NEED
NEED IT.
NEED IT. AND WE'VE JUST LEARNED THEY'RE
GETTING A MASSIVE UPGRADE
AND >> FOR THIS STORY WE ARE
GOING TO TURN TO A PERSON I'M
SURE YOU'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH
STEPH STRICKLEN FORMERLY OF KGW
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. SO
HERE. SO FIRST OF ALL, REALLY NICE TO
SEE YOU BACK ON THE AIR AND I'M
GLAD YOU'RE BRINGING THIS STORY
TO US.
TO US.
TO US. SECONDLY, I WAS CURIOUS, YOU
KNOW, JUST AS A NEWCOMER TO
THIS AREA, I DON'T REALLY THINK
OF THIS SPORT AS AS A PLACE
THAT'S LIKE A BIG MILITARY >>
TOWN.
TOWN.
TOWN. BUT
TOWN. BUT THIS IS ACTUALLY A REALLY
IMPORTANT THING NOT JUST FOR
THIS REGION BUT FOR THE COUNTRY
>>.
>>.
>>. THIS
>>. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT BASES OUT HERE 140
SECOND WING.
SECOND WING. IT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR
PROTECTING OUR AIRSPACE ALL THE
WAY DOWN TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
AND UP TO CANADA AND PROTECT
FROM WHAT YOU MIGHT ASK LET'S
SAY THE RUSSIANS WHICH THEY DO
EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS WANT TO
COME IN A LITTLE CLOSE AND SORT
OF POKE AT OUR DEFENSES, THESE
JETS AND THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO
FLY THEM SCRAMBLE IN THE AIR IN
A MATTER OF MINUTES TO TAKE
CARE OF THAT SORT OF INTRUSION
INTO OUR AIRSPACE OR EVEN MOST
NOTABLY 9/11 IS A GREAT EXAMPLE
OUR BASE WITH AIRBORNE JUST
LIKE THAT.
LIKE THAT. SO IT TAKES A LOT OF TRAINING
TO BE ABLE TO PULL OFF
SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND THAT'S
WHAT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO
WITNESS WAS WHAT IT TAKES TO DO
THAT >>.
THAT >>.
,
, WHEN
, WHEN MINUTES MATTER, THE ONE 40 SECOND WING STANDS READY
24/7, 365 JUST DOWN THE TAXIWAY
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. WE'VE GOT MAINTAINERS, WE'VE
GOT PILOTS, WE'VE GOT ARMED
FIGHTERS READY AT A MOMENT'S
NOTICE TO PROTECT THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST >> TO SEE WHAT >> IT
TAKES TO FULFILL AN AIR
SOVEREIGNTY DIRECTIVE THAT HAS
THE 140 SECOND EDIUS 15 FIGHTER
JETS PROTECTING A WIDE SWATH
OF SKY KALKOFEN TO CANADA.
I GOT TO EXPERIENCE IT
FIRSTHAND.
FIRSTHAND. SO >> FROM KIND OF SURFACE NAP
OF THE EARTH TO TO HIGH
ALTITUDE DYNAMIC AIR THEIR
DEPLOYMENT YOU GOT TO SEE THE
WHOLE ENCHILADA TODAY XXXXXX A
TRULY >> RARE INVITATION THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO DOGFIGHT MORE
CORRECTLY KNOWN AS BFM BASIC
FIGHTING MANEUVERS STRAPPED IN
AND READY TO GO.
WE GIVE A NOD TO OUR ADVERSARY
AND WE'RE ON A SEAPLANE PILOT.
I'M A GLIDER PILOT, A LIGHT
CIVIL PILOT BUT I THINK MY
HEART WAS REALLY I REALLY WANT
TO FLY SINCE THAT'S GOT A POINT
NOSE AND FIGHER THAT COMES OUT
THE BACK AND DO IT FOR NOT JUST
FOR THE EXCITEMENT BUT FOR THE
ABILITY TO SERVE MY COUNTRY >>.
FOUR YEARS AGO RAINERI EAGLE
YOU GO YOU WARM UP RIGHT HERE
COMES THE GS YOU CAN HEAR US G
STRING A BREATHING TECHNIQUE
THAT HELPS KEEP YOU CONSCIOUS
OCHOCO HOW ARE YOU DOING?
