418th FLTS welcomes new commander Published June 18, 2014 By Rebecca Amber Staff writer EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Col. Rodney Todaro, 412th Operations Group commander (left), hands the 418th Flight Test Squadron guidon to Lt. Col. Eric Bippert (center) during the squadron's change of command ceremony June 18 in Hangar 1623. Bippert assumed command from outgoing commander, Lt. Col. C.B. Cain (right). At the 418th FLTS, Bippert will oversee a test force of more than 300 military, civilian and contractors responsible for developmental test and evaluation of global mobility aircraft and parachute systems. This includes upgrades to the C-5, C-17, C-130, KC-10 and KC-135. He was formerly the director of operations at the Global Vigilance Combined Test Force here, overseeing more than 230 personnel developing and testing high-profile remotely piloted aircraft such as the RQ-4 Global Hawk and US Navy MQ-4C Triton.