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Closest Personal Encounter with Military Aircraft


frixon28

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This was the closest and most personal :) Kauhava, 2006.

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I've flown the boom and ridden around in a KC-135, and been in the cockpits of numerous warbirds and current inventory aircraft. Perhaps the most fun though is ample time in military simulators as my day job: A-10C, F-16C, AV-8B, KC-135R, KC-10A, UH-60A/L/M, CH-47F, and UH-72A.

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Not counting airshows, the closest I got to a genuine warbird was when I was a baby. My mother and I had to take cover in an air raid shelter because neighboring country was conducting air strikes very close to our hometown.


Edited by Silvern
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Sat in a few tornado cockpits as my father worked on XV sqn in the RAF. He brought home a cardboard replica of the cockpit one weekend, wish I'd taken photos of it but I was too young!

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These are some outstanding stories. Anyone in the area to see the F-35's/Osprey's flying around?

 

They are regular flyers in my area and RAF Marham is being built up to receive the F-35.

 

 

 

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I've ridden in many CH-53's, CH-46's, mostly in administrative movements, but sometimes roping out of them, jumping into the water, etc... The best ride I had was going from the USS Essex to the USS Juneau in the middle of the Pacific on a SH-60 Seahawk. The pilots decided to have a little fun I guess and did some maneuvers that caused the crew chief, who was not buckled to a seat, to flip on to the ceiling of the bird as we ascended and descended rapidly and repeatedly. As we went on the down slope of the roller coaster, he would flip on to his back on the ceiling until we started to climb and gravity returned him to the floor. It was literally one of funniest things I experienced in the military. I just figured they were having a good time on an otherwise boring flight. But man, having the doors open and out over the open sea, that was impressive without the acrobatics.

 

As far as jets go, my only experience with them was seeing them conduct CAS. No A-10's unfortunately. I did witness a JDAM strike, however. I guess felt is a better word than witness, it rattled my chest pretty good. I also saw an F-18 scare the enemy out of cover by making a low pass and dropping flares over them. I guess we were too close for him to use weapons, I dont recall the reason that low pass was requested, but it worked. Saw F-22's flying over Kadena AB when I was out there as well. I think thats it.

 

Edit:

 

I also witnessed an F-18 crash at Miramar Air Station in early 2007. The pilot was doing touch and goes or something, but we saw him take off, and you could tell the engines went out, and then he punched out. Plane crashed in a field near where we were training with Stu Segal for a deployment. One of the guys in my unit was the first to get to the pilot, my buddy said he was ok, but really worried that he had killed someone.


Edited by Gunny Highway
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I was a jet mech. in the US Navy. I was low and high power engine qualified on F-18's. A big part of that job was running the engines up for testing and trouble shooting. I also got a cat shot in a C-2A Greyhound off the flightdeck of the USS Nimitz. Returned to the ship a couple days later in the back of an H-60. My first commnand was a Marine/Navy squadron in North Carolina. I got a few rides in CH-53E's there.

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I had a flight in an L-39 last year.

 

I was on holiday in South Australia and I found a flyer for it in a clothing store in Port Lincoln. I saw the L-39 on it and it immediately caught my eye.

I had a look at their website on my phone and found that, while expensive, the flights were still only around half the price of flights offered in Europe.

 

We were only in town for a couple of days and I didn't think I could get a flight at such short notice, but I thought I'll never get the chance to get in the cockpit of such an aircraft for such a price ever again. I called them, and to my surprise they picked up the phone had no problem fitting me in the next morning, IF the weather is good.

 

Unfortunately, there were strong winds the next day and the flight couldn't take place. We had planned to drive on the next day, so I thought the opportunity had slipped away. However, I received a call that evening and they offered to take me up early the next day. I said sure, why not... It was the weirdest spontaneous decision I ever made.

 

It very surreal turning up at the quiet local airfield the next morning. The pilot turned out to be a very friendly (I think 74 year old?) short grandpa who had made his living as a crop duster and charter pilot.

He had bought the L-39 only a few years previously.

 

The L-39 was already fueled up and sitting on the tarmac between various private prop planes.

We got introduced while the pilots son prepped the aircraft. I was given a flight suit and a helmet which I promptly donned as my girlfriend was being reassured that I'm in the hands of professionals.