OK THAT WAS ONLY SEVEN OH GOOD
RIGHT >> WHAT THIS WOULD BE
EASIER IF I WAS YOUNGER WHICH
SEEMED SOMEHOW FITTING SINCE
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT JETS THAT
ARE WELL PAST THEIR PIENING >>
WOMBACHER PFM OR IT WAS JUST A
WARM UP RIGHT REVEREND 090 IT
WAS >> EXTEND THE SERVICE LIFE
OF THE AIRPLANE A COUPLE
OF DIFFERENT TIMES AND SO WE
KEEP FLYING IT.
WE'VE GOT FABULOUS PERFORMANCE
OUT OF IT KIND OF LIKE NO OTHER
BUT THERE'S A LARGE STRICKLEN
BUSINESS TO THAT >> ENTER THE
F15EX SEEN HERE ON ITS RECENT
FIRST FLIGHT AND NOW JUST HAND
IT OFF TO THE UNITED STATES AIR
FORCE.
FORCE.
FORCE. IT'S HIGHLY CUSTOMIZABLE IN A
WAY THE OLD JETS AREN'T.
BUT YOU KNOW, I TELL MY KIDS
IT'S LIKE THEY'RE LIKE IT'S
RIGHT ALL THE LEGOS FIT
TOGETHER WHAT THEY WANT TO
BUILD IS KIND OF THE LIMITS
OF THEIR IMAGINATION >> OR TILL
THE TOY BOX RUNS OUT AND THAT'S
WHAT WE GET WITH THE F15EX.
SO WE WILL BE THE FIRST AIR
NATIONAL GUARD BASE TO RECEIVE
THE F15EX.
THE F15EX. SO YOU KNOW, WE'LL START
TRAINING PILOTS DOWN AT KLAMATH
FALLS FIRST AND AND THEN
OF COURSE THE PORTLAND AIR
BASE.
BASE.
BASE. WE'LL GET THERE.
BRIGADIER >> GENERAL DONNA
PRIGMORE SAYS HAVING A NEW JET
WITH ALL ITS YEARS OF FLYING
AHEAD OF IT BUT ONE THAT
QUICKLY TRANSITIONED INTO
SERVICE BECAUSE IT'S EXTERNALLY
SIMILAR TO A JET WHO'S FLYING
IS MOSTLY BEHIND IT HAS
BENEFITS.
BENEFITS.
BENEFITS. SO THAT MEANS JOBS GET TO STAY
IN PORTLAND, RIGHT .
IT'S ONE TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE
TASKED WITH BRINGING NEW JETS
TO OREGON.
TO OREGON. BUT WE WANTED AN OUTSIDER'S
TAKE.
TAKE.
TAKE. WELL, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING
THAT'S OVERDUE QUITE FRANKLY.
THE AIRCRAFT THAT THEY HAVE
TODAY ARE AMAZING MACHINES BUT
THEY'RE THIRTY FIVE YEARS OLD.
AT A CERTAIN POINT YOU NEED TO
FIGURE OUT DOES IT MAKE SENSE
TO CONTINUE PUTTING A TON
OF MONEY INTO THESE AIRCRAFT TO
KEEP THEM FLYING OR JUST GET
SOMETHING THAT'S NEW THAT
BRINGS A LOT MORE TO THE TABLE
EVEN THOUGH IT LOOKS A LOT LIKE
THE ONE IT'S REPLACING.
ROGOWAY, WHO IS PORTLAND BASED
SAYS WITH AN EIGHTY MILLION
DOLLAR PRICE TAG PER JET IT'S
NOT A DECISION ANYONE TAKES
LIGHTLY.
LIGHTLY.
LIGHTLY. YOU'RE >> GOING YEP.
>> REMARKABLE IN THIS 50000
POUNDS OF THRUST WASHING
MACHINE I DON'T PASS OUT CALLED
LIEK OR GUIDENCE >> LOSS
OF CONSCIOUSNESS THEM I DO FOR
>> THE FIRST TIME EVER IN AN
AIRPLANE GET SICK >> FEELING A
LITTLE QUEASY.
LITTLE QUEASY. I'M GOING TO HANG ON ERCOT I'M
BACK I'M GOING TO SET UP >> IN
A MAKSS PERFORMANCE CLIMB WE
ROCKIT MORE THAN 50000 FEET PER
MINUTE IN THE REAL WORLD THIS
ABILITY TO QUICKLY ESCAPE
GROUND THREATS MAKES YOU MORE
SURVIVABLE.
SURVIVABLE. IT'S TIME TO RTB RETURN TO
STARTUP OH THERE IS LOOKING AT
HOW HE'S LOOKING AT US >> THIS
INSIGHT INTO WHAT THE 140
SECOND WING DOES AND WHAT IT
WILL KEEP DOING FOR YEARS TO
COME WITH THE NEW X