USAF F-22 Fleet Grounded

[Pielstick]

http://defensetech.org/2011/05/06/f-...-indefinitely/

Quite interesting, I didn't know the aircraft had been restricted to altitudes below 25,000ft.

Makes me feel a bit better about the problems Typhoon is having with lack of spare parts.

[Babur]

http://defensetech.org/2011/05/06/f-...-indefinitely/

Quite interesting, I didn't know the aircraft had been restricted to altitudes below 25,000ft.

Makes me feel a bit better about the problems Typhoon is having with lack of spare parts.

25000 ft? that's lower than the altitude of a commercial airliner lol

[Sir Pignans]

They claim they can launch the Jets if they need to, though isn't height a massive advantage in airial fights? Which means they could be at a disadvantage.

[Imperial]

They claim they can launch the Jets if they need to, though isn't height a massive advantage in airial fights? Which means they could be at a disadvantage.

That's why they're grounded until they get the problem fix. Until then, they have to fly low altitude. The US airforce has an overabundance of aircraft to a point where grounding the F-22's won't be too much of a concern.

[Pielstick]

That's why they're grounded until they get the problem fix. Until then, they have to fly low altitude.

Erm, no. They have been restricted to a maximum altitude of 25,000ft since March. Now they aren't flying at all.

The US airforce has an overabundance of aircraft to a point where grounding the F-22's won't be too much of a concern.

LOL.


Another source:

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/th...medium=twitter

[Imperial]

Erm, no. They have been restricted to a maximum altitude of 25,000ft since March. Now they aren't flying at all.

They're flying low altitude because of the oxygen problem. What did I say that was wrong?

[Pyrich]

Common response really. Happens often when somthing comes up. Many things are happening in one of those aircraft, when an unknown problem in one surfaces (sometimes major, often trivial) they ground them all, inspect, log and put on record the fault in order to keep them from going lawn dart.

Hmmm, Oxygen generating systems, aka OBOGS. Pretty neat piece of equipment. 2 filters that seperate atoms themselves apart, waste nitrogen is directed towards one filter to purge, then they flip jobs and the newly clean side filters and sends its waste to purge the previously clean, now dirty filter. Rinse repeat.

This system is not new, several decades old. They must of cut corners in production or somthing. Who knows /shrug

[Pielstick]

Common response really. Happens often when somthing comes up. Many things are happening in one of those aircraft, when an unknown problem in one surfaces (sometimes major, often trivial) they ground them all, inspect, log and put on record the fault in order to keep them from going lawn dart.

According to one of the sources the 25,000 ft restriction has been escalated to a fleet wide grounding due to "Increased frequency of pilot reported physiological incidents such as hypoxia and decompression sickness."

They're flying low altitude because of the oxygen problem. What did I say that was wrong?

"That's why they're grounded until they get the problem fix. Until then, they have to fly low altitude."

They were flying at lower altitudes, they are now not flying at all.

[Imperial]

"That's why they're grounded until they get the problem fix. Until then, they have to fly low altitude."

They were flying at lower altitudes, they are now not flying at all.

Technicalities.

[Pielstick]

I don't know bud, it would appear the USAF doesn't want to take the chance of losing an aircraft or pilot. Each and every F-22 lost is a blow because they are so expensive and there are so few of them.

Still, the F-22 isn't alone in having problems. The RAF Typhoon fleet is currently suffering from a lack of spare parts with some aircraft being delivered from BAE Systems and going straight into a hangar to be cannibalised without ever actually flying operationally. I've also read that NATO is getting a bit concerned that some RAF Typhoon pilots aren't meeting the mandatory flying hours NATO requires.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Yeah, they lost one a few months ago in Alaska where the pilot blacked out, or they think he blacked out, or whatever. Anyway, he was killed, the F-22 was lost. That was what caused the 25,000ft restriction in the first place, IIRC.

Still, the F-22 isn't alone in having problems. The RAF Typhoon fleet is currently suffering from a lack of spare parts with some aircraft being delivered from BAE Systems and going straight into a hangar to be cannibalised without ever actually flying operationally. I've also read that NATO is getting a bit concerned that some RAF Typhoon pilots aren't meeting the mandatory flying hours NATO requires.

That's some crazy right there. Why aren't they getting enough spare parts?

[mrmouth]

This system is not new, several decades old. They must of cut corners in production or somthing. Who knows /shrug

I read there was a bug in the software somewhere, and it is simply a time consuming process to sort it out. Not a big deal.

[Pielstick]

That's some crazy right there. Why aren't they getting enough spare parts?

Because UK defence procurement is very often an absolute farce. Some civil servant somewhere has decided to try and save money by not ordering adequate spare parts.

Also, aircraft coming off the production line destined for the RAF were diverted to Saudi Arabia when they decided to purchase the aircraft - something which has left the RAF short of Typhoons - and I wouldn't be at all surprised if the RAF's spare parts stock was also raided and sent to the Saudis as well in order to fulfil the contract.

That's why I hope Typhoon doesn't win in India and they go for Rafale instead

I read there was a bug in the software somewhere, and it is simply a time consuming process to sort it out. Not a big deal.

It's quite a big deal when the USAF grounds it's entire fleet of the newest and most expensive kick-arse whizz bang piss on every other fighter from a great height F-22 Considering the political to-and-fro which has surrounded this aircraft, much criticised early termination of production, small size of the fleet and reported fighter shortage the USAF is experiencing it's pretty bad news for the F-22.

Also, the fact the fatal crash which prompted the initial 25,000ft restriction happened last November, and now 6 months later the entire fleet is grounded would suggest it's not a simple fix.

[Pielstick]

Another article:

http://defensenews.com/story.php?i=6435911&c=AME&s=AIR

And quote from that article:

There have been nine suspected cases of hypoxia during F-22 operations since mid-2008, and recently there has been a jump in the number of such incidents.

"Over the last week, we have experienced five additional F-22 'Physiological-Hypoxia Like' events across the Air Force, which led Commander of Air Combat Command to establish the current F-22 stand-down," Ferrau said.

Fraser has ordered an OBOGS Safety Investigation Board to get to the cause of these incidents, which now total 14.

[Sir Pignans]

What did I say that was wrong?

[Imperial]

What did I say that was wrong?

I never said you were wrong.

[Sir Pignans]

I never said you were wrong.

My apoligies then. But I didn't understand why you made your comment after mine, hence me thinking that you thought I was wrong.

[Mount Suribachi]

The grounding is because a pilot scraped the underside on trees whilst landing and had no recollection of it.....

There are thousands of jets in the world that use an OBOGS, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem to fix.

[Basileos Leandros I]

Wow, F-22 getting grounded, that's serious news. They're the spearhead of the US Air Force, and all of them end up grounded.

[Colossus]

Wow, F-22 getting grounded, that's serious news. They're the spearhead of the US Air Force, and all of them end up grounded.

Not really, they have considerably more F-16s in service even if the F-22s are fine. Fair enough if there was actually any reason to have a superior dogfighter these days but there isn't (what is infact superior is another debate). It's all well and good having a big air force, but only a few planes will ever be doing anything that isn't training at once. They like using the Reaper more and more now as well.

The F-22 is very cool though, although they could always bring the Nighthawk out of retirement