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Closest Personal Encounter with Military Aircraft


frixon28

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@Skatezilla! What a lucky kid!

 

Just before we bombed Kadafy in Libya, I was at Kerr Reservoir on the NC/VA line. I heard a chopper in the distance getting closer and closer, louder and louder. Then at tree top directly over me came a slow B1B Lancer followed by A CH53 (I think). I could see the faces of the pilots.

 

Also at Kerr, where I live now, F18s do bombing runs on the dam frequently. They come in pretty low. After the runs, they pull up in AB and form up over head. I see this routinely.

 

I used to park on a road that paralled the taxi-way/runway at MBAFB and watch the A10Cs taxi, take off and land. When I lived in Long Beach, NC, the A10s would fly over the house tree top. The sound of them coming and passing by was pretty awesome. That was great until Clinton closed the base!

 

You could do the same thing in Richmond, VA and watch the ANG do their thing in F16s.

 

Too many air shows to talk about but one that stands out was up close to a Harrier at MCAS Cherry Point. It stole the show back then. The pilot was a young, small blonde headed "kid" and boy did I envy him.

 

Another occasion was watching B52s doing touch and gos just west of Oklahoma City. The wingspan in slow bank is a sight to behold. Also, I was able to do a slow walk around and under a B52 close enough to touch and did.

 

I've sat in many cockpits, P51D, F18... but can't remember them all. I'm getting old but I am planning to fly a P51 at Stallion 51 in Kissimmee, Fla. before I croak! They also have an L-39 Albatross you can ride/fly in. Get yourselves some of that!


Edited by MegOhm_SD

 

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I touched a parked P-51, once. Then I got yelled at and told to get back behind the line. :)

 

EDIT: I have also been inside a B-29 but anyone who has seen 'Fifi' at an airshow has done that, I am sure.

 

Lol the EXACT same thing happend to me at the last airshow I went to.

Except they hadn't put the fence up yet... when I came back, it was up IIRC

:megalol:

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Spent 14 years in the RAF as an Aircraft Engine Technician.

 

 

First tour was a VAS (Visiting Aircraft Section) at RAF Leuchars, we flight line serviced all the visitors and organised the air shows. Worked with A6 Corsair, A10, F4, F5, F14, F15, F16, F111, AMX, even had a U2 in once for an annual air show!, C130, KC135, Tri-Star, VC10, Victor, Harrier, Hunter, Canberra, Hawk, Jaguar, Lightning, Tornado, Jolly Green Giant, Sea King, Gazelle, Wessex, Lynx, and probably a few I've forgotten!! It was a very busy section and I was there 3 years. Got loads of US aircrew embroidered patches the aircrew used to give us off their flight suits, still have them all in a drawer somewhere. Got lots of "jollies" (gash flights- jump seat flights) on various multi engine aircraft and tankers. Got hundreds of photos of all this.

 

 

Worked on 25 (F) Sqn for 18 months when they were at Leeming working on Tornado F3.

 

 

Spent 3 years working on RN Sea Harriers, major overhaul. Got to ground run them on a tie down pan....great fun. Even got to taxi one once.

 

 

Spent 3 years building Adour for the Hawk and Jaguar aircraft in an engine bay.

 

 

Spent my last tour - 5 years - at TTTE Cottesmore in ASF (Aircraft Servicing Flight) scheduled servicing of Tornado GR1 including ground running to Combat (max re-heat)....perk of the job :)

 

 

I guess I've been up close to a few in my time, loved every minute, and would do it all again in a heartbeat........

 

 

Happy Days.


Edited by bart

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I was in the USAF for four years as aircraft Pnuematic and Hydraulic mechanic On B-52G and Kc-135A in Wurtsmith AFB in 1988 to 1992.

There are 2 categories of fighter pilots: those who have performed, and those who someday will perform, a magnificent defensive break turn toward a bug on the canopy. Robert Shaw

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1)

 

a trip to Poland , Su17 ( i think) that was parked outside some random gas station

 

I7C1Z4s.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)

 

 

 

Whilst taking a alternate route to work due to traffic came across a CF-5 hoisted by Downsview Army base. ( within Toronto)

 

 

7831997302_61321cafcc_b.jpg

 

 

 

 

3) Pair of Cf18's

 

A few years ago It was cloudy and heard Overwhelmingly loud Jet engines, and some lights in the sky was convinced they were military not comercial due to a distict sound and being much louder.

