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Been a frustrated "half pilot" since 17. I must have soloed about 6 times now. Keep running out of either time, money, or both.

Anyway, years ago I was working with some of the Air Force guys flying the black F-16's out of Florida. Every day one of the pilots would come with me to the range to see what I did on the ground and why I did it so they would know in the air why I would tell them to do certain things. I made a major PITA of myself with the Colonel with that if I knew what the pilots were doing in the air, I'd do my job better. :D

Long story short, got about 1 1/2 hours in a 2 seat F-16 over the Gulf of Mexico. Didn't puke, could not stop smiling for about a week.

 
Been a frustrated "half pilot" since 17. I must have soloed about 6 times now. Keep running out of either time, money, or both.
Anyway, years ago I was working with some of the Air Force guys flying the black F-16's out of Florida. Every day one of the pilots would come with me to the range to see what I did on the ground and why I did it so they would know in the air why I would tell them to do certain things. I made a major PITA of myself with the Colonel with that if I knew what the pilots were doing in the air, I'd do my job better. :D

Long story short, got about 1 1/2 hours in a 2 seat F-16 over the Gulf of Mexico. Didn't puke, could not stop smiling for about a week.
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Bastadge! I'm like, sooooo jealous... :beee:

 
Bastadge! I'm like, sooooo jealous
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It was fun :D Loops, rolls, slow flight, FAST (as in over Mach 1), high altitude, some very low altitude, and some very weird grunting noises as I tried to keep that cone of black from taking over all my vision :eek: Plus some simulated bombing runs just to make the flight 'kosher' :lol: Hmmmm...I'm thinking some of the boats out in the Gulf that day thought the Air Force was attacking ;)

The stick on that thing was ultra sensitive. I got to "fly" the A-10 sim down at England AFB in LA. That thing was a truck compared to the Falcon.

 
I soloed in a Cessna 150. Guess that doesn't compare to the Falcon tho. Right around the time of my solo flight I began to figure out what it really cost to fly, and that was the end of that hobby. For the price of a new FJR with all the farkles, you can't even buy a decent Cessna 152, much less something that really moves out. Too rich for my blood. And no sour grapes here, but MAN do pilots have to deal with aTON of regulations and gummint red tape to get in the air. Had an old rebel like me runnin' for the airsick bag, and I was still on the ground.

Cool video tho. Flying is still fun to watch. B)

 
This is the POS I soloed in in 1969.

lb626.jpg


It's a 1930s Italian-built Avia FL-3. Wood & canvas, no flaps :alien:

When I later flew a "real" plane (Cessna 150) it felt like the Space Shuttle :p

Stef

 
I took flying lessons for a while when I was in college, but couldn't afford to continue even paying for the flight costs. My friend was the instructor and wasn't charging me for his time. All I had to do was pay for the club rental and fuel. I even sold my 1963 Volkswagen to try to continue, but ended up using the money for tuition.

I did frequently fly as a passenger in a helicopter (wasn't tourist class), along with 10 other guys (not including the crew chief and door gunner). That was back in 1967-8 and they made us jump out of them just when we were getting comfortable. :( On top of that, we were loaded down with all sorts of heavy equipment and packs. :eek: Some of those warrant officer pilots, who are now in their mid-fifties, have been garnered to fly in Iraq due to a chopper pilot shortage. I could do without that kind of flying.

Ron

 
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they made us jump out of them just when we were getting comfortable
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That's gotta be the understatement of the year, RonC :hyper: :hyper:

Stef
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Heck, they just about had to push me out the door! :lol:

When I was drafted, they asked me what I would like to do, so I said 'turbine mechanics' to work ON the slicks. I didn't want to work IN them! :blink: On top of that, I didn't look good in green. Green just isn't my color.

Ron

 
Nice video! Also, I love those space shuttle patrol shots...and the F-86 rules!

As a program manager on the Boeing 737 I am involved with designing, building, and selling airplanes, but never flown (as a pilot)...someday I s'pose B)

 
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Thanks for the vid Stef...awesome stuff!!!

Thanks for the Service, Ron...awesomer stuff!!!

Hey Ant, I was born on England AFB! nice lil swamp!

Bobby

 
Awesome video jestal! :clap:

I used to enjoy watching Carriers doing their flight operations when I was out at sea! These great vids bring back some good memories. Launches, landings, F-14’s doing those seemingly hairpin turns... sweeping the wings back, did they call that airbraking ?? Cool stuff. Thanks gents. (more, please) :clap:

 
Attn: SoCal aero freaks....

Point Magu NAS is having an airshow, mid October!!! Saw a sign on the gate coming back from LA on the PCH yesterday. Couldn't catch the dates (I was going a wee too fast!) But I'll try and find out and post later...

 
Thanks for the link! I was having trouble finding it... Prolly cuz' I always forget that is 'Mugu' and not 'Magu'. Splains why I kept getting the cartoon character references...

 

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