Country United States | Role Flight Testing | |
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Active 1942–1946; 1947–1951; 1951–1965 1970–present Branch United States Air Force Part of Air Force Materiel Command Garrison/HQ Hill Air Force Base, Utah | ||
The 514th Flight Test Squadron (514 FLTS) is a United States Air Force squadron. It is assigned to the Ogden Air Logistics Center (OO-ALC), Air Force Materiel Command, stationed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
Contents
Overview
The 514th FLTS' current mission is to accomplish high-risk acceptance flights on F-16 Fighting Falcon, A-10 Thunderbolt II and C-130 Hercules aircraft following depot level maintenance. 514th FLTS aircrews provide the final quality control checks to ensure aircraft are airworthy and capable of returning to combat units. As the OO-ALC Center Test Authority, the 514th FLTS is the focal point for managing and providing test process expertise and support for all test and evaluation at the OO-ALC.
World War II
Established in the Middle East during late 1942 to aid British Forces during the Western Desert Campaign. Initially equipped with obsolete B-17C/D Flying Fortresses transferred from Tenth Air Force. Replaced with B-24 Liberators flown from Florida via South America; over to then across Central Africa then north to Egypt in early 1943. Became part of United States Middle East Air Forces (USMEAF), later Ninth Air Force.
Operating from bases in British Palestine, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, attacked shipping in the Mediterranean and harbor installations in Libya, Tunisia, Sicily, and Italy to cut enemy supply lines to North Africa. Struck airdromes, marshalling yards, and other objectives in Sicily and Italy after the fall of Tunisia in May 1943. Reassigned to Fifteenth Air Force in late 1943, and moved to southern Italy. Squadron flew long range strategic bombardment missions to targets in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, and the Balkans to bomb factories, marshalling yards, oil refineries, oil storage facilities, airdromes, bridges, harbors, and other objectives.
After the German Capitulation in May 1945, returned to the United States; was re-equipped with B-29 Superfortress bombers and trained under Second Air Force for deployment to the Pacific Theater. However, with the Japanese Capitulation in August, the training ended and most personnel demobilized by the end of October. Remained in active status but not fully manned or equipped, and subsequently inactivated in early 1946 due to budget restrictions. The squadron was not fully manned or equipped between 10 November 1945 and 26 March 1946 and was unmanned from, 23 May 1947 – 20 September 1948.
Cold War
Based in Japan at the beginning of the Korean War, the squadron, flying RB/WB-29s, performed daily strategic weather reconnaissance missions over the combat zone, conducted shipping surveillance and visual reconnaissance, and accomplished electronic countermeasures reconnaissance until 20 February 1951. In the early days of the conflict, the squadron also dropped leaflets. Initially unarmed, and later only lightly armed with two .50-caliber machine guns in the tail turret, the WB-29s flew daily missions over enemy-held territory. During 27 June through 27 December 1950, the squadron flew over 200 combat missions, making over 5,000 vitally needed weather observations. These missions were exceptionally hazardous because of extremely varying weather conditions and exposure to attack over enemy territory.
Reactivated in May 1951. Practiced electronic countermeasures with B-29 aircraft from c. 1952 until conversion to B-47 Stratojet jet medium bombers in 1954. Between 1954 and 1965, flew a long series of simulated combat bombardment missions to maintain readiness as a unit of the Strategic Air Command, testing electronic warfare devices and radar techniques, using B-47 and EB-47 aircraft. Inactivated in 1965 with the retirement of the B-47.
Flight testing
Reactivated in 1970 as the 6514th Test Squadron at Edwards AFB, California. Mission was to support flight testing and modifications of the Ryan AQM-34Q Firebee reconnaissance drone, being used in the Vietnam War by the 556th Reconnaissance Squadron to gather intelligence over strongly defended areas over North Vietnam.. Moved to Hill AFB, Utah in 1973 and became a geographically-separated component of the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC).
At Hill, the squadron continued conducting and supporting the Firebee as well as other RPV, UAV, and cruise missile test missions, and supported various test operations at the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR). From the late 1970s, the 6514th operated a DC-130H Hercules (later, NC-130H) drone launch/control airplane along with an HC-130H. Added two C-130B (later, NC-130B) and a DC-130A in the 1980s. The squadron also used a few HH-53C and CH-3E helicopters which were used to retrieve drones and missiles and transport people to and from remote sites on the range. By the mid-1980s, the heavy helicopters gave way to HH-1H helicopters.
The 6514th Test Squadron was renumbered as the 514 FLTS on 2 Oct 1992 during the Air Force's downsizing and reorganization as all 4-digit squadrons were reassigned a 3-digit number from Air Force heritage. Absorbed the AFRES 15th Flight Test Squadron in 1993 and began depot flight testing C-130, A-10 and F-16 aircraft. Completed the AFFTC drone and range mission and realigned under Ogden ALC on 30 September 1995.
Currently, the 514th quality-control checks involve performing flight checks, which means strapping themselves into planes that have usually been stripped to the bone and put back together again. The checklists for the check flights vary depending on the plane, model and maintenance or upgrades completed at the depot. According to the pilots and crew members, the standard check flight for an F-16 can take up to an hour, while the A-10 and C-130 flights can last for an hour and a half.
Once the Ogden ALC Maintenance Directorate is finished with a plane, it does a series of ground checks before handing it over to the 514th, who then perform their own set of ground checks before sending the pilots and crew down the runway. In addition, the 514th provides delivery of foreign military sales aircraft all over the world, from Thailand to Italy. Many of those aircraft come from the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center, or "bone yard," at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., and the 514th sends pilots there to test them once they have been reassembled and put back into flying condition.