, the initial targets are those responsible for killing a fellow Checkmate agent, Erik Steele.Integrity-devoid killer-cops, corrupt district attorneys, police union thugs, an unscrupulous sheriff, and even a powerful billionaire are held accountable via advanced, highly classified means, such as tiny missiles with nanoparticle warheads; a microwave-beam weapon that fries a victim; an airborne system that creates “ghosts” in a target's bedroom; a “black world” fighter aircraft armed with T-Rex, a stunning electrostatic weapon; an acoustic beam that shatters bones and buildings, and a lethal disease that precludes sleep.Ultimately, bodies pile up, government officials run scared and the glitzy Las Vegas Strip is silenced.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/1198501/advertisement

Welcome to the second episode in our two-part series covering the modified Boeing 747s that NASA uses carry the space shuttle orbiters when they need to be repositioned between Edwards Air Force Base in California, Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and other locations. We talked about the basics of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or "SCAs" in Part One, in which we also interviewed SCA crew chief Pete Seidl. If you missed that episode or if you're a recent subscriber, please be sure to download that episode as well. Today we're going to talk to one of the pilots who flies NASA's SCAs. To say that Gordon Fullerton is an SCA pilot would be true, but to stop there would be to fail to outline as rich an aviation and aerospace career as anyone could claim. He's presently associate director of flight operations at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Southern California. In addition to flying the SCAs, his assignments include a variety of flight research and support activities piloting a variety of multi-engine and high performance aircraft. Fullerton entered the U.S. Air Force in 1958. After primary and basic flight school, he trained as an F-86 interceptor pilot and later became a B-47 bomber pilot. In 1964, he attended what is now be called Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base and was later assigned as a test pilot with the Bomber Operations Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. While still in the Air Force, he went on to become a NASA astronaut and served on the support crews for the Apollo 14, 15, 16 and 17 lunar missions. [Audio] The voice there saying "Roger, you have good thrust" is Fullerton, who was the man at the CAPCOM station in Houston for Gene Cernan and Jack Schmidt's liftoff from the Taurus Littrow Valley as part of Apollo 17 - the last manned mission to the moon. In 1977, Fullerton joined one of the two two-man flight crews that piloted the Space Shuttle prototype Enterprise during the Approach and Landing Test program, which involved flying the orbiter to altitude on an SCA, separating the orbiter from the SCA, and then gliding the orbiter to a landing to validate landing procedures. Fullerton logged 382 hours in space during two space shuttle missions. He was the pilot for the eight-day STS-3 orbital flight test mission in 1982. STS-3 landed at Northrup Strip at White Sands, New Mexico because Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base was wet due to heavy seasonal rains. He was also the commander of the STS-51F Spacelab 2 mission in 1985, which landed at Edwards. Fullerton has logged more than 16,000 hours of flying time and flown 114 different types of aircraft, including full qualification in the T-33, T-34, T-37, T-38, T-39, F-86, F-101, F-106, F-111, F-14, F/A-18, X-29, KC-135, C-140 and B-47. Since joining Dryden as a research pilot, Fullerton has piloted nearly all the research and support aircraft flown at the facility and currently flies the center's Beech King Air 200 as well as the B-747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. He was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2005, and the International Space Hall of Fame in 1982. We started the research for this episode intending to focus on the SCAs themselves. We were delighted to have access to one of the pilots of these magnificent machines. But we had no idea when we submitted the initial inquiry that that we'd end up talking to a man whose career has been so intertwined with the space program and the national dream that has captured so many imaginations. With your indulgence, then, we couldn't help also asking Gordon for his thoughts about the space program - where it's been and where it's going. We caught up with Gordon by phone at his office at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Southern California. [Interview audio.] Image used per NASA's policy entitled Using NASA Imagery and Linking to NASA Web Sites (October 13, 2005) located at http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html. NASA does not endorse Airspeed or any commercial good or service associated with Airspeed. See more pictures of the SCA at http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Photo/STS-Ferry/index.html.