Air Force One, missed approach

[Velocity173]

The Vigi was gone by the time I was born in '83 sadly, but I will admit that the Hornet was not the aircraft I dreamed of flying.......little hint, it wasn't fast or sexy, and it had a refueling probe sticking out of the top of it's fat nose

That's funny! I just watched Flight of The Intruder 2 days ago. Movie could have been a whole lot better but at least it had some good A-6 scenes.

One of the greatest aviation memories I've ever had was being a new controller at NBC in early 1993. We had the MOA open and the A-6s were coming in for an Alpha Strike. The senior guys in radar said to go up on the tower catwalk and watch the inbounds. Another new controller and I were standing on the catwalk when we hear the local controller tap on the glass and point to the east. A few seconds later I saw him. They were just above the trees and what appeared to be level with the tower. As they cleared the trees the aircraft dropped down even lower. My friend and I started to crouch down because we really didn't know if they were going to hit us. At the very last minute after yelling s#$t!!! We hit the deck I looked up and can still remember clear as day that pilot looking straight ahead with his visor down and I could actually see his oxygen mask hose. It was almost as if I could literally reach out and touch his wing. Now minimum altitude is 100 agl but our tower was only 86 ft to the top and he was level with us. Probably no more than 70 ft agl. The local controller was cussing up a storm!

I had the pleasure of doing a few PARs for A-6s in 93'-94'. Mostly VMFA-332 (Attic) before they retired. They don't make them like that anymore.

 

[catmandu]

The Vigi was gone by the time I was born in '83 sadly, but I will admit that the Hornet was not the aircraft I dreamed of flying.......little hint, it wasn't fast or sexy, and it had a refueling probe sticking out of the top of it's fat nose

Wasn't talking about you, and thanks for making me feel old, you bastid. We sort of had the same family of dreams, but for me it was turkeys instead of drumsticks. Until the VT-25 CO handed my preference sheet back to me and said, "Fixed that for you, don't be an idiot." He was right, dammit! Single seat, big . . . ego!

Charlies rock, although a slick lot 7 on an adversary mission was not a bad day at the office. Square intakes = recovery tanking = your dream job, I'll call the head detailer for ya.

 

[35 AoA]

Charlies rock, although a slick lot 7 on an adversary mission was not a bad day at the office. Square intakes = recovery tanking = your dream job, I'll call the head detailer for ya.

Yeah, early lot jets are BFM machines. Aside from the stupid fuel gauge and the very ambiguous bingo settings you get with that little knob. Of course last time I flew anything older than a lot 14 was as a RAG student, where I was just getting gunned the entire flight, so it didn't make a difference to me. Haven't had the chance to fly a full-up slick jet, but we did take the pylons off and go single CL when I did DACT out at Nellis earlier in the year. That was a good time, and the ever-elusive double immelman was not what my light grey Eagle playmate had expected out of me