Coolest traffic you've seen in person

Glorious DC-3 flying into Opa locka airport as I was flying into Kendal Tamiami, I was perhaps 100 feet above, (at 2000 ft. AGL), crossed West to East, as I was flying SE. Close enough to see pilots, far enough laterally that there was no threat of collision.

Cheers
 
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Great airplanes here. I thought I was cool sharing the pattern with a Blackhawk or the sky with a B-25. But y'all put me to shame. :(

Keep 'em coming!
 
Going into Corpus Christi while working on my complex/high hp endorsement, I was told
I was # 2 behind the B-17.
 
BigBadLou said:
Great airplanes here. I thought I was cool sharing the pattern with a Blackhawk or the sky with a B-25. But y'all put me to shame. :(

Keep 'em coming!
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Never flown near one but I've had a blackhawk shoot past my office window at the airpark at eye level right after we moved in. Reminds me why I bought on an airpark.
 
Saw these in Atlantic City~

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This guy wasn't where he was supposed to be so I told him to go back home. :D
 

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Numerous space shuttle launches from 2000 AGL and 8 miles west of the pad..

Absolutely magical....

That times 10 for night launches..:):):)
 
I don't have any real good ones, but the most memorable one was a T-6 Texan II that passed below me at what looked like less than 100 ft. at Woodring Airport in Enid, OK. That's definitely the closest I've ever been to any traffic. The tower controller must have taken a smoke break right about then, because he never said a word about it.

I suppose the Chinooks and Blackhawks that occasionally practice at KCHK in Chickasha, OK are worth a mention. Got to watch a Blackhawk practice auto rotations once, which is pretty darn cool.
 
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BigBadLou said:
Great airplanes here. I thought I was cool sharing the pattern with a Blackhawk or the sky with a B-25. But y'all put me to shame. :(

Keep 'em coming!
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No, you're right. The Black Hawk is the coolest...ever. :wink2:
 

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On the way to Oshkosh this year we were asked if we wanted to deviate 20 degrees to get a closer look of a flight of 2 A-10's coming at us. They passed really close off our wing tip and gave us a big wing rock. Was really awesome! I tried to get a picture of it but I didn't want to see this site through a view finder so I randomly snapped the photo. Didn't turn out well. But what a way to start of Oshkosh. haha
 
N801BH said:
Numerous space shuttle launches from 2000 AGL and 8 miles west of the pad..

Absolutely magical....

That times 10 for night launches..:):):)
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In hindsight, I really wish I had gone to see this. Lived in the southeast for a few years, and really should have found time to make the trip before it was over. I guess as a kid who grew up pretty much right alongside the Shuttle (okay it predated me by about a year and a half), I just always discounted it as some lame orbiting science experiment, and as a little guy who loved military jets, it wasn't my thing. Looking back, it was a pretty incredible program/machine, and STS-1 was about the ballsiest thing ever attempted by man. At least from the videos, those SSME's really howled. Would have been cool to see. My wife was a spectator at the Cape for STS-51L/Challenger, though only like 4 at the time and too young to remember. Obviously that would have been the exception to the coolness of a launch.
 
B-2 stealth bomber.

I was flying over Wittman AF Base and a B-2 flew underneath me by 1000'. Just too cool.
 
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About 10 out while returning from an instrument training flight I heard TWR tell the B-17 to make straight in. Did I hear that right? A B-17? I knew a gathering of B-25s was scheduled for the next couple of days so I thought I heard the transmission incorrectly. Nope, I had heard it correctly.

I inquired of my CFI if he minds that the instruction portion is terminated so we may loiter in order to coordinate our arrival to the parallel with the B-17. We did just that. We got ATC to advise distance of the B-25 and where to look. Before I got a visual on the B-17 I noticed a swarm of aircraft out yonder. The -25s are a day early.

Since it turned out that the Flying Fort was itself loitering to allow the Mitchells to make a flyby in trail, I requested the option and if we hurry we can share the approach with the -25s. Throttle up to catch at least the middle of the trail of -25s. We were barely catching up to the 25s from their 7 o'clock, about 2 miles on a beautiful sunny day with few CU. They broke right and we turned left.

I was hoping to catch them on the second approach but they had left the surface area. Darn! That is, until I saw the reason they had departed...the single lumbering -17 was on a 4 mile straight-in. We turned base for the parallel just in time to turn final to the slightly aft position of the B-17. The B-25s reappeared nearly immediately and they all made a LOW pass at speed. We had a front row seat to see and feel their thundering approach.

