Author Topic: Electric Aircraft Starts Flight Testing at USAF Base with Its Own Version of ‘Hot Pitting’  (Read 423 times)

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Offline rangerrebew

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Electric Aircraft Starts Flight Testing at USAF Base with Its Own Version of ‘Hot Pitting’
Nov. 16, 2023 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

The Air Force and contractor BETA Technologies started flight testing “Alia,” a sleek, quiet, electric aircraft, last week at Duke Field, Fla.

The electric aircraft, delivered to Duke Field on Oct. 26, is owned and operated by BETA crew, but the Air Force’s rotary wing test squadron, the 413th Flight Test Squadron, wrote the test and safety plan.


On Nov. 7, Alia flew 68 nautical miles from Duke to Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla,, landed and recharged, and returned. The aircraft took about an hour to fully recharge.

“This process is similar to the military flight operation, hot-pitting, where an aircraft flies a mission, lands for refueling and then flies again. Only with Alia, the fuel is electricity,” the service noted in a release.

It was also the aircraft’s first mission without being accompanied by a chase aircraft.

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/electric-aircraft-alia-starts-flight-testing-usaf-base/
The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.
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Offline rangerrebew

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It looks like it will be perfect for-------for------for------something! 8888forgot
The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.
Thomas Jefferson

Offline Smokin Joe

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It looks like it will be perfect for-------for------for------something! 8888forgot
Finally, something to replace the carrier pigeon!
How God must weep at humans' folly! Stand fast! God knows what he is doing!
Seventeen Techniques for Truth Suppression

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

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Offline Wingnut

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When it crashes at least the signal fire will burn for days to help the AF find the downed aircraft.
I am just a Technicolor Dream Cat riding this kaleidoscope of life.

Offline Smokin Joe

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When it crashes at least the signal fire will burn for days to help the AF find the downed aircraft.
Nah. The ensuing wildlands fire will be blamed on climate change.
How God must weep at humans' folly! Stand fast! God knows what he is doing!
Seventeen Techniques for Truth Suppression

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

C S Lewis

Offline SZonian

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Electric Aircraft Starts Flight Testing at USAF Base with Its Own Version of ‘Hot Pitting’
Nov. 16, 2023 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

The Air Force and contractor BETA Technologies started flight testing “Alia,” a sleek, quiet, electric aircraft, last week at Duke Field, Fla.

The electric aircraft, delivered to Duke Field on Oct. 26, is owned and operated by BETA crew, but the Air Force’s rotary wing test squadron, the 413th Flight Test Squadron, wrote the test and safety plan.


On Nov. 7, Alia flew 68 nautical miles from Duke to Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla,, landed and recharged, and returned. The aircraft took about an hour to fully recharge.

“This process is similar to the military flight operation, hot-pitting, where an aircraft flies a mission, lands for refueling and then flies again. Only with Alia, the fuel is electricity,” the service noted in a release.

It was also the aircraft’s first mission without being accompanied by a chase aircraft.

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/electric-aircraft-alia-starts-flight-testing-usaf-base/
"Hot pitting" is when an aircraft returns from a sortie, heads straight to a refueling location and refuels with engine(s) running then takes off on another sortie. Refueling can take about 15 minutes to a couple of hours depending on the size of aircraft. Hot pitting is typically done only with fighter aircraft, not trash haulers, though it has been done in order to expedite departure times.

Shutting an aircraft down, "recharging" for an hour and then taking off again is a "thru-flight". Bunch of damned nonsensical propaganda.
Throwing our allegiances to political parties in the long run gave away our liberty.

Offline Wingnut

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Nah. The ensuing wildlands fire will be blamed on climate change.

True!
I am just a Technicolor Dream Cat riding this kaleidoscope of life.