The most epic thing you've ever seen?

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popPilot

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Whether it is in the air, at the airport, or in nature, whether it is an aircraft, a mechanical structure, an event or something else, what is the most amazing thing you've ever seen that inspires you to be in this industry and share the same passion we all have; the love for aviation.

For me this is probably one of the most epic moments I've ever seen:
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I got to sit in one of these.
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Der Ring des Nibelungen

(Not humorous but meets the definition of the word epic.)
 
I was able to fly in bush Alaska, part of my bucket list before the term bucket list was a thing.

I have also landed on every type of runway surface except grass and unfrozen water.
 
That inspires me to be in the industry…

Watching the Blue Angels when I was 4, and knowing my dad was in the Navy.
 
I find epic-ness in so many things, but one that comes to mind right away is walking through the gate at an airshow around 1980 and seeing The Eagles doing their triple (side-by-side-by-side) hammerhead.

Watching the Heritage Flight, and as the P-51 and F-22 round the corner, “We Remember” goes into the chorus: “keep them flying, keep them flying…”. Goosebumps just thinking about it.
 
Not sure if it was the most epic, but epic nonetheless. I witnessed a full 16" broadside from the USS New Jersey a couple of thousand yards astern during a show of force exercise in the Yellow Sea during the 1980s.

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Tools said:
That inspires me to be in the industry…

Watching the Blue Angels when I was 4, and knowing my dad was in the Navy.
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I’ve heard or read interviews with several Navy and Air Force aviators who were inspired to become fighter pilots by The Blue Angels, The Thunderbirds, or watching Top Gun.
 
I’ve given first rides to kids who are now professional aviators. It’s a VERY AWESOME thing to experience….

Conversely, I remember going to an airshow when I was 11. The blues were performing, I knew all about them, knew what I wanted to do, was busily bragging to my buddy who we took to the show, Ryan.

I found a navy a-7 with a ladder, a navy pilot up there talking, stomped up so wanting to be that guy I could hardly breathe.

I was 11, couldn’t think of a single intelligent question, I could hardly breathe… this guy was an ASS. All I could do after that was tell myself, when I get to be on that ladder at an airshow, I’m NOT gonna be him.

The story continues… I’m the guy on a ladder so to speak. I see a big and little set of legs on the other side of the jet. I walk around… now they’re on the other side. Round and round, damn if they aren’t avoiding me! I pop UNDER and catch them, ha!

Was a young Mexican father with his 5 or 6 yr old. He was clearly horrified I “caught” them. The kid sees me, smiles and grabs the fin of my drop tank and asks, is this a bomb?!!!!

Dad is mortified and tries to take the kid. I beat him to the kid, pick him up and set his feet on the fin (which has non skid, it’s how we board the jet on the road). Say nope, it’s a gas tank. You can walk around on it. But it’s where a bomb would go, we launch into a great discussion.

Dad comes to the realization I was NOT upset his kid wanted to experience all he could, and I was gonna help! A slow but huge smile comes over his face as me and his kid basically preflight… was awesome.

Back to your regularly scheduled thread!!
 
Walboy said:
Not sure if it was the most epic, but epic nonetheless. I witnessed a full 16" broadside from the USS New Jersey a couple of thousand yards astern during a show of force exercise in the Yellow Sea during the 1980s.

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I think that qualifies as EPIC! What was your vantage point? Helicopter?
 
JOhnH said:
I think that qualifies as EPIC! What was your vantage point? Helicopter?
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Bridge of a destroyer. We were advertising our new Tomahawk missile capability.
 
does something epic have to end well?
 
My day job has to do with the engine for the F35 so the most epic/inspiring thing happened while doing an inspection of an installed F135 engine on the ramp at Elgin. At the end of the day there were two F35s flying patters and practicing STOVL landings right before sunset. This was earlier in the program and well before they started flying air shows so seeing it hover up close and in person while standing on the ramp of an Air Force base with some coworkers and AF maintainers is still something that keeps me motivated at work. Even though I live it day to day, the engineering in those jets and that engine is just mind boggling.
 
popPilot said:
Whether it is in the air, at the airport, or in nature, whether it is an aircraft, a mechanical structure, an event or something else, what is the most amazing thing you've ever seen that inspires you to be in this industry and share the same passion we all have; the love for aviation.

