Warning

 

Close

Confirm Action

Are you sure you wish to do this?

Confirm Cancel
BCM
User Panel

Posted: 7/6/2001 2:46:14 PM EDT
Well there I was laying brick today at this very quiet sub-division near where I live. Just a little while after lunchtime, I heard some jets coming over. I didn't think it was any big deal because we see commercial jets all the time. But I looked up and saw 2 F-117 Stealth fighters headed northeast.They were flying pretty low and they sure didn't waste any time going out of sight. Some of you guys might see this kind of thing all the time but here in eastern Ohio its rare.

-bricklayer
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 2:53:26 PM EDT
[#1]
Are you by any chance a Brick Layer?
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 2:55:40 PM EDT
[#2]
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 2:58:29 PM EDT
[#3]
Yeah, always cool to spot unusual aircraft.  I saw some B-1's a month or two ago, very unusual, and a B-17 in flight 2 weeks ago that was here for an airshow.  
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 3:03:07 PM EDT
[#4]
Out in the desert, it's not uncommon for guys to be riding dirt bikes way out in the middle of nowhere. On many occasions, they'll be riding up some hill or canyon or something, thinking they're away from everyone and everything except their riding buddies. Then, all of a sudden, WHOOSH! Some military jets blast over the top of them only a couple hundred feet off the deck. That really gets the adrenaline pumping, and I imagine that the fighter jocks laugh their heads off because they do it so often. Oh well, more power to 'em. They've got to have fun at work when they can too. [}:)]
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 3:08:44 PM EDT
[#5]
Back in '73 when I was a kid (13). I was working in the country with dad when I hear this God-awful roar overhead. I looked up to see a B52 flying about 2000 ft. directly above us. I had never seen one so close. AWESOME!!!
It was also not uncommon to watch them and tankers at some point in doing their things. This was in SW Nebr.

For the Fourth of July the Air Force flew four F16's over the parade, twice, in tight formation. [8D]
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 3:09:03 PM EDT
[#6]
Originally Posted By Captain Obvious:
Are you by any chance a Brick Layer?
View Quote


is it really that obvious? [:D]
I'll have to hide it better next time.
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 3:19:17 PM EDT
[#7]
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 3:20:05 PM EDT
[#8]
Originally Posted By Captain Obvious:
Are you by any chance a Brick Layer?
View Quote


I thought you were leaving for a week?!
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 3:20:09 PM EDT
[#9]
About ten years ago, while deer hunting, I had two F-4 Phantoms buzz over me at about 250' above the deck. I waved as they came right over me. One of the pilots saw me, and rocked his wings. Cool. I miss those F-4's. [>(]
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 3:38:42 PM EDT
[#10]
I agree with ya Mach1. Probably the most breath taking aircraft moment for me was in the mid 80's on the North Shore of Hawaii as the sun set over crystal seas, turning the coastal mountains purple and gold. It was during this time that two F4's in line abreast formation came flying along the shoreline at ~200ft altitude. Can still picture it clearly to this day.
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 3:46:38 PM EDT
[#11]
Bricklayer

Where in ohio did you see the F-117's??

anothergene

WHERE IS THIS TOPLESS BEACH??? I've been to erie many times, I was there last weekend and I didn't see anyone topless.
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 4:03:50 PM EDT
[#12]
Does anybody happen to know when the Dayton Airshow is this year?  I live between Wright Patterson A.F.B. and the Dayton airport, always alot of interesting planes flying over that week.
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 4:11:53 PM EDT
[#13]
not really that rae for me well i do live near a AF base [:D]
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 4:14:24 PM EDT
[#14]
Hey Cyrax which base do you live near, I live near luke.
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 4:18:02 PM EDT
[#15]
When I was in my teens there used to be a couple of C-130's(I think thats what you call them) that would fly over our farm a couple times a week. they usually looked like they were barely going to clear the trees. one time I was out walkin around shooting groundhogs and when I got to the top of the hill, here they come. It seemed like they were about 15ft above me(although i'm sure it was more). I could see the guys inside and the sound was unbelievable.
I'll never forget that.
-bricklayer
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 4:19:05 PM EDT
[#16]
I'm sure they were checking you out, what with you being a frequent poster on this subversive site.
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 4:21:36 PM EDT
[#17]
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 4:23:33 PM EDT
[#18]
Quoted:
Bricklayer
Where in ohio did you see the F-117's??
View Quote


It was 3 miles west of St. Clairesville, Oh.
thats in east central Ohio, just west of Wheeling, West Virginia.
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 4:33:22 PM EDT
[#19]
bricklayer

those C-130's were coming from up my way (30 miles east of akron). My dad works at the airbase they fly out of. They shave the tree tops as practice for low approaches. You should see them practice dropping bombs by pushing bundles of railroad ties out of the back. I saw them do a quick deployment out of the back of one of those planes once, the plane never stopped rolling.
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 4:46:24 PM EDT
[#20]
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 5:45:26 PM EDT
[#21]
About 2 years ago I was flying to Las Vegas at night and we could see them doing test bombing it was really cool the bombs were really far away tho and I coulden't tell what type of planes they were and also I was hunting in Colorado and I was walking through a corn feald when all the sudden there was a fence with razor wire on top around some fake corn I'm pretty shure that it was a missle silo.
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 5:55:52 PM EDT
[#22]
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 6:02:25 PM EDT
[#23]
hey that is cool you know what up here in MI tommorow we are having an air show so maybe that is why you saw them heading my direction
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 6:08:19 PM EDT
[#24]
About 1.5 years ago, I was working out in west Texas along U.S. 90 installing and testing new Nortel OC192 fiber optic equipment in huts along a fiber route.  I was driving along in a rented Ford Exploder on U.S. 90 between Del Rio and Alpine.  It is pretty flat and mostly desert out through there.  You have mountains off in the distance in every direction.  I was headed west and I saw two small specks way off just below the top edge of the mountains in front of me.  They just kept getting larger and larger until I could make out it was two B1B bombers about a hundred feet up following the road.  I tried to get stopped and grab my camera, but it was in the suitcase and I couldn't get it out in time.  DRATS!  That would have been a heck of a picture.
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 6:10:24 PM EDT
[#25]
Quoted:
Originally Posted By Captain Obvious:
Are you by any chance a Brick Layer?
View Quote


