An F-35A Lightning II lands at Eielson Air Power Base, Alaska, Jan. 29, 2021. The 354th Fighter Wing … [+]
USAF Employees Sergeant Danielle Sukhlall
Eielson Air Power Base, slightly below the Arctic Circle close to Fairbanks, Alaska, is among the extra distant U.S. army operations. Situations are harsh up there, particularly in winter, when temperatures can plummet to – 40 F, and the place darkness can take up greater than 20 of the 24 hours in a day. It’s also fairly near Russia, simply throughout the Bering Strait, making it an vital and strategic base for U.S. pursuits.
I visited Alaska final week to fly within the backseat of an F-16D, and to immerse myself in Eielson’s distinctive Arctic Survival College. As a part of my itinerary, I sat down with Col. David Berkland, Commander of the 354th Fighter Wing. Mainly, he runs the present at Eielson, chargeable for some 3,ooo airmen and airwomen, plus a variety of fighter jets together with 49 new F-35s and 18 F-16s. Berkland, 47, an F-35 and F-16 pilot himself, is a 22-year Air Power veteran with a number of fight excursions beneath his belt, together with Afghanistan. Following are edited excerpts from an extended dialog.
Jim Conflict: You’ve flown the fourth-generation F-16 and the brand new fifth-generation F-35. What are the principle variations between them? Additionally, how does the fifth-generation F-22 slot in?
Col. David Berkland: In some ways, the F-16 and F-35 are related. They’re each single-engine, single-seat, multi-role Lockheed Martin merchandise, with side-stick controls. The F-16 is tough to beat as you noticed in the present day by yourself flight. It’s a muscle automotive, like a Dodge Viper. It’s obtained the thrust, turns nice, is flexible when it comes to the missions it will possibly do. The F-35, however, is extra like a really deadly Tesla. It has stealth traits in addition to sensor fusion. In that F-16 in the present day, your pilot was flipping by totally different shows to mix info for three-dimensional situational consciousness. The F-35 lays all of that info over high of 1 show, fusing it. The F-35 additionally has actually good acceleration. The engine is a beast. For those who begin at say, 200 knots, the F-16 and F-35 side-by-side utilizing full afterburners, the F-35 will attain Mach 1 quicker. It should additionally beat an F-22 to Mach 1. However at Mach 1, the F-22 pushes quicker to Mach 2, and can overtake the F-35. The F-35 was not constructed to be strictly an air-dominance plane. The F-16 may even overtake the F-35 between Mach 1 and Mach 2. The F-35 truly maxes out at about Mach 1.7, quick sufficient to get the job achieved. Consider the F-35 because the quarterback in an air fight struggle with a number of different planes due to its stealth and sensor-fusion capabilities.
U.S. Air Power Col. David Berkland, 354th Air Expeditionary Wing commander, climbs into an F-35A … [+]
USAF Airman First Class Jose Tamondong
Conflict: Eielson is simply throughout the Bering Strait from Siberia. With the present Ukraine scenario, are you on any heightened stage of readiness?
Berkland: To be sincere, it’s enterprise as standard. We’re all the time able to go. And due to our strategic location right here in Alaska, we will get into the Pacific or Europe or anyplace within the northern hemisphere in a single-fighter sortie, utilizing air-fueling. Billy Mitchell within the Nineteen Thirties stated, “Whoever holds Alaska holds the world.” That is still true in the present day. That’s why we’ve obtained the F-35s right here. The world map may be very misleading. We’re nearer to Beijing than Hawaii is to Beijing. Alaska is definitely additional west than Hawaii. We will additionally take the polar route. Our base is known as after Ben Eielson, who was first to fly from North America to Europe over the North Pole. [Charles] Lindbergh took the straightforward route throughout the Atlantic, Eielson took the north route out of Barrow and landed in Spitzbergen, Norway.
Conflict: What are some challenges you face up right here within the arctic versus USAF bases in additional forgiving climes?
Berkland: The challenges run the gamut to maintain the set up and infrastructure sound. Our massive thunder-dome hangar was began in 1952, seven years earlier than Alaska grew to become a state. You’re feeling the intense chilly up right here, and it’s a must to gown rigorously for it. Being in command of the entire airmen and their households is all the time a problem of extremes, darkness and chilly, and it’s all the time on my thoughts. On Dec. 21, we get three hours and 41 minutes of daylight, and that gentle simply skims the Delta vary, and never just like the solar is absolutely up. It’s bodily in addition to psychological. Take a look at how a lot Vitamin D you don’t get. Take a look at your circadian rhythms – they’re not taking place. I’ll be sincere, earlier than my first winter right here, I scoffed at how tough I had heard it could be. However in the course of December, I’m laying in mattress consuming carbs, didn’t wish to rise up. So I obtained some “comfortable” lamps and began downing Vitamin D. In the summertime, however, the solar by no means actually goes down. Once more, that impacts circadian rhythms. You black out your home windows, mow the fast-growing grass. The mosquitos are available in waves. The preliminary wave is Might and June, and they’re actually massive, sluggish and dumb. However later in the summertime, they evolve right into a smaller, quicker, extra clever model [laughs].
U.S. Air Power Col. David Berkland, the 354th Fighter Wing commander, delivers a speech throughout a … [+]
USAF Airman First Class Jose Tamondong
Conflict: I do know you’ve seen fight in an F-16 over Afghanistan. Any shut calls you wish to point out?
Berkland: I’ve had numerous shut calls in my 3,000 hours within the F-16 and a whole bunch of hours within the F-35. Most of these are while you’re youthful and studying the significance of flight self-discipline, meticulous planning, when flying as aggressors. I’ve employed 20-millimeter machine gun fireplace simply 30 meters away from our friendlies from a mile out. The friendlies have been being engaged by the enemy group, they usually wanted my gun to assist them out. Now that’s a detailed name.
Conflict: How do you take care of worry, and what are you afraid of?
Berkland: As an American fighter pilot, I don’t worry something. I do have considerations. I inform my children to not be afraid of something, both. For those who’re nervous about one thing, it’s good to put together, have a plan. Be able to be versatile, too, as a result of the enemy will get a vote and issues will usually change. After which depend on your teammates. I all the time fly with a wingman. I’ve been a fighter pilot within the Air Power for 22 years, and have by no means gone anyplace with out one.