Of course, then I signed all my rights away on a piece of paper :D

 

It was very exciting getting the cockpit. It had a musty smell of oil and grease. I was shown how to belt up and to make sure the canopy is properly locked.

Taxing off was an awesome feeling, to feel this little aircraft skip over the tarmac. And then the takeoff... I'd never felt such acceleration.

 

We has excellent weather on this day, with great visibility and wonderful white clouds we flew among which gave a great sense of speed. After getting some great views of the coastline Kev (the pilot) allowed me to take the stick and fly a few turns.

With Kev back in control we then proceeded to fly a series of barrel rolls and then a 4g loop. Having never felt such g-force it was an incredible feeling.

Finally we did a fly over of the runway, finishing with an Immelmann, before landing back at the airfield.

 

A great experience that I'm very glad I had.

 

Unfortunately the facebook page says the L-39 has since been sold.

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Great story Boris. I live two hours away from a company that imports the L-39s for sale. I've been wondering if I can get a flight there.

 

In 1998 I attended a Warbirds convention in Houston. I was very lucky at that time and I am told I won a free hour in a 737 simulator, but I missed the opening night and arrived too late to claim it. A friend and fellow squad member "JG14_Drex" won it instead in a drawing.

 

Next morning I attend a group tour at the Confederate Air Force in Galveston. Two people that won B-17 rides did not attend (lot of alcohol at a Warbirds Convention) and I ended up winning a ride in the B-17 "Thunderbird". It was friggin awesome!

 

I get back to the Hotel and eat lunch at the bar. I am just glowing from my ride and sharing my story. At the end of the bar I see a guy sitting... the more I talk, the more his shoulders droop. Turns out I won his ride. We still talk to this day and I consider him a friend, JG14_Cstc.

 

Oh, I sat in a B-25 once. I'm looking at the photo of it right now. I've been blessed.


Edited by JG14_Smil
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My most close up and personal experience was when I had a flight in a SAAB 105 (SK 60) flying with the SwAF trainees.

 

Second best experience must have been my visit to an operational Gripen squadron (F 17), standing on the apron during their daily operations and hanging out in the hangar and drooling.

 

This makes me want to apply for the airforce indeed! :)

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I was in the Marine Corps Airwing stationed at Cherry Point NC...I was actually a crew chief back in the day...

 

Of course I had hands on experience with most of the fighter jets and transports...

 

Our squadron was attached directly to MCAS, but we did get deployed occasionally ..

 

That was a time when I felt I had great importance in what I was doing... Its now been a few years since I left the service but looking back. That was one of the most fulfilling times in my life.. And I still love fighter jets..

 

I do spend a lot of time with simulators. It helps me to relive my youth..

 

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Sitting at the end of the runway, just across the fence, on Ramstein Air Base in the 70's and 80's as a kid.

 

F4 Phantoms and C5 Galaxy running towards you, getting BIGGER AND LOUDER and finally they take off just a felt stone throw in front of you, shaking your whole body and bicycle while they fly over you, so close and big.

 

Today the runway is largewr, the fence furhter away and you cant do that anymore.

 

Way better than Wayne's World, WAY BETTER

 

edit* in those old days you were allowed to climb into a Jet at the fair, run around in a C5 and play football in it's Cargo bay ( which is HUGE if you are a 5 year old )....that's long gone.

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Got to ride in quite a few Blackhawks and Chinooks while in Iraq, and at Ft. Benning, Ft Irwin and Ft, Huachuca. I was in a scout recon squadron out of Ft. Benning. Had a night 'combat landing' in a C-130 in Iraq onto a FOB runway, basically straight down and leveled out for the last 2 feet haha. Then started taking 107mm fire while exiting out of the tail, fun times.

 

Hadji always stopped firing their 107s and mortars when CAS or AWT came on station. The had a mythical fear of our air assets. You will never appreciate the roar of Apache's, F-16's, 18's or 15's overhead like you do when they are getting the bad guys who are shooting at you.

 

Saw a couple of nice bomb runs in Iraq by a pair of F-16's as well. Sheer awesomeness.

 

Being ground pounders in the army we enjoyed making jokes about the 'chairforce' etc, but it is done with love. Don't ever make a joke about the Air Force or Navy if you weren't ever in the military to my face.

 

It's kinda like 'I can pick on my little brother if I want to, but if you pick on my little brother you'll get your teeth knocked out'.


