Oh H### yeah!

I'm headed off to the mountains of northern new mexico for 2 weeks. We get multiple flyovers daily. Last year was 230am. Hearing what sounded like a fighter jet screaming only a couple hundred feet above you're head was the fastest I've ever gone from a beach somewhere to wtf is that!!!
 
We've got a group of them out of KRVS in Tulsa that are pretty frequently out and about on a nice weekend morning. Always cool to see the group cruise by and listen to the radials purr.
 
EdFred said:
Never had a house fire then?
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If the house was on fire, I'd have to take time to grab the cat before leaving the house, so the radials win.

It's a good thing that the times FiFi has flown over inbound to KADS I wasn't in the shower, because I woulda run outside naked. I don't think the world is ready for that spectacle.
 
3393RP said:
Four T-6 Texans just flew over my house in a tight diamond formation.

There ain't nuthin' that'll get me out of the house faster.than the sound of multiple round engines.
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Dallas area I presume? The T-6s were part of a 9/11 memorial event; we followed an hour later with a 4-ship diamond formation of C-47s... we must've missed your house. Oops!
 
Racerx said:
I'm headed off to the mountains of northern new mexico for 2 weeks. We get multiple flyovers daily. Last year was 230am. Hearing what sounded like a fighter jet screaming only a couple hundred feet above you're head was the fastest I've ever gone from a beach somewhere to wtf is that!!!
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Back in 1976 or 1977 on a beautifully sunny fall day, I was deer hunting on the Jicarilla Apache reservation in Northern New Mexico. After climbing a ridge that was a few hundred feet tall, I sat down on a rock slab for a rest and to take in the view. I don't know if it's still in operation, but in those days there was a USAF practice bombing range along the Colorado-New Mexico border.

I was taking a drink of water out of my canteen when suddenly a F-111 went blasting by directly over my head less than 500' AGL. My back was turned to its approach, and when the roar of the two P&W TF-30s instantly followed, it seemed so close I almost hit the deck.

There's no way the crew had seen me sitting there, but I had this image in my head of them laughing hysterically as they went streaking by.
 
jbDC9 said:
Dallas area I presume? The T-6s were part of a 9/11 memorial event; we followed an hour later with a 4-ship diamond formation of C-47s... we must've missed your house. Oops!
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Yes, I'm in Plano. The flight was down low, the formation was tight, and they were cruising at a hundred knots or so. I didn't see the C-47s, but I've flown on 41-6531.

You might notice the aircraft has an unusual long window on the right side of the fuselage. At one point in its past, the plane was modified with an executive interior and the window was installed at that time. I can't recall the exact details, but I think the airplane was used by the president of Mexico.

0095208.jpg
 
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3393RP said:
Back in 1976 or 1977 on a beautifully sunny fall day, I was deer hunting on the Jicarilla Apache reservation in Northern New Mexico. After climbing a ridge that was a few hundred feet tall, I sat down on a rock slab for a rest and to take in the view. I don't know if it's still in operation, but in those days there was a USAF practice bombing range along the Colorado-New Mexico border.

I was taking a drink of water out of my canteen when suddenly a F-111 went blasting by directly over my head less than 500' AGL. My back was turned to its approach, and when the roar of the two P&W TF-30s instantly followed, it seemed so close I almost hit the deck.

There's no way the crew had seen me sitting there, but I had this image in my head of them laughing hysterically as they went streaking by.
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In part of my (mis?)spent youth I did electrical work which included maintenance on the Blue Cypress Ranch some 12 miles east of Kenansville Fl off old 441. One morning on my way to the ranch, I was tooling down a very rural 2 lane in the middle of the Avon Park bombing range. A pair of F-4s flew over the road just subsonic and about 500’ up (maybe). I stayed on the road but wow was I startled!
 
3393RP said:
Back in 1976 or 1977 on a beautifully sunny fall day, I was deer hunting on the Jicarilla Apache reservation in Northern New Mexico. After climbing a ridge that was a few hundred feet tall, I sat down on a rock slab for a rest and to take in the view. I don't know if it's still in operation, but in those days there was a USAF practice bombing range along the Colorado-New Mexico border.

I was taking a drink of water out of my canteen when suddenly a F-111 went blasting by directly over my head less than 500' AGL. My back was turned to its approach, and when the roar of the two P&W TF-30s instantly followed, it seemed so close I almost hit the deck.

There's no way the crew had seen me sitting there, but I had this image in my head of them laughing hysterically as they went streaking by.
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That reminds me of a time back in the late 70's when I was driving between Sheridan, WY and Hardin, MT. I was cruising down the road in the middle of a prairie with not a car in sight when a B52 came over me from the rear at about 200-300 ft. I believe they used to fly out of Minot to WY and MT practice areas in those days for low level bomb practice. I'm guessing his AS was 350-400 kts. The sound of eight P&W TF-33's (not one of the quieter engines) will get your attention. I almost ran off the road.:eek2:
 
Yesterday (9/11/21) I was in Pensacola 3 miles SW of KPNS and heard a departing radial engine heading my way. It passed directly o/h at less than 1,500', made a 180 and returned. Speed less than 200KTS. I thought it was an F6F, but the fuselage looked too slender. It did have the tapered wings of an F6F and painted dark blue. I'm still not 100% sure of the type.
 
