Sticky Thread For Mid-Atlantic MilAir 2022

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wbagley

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One of my former colleagues was the first cisgendered female B-52 pilot. I assume Air Force Secretary Shelia Widnall's humor was unintended in the quote below: 'I guess I’m very saddened by, really, the whole state of affairs...'.

Kelly Flinn s-l1600 (2) (Large).jpg


B-52 pilot Kelly Flinn’s life ‘in limbo’ after writing book
November 25, 1997


WASHINGTON (AP) _ Former Air Force pilot Kelly Flinn says her life is currently ``in limbo″ as she tours the country plugging her new book.

``I don’t have a home right now,″ the nation’s first and only female B-52 pilot said in a televised interview Monday night. ``Right now, I’ve been in a suitcase _ I’m on tour. Some of my stuff is in Georgia, some of it’s in New York and some of it’s in Colorado.″

Flinn appeared on CNN’s ``Larry King Live″ show to plug her book, ``Proud to Be,″ which gives her version of an affair with Mark Zigo, a married civilian employee at Minot Air Force Base, N.D. Flinn resigned in May and took a general discharge rather than face charges in a court-martial on charges of adultery, lying and disobeying an order.

``This is my chance to tell the story without any interference from the media, without any interference from the Air Force, and to tell plain out what happened,″ she said. ``And in that book is the honest blatant truth.″

King also interviewed former Air Force Secretary Sheila Widnall and Gen. Richard Hawley, commander of the Air Force’s Air Combat Command.

Widnall, who has not read the book, was asked if she was angry about Flinn’s decision to write it.

``I guess I’m very saddened by, really, the whole state of affairs, and I think all of us, the Air Force, clearly wants to move beyond this,″ she said. ``And I hope that Kelly is able to move beyond this and basically get on with her life.″

Hawley said he had read the book and offered his opinion.

``It speaks of a young lady who had charted a very difficult course for herself and came aground. She didn’t succeed at it, and that’s too bad,″ he said.

Hawley said Flinn’s downfall was not that she committed adultery but that she lied about it to her supervisors.

``In the military, you’re an officer first, and then you are whatever your specialty is, and you have to succeed as an officer and that’s where she came aground,″ he said.

Flinn’s attorney, Frank Spinner, who appeared on the show with his client, said he is attempting to get her dismissal upgraded to an honorable discharge. The upgrade would allow Flinn to re-enlist in the military, he said.

Flinn said piloting airplanes is definitely in her future.

``Flying will always be part of my life whether it’s with a commercial (airline), whether it’s privately or whether it’s back in some type of military unit,″ she said.
 

wbagley

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DEUCE 22 heard in Kentucky on ZID on 288.35 and 319.15 level 250, apparently a single. Probably eastbound from the altitude.

DEUCE 21 is the straggler today, now up on 288.35. Calling DEUCE 22 on 250.25, no joy.

Now in comms on 250.25, DEUCE 21 showing 1720Z to the area (maybe the one near Halifax again?), 20 minutes late. Will try to get some direct routings from ATC to make up time.
 
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Mark

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MIssed this inbound today but arrived Dover around just after 11am local as FORCE-32.
McGuire whittling down KC-10 missions already.
McGuire's last KC-10 Extender returns from CENTCOM > Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst > News (jb.mil)

Turkish AF KC-135 #60-0326 inbound Mcguire from Oklahoma as TURAF-12.
Arrived Texas area back on 2/24 so assume a depot return.
 
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