Edited by Ghostrider142

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Toured on of the US Navy carriers when I was a kid (not sure which one now), but did the Midway tour when I was in San Diego about 5 or 6 years ago.. I touched an F-14! My holy grail of aircraft as a kid! Even if it was stripped of all the good stuff...

 

A few pics:

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th_skyraider-1.jpg

 

th_tomcatcanon-1.jpg

 

th_f14-1.jpg

 

th_fa18-1.jpg

 

th_hueyrockets-2.jpg

 

It amazes me how easy it is to get up close to military hardware in the US. Heck, I see F-22's from 100 yards every time I fly into HNL!!!

 

Don't get me started on Vegas, I need to find a friend who can take me on a tour of Nellis, and buy said person lots of beer...

 

Z...

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I was a KC-135 crew chief at McConnell AFB for a while, so I knew that aircraft pretty well. In tech school there was an A-10 in the hanger that we got to check out and sit in.

 

We also had B-1 lancers on base for a little while until they got re-stationed. I actually had a bit of a trick played on me when I first arrived on base... I was waiting for one of our jets to land to marshal him in, well they pointed to the lancer and said here he comes start marshaling, I was too new to argue... so I did it. Everyone thought that was pretty funny.

 

Another time while marshaling one of our KC-135's out of it's parking spot an A-10 was taking off... I sorta paid more attention to the A-10. :D

 

Saw an F117 taxiing at night, it had done an emergency landing on base, we didn't get a chance to really check it out but even as we drove by it was cool.

 

Later on when I joined the air guard here in NJ they were prepping for the Atlantic City airshow, so I got to watch the blue angels taxi and park, then go check them out.

 

Last thing I remember is driving out to the runway to watch our F16s take off from pretty close, never got tired of that.

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Another close encounter I had was with C-141 66-0177 otherwise known as the Hanoi Taxi while it was still in active service. Back in 2003(ish) I was working base ops as NAS New Orleans when a C-141 arrived wearing the old MAC colors, I thought this odd, since everything was various shades of grey, and here was a C-141 in gleaming white and grey. Once it was parked, and I was off duty, I walked out to the plane and low and behold above the access door was "HANOI TAXI". I talked with one of the pilots who let me take a look inside and he showed me around. The walls of the cargo area were lined with pictures from the first repatriation flight. Along with the signatures of all those who were freed on various parts of the plane. Also over all of the crew positions was the names of each crew member and their job. I saw it again a few years ago sitting outside the USAFM at Wright Patterson AFB, where it waits for the new wing to open. I hope they open it up for all to see what it contains.

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I'm just sittin back, chillin w/ members of Patrouille de France here in Norfolk... lol..

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Don't get me started on Vegas, I need to find a friend who can take me on a tour of Nellis, and buy said person lots of beer...

 

Z...

 

Haha, I'm and engine guy that started on F-15's at Nellis. Currently on B-52's and typing this reply from Nellis at the moment.

 

Well being stationed at Nellis, I've got to experience a bunch of cool stuff. I've got to touch RAAF F-111's, India's SU-30MKI, French Mirages, Canadian Snowbirds. Been in F-16/18, C-5/130, UH-1, RC-135. Flown in F-15 and KC-10. Heck, they even trust me to start all 8 engs on the B-52.

 

Also got to watch the CAPSTONE firepower demo held at Creech that had bombing runs by B-1/2/52, A-10 CAS, F-15/16 air coverage and HH-60 SAR demo.

 

A cool memory that stand out was during Red Flag when the Brits came with their Tornados. We needed to do a burner run on our 15 at the trim pad. Coincidentally, the Brits had to do a burner run on a Tornado as well. So here we were, side by side on the trim pad at night with both jets in burner. When we shut down the Brits yelled out, "you win ya ****s!"

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Over 10 years ago when i was walking in the countryside with my girlfriend we heard some strange noise coming beyond the woods and suddenly an F-18 flew right over us, altitude couldnt had been more than 200 meters. Needless to say, we were scared shitless and instinctively ducked :D

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I live in an area of the Scottish Highlands that is frequented by RAF Typhoons, Tornados, A400s, Hawks and C-130s. And less frequent but equally awesome are the F-15Es & Cs that fly ludicrously low over my village and scare the crap out of the old folk. I have heard (possibly falsely) that they practice low level strikes on the bridge here.

 

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