F-22 crashes in California desert near air base

[underpants]

Source: AP

19 minutes ago

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) — The Air Force says an F-22 fighter has crashed near Edwards Air Force Base in the high desert of Southern California.

Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col. Ann Stefanek confirmed the crash Wednesday but had no other details.

Stefanek had no information on the status of the pilot.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hmfwSyhmPuqX414lfoKORbnZN9sAD9757L8O0

[leftynyc]

1. Is it possible the pilot ejected

before the plane crashed?

[angstlessk]

2. unless it it too eary in the anouncement, which I doubt, usually they

state the pilot ejected. Not looking good, but most of the time they DO eject. I hope he/she did!

[kestrel91316]

3. OT: I like seeing the name of a woman LtCol in an article about the USAF.

Because my dad was career USAF (retired in 1977 as a LtCol) and there sure weren't any women up that high on the ladder back then.

He'd be glad to see it. He was a feminist when it came to women's careers.

[bdab1973]

7. Women hold lots of positions within the Air Force...

It's not uncommon anymore

[kestrel91316]

8. Oh, I know. My dad served from 1954-1977. Times have changed,

which was my point.

[StreetKnowledge]

4. Let's all hope the pilot got out alright.

Planes can be replaced. Pilots can't. *fingers crossed*.

[DS1]

5. One batch of AIG bonuses would buy a new one with money to spare!

[FarCenter]

6. Fully allocated cost is $339 million, incremental cost is $138 million

So yes, AIG bonuses would buy one F-22 with about $30 million left over.

[ohio2007]

10. there are 95,000 jobs at 1,000 companies connected to the F-22.

And those skilled folks pay taxes
http://www.local12.com/content/breaking_news/story/F-22-Fighter-Crashes-Near-Edwards-AFB/hgaAUgPzikiW8ApjfkuJrQ.cspx

[Optical.Catalyst]

9. We don't need any F-22s, they all should be grounded.

There is no cold war to fight and no need for radar invisible planes to fight it with

President Obama should halt production of the F-22 at existing units and then mothball the whole lot of them.

Next he should halt the DDG-1000 Zumwalt destroyers, the Reliable Replacement Warhead and the Strategic Missile Defense System.

We don't need any of these wasteful defense programs. What we do need it to take the money saved from the Defense budget and plow it back into clean, renewable energy programs.