The Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz have approved a plan that will allow the F/A-22A Raptor to resume flight operations after a four-month stand down.
The entire USAF fleet of Raptors, consisting of 170 aircraft, was removed from flight status on May 3 as a safety precaution following twelve separate incidents where pilots reported experiencing hypoxia-like symptoms. The incidents occurred over a three-year period beginning in April 2008. The return-to-flight plan implements several actions, including in-depth aircraft inspections, comprehensive training on life support systems, and continued data collection.
"We now have enough insight from recent studies and investigations that a return to flight is prudent and appropriate," Schwartz said. "We're managing the risks with our aircrews, and we're continuing to study the F-22's oxygen systems and collect data to improve its performance."
The return-to-flight process will begin with instructor pilots and flight leads regaining their necessary proficiency, then follow with other F-22 pilots.
As America's primary air superiority weapon system, the F-22 has flown more than 300 missions in support of Operation Noble Eagle and deployed on a rotational basis to the Pacific region and Southwest Asia.
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