Posted on 12/20/2009 3:47:34 PM PST by The Magical Mischief Tour
Good story. Enjoyed reading it :)
When I was stationed TDY at Beale AFB we used to watch them from the flight line of KC-135Qs. Take off and landings were awesome!
They would roll down the runway, afterburners on, hit the end of the runway, then pull up into a verticle and go out of sight straight up!
Saw one crash aslo. It was coming in for a landing at Beale,, got low, then when blocked by some trees in the way, a puff of smoke, then firetrucks rushing toward the end of the runway.
Ping to LucyT.
Had to go looking for this .. I think that you will get a real kick out of it!
http://www.fromtheinside.us/thinking/Groundspeed_Check.htm
I do appreciate the confirmation. That’s one story that most don’t believe.
In 1991 I had a layover at McConnel AFB and the security cops took some of us on a nice tour that concluded with us standing on the runway apron as the B-1 bomber taxied by and took off.
Loudest f’n noise I’ve ever experienced, felt like my guts were going to turn to jelly.
I made my home on Okinawa also. Two different times for a total of eight years. Most of the time I was elsewhere, but I was fortunate to see, several times, the Habu take off and return. The “word” would always get around and a small group would assemble at the small hill overlooking the runway at Kadena. Eventually, the Habu and accompanying vehicles would appear and take position for takeoff. The takeoff was an awsome sight that always amazed this lowly private pilot.
Buddy of mine used to fuel them in Guam. Said the seals were designed to not seal completely till it got up to the correct operating temp.
So if you fuel it when it’s cold, they’d have to hose down the area after because jet fuel was everywhere!
Worked flight line for P-3s at Whidbey Island in 94 when a B-1 did some touch-in-gos. Loud is an understatement!
It’s quite a coincidence that this story gets posted at the exact time I’m scanning my old negatives from the 1983 Paine Field airshow in Everett, WA. We were graced with an appearance by an SR-71.
On arrival day, the pilot did the traditional low passes over the field to announce their arrival. That cleared out the Boeing office buildings adjacent to the field almost as quick as the last big earthquake did. Since this was in the gold, old pre-9/11 days, there wasn’t much security around the field. After work, still in my coat and tie, I drove over and found the hanger that the blackbird was using and casually joined a group being given a guided tour. It was apparent that this was some sort of invitation only thing, but nobody questioned me so I just hung out with the tour.
In the course of the tour, I found out what the ETD ws going to be on Monday morning. A bunch of us took a break from work, jumped in the bed of one guy’s pickup and parked ourselves at what we figured would be the takeoff end of the runway.
We had a deeply religeous experience. The crew did several low passes in burner right over our heads. For the last pass, they came down the runway in military power, pulled vertical, hit the afterburners and pretty much vanished.
I’ve been to a lot of airshows before and since and I see a lot of aviation in my profession, but this remains the absolute best airplane epxerience I’ve ever had, seen and felt.
Amazing story I wonder if the plane was raining/dripping fuel as it flew by.
My dad was on the design and original build out team for this bird. He worked under Kelly Johnson at the Lockheed Skunk Works . After a 24 year career in the USAAF/USAF , that project was the crown gem . I don’t know if he ever got to fly in it , but he sure was proud of it . Dad passed earlier this year.
Saw it do a low speed pass over the lake at the Cleveland Air Show years ago. The engines made kind of a low-pitched hum.
I never tire of these stories. Thanks for the link.
Later
Thank you.
I spent many afternoons at Mildenhall watcing those and other birds as a kid in England. I can imagine the stunned faces of those kids as that birds knifed by on afterburner. As a pilot now, I can understand that even though they were flying Mach 3+ in many cases they were always in a small narrow nose angle that too much or too little was out of control. To throw that thing into afterburners and basically stall on edge that low is beyond wet pants territory. Those kids saw something probably no one else can claim and a sight not even Hollyweird can do well. That aircraft ROARS on afterburner.
I’d love to have seen it! Flying from Jax to Las Vegas two weeks ago, over New Mexico we saw about a mile to the north two AF jets going the other way on burners. First one, then the other 30 seconds behind. I couldn’t get a positive ID on the jet type, I’m guessing F-16s, but the flames were longer than the jets as they shot past going eastbound. No sound, but what a sight!
Kelly Johnson, now THAT was a mind and a program manager! WOW! Out of the box doesn’t come close!
What a great story! As a pilot myself, I can only imagine what a thrill it would be to fly that bird. It must be beyond description.
Amazing! Thanks for posting.
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