Eglin Air Force Base Essay
In the heart of Northwest Florida, just three miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida, lies a very rare and exciting attraction for aviation enthusiasts. Surrounded by an extremely unique Part 93 airspace, lies the beautiful Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport/Eglin Air Force Base or KVPS. Eglin Air Force base has a very renowned history dating back to the early ages of military flight. It is surrounded by the largest military installation in the Department of Defense, and nearly 134,000 square miles of airspace.
Eglin Air Force Base was established in 1935 as a testing facility for bomber and fighter aircraft. The Air Force Base is named after a very well-known pilot named Lieutenant Colonel Fredrick I. Eglin. Lieutenant Colonel Eglin was killed …show more content…
Currently, the 96th Test Wing is the current host unit which oversees operations on Eglin Air Force Base. The 96th Test Wing’s primary mission is to “execute developmental test and evaluation enabling the warfighter to put weapons on target in all battlespace media while also providing support for all other Team Eglin missions as the installation host wing. Eglin deploys combat ready forces while delivering full spectrum support to the DoD's largest, most dynamic Air Force Installation” (eglin.af.mil 2012).
While the history of Eglin Air Force Base may seem remarkable, there are many dark events that occurred on and around this base. Since the year 2000, there have been many aircraft crashes which resulted in countless lives. The following crashes, and individuals involved will never be …show more content…
Duricy lost his life when his F-15 aircraft from the 46th Testing wing crashed roughly 60 miles South of Panama City, Florida. The flight was testing new air to air missiles. The accident investigation board determined that the crash resulted from a structural failure on the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer. The structural failure occurred when Major Duricy was testing a high speed dive. At 24,000 feet MSL, Major Duricy ejected from the aircraft which was descending at 900 miles per hour. He was killed instantly, and the body has never been recovered. As static displace of Major James A. Duricy and his F-15 aircraft are on display at Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee.
On March 8th, 2003 a T-38 aircraft from Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico crashed while on final for runway 19 at Eglin Air Force Base. According to the controlling agency, the accident occurred due to the pilot’s failure to monitor his airspeed while on final approach. The pilot decreased his airspeed to create more separation from his wingman in front of him. However, he forgot his speed and crashed into trees, and a house. He ejected and landed safety. All individuals on the ground were not injured. Luckily, there were no injuries or deaths in this
Eglin Air Force Base was established in 1935 as a testing facility for bomber and fighter aircraft. The Air Force Base is named after a very well-known pilot named Lieutenant Colonel Fredrick I. Eglin. Lieutenant Colonel Eglin was killed …show more content…
Currently, the 96th Test Wing is the current host unit which oversees operations on Eglin Air Force Base. The 96th Test Wing’s primary mission is to “execute developmental test and evaluation enabling the warfighter to put weapons on target in all battlespace media while also providing support for all other Team Eglin missions as the installation host wing. Eglin deploys combat ready forces while delivering full spectrum support to the DoD's largest, most dynamic Air Force Installation” (eglin.af.mil 2012).
While the history of Eglin Air Force Base may seem remarkable, there are many dark events that occurred on and around this base. Since the year 2000, there have been many aircraft crashes which resulted in countless lives. The following crashes, and individuals involved will never be …show more content…
Duricy lost his life when his F-15 aircraft from the 46th Testing wing crashed roughly 60 miles South of Panama City, Florida. The flight was testing new air to air missiles. The accident investigation board determined that the crash resulted from a structural failure on the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer. The structural failure occurred when Major Duricy was testing a high speed dive. At 24,000 feet MSL, Major Duricy ejected from the aircraft which was descending at 900 miles per hour. He was killed instantly, and the body has never been recovered. As static displace of Major James A. Duricy and his F-15 aircraft are on display at Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee.
On March 8th, 2003 a T-38 aircraft from Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico crashed while on final for runway 19 at Eglin Air Force Base. According to the controlling agency, the accident occurred due to the pilot’s failure to monitor his airspeed while on final approach. The pilot decreased his airspeed to create more separation from his wingman in front of him. However, he forgot his speed and crashed into trees, and a house. He ejected and landed safety. All individuals on the ground were not injured. Luckily, there were no injuries or deaths in this