 

 

later around 6pm watching the evening news ...

 

 

http://globalnews.ca/news/1530975/flight-to-cuba-forced-to-return-to-toronto-after-disruptive-behaviour-by-passengers/

 

 

 

just because 2 drunk unruly ladies, Fighter jets were needed to escort the airliner back to Toronto. they posed such a grave threat to our national security (sarcasm)

 

Tax payer money well spen that day, GJ (sarcasm):doh:

 

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I often visited Gilze-Rijen airbase in the Netherlands, when they were still flying jets. First the NF-5A/B, later the F-16.

 

5e0e4880a095f6757ec14b5fe3eb998a.jpg

 

That's a public road on the left, and the runway on the right. There are traffic lights there which turn red when an aicraft comes in for landing.

 

The closest I have been to a flying aircraft was when I was lying down in the grass on the left of the picture, and an F-16 came in quite low.

I estimate it passed about 2-3 meters above me.

 

Below is a picture showing just how dangerous my 'stunt' was.

It is the exact same spot as in the first picture, from the other side.

The NF-5 in that picture actually touched down on the road and 'jumped' over the fence...

 

RNlAF-NF-5.jpg

 

I have also been blown away twice by a C-141 Starlifter taking off there, which was great fun.

 

During my many visits to military airbases and airshows, I've sat in:

- F-4F (German Airforce, operational aircraft at Rheine-Hopsten, Germany)

- CH-53G (German Army, operational aircraft at Rheine-Bentlage, Germany)

- Bo-105P (German Army, operational aircraft at Rheine-Bentlage, Germany)

- F-16CJ (US Air Force, static show at Le Bourget, France)

- F-15E (US Air Force, static show at Le Bourget, France)

- B-17 'Pink Lady' (static show at Le Bourget, France)

- AJS-37 Viggen (ex-Swedish Air Force, now in the AvioDrome museum in the Netherlands)

- MiG-21PFM (ex-East-German Airforce, now in the AvioDrome museum in the Netherlands)

- Mi-2 (Hungarian Airforce, operational aircraft at Szolnok, Hungary)

- Mi-8 (Hungarian Airforce, operational aircraft at Szolnok, Hungary)

- MiG-21bis (Hungarian Airforce, operational aircraft at Pápa, Hungary)

- MiG-29 (Hungarian Airforce, operational aircraft at Kecskemét, Hungary)

- C-130 (Turkish Stars, static show at Kecskemét, Hungary)

- CH-47D (Royal Netherlands Airforce, static show at Kecskemét, Hungary)

 

Oh, and I once cut my arm on the wing of an F-104 at an airshow (can't remember where)

 

I have also walked around an A-10A at Twente Airbase in the Netherlands and an Su-30MKI at Le Bourget, France, to take some close-up pictures.

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Never really had much contact outside of airshows, other than the usual danish F-16's, Draken's (back in the day), German Tornado's and F-4's coming over head. But some point in, late 80's it must have been, during some sort of exercise, an A-10 came over my hometown at fairly low level, banked hard over the city center (maybe 800 meters away from where I was) showing its wonderful silhouette, and disappeared south to Germany again. My jaw just dropped. What a sight, will never forget :)

- Jack of many DCS modules, master of none.

- Personal wishlist: F-15A, F-4S Phantom II, JAS 39A Gripen, SAAB 35 Draken, F-104 Starfighter, Panavia Tornado IDS.

 

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Not really a close encounter but memorable for me. I used to live a few miles from O'hare airport and would see and hear more planes than I could count every day. On the night of 9/11 it was eerily quiet with not a plane in the sky.

I was outside talking with neighbor and his daughter was pointing up at the sky like she saw a plane. My neighbor says "No theres no planes in the sky tonight" but looking up I see that there where 2 blinking lights close together and moving twice as fast as anything I'd ever seen. They continued to fly around for a while circling around every 10 or 15 minutes and seeming to get lower and lower. I'd try to run out of my garage to see them but all I could see where long arcing contrails. I assume they where F-16's.I remember thinking they must be enjoying themselves flying around alone in whats usually a very congested airspace.

