The Worlds BEST Military Airshow Teams

I was impressed with the Snowbirds. The Russians not so much..but the Flanker-35 is an impressive jet and highly maneuverable. As such it would be a lot easier for the Snowbirds to mount an impressive show bc the jets are really slow trainer jets. Would be difficult to do that show in Flankers.

I would guess that it would be easier to do the most demanding performance in the F-18 that the Navy flies than the F-16 that the Air Force flies.
 
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Originally Posted by IMSA_Racing_Fan
15 inches?


3.5 degree glideslope, Nimitz class carrier.

If you're 15 inches high, you catch the 4 wire. 15 inches low, you catch the 2 wire.

Yes, you have to be within 15 inches of perfect to be on the three wire.

With a 54,000# fighter at 140 knots, dead on centerline, within 2 knots of airspeed, or the geometry doesn't work.

While the ship is moving.

And the air moving around the hull and the island create turbulence, and there is a crosswind created by the angle of the deck in relation to the hull centerline.

I've actually heard USAF guys say, "it's easy, there's never any crosswind and you never have to flare".

While it's true about the flare, the crosswind claim is patently false, and they actually have no idea what else is required.

I've actually heard a USAF F-15 driver, at the Oceana O'Club say, "I don't see what's so hard about flying the ball you guys talk about. I had green lights all the way to touchdown. It's just a poor man's VASI."

Which means that he was so far off, that he never saw the ball itself, which is yellow, and extremely precise. We actually talk about minutes of arc, not degrees, in carrier landing geometry.

He saw only the Datum (reference) lights, and had no idea that he was never within the parameters to actually see the ball during his landing.

It's like a guy looking at a Starrett combination square, and saying, "so, that's kind of like a poor man's ruler, then?"

Yeah, my Starrett is just like your dollar store ruler...

And the meatball is just like a VASI...
 
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Ah, geeze Astro! You let people from the Worst Fighter Wing (1st Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, VA) into your O'Club, and you let them talk? And someone actually listened to them? There's your mistake right there.
Not sure how it is in the Navy, but in the Air Force if a fighter wing is co-located with a headquarters it's capability is decreased and it's clueless factor is multiplied by an order of magnitude. In the case of a major command like Air Combat Command at Langley, 2 orders of magnitude. Something to do with the extra unnecessary supervision, and the high ranking strap hangers soaking up sorties that should be reserved for combat crewmembers and line fighter pilots.
Of course, that F-15 driver could have been TDY from another base. Then we could excuse you all from listening to him, and chalk his comments up to individual ignorance rather than institutional ignorance.
 
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I honestly don't know where that Eagle driver was from. I'm guessing Langley? The squadron numbers and patches meant nothing to me back then - though I'm pretty joint now.

He might've been on a long cross country.

But on a Friday night, at the Oceana O'Club, a guy wearing an ascot, in a freshly ironed (I kid you not) flight suit, with an Eagle patch stands out. I mean really stands out.

He may have been looking to bait one of us.

Who knows?

Given the choice between the guy with O2 mask marks fresh on his face, a bit rumpled, and wearing wings of gold, who clearly just stepped out of a fighter, or the perfectly coiffed and pressed guy with Eagle patches, who clearly just stepped out from in front of a mirror....

the girls seemed more interested in the former, so perhaps that had him a might testy...
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I know this is going to start an argument and I don't care, but I think the Thunderbirds are the best...
 
Originally Posted by Al
I would guess that it would be easier to do the most demanding performance in the F-18 that the Navy flies than the F-16 that the Air Force flies.


Why would you say that?
 
Originally Posted by grampi
I know this is going to start an argument and I don't care, but I think the Thunderbirds are the best...


No surprise...

You've argued that position in every single thread on this subject.

Like I said, the Thunderbirds are great.

They're inspirational.

No argument there.
 
Originally Posted by grampi
I know this is going to start an argument and I don't care, but I think Tom Brady is the best...



Agreed = no argument there
 
Originally Posted by 4WD
Originally Posted by grampi
I know this is going to start an argument and I don't care, but I think Tom Brady is the best...



Agreed = no argument there

Hahaha, good one.

ArrestMe… I built a model as a child of an F4J and from then on I always liked the unique look of that aircraft. There's a version of the F4 at the Wings Over the Rockies museum that was cool to view up close. A customer of ours was ground crew while in the service and was coming home and offered a ride in an F4 if he was at the right place at the right time, the next morning. He still laments the one day he accidentally overslept and missed that flight.

Astro... I always enjoy your participation on this board on many different topics. I need to go re-read your giant "Ask me" thread again because it's so interesting to me.

A bad knee diagnosed as a teen prevented me from being anything but a cadet while growing up but my dad was Navy and two uncles were in other branches, so I appreciate your service from all you guys.
 
Originally Posted by 4WD
Originally Posted by grampi
I know this is going to start an argument and I don't care, but I think Tom Brady is the best...



Agreed = no argument there

Keep dreamin...
 
Anyone care to comment on the new Top Gun? For the general public these movies are the closest thing to seeing what its like to be in the cockpit. I know there are huge errors in depiction of actual combat operations (I cringe when watching Hollywood ground combat movies) and the glamorization draws in people to the service recruiters for all the wrong reasons, but overall is it a positive or a negative?



Also I've heard good things about the Snowbirds but never have seen them. Do they compare to the US demonstration teams?
 
Looks like a lot of fun.

Once again, filmed with the Navy's help, using real airplanes. A lot more cockpit footage this time, for example, you see actual G forces pulling on Tom's face.

You know I'll go see it when it comes out.
 
More intense flying than the original, positive for all the right reasons.
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