Just out of curiosity - Airplane Guys

No particular order;
A-10
C-130 E and J especially
Pietenpol Air Camper
F-4
F-111
A-5 Vigilante
MiG-21
Junkers JU-87 (the A10s grand daddy)
Horten HO-229
B-26 (The Baltimore Whore)

This list could easily be five time longer. I haven't included any rotary wing craft...
concord because its chopped lol
 
Hey Mailman! I'll let you know when the next Heritage Flight training weekend is and you can watch a F-86 fly with the F-22 and the P-51. I think it's the last WE in March.
 
All this airplane talk...you guys know , Luke AFB is practically in my back yard, and Luke is this huge training base for the F-35’s, they are in the air all the time and flying right over my house. I keep riding out to Luke , there is farm road close to the runway and I want to get a photo of an F-35 taking off behind my bike.
Do you think I can ever catch those birds taking off. I see them flying around and I ride out there and sit and sit, and nothing. Someday....

Back in the late 80’s when Luke was THE big training base for F-16’s, I used to drive out there in my pickup , with lunch from McDonalds and you could park right off the end of the runway. I would sit on my tailgate eating my lunch and those F-16’s would absolutely roar directly over me , about 30’ above. It was a hoot.
9-11 changed all that forever. You can’t park anywhere along that road anymore, and there are TWO layers of new, tall , chain link fences topped with razor wire. Ahh well....the world has changed.
 
Do you think I can ever catch those birds taking off. I see them flying around and I ride out there and sit and sit, and nothing. Someday....
Like any Air Force Base. Luke has a Public Affairs Office. Give 'em a call. That's what they're there for. I've always found them to be extremely accommodating folk.... kinda goes with the job. Explain to 'em what you're about and what you're trying to do. I wouldn't be surprised if you worked out an escort to help you get your pics.... up close and personal. XS650.com might be just a virtual hangout to us, but to the publicity guys.... it's free publicity...and good exposure.
Go on... I dare ya. :sneaky:
 
Go on... I dare ya. :sneaky:

Haha! You know......it sounds just crazy enough to work! Man I used to know a Colonel who was in charge of an F-16 squadron, he had me out to the base once for a VIP tour. Went through the hangars, and out on to the runway and got to climb up on an F-16 and poke my head in the cockpit. Lotsa fun!

I’m gonna have to think on this!
 
Off the top of my head (and keeping in mind that the most experience I've had at aircraft was once holding the controls on some small, prop driven aircraft while the pilot did some chart shuffling), here's a few I find too cool or too good looking to ignore:

P-40 Warhawk (Just too damned cool looking!)
F-104 Starfighter (That sound!)
DH.98 Mosquito (A wooden bomber that could outrun fighters--cool!)
DC-3 (Got to love the Gooney Bird)
F-35 Lightning II (So sleek and purposeful)
Sopwith Camel (Just looks like a bipe should)
 
Pilot reported losing #4 engine. Seemed rather nonchalant about asking to return to airport.
 
I Gotta watch the 6 O' clock news then.
 
Yeah I saw the news, it was really bad. I know that the guys who fly these old birds are usually really experienced pilots. I’m surprised that the loss of an engine would cause that crash. They used to limp home all shot to hell during the war. What a terrible accident.
 
I watched the 5:30 news and while I didn't see the nose art clearly the circumstances suggest it was "909" of the Collins Foundation. Not positive it is her. I agree with Mailman about the loss of one engine causing the crash. "Back in the day" returning on a "wing and a prayer" was almost routine.
 
It was "909" She was here in March. It never gained more than 200' AGL or 100 knots. The pilot requested return to airport. The local controler ask why and he replied to "blow out #4" . Was cleared for a downwind to runway 6,. last communication with the pilot. He lost most of the 200' on the turn to return to the airport and went below below radar coverage. Roughly 3:30 between last radio call and .touchdown. looks like he wasn't going to be able to make the turn to crosswind and final judging from the track across the airport. Not sure about the "blow out #4" perhaps a fire?
 
It was "909" She was here in March. It never gained more than 200' AGL or 100 knots. The pilot requested return to airport. The local controler ask why and he replied to "blow out #4" . Was cleared for a downwind to runway 6,. last communication with the pilot. He lost most of the 200' on the turn to return to the airport and went below below radar coverage. Roughly 3:30 between last radio call and .touchdown. looks like he wasn't going to be able to make the turn to crosswind and final judging from the track across the airport. Not sure about the "blow out #4" perhaps a fire?
Kinda what I figured.... looks like "The impossible turn" claims yet another.
 
This is "Sentimental Journey" from 2016 Fredericksburg air show.

SentimentalJourney.jpg


They had just finished replacing a cylinder on #4, runup testing.

The refit was done out there on the tarmac. Dirt, dust, passerbys everywhere.
Myself, I prefer sterile environments for that kinda thing. Thought that maybe it was ok, like combat conditions of old, and the generous puking of oil would flush it out...
 
Myself, I prefer sterile environments for that kinda thing.
The hanger's nice... when space allows. I've changed many a jug out on the ramp. Radials and such are very forgiving that way.. I've even replaced a jug on a crop duster on a hot, dry... dusty dirt road down in Alabama. That was the first run of the day. We put in 8-10 hrs that day. Even I was relieved at the end of the day when we could finally drain the oil and look at the filters. It was all good.
 
Back
Top