For me this is probably one of the most epic moments I've ever seen:
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I've seen that more than once. Just this summer, I watched a bald eagle try to steal a fish from a sea lion. Bald eagles are criminals (and they just became the official national bird--they actually weren't before this Congress). One of the things I've always found odd about some criminals is that if they would put half the energy into acquiring things legally that they put into acquiring things illegally, they'd be awesome. Bald eagles are like that. They expend massive amounts of energy trying to steal other birds' food. When I've actually seen a bald eagle catch its own food, it used much less energy.
 
judypilot said:
I've seen that more than once. Just this summer, I watched a bald eagle try to steal a fish from a sea lion. Bald eagles are criminals (and they just became the official national bird--they actually weren't before this Congress). One of the things I've always found odd about some criminals is that if they would put half the energy into acquiring things legally that they put into acquiring things illegally, they'd be awesome. Bald eagles are like that. They expend massive amounts of energy trying to steal other birds' food. When I've actually seen a bald eagle catch its own food, it used much less energy.
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interesting info, didn't knew they were pirates of the sky...
 
If 'seen' includes television coverage, then all the Gemini and Apollo missions.

If 'seen' means personally witnessed, and other physical sensations as implied above, then the first Shuttle launch I witnessed in person and felt the sound thumping on my chest. Wasn't expecting that.

And if most epic means most jaw-dropping, then it was being an eyewitness to this a few years later. First we saw the explosion, then about 10 seconds later heard it, then about 30 seconds later felt the heat. Wasn't expecting that either.

 
Van Johnston said:
And if most epic means most jaw-dropping, then it was being an eyewitness to this a few years later. First we saw the explosion, then about 10 seconds later heard it, then about 30 seconds later felt the heat. Wasn't expecting that either.
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wow what a moment to witness, that's like watching a super-mega-ultra-atomic firework....
 
Outside of paranormal phenomena….

We were in the jet at signature in PIT several years ago. There was a C152 parked in front. A UPS heavy taxied onto the ramp, and sort of turned to make the corner to get to their spot. They had to power up for the turn…

I thought I was watching I Dream of Jeanie….
When they powered up, the 152 rose about 3-5 feet, yet it just hovered. Then it did a perfect 180, and gently set back down in the exact same space.

Nobody saw it except my FO and myself. I did report it to the desk.

God’s truth. I would not have believed it if I didn’t see it.
 
I was about 10 years old when we had finished shearing our sheep and delivered the wool to a warehouse in Kansas City then as a treat Dad took me to the old downtown airport. I still remember looking at the DC3's, DC4 and Connie sitting on the ramp. A pilot on the DC3 took me in hand and gave me a great tour of his plane. Ain't no way that would happen today! This would have been about 1956.
 
Professionally, at one point I held the record for the shortest range AMRAAM live warhead shot that did NOT result in engine damage to the shooter's airframe. Pretty epic to witness drone destruction with Mark 1 eyeballs, closest I ever got to a live weapons dogfight (that drone never had a chance :p).

Birth of the kids, for sure epic.

But I continue to marvel at being at altitude with my feet on the ground. Lots of opportunity around here to do that all the time, and I truly marvel at it. But that first time (in my 40's) walking up to the rim of the Grand Canyon, that was epic.
 
I get to do a lot of epic things in aviation. I've truly been blessed. The view from the back of a B-25 is the most epic view I've ever had!
 

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Not my most epic, and probably not my most epic aviation related either, but the thing that comes to mind at this moment was the first time I saw a Space Shuttle launch. I wish I could remember which mission it was...One of these days I need to dig up my old photos to see if I have the date written down. Anyway, it was past midnight, perfectly clear night, not a cloud in the sky. I found a place to set up my chair sitting in the water of the Indian River, somewhere near Titusville. Nobody standing in front of me and nothing between me and the launch pad but water and marsh. It was a Northern-ish trajectory launch and the thing I didn't expect was that I could follow the light from the engine till it dropped below the horizon. I've always figured it must have been over England when I lost sight of it!
 
popPilot said:
:nono:I think you are wrong.

This is the most epic:

:rofl:
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Debatable! While that is unheard of... asicer had an epic moment, in an Epic, in front of the Epic booth, at an epic airshow...
 
Tiger Cruise on the USS Coral Sea CV-43, 1975, they returned from Westpac after taking part in the fall of Saigon and the Mayaguez Incident, I was 14 and met my dad in Pearl and sailed back to San Francisco. The air wing gave us an airshow, dropping live 500-pounders a half mile off the beam. For the finale, an F-4 came in a hundred feet above the deck, making no noise. Until the sonic boom hit.
 
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