February 8, 2022

Want to fly without being a pilot? Here’s how.

1st Lt. Abraham Eaton goes inverted on a T-38 test flight. Photo courtesy 1st Lt. Abraham Eaton. By Rachelle Stoll, Strategic Communications. Did you know the Air Force Academy is a pipeline for the Air Force Test Pilot School? The process has been recently been optimized and two former cadets share their experiences with TPS and tell us how the Academy prepared them for success. 1st Lt. Abraham Eaton recalls getting motion sickness on playground swings as a young child, but that never kept him from wanting to fly. Once he became a cadet at the Air Force Academy, he found...

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March 1, 2022

Wing Open Boxing Championships: Your questions answered

Cadet Don Angelo Piasecki lands a punch onto Cadet Will Winstead in the 132-pound men’s weight class during the 2021 Wing Open Boxing Championships. By Rachelle Stoll, Strategic Communications Cadets and boxing fans are convening under the bright lights of Clune Arena for the 64th annual Wing Open Boxing Championships on March 4, 2022 at 7 p.m. This year’s competition will be open to the public. Below is a run-down on this storied championship and your guide to boxing at the U.S. Air Force Academy. 1. What is the Wing Open? Since 1958, cadets from all forty squadrons have been...

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March 12, 2022

Sully returns with lessons for cadets

From left to right: Cadet Keane Singleton, Cadet Maria Norman, Ambassador Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, Cadet Connor Portlock, and Cadet Garrett Dean. Sullenberger receives a soaring instructor patch from the 94th Flying Training Squadron (FTS) in the Davis Airfield hangar at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., on Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. By Rachelle Stoll, Strategic Communications Photos by Joshua Armstrong. Ambassador Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger returned to the United States Air Force Academy’s Davis Airfield, Feb. 25, 2022, to connect with four aviation program cadet leaders while answering their questions about his time at the Academy. A 1973 Academy graduate and...

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March 7, 2022

Five life and innovation hacks from a cadet inventor

By Rachelle Stoll, Strategic Communications Photos by Josh Armstrong Cadet Schlichting stands in front of the United States Air Force Academy’s aeronautics laboratory. Cadet First Class Grant Schlichting, a senior at the United States Air Force Academy, holds a patent-pending for a device that will change how we fight the wars to come. Schlichting is the creator of the Aerial Tow Rehookup (ATR), an invention with a provisional patent under the US Patent and Trademark Office. The ATR involves the utilization of a military cargo plane to tow multiple aircraft at any given time, from the smallest of unmanned drones...

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April 21, 2022

Cadets collaborate in B-52 Bomber ejection seat redesign

A redesign of the B-52 Bomber’s ejection survival kit was the main topic of the CyberWorx innovation design sprint on April 6-8, 2022. By Rachelle Stoll, Strategic Communications Photos by Trevor Cokley & Clara Cirks U.S. AIR FOR ACADEMY, Colo. -- Cadets recently collaborated in a redesign of the B-52 Bomber’s aging survival equipment hosted by the Air Force CyberWorx innovation center at the United States Air Force Academy on April 6-8, 2022 Cadets participated in a ‘design sprint’ with academic faculty, private industry experts, B-52 crewmembers, the Global Strike Command’s StrikeWerx innovation cell, and representatives from the B-52 System...

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June 14, 2022

The Azimuth Summer Space Program: What You Need to Know

By Rachelle Stoll, Strategic Communications Azimuth students jump on the flightline at the Colorado Springs Municipal Airport June 6, 2022 before their parabolic training flight in Colorado Springs, Colo. (Courtesy photo/Steve Boxall) Cadets at the United States Air Force Academy just completed the Academy’s inaugural summer space program on 10 June, 2022. Azimuth is a unique summer program for Academy cadets as well as Navy, West Point and ROTC students considering a commission in the U.S. Space Force. The two-week opportunity provides an immersive introduction to operations in the space domain. Modeled after NASA’s two-year Astronaut Training Program, Azimuth introduces...

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July 14, 2022

Summertime course provides cadets combat survival training

Cadets and cadre members stand near orange flare smoke during combat survival training at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado July 12, 2022. CST includes training on medical care, food preparation, aircraft signaling and navigation, all of which are essential for survival when service members are isolated in the field. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo.) U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – More than 1,000 U.S. Air Force Academy cadet trainees are learning to survive in austere environments during Combat Survival Training, June through July 2022. Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape specialists and cadet cadre train four...

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July 20, 2022

Academy illuminates impact of interstellar mission

The general public are given an opportunity to learn about space exploration at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado July 18, 2022. The academy planetarium hosts a variety of educational experiences for the public as well as cadets. (U.S. Air Force photo/Rachelle Stoll) Story by Staff Sgt Seth Stang U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Through cutting-edge facilities and educational experiences leaders at the Academy seek to engage and inspire future space explorers. Future Guardians, Airmen and faculty, along with members of the general public, have a variety of resources and opportunities to learn about...

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August 5, 2022

Cadet Wing accepts Class of 2026

Cadets march in formation during the Acceptance Day 2022 parade. (U.S. Air Force photo/Trevor Cokley) By Staff Sgt. Seth Stang U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The U.S. Air Force Academy accepted the Class of 2026 into the Cadet Wing with a ceremony at Stillman Parade Field on Aug. 5. The ceremony, called Acceptance Day, marks the end of Basic Cadet Training (BCT) which includes six weeks of mental, physical and military training. During the ceremony, cadets marched in parade formation and received their fourth-class shoulder boards, signifying their acceptance into the Cadet Wing. Successfully completing BCT is one of the...

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November 15, 2022

Class of 2023 unveils official painting

The U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 2023 official painting contains six elements that represent life as an academy cadet. The painting was created by Colorado artist Steve Weed after he won a public call for artists. (Courtesy photo) U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications U.S. Air Force Academy cadets unveiled the Class of 2023 official painting during a ceremony in Fairchild Hall, Nov. 8, 2022. The “Piece” The piece, painted by local artist Steve Weed, features six elements that represent the Academy. The focal point of the painting is a graduating cadet holding the Falcon mascot, Nova. The secondary...

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