Any Landing You Can Walk Away From…

By

Staff

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft assigned to the 18th Aggressor Squadron takes off from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Oct. 6, 2014, during RED FLAG-Alaska 15-1. RF-A is a series of Pacific Air Forces commander-directed field training exercises for U.S. and partner nation forces, providing combined offensive counter-air, interdiction, close air support and large force employment training in a simulated combat environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Joseph Swafford Jr./Released)

It’s been a tough week for coalition aircraft, with a pair of crashes, including a spectacular one by Canadian Forces pilot Capt. Brian Bews, above,  who was able to eject and parachute to safety just moments before his CF-18 fighter jet crashed and exploded during a practice flight for the Alberta International Airshow at the Lethbridge County Airport on Friday, July 23, 2010. Bews sustained injuries to his back and knees during the violent ejection, but is expected to make a full recovery (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Lethbridge Herald, Ian Martens)

In Afghanistan, four passengers aboard an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Chinook helicopter, below, received only minor injuries when they made a hard landing along the perimeter of a coalition force camp in Kabul province. Both crashes are under investigation. (Photo by SHAH MARAI/AFP/Getty Images)