 

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I get to ride in C-17's and C-5's once or twice a year. It was super exciting the first time I got to ride on them, but now the most exciting part is getting off after landing lol.

 

I also have flightline access at Buckley, Vandenberg, and CCAFS. I've been pretty close to the CO ANG F-16s coming and going at Buckley and at Vandyland I've seen a few different drones, C-130's, CA ANG F-15C's, and just a few weeks ago I got to see my first Atlas V delivery via an AN-124.

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1)

 

a trip to Poland , Su17 ( i think) that was parked outside some random gas station

 

 

I hope it was a pleasant trip :D.

 

Su-20, bort number 6256, produced in '75, imported in '76 and in service till '97. Not many of these bad boys left in Poland. A few years ago this one still had original paintscheme and markings on it (albeit badly washed out), but then gas station owner repainted it with some frivolous interpretation of "military" colours.

 

Oh well, at least it didn't end up being vandalized or painted as a kebab-bar ad billboard or something. Many others did.

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"Closest Personal Encounter"

 

Does flying one counts?

 

No...especially when there is no description of the event...

:doh: :doh:

 

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Work on F-16 from 1997 to 2004 and 2008 to 2012. Worked on F-117 from 2004 to 2007. Had a ride on the back of F-16 back in 98.

[ATTACH]152856[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]152857[/ATTACH]

 

http://www.f-16.net/crewchiefs-profile586.html

http://www.f-16.net/g3/f-16-photos/album03/album72/acb


Edited by mvsgas

To whom it may concern,

I am an idiot, unfortunately for the world, I have a internet connection and a fondness for beer....apologies for that.

Thank you for you patience.

 

 

Many people don't want the truth, they want constant reassurance that whatever misconception/fallacies they believe in are true..

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Hi BIGNEWY

 

jumped in and out of

 

lynx

 

recognise the Lynx landing site, been there myself.

 

Neal

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Hi

in 95 whilst serving in Bosnia, flying from Gornji Vakuf to Banya Luka in a Chinook; alarms went off pilot popped flares and did some 'ducking and diving' in some tight river gorges. Remember them few minutes for ever!

 

Neal

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Hmmm. Let me think.

Ridden in: UH-1 (D and N), UH-60, OH-58, C-130, C-141, C-12

Been inside: All the above, C-5, KC-10, KC-135, B-1, F-84, F-100, F-4, F-106, F-111, CH-47, F-16, P-47, P-51, S-3, A-4, B-17, B-24, B-29, F-8 (cockpit only), B-36 (cockpit only)

Have touched B-52, F-117, AV-8B, AT-6, F-14, EA-6, A-6, F-15, F-86

Have flown C-172

That's all I can remember right now.

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Mid-80's I was stationed at MHAFB...There I was, just ambling over to the "Wagon Wheel Chuck Wagon" (chow hall, to some of you :music_whistling: ) when what did my wondering ears did hear, but a screaming pair of jet engines comin' 'round my left side!

 

I chanced to look up just in time to see an F-14 standing on its right wing tip, beginning a climbing turn over the base at about 200' AGL! Close enough for me to get eyes on the pilot and RIO as they were looking at me!

 

...Or maybe they were watching the ground, I don't know. :pilotfly:

 

And as they climbed out, accelerating the whole way in full AB I watched as their wings went into a beautiful delta shape...now I worked on the '111, and have seen swing wings before...but DAYUUUUUM that '14 got some sexy-appeal imho!

 

:pilotfly:

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Hello,

What is the closest encounter you have ever had with a military (or warbird) aircraft. Stories are greatly appreciated. I'll tell mine of that every summer the local ANG C-17 unit always does low level runs over my house, enough that you will be watching TV and it will be drowned out by the engine and the house slightly shakes! We also use to have an A-10A squadron long ago and every year at all the Memorial parades they would do multiple fly over's. I once also saw 2 4 ships of Blackhawk's fly right over my house one early morning. Now I am sure someone has to have gotten buzzed by some aircraft while in the middle of nowhere!