Then there was the time when on approach TWR advises me to keep my speed up. I inquired if for traffic. TWR said just look to the right and I'll see in a moment. Presently two F-18 Hornets dragging it in at high alpha. I mean they were dragging! Even though I was clocking 140 indicated they were slowly passing me. Navy doesn't land, they squat and to watch a 2 ship form flight touch down from a front row seat slightly above is a thing to behold. TWR merely said, "Pretty cool, huh?" I said yes and thank you for coordinating that. Back to business he only said contact ground .7, g'day.

Then there as the time that I shared a patt with one C-130 Hercules. Then a second Herk joined for T&Gs. After a few more laps a third -130 joined. A couple more laps I felt I should bug out for I imagined the air was getting pretty dirty.

Another flight I had descended through a large hole in an overcast to break out at 4,700 agl into clear smooth air. Vis unrestricted. ATC calls traffic 10 o'clock passing to 4 o'clock descending, 5 miles. I call in sight. 5 C-130s in trail on approach to March AFB. I suppose it was the severe clear with the backdrop of the clouds that enhanced the sight. I reckoned that since I have them in sight and they are descending beneath my present heading I may as get as close to them as I can. The last passed about 1/2 mile off my nose and below me.

There was also the flight that I encountered the Ford Trimotor replica (Bushmaster IIRC) while it was making SIC currency flights above the emerald green hills west of Paso Robles.

Then there is that any flight at Chino no telling what you'll see. But it will be worth it. The same goes for Camarillo.
 
The day I flew 500' higher than a U2 while in a Cessna 172
 

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Geico266 said:
B-2 stealth bomber.

I was flying over Wittman AF Base and a B-2 flew underneath me by 1000'. Just too cool.
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Me too. I was flying my Champ home from Bermuda Dunes when I saw this huge triangular shadow on the ground slowly passing me off to the right. I rocked the wings and craned my neck looking all over for the source then saw the B2 just below me on short final for Palmdale. I took several pictures but they all came out like the Blair Witch project for some reason :dunno:
 
We were fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, just south of Destin when I saw this odd looking airplane flying towards us. I really couldn't tell what it was at first, but as it got closer I realized it was a 747 with a Space Shuttle on it's back! :yes: They were at a pretty low altitude, maybe 3-4000 ft and appeared to be climbing. I guess they had refueled at Eglin.:D
 
Landing my Stearman at martin state and having an A-10 just off to my right on downwind , extending his downwind way out past mine and landing long way behind me.
 
I had an F-14 form up on me once on my way back from the Bahamas when I was flying a buddy back after he got bent diving. I was coming into the ADIZ at 25' (never climb with a bent diver) and told ATC what was happening and I guess they sent them to take a look to see if it was legit. Dude looked us over for a moment, waved, and broke off.
 
Richard said:
Then there was the time when on approach TWR advises me to keep my speed up. I inquired if for traffic. TWR said just look to the right and I'll see in a moment. Presently two F-18 Hornets dragging it in at high alpha. I mean they were dragging! Even though I was clocking 140 indicated they were slowly passing me. Navy doesn't land, they squat and to watch a 2 ship form flight touch down from a front row seat slightly above is a thing to behold. TWR merely said, "Pretty cool, huh?" I said yes and thank you for coordinating that. Back to business he only said contact ground .7, g'day.
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Not trying to ruin a good story, but they were probably at 8.1 AoA, the Hornet's "on speed" alpha......we just look really cocked up in the landing configuration. Normally around 135-150 knots on final, full flaps and trimmed up, at a typical landing weight. It does look different though.
 
EvilEagle said:
This guy wasn't where he was supposed to be so I told him to go back home. :D
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One of these days I need to go dig up my old photos ... the Tomcat guys were usually pretty cool with sharing a photo of the intercepts I ran. Got a few Bears, Badgers, Mays and 1 sub ... periscope only on that one. The Prowler guys insisted there was nothing there but humored me for a closer look.

Oh, and then there's the one with the Buffs who flew all the way from their nice comfy non-floating landbased beds stateside out on a photo tour of Gonzo Station, where we set up shop for 144 at sea days. Altho that was technically more an escort than an intercept, I still logged it. Figured since they got air medals for their daring-do, I might as well log an intercept.
 
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