Luke Air Park displays Thunderbird history

There is a name printed on a plaque in front of every plane in the Luke Air Force Base air park and behind every one of those names is a story. This is the story of retired Col. Robert McCutchen. Colonel McCutchen was a freshman at West Point Academy in 1947 when the Air Force became its own

Luke AFB pilot reaches 5,000 F-16 flying hours

A pilot at Luke Air Force Base reached a feat March 24 that only two other F-16 pilots have accomplished throughout their careers. Col. Robert McCutchen Jr., 56th Fighter Wing special assistant to commander, reached his 5,000th F-16 flying hour. Reaching such a milestone didn't come easy. In fact,

First female Thunderbird attends open house

Once upon a time a young woman decided she wanted to be part of one of the Air Force's most prestigious units, but there were some problems. It was 1973 and the unit was the Thunderbirds, which up to that date had never had a woman wear the Thunderbird patch. But a strange thing happened on the way

Luke raises money for AFAF

In its 34th year, the Air Force Assistance Fund Campaign started Monday and continues to May 6 at Luke Air Force Base. The AFAF campaign is an annual on-the-job fundraiser conducted among the Air Force family for the benefit of the Air Force family.According to the AFAF website, the campaign was

Open House draws more than 200,000 spectators

Record breaking attendance at the Luke Days 2011 Open House March 19 and 20 was a result of the efforts of thousands of Airmen and civilians throughout the 15 months leading up to the event.The planning for Luke Days 2011 was a significant effort that began in late 2009 and involved a staff of more

Kids thrilled by Thunderbirds at open house

Last Friday afternoon the Thunderbirds practiced their show over Luke in preparation for the Luke Days 2011 Open House. As they performed for the men and women of the 56th Fighter Wing, 15 special guests watched the six F-16s soar. Thanks to the Make-A-Wish-Foundation and the Thunderbirds, these 15

Thunderbolts receive honorary B-17 flight

Eight Thunderbolts received the chance of a lifetime as passengers on a flight in a B-17 bomber March 18. The flight originated from Falcon Field in Mesa and landed at Luke Air Force Base as a part of Air Force heritage during the Luke Days 2011 Open House and Air Show.Each person chosen for the

Hometown hero flight

Energy efforts extend to outdoor lighting

We often hear people telling us to turn off the lights when we leave the room in order to save energy, but there are like efforts to save energy with outdoor area lighting, too.There is a copious amount of lighting at night in parking lots, shopping areas and dorms. This lighting uses energy, so it

Luke instructor headed for Thunderbirds

Many baseball players dream of playing major league baseball, as well as football players aspiring to play in the National Football League. In the Air Force, many aircraft maintenance personnel dream of someday being part of the Thunderbirds.Tech. Sgt. Michael Criss, Detachment 12, 372nd Training