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Here’s the “Business Side” of an EX. 🤣
Noice!!😂
Even better is the fact that the pilot who manhandled that aircraft back to base on manual controls is a woman.
No kidding!😎
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Spring has sprung, temps are rising.
And with it comes mosquitoes.
Blasphemous that the F4U Corsair isn't on this.
And that Kawasaki ??? 😳
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. 💪🏼🇺🇸
Pit Row
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…
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!
^^^
I just viewed a google map aerial of Oceana and counted over 120 aircraft on the tarmac...
...the main drag at the base is called Tomcat Boulevard... ...wow.
Drove down Tomcat Blvd many times (think it was called something else in the 90s). East Coast A-6s operated out of Hanger 145 on Google Maps. I believe Hornets were at NAS Cecil Field during that time.
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
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