Air Force Now 209

Year Published: 1980

Creator: U.S. Air Force

Complete Record: Eye in the Sky: The 17th Surveillance Squadron holds a vigil over the skies of the Western Pacific. From its site at the San Miguel Naval Communications Station in the Republic of the Philippines, the 17th pinpoints the location of satellites orbiting the earth. More than 30 years of space launches crowd the heavens with more than 6000 objects. It’s the mission of the 17th Surveillance Squadron to keep track of these objects. High Technology Trains Pilots: If you had the job of training our tactical fighter pilots, how would you do it? Langley AFB, Virginia is indicative of this training. Using a system known as Air Combat Maneuvering and Instrumentation, or ACMI, Air Force pilots fly air-to-air simulated combat missions against each other and against U.S. Navy and Marine Carps pilots to hone their aerial combat skills. At the end of the mission, pilots view their maneuvers on a three-dimensional computer-generated system that shows them who won and who didn’t. Armed with this information, our pilots continue to be the best fighter pilots in the world. Air Force pilots vs. Navy pilots.