When I was attached to NAS Glenview they had a squadron of C-118's. Always loved how they sounded. They leaked a lot of engine oil....:rolleyes:
ac_trns_c118_v1.jpg
 
jbDC9 said:
Dallas area I presume? The T-6s were part of a 9/11 memorial event; we followed an hour later with a 4-ship diamond formation of C-47s... we must've missed your house. Oops!
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Was it one of those that got stuck on the runway at Lancaster?
 
Just an FYI - Hell isn't actually a cuss word so you can just write it out.
 
It happened at an airshow way back. The Confederate Air Force ( yeah, the originals) put on an air show at San Marcos. I walked around and kicked the tires on the display aircraft. I relocated for a fast bite at a small park that had eateries, bars and convenience stores. About to head back to the flight line for the airshow and I heard a fast approaching sound at my 6 that sounded like canvas ripping. Looked up and there was an ME-109 (actually a CASA clone). He was inverted, half way through an aileron roll. There was a P-51D on his 6 just yards in trail following his roll. The thing that stuck in my mind was the altitude, or lack of. I'm guessing less than 1'000' and more than 500'. The speed was impressive too. And right down the center of the crowded park area.
The air show featured a dog fight Corsair vs a Tora Tora T-6/Zero. You know who won. The Corsair led the way on the taxi to the ramp. When the Zero was making a 90 deg L turn, his L main folded. The prop missed the ground. A bunch of Texans ran out and lifted the wing and the gear was pulled back in place.
The all knowing spectators nearby at once & very loudly announced the cause of the incident. Something about a hydraulic pump turned off while still taxiing. I'll let the T-6 experts among us explain this.
Airshows aint what they used to be.
 
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Early in my career, my office was in line with the main runway at WPAFB down range about 3 miles. When the 17th Bomb Wing did a scramble in hot summer, I was staring straight at the B-52’s and KC-135’s with full water injection straining to clear our building. The 52’s had 8 engines at METO plus the two Hound Dogs at max as well. Likewise the 135’s. The black overcast lasted a while.

Cheers
 
wanttaja said:
It ticks me off to see an expensive restoration of a warbird, only to get the national markings wrong.

WWII Army Air Force Markings (bowersflybaby.com)

Ron Wanttaja
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Then there is the issue of the D-Day invasion stripes. The wings and fuselage are carefully measured and masked off, and the stripes are painted with exactitude.

This ignores historical authenticity, as the stripes were painted on in great haste. Most of the aircraft gained their stripes during the nights of the third and fourth of June, in hurried compliance to orders flashed out just before the invasion began.

I suppose those that spend great sums of money on the restoration of their warbird can't bring themselves to slather on the stripes from a bucket of whatever black and white paint that's handy, using a brush that hasn't been properly cleaned in its lifetime, and eschewing the use of any sort of measuring device in the application.
 
I live under the left downwind of Moffett Field. Before the Collings Foundation was grounded, I used to love hearing those radial engines overhead when they brought planes to Moffett once a year. I miss them.
 
X3 Skier said:
Early in my career, my office was in line with the main runway at WPAFB down range about 3 miles. When the 17th Bomb Wing did a scramble in hot summer, I was staring straight at the B-52’s and KC-135’s with full water injection straining to clear our building. The 52’s had 8 engines at METO plus the two Hound Dogs at max as well. Likewise the 135’s. The black overcast lasted a while.

Cheers
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When I was a kid back in the 60's my dad was stationed at Altus AFB, OK. They would practice MITO (minimum interval takeoffs) with an entire wing of 52's and 135's. Yes the 135's were all using water injection and the 52's had the hound dogs on in addition to the 8 Pratt and Whitneys. On hot days it still took almost the entire 13,000 ft. for them to get airborne. Lots of noise and smoke.
 
Sleepy little airport in West TN during the '60s...out flying an old ragwing one day in the pattern and greatly surprised to see a B-52 traveling eastbound at cruise speed, about 500 AGL. Only a couple miles south of the field, like a big gray ghost apparition moving rapidly. I think those low level flights were called "Oil Burner" back then.
 
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Piperonca said:
Sleepy little airport in West TN during the '60s...out flying an old ragwing one day in the pattern and greatly surprised to see a B-52 traveling eastbound at cruise speed, about 500 AGL. Only a couple miles south of the field, like a big gray ghost apparition moving rapidly. I think those low level flights were called "Oil Burner" back then.
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Oil Burner it was. Given the fuel consumption of the J57, a very appropriate name.

Cheers
 
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