 

I probably told this story before to DCS, somewhere.

 

I was hiking solo, mid-week, in the NY State Catskill Mountains, early 1970's, to my favorite peak, there, Slide Mountain. 2 F-4 Phantoms come in from Stewart Air Force Base, Newburgh, NY to dogfight each other in the air space there. Man, what an air show, just for me!

 

On their way out RTB I waved at the pilot of the lead plane and he waves back.

 

Sweet!

 

-+-

 

1974 I was Navy duty section out of the Seabee base to Port Hueneme directing traffic to the Point Mugu Naval Air Station in California. Had a front row seat at a great air show for free. Some of those aircraft came roaring in off the water, just feet above the ground, damn close to the sound barrier.

 

-+-

 

Was hiking in the NY State Adirondacks and had just climbed up on top of a knob overlook---"Nubble" below Giant Mountain. An A-10 flew BELOW us flying above the 2-lane road (Route 73) from the Northway 4-lane highway towards Keene Valley. He had to be stationed at Plattsburgh, AFB, then. I'm guessing 1980's. It is rare to be looking down at an aircraft when mountain hiking. I think the pilot was sight-seeing at low altitude.

 

(My wife says my memory ain't what it used to be, but remembered that!)


Edited by DieHard

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I am reminded of an exercise I once did in a northern Queensland training area. I had been a naughty boy so was tasked with filling in the shit pit with another unfortunate private. As we were shovelling we both instinctively duck down and I swear we had time to look at each other like what the f was that then, boom and I looked up through the trees and saw the tailpipes of an F-111 receding into the distance at extreme low level. It really bought home to me that if you are on the receiving end of a low level airstrike you would be hit before you even knew what was happening.

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  • ED Team
Hi BIGNEWY

 

 

 

recognise the Lynx landing site, been there myself.

 

Neal

 

:) the good old days, " dont worry be happy welcome to xmg"

 

bit of fun, if you look closely at the departing lynx in the field you will see the first half of my section giving *cough* hand signals to me lol


Edited by BIGNEWY

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18 years in the USAF provided me with lots of aircraft experiences. Got to crawl around in the B-52 at the Weapons Systems Mechanic school at Lowery AFB. Sat in an F-111 during an engine run on the flightline. Flown in a C-130 Hercules and a C-141 Starlifter. Sat in a Mig 21 and a Mig 15. Spent many hours/days at End of Runway arming and dearming A-10s, F-111s, F-4s, F-16s and F-15s. Watched an F-4 fly around with its chute deployed (whoops) and watched as an A-10 landed with gear up. Laid in the back of a KC-135 and watched the refueling of 6 F-4 Phantoms and also got to lay in the boom operators position during takeoff out of Zaragoza Spain. Sat in the back of a KC-10 and watched 4 F-111s refuel over the Atlantic Ocean. Personally towed an A-10 whose main gear collapsed and it fell on to its belly on the ramp. Trained to load nuclear and non-nuclear munitions on many different fighter aircraft. Got an incentive flight in an F-16C/D in 1984 pulled 9 Gs and got to fly it and do barrel rolls.


Edited by Pinefang
Add more awesome experiences
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18 years in the USAF provided me with lots of aircraft experiences. Got to crawl around in the B-52 at the Weapons Systems Mechanic school at Lowery AFB when I went to school there. Sat in an F-111 during an engine run on the flightline. Flown in C-130, C-141. Sat in a Mig 21 and a Mig 15. Spent many hours/days a End of Runway arming and dearming A-10s, F-111s, F-4s, F-16s and F-15s. Watched an F-4 fly around with its chute deployed (whoops) and watched as an A-10 landed with gear up. Personally towed an A-10 whose main gear collapsed and it fell on to its belly on the ramp. Trained to loaded nuclear and non-nuclear munitions on many different fighter aircraft. Got an incentive flight in an F-16C/D in 1984 pulled 9 Gs and got to fly it and do barrel rolls.

 

Whoa...

Seen any "alien technologie" LOL.

On a serious note, that's awesome.

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