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Pilots rescued after fighter jets crash
AP ^ | 02/20/2008 | By MELISSA NELSON, Associated Press Writer

Posted on 02/20/2008 5:12:14 PM PST by RTO

Two fighter jets crashed into the Gulf of Mexico during a training mission Wednesday, but the pilots ejected and were later rescued, the Air Force said.

Eglin Air Force Base spokeswoman Shirley Pigott said the pilots were rescued after their single-seat F-15C Eagles disappeared Wednesday afternoon off the Florida Panhandle, about 35 miles south of Tyndall Air Force Base.

The Air Force has not determined if the planes collided. Weather in the area was clear.

Coast Guard Petty Officer James Harless said a Coast Guard rescue jet located one pilot and radioed the location to a fishing vessel, which picked him up. A Coast Guard helicopter then hoisted the pilot off the vessel.

That pilot told rescuers he saw the other pilot also eject, but lost him in the clouds, Harless said. He told them the approximate location for the second pilot, who was found by a Coast Guard helicopter, Harless said.

The conditions of the pilots were not immediately available, he said. They were being taken to Eglin base hospital.

Harless added that no debris from the jets has been found yet.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: alijivanjee; crash; eject; f15; fighter; florida; midair; pilots; planecrash; usaf; uscg
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1 posted on 02/20/2008 5:12:17 PM PST by RTO
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To: All

Related Link:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1973675/posts


2 posted on 02/20/2008 5:14:26 PM PST by Cindy
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Comment #3 Removed by Moderator

To: BluH2o
Nah, in American guys who lose their airplanes get elected President (or at least nominated). Anybody ever wonder why we don't nominate/elect people who shot down the other guy?
4 posted on 02/20/2008 5:21:14 PM PST by newroark
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To: BluH2o

How about giving them the benefit of the doubt, since they put their lives on the line for us every day?


5 posted on 02/20/2008 5:21:46 PM PST by linear (Swear fealty to no man.)
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To: RTO

Maybe related also:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1973663/posts#comment?q=1


6 posted on 02/20/2008 5:22:35 PM PST by neodad (USS Vincennes (CG 49) "Checkmate Cruiser")
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To: RTO

Ah, Tyndall. Ah, 1958. Ah, F-100s and B-58s. Ah, Panama City. Ah, America, how I loved thee.


7 posted on 02/20/2008 5:25:05 PM PST by 353FMG (Vote for the Person who will do the least damage to our country.)
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To: RTO
They aren’t bored now.
8 posted on 02/20/2008 5:25:34 PM PST by Domangart (editor and publisher)
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To: newroark

You have to lose at least 3 planes to become president.


9 posted on 02/20/2008 5:30:31 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants (G-d is not a Republican. But Satan is definitely a Democrat.)
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To: RTO
Thanks be to God for the safety of the pilots.
10 posted on 02/20/2008 5:33:01 PM PST by Churchillspirit
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To: 353FMG

The Eagles were from Eglin.


11 posted on 02/20/2008 5:33:20 PM PST by JRios1968 ("If you go over a cliff with all flags flying, you are still going over a cliff"—Ronald Reagan)
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To: linear; BluH2o

I hope they’re not hot doggers. We had one of those types showing off as he took off from my airport and only about a mile and a half from my house, his plane dive bombed right into a house and killed him and the folks inside (I should say a major-sized fireball, they were all incinerated), and it just barely missed the interstate (where it would’ve killed even more people). If the jerk had banked to the left, it might’ve been me and my house that would’ve ended up a charcoal briquette.


12 posted on 02/20/2008 5:36:01 PM PST by fieldmarshaldj (~~~Jihad Fever -- Catch It !~~~ (Backup tag: "Live Fred or Die"))
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Comment #13 Removed by Moderator

To: newroark
Anybody ever wonder why we don't nominate/elect people who shot down the other guy?

Sometimes "we" do.


14 posted on 02/20/2008 5:38:46 PM PST by A.A. Cunningham
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To: newroark
Anybody ever wonder why we don't nominate/elect people who shot down the other guy?

A guy who claimed to have shot down 5 planes got elected to Congress - before going to the federal pen.

15 posted on 02/20/2008 5:39:28 PM PST by PAR35
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To: RTO

Thank goodness.


16 posted on 02/20/2008 5:44:40 PM PST by swmobuffalo ("We didn't seek the approval of Code Pink and MoveOn.org before deciding what to do")
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To: Blood of Tyrants
You have to lose at least 3 planes to become president.

Who are you referring to. Can't be McCain; he's supposed to be an 'ace'. Corpus, Spain, near Philadelphia, friendly fire on the Forrestal (ok, not really your fault when you get shot down while sitting on the deck), and near Hanoi.

17 posted on 02/20/2008 5:44:56 PM PST by PAR35
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To: JRios1968

I know, but there was a private connection for me between Eglin and Tyndall. I was in awe of some of the big brass we took out fishing in those days. Some of these guys flew with Dolittle and had talked with Patton. As a young AF private these guys were like gods to me.


18 posted on 02/20/2008 5:48:41 PM PST by 353FMG (Vote for the Person who will do the least damage to our country.)
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To: newroark
Anybody ever wonder why we don't nominate/elect people who shot down the other guy?

Those we put in jail.. well first we elect them and then if they take bribes for earmarks, we put 'em in Jail.

Randy "Duke" Cumningham was one of only four US aces of the Vietnam war, only he and Steve Richie of the AF were pilots. The others, Chuck DeBellevue (AF), William Driscoll (Navy) and Jeff Feinstein(AF) were back seaters..

19 posted on 02/20/2008 5:51:52 PM PST by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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To: fieldmarshaldj
I work on Eglin, and by definition, a fighter pilot is a hot dogger. These aren’t airline pilots. Having said that, these F15s are very old, I doubt the incident you described is pilot error, more likely mechanical failure.
Thou I have heard of some amazing accidents caused by recklessness. Regardless, I’m thrilled they are safe!
20 posted on 02/20/2008 5:54:17 PM PST by Robbin
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