Gen. Mike Hostage, commander of Air Combat Command, has formally lifted the flying ban for the F-22 fleet. We reported Monday that implementation of a return-to-flight plan was imminent. Hostage said in a release posted late Monday by ACC, “I’m confident we’ve reached the point to begin a measured and incremental return to flying.” First step is for F-22 instructor pilots and flight leads to regain their “necessary proficiency,” according to the release. The Air Force’s Scientific Advisory Board continues to search for a root cause to problems involving the fighter’s onboard oxygen generating system and plans to release a report in October. (See F-22 Coming Back from Monday’s Daily Report and the AFNS release F-22 To Resume Flight Operations.)
An aircraft built to quickly infiltrate and exfiltrate troops from far-flung locations left a Norwegian nature preserve Sept. 27., more than a month after it emergency-landed. The CV-22 Osprey belonging to Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) had been stranded on the island of Senja since making a controlled emergency…