U.S. fighter pilots to test skills

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- With no real world air adversaries, the U.S. Air Force is resuming a biennial internal competition to test its F-15C pilots, the service announced Thursday.

It's the first time in eight years the "William Tell" competition has been held. It had been repeatedly canceled because of the high pace of real-world operations.

The pace of operations remains high, the Air Force said, but the competition is intended to foster the exchange of tactics between the Air Force units participating.

The two-week competition tests aircrew performance in the air dominance and air sovereignty missions, weapons employment and tactics. The meet also includes weapons loading, maintenance and weapons' director competitions.

Members of the 64th Aggressor Squadron based at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., will serve as "adversaries" for the first time in the competition's 50-year history.

The F-15C is an air-to-air fighter. There have been no air-to-air engagements with adversaries in at least the last decade.

The competition will take place at Tyndall Air Force Base, Panama City, Fla. Nov. 8 - 19.