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Even better is the fact that the pilot who manhandled that aircraft back to base on manual controls is a woman.
No kidding!😎
Spring has sprung, temps are rising.
And with it comes mosquitoes.
Blasphemous that the F4U Corsair isn't on this.
And that Kawasaki ??? 😳
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That thing was made mostly from plywood.
It was.
jmh.creates puts out some great shots!
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A-10s are badass! During FAC(A) training we got to roll in next to them on a 60deg strafing dive. That gun is loud and basically melts targets. Sooo cool!
Did you FAC? Hornet/Rhino?
A 1983 era photo that we'll never see again...
Yes. F-14D …I too am historic. AKA vet rider!
Required complete USMC ground FAC cert before going through the flight syllabus. Very challenging mission.
Cool clash of old/new | KC-135 and the new B21
https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4459893/b-21-raider-accelerates-delivery-of-long-range-strike-capability/
High res versions | 1 // 2
B2 vs B21
Awesome pictures 📸 👍
I stumbled upon this. It's a documentary on the B-52, when they did 24 hour missions.
https://youtu.be/aTQ5F_74__E?si=vMmmyrUdoXkr71Oj
What was that pod strapped to the Tomcat? Was it effective? The A-6 FLIR worked wonders, especially picking up mule’s spot. Our nav system, however, had a tendency to “run” from targets, requiring vigilance to ensure the Intruder was where it thought it was.
We had the LANTIRN pod. Fantastic capability at the time. It was the best system for quite awhile until the Litening and Sniper pods came.
Flying the Cat. Damn. Watching the wings swing from inside the canopy. Sooooooo Jealous! 😎
What did you guys do/utilize for day-ops…? (the scary shit in the open!) Did you guys have any daytime look down capability that was good for these ops? I’m guessing your AN/AAQ suite was pretty new…VERY new stuff… for the times?
The Marine ground FAC training sounds like something that would get you waaaay deep in to the shit. I mean…Damn. My hat is off to you & those that trained for that and pulled it off. Can’t imagine the things one sees on the ground. From the air is bad enough.
You’ve done some amazing things. Thank you for getting it done and sharing it with us. You are appreciated. 💪🏼🇺🇸
Were you east or west coast? I was at Oceana 91-94. VA-176 and 36.
When I first saw this story I didn’t think it was possible. But enough sources are carrying now that it seems to be authentic. Crazy that they are taking a plane from back in the day that wouldn’t have been historic, and are making it so.
https://www.twz.com/air/this-is-how-ukrainian-yak-52-crews-hunt-russian…
Pit Row
I was at Miramar during that time. Went to Oceana in ‘96.
Miramar O Club on Wednesday, Oceana on Friday. Thems was the days!
Didn’t realize Tomcats were in the fleet until ‘06. Befitting that the Tomcatters were the last active squadron. Long live the Grumman airwing!
https://www.stripes.com/branches/air_force/2026-04-20/a-10-warthog-extended-to-2030-21435255.html
Now in service till 2030.
The D model was my dream jet and was very happy to spend those years riding in that beast. Big, fast, and good looking.
The few remaining are all in museums.
Here’s a historical reference. I took this pic when we flew over Midway. We were participating in an exercise and finished our mission and had some time to kill before heading back for a night trap. It was our squadron, flying Wildcats, that did great work against the Zeros over Midway back in the day. (Jimmy Thach and Butch O’Hare)
The D with its pods and bad ass engines always looks “mean”. Love those birds.
Much nicer than my grainy low level pics a couple of pages back. What’s the min airspeed with wings in the swept-back position?
Great news! 👍
Can't believe this awesome bird is four decades old. The original A model.
And it's because of the Apache is how I ended up in Arizona when Hughes Helicopters/McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company/now Boeing was awarded the army attack helicopter contract.
The facility in culver city (where the Spruce Goose was built) was not large enough to facilitate the assembly line of the Apaches, so they bought land cheap out in Mesa Arizona in the early eighties.
I remember distinctly working in 75° weather with the ocean breeze. Thinking no way in hell would I want to live out there in the frickin' desert! Well, here I am and I have no regrets. Everything worked out..... 😎
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/ah-64-the-world-s-most-feared-us-attack-helicopter-ever-made/vi-AA1Q4ymN?ocid=socialshare&fbclid=Iwb21leARV6dNjbGNrBFXot2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHmGQ66noWOyJgYvXoQdHs9Lki3eAE-s4gHgtXo3If_TcHMTnyjOUsXnLIB8j_aem_1xF7vl4cGwbDoDWs7mLc4w
In ‘93 we got into a spontaneous mock dogfight with a Luftwaffe F-4 over the skies of Germany. The camo paint scheme and iron cross were very cool. Then again, the Germans have a history of cool uniforms (associated with some not-so-cool events).
An SR-71A Blackbird embarked on a rare ground journey at Edwards Air Force Base for vital preservation. Crews carefully towed the aircraft from the museum to a specialized facility to repair exterior sun damage.
Designed as the fastest air-breathing jet, the Blackbird features a titanium structure to withstand extreme friction beyond Mach three. Its high-altitude reconnaissance capabilities gathered essential strategic intelligence worldwide.
Preserving this marvel ensures these innovations continue educating the public. Restoring retired jets honors monumental aerospace achievements and inspires future aircraft designs.
#SR71 #Blackbird #aviation
Me: I'm going to be late, Honey. There's an SR-71 blocking the highway.
Wife: Riiiight....
Did you get to keep your Hughes contributory pension plan? General Motors and then Boeing did not take ours away when they bought the satellite division. However, GM did discontinue offering it to new hires 5 years after buying the company. I did my new hire orientation on the hill overlooking where you used to work . Lots of history. When I told my tax man what my pension was gonna be, he said there’s no way possible that could be correct. Hughes took very good care of their employees. Needless to say, I got a new financial advisor.
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