I thought you were leaving for a week?!
View Quote



I am. In fact, I'm here right now. Just that the person I'm with has to work lots. So, that leaves me here.... unless somethin better comes up, and right now, nothin has :-)
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 6:54:46 PM EDT
[#26]
Quoted:
About ten years ago, while deer hunting, I had two F-4 Phantoms buzz over me at about 250' above the deck. I waved as they came right over me. One of the pilots saw me, and rocked his wings. Cool. I miss those F-4's. [>(]
View Quote
                                            F4 Phantoms were probably THE most successful aircraft in the inventory. the fact that all 4 branches used them attests to that. they used to be stationed in niagara falls for the air guard, and the guys would fly treetop level out in the country all the time. it was always a rush for us when they did.sometimes they would see us working out in the fields waving at them, and make one or two passes around. it was great fun.......
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 7:06:12 PM EDT
[#27]
My most breathtaking, and almost lifetaking moment with aircraft occured in 1989 in Washington DC.

I was on my old HD, on a higway that runs around the Pentagon, and I was heading one way, and two HUGE, twin rotored helicopters were coming the otherway, flying really low. I was on a curve, and they were turning too, so the rotor wash (if that's what you call it) was aimed right at me, and was so strong, it stood me back up (I was leaning in the curve, and doing about 60) and pushed me across three lanes of traffic, onto the center shoulder, and almost into the guard rail, before I regained control.

Scared the living $hit out of me!
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 7:24:10 PM EDT
[#28]
Seeing Army guys sent around Vietnam in their Hueys was interesting, especially when there are 70-80 choppers in the air.  

Planes:  4 Marine F-4s line ahead formation dropping snakeyes and napalm.  They were low enough to feel the wake as they flew over.
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 7:34:24 PM EDT
[#29]
does niagara falls have anything beside refueling and cargo planes now?

Originally Posted By black&green:
Quoted:
About ten years ago, while deer hunting, I had two F-4 Phantoms buzz over me at about 250' above the deck. I waved as they came right over me. One of the pilots saw me, and rocked his wings. Cool. I miss those F-4's. [>(]
View Quote
                                            F4 Phantoms were probably THE most successful aircraft in the inventory. the fact that all 4 branches used them attests to that. they used to be stationed in niagara falls for the air guard, and the guys would fly treetop level out in the country all the time. it was always a rush for us when they did.sometimes they would see us working out in the fields waving at them, and make one or two passes around. it was great fun.......
View Quote
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 7:49:35 PM EDT
[#30]
Right now, as far as i know, they have c130`s and kc135`s only. when the base in plattsburgh closed, some of the 135`s were transferred to nia. falls. my brother was one of the head crew chiefs in plattsburgh, for f111`s, and when they mothballed the 111`s, his outfit was disbanded and reassigned, and he decided to retire then (22yrs) the 135`s remained there a few more years, but the base was downsized and then closed. nia falls has had numerous changes over the years, of course it has been air guard and is the home of the 914th now which is a very active group. there are always various "en route" aircraft, but 130`s and 135`s only are domiciled there today.
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 7:56:32 PM EDT
[#31]
Originally Posted By LARRY G:
...I was driving along in a rented Ford Exploder...
View Quote


Hmm, sounds like you were riding on a set of recalled Firestone's then, eh?  Or did you just have too many bean burritos on the way there?
[grenade]

Oh yeah, and I'm thinking about joining my E-7 uncle's Air Guard unit in B'ham, AL.  A recruiter is coming in next weekend to talk with us, and he [i]actually arranged[/i] for me to go up on one of the KC135 fuelers.  I've seen plenty of camcorder videos of the Blue Angels, stealth fighters, etc from when my uncle went up...but I'll actually get to see what's it's like myself in a mere 8 days [:)]

[img]www.auburn.edu/~littlcb/E-vil2.jpg[/img]
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 8:10:33 PM EDT
[#32]
We get the B1s every once a while here.  Had a group of the new Super Hornets come in last week.  The best one is watching the U2s take off or land.
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 8:17:33 PM EDT
[#33]
I've had a few years of Naval Aviation volunteer time so I've seen some great stuff.

Some of the more memorable:

Shooting touch and go's in VP 48's SF-4 at Beale and watching SR-71's launch while in the Delta pattern. "Amazing..."

Watching Super E's fly in to the FFL's Armie d'La Aire (French Foreign Leigon) Base we were "visiting" in Djbouti. Really Hot sh*t in the break.

S-3 Vikings on final at North Island, it seems like you don't hear them until they're on top of you.

Watch the weekly U-2 launch (and just once a recovery) at Moffitt NAS, [b]straight[/b]  freakin' up.

Having the Weekly pair of Vermont ANG F-16's come over our farm in Upstate NY, 1000' off the deck and waggle at my wife and kids. Did I mention that she's blonde?

Finally, I had a class mate that came off the Kitty Hawk. "Swore to God" that more than once an A-4 jock would land with 4X4" farm fencing in their tail hooks.  Apparently it was worth more Points at the O-club If you got some fence while on a shoreside hop.


Link Posted: 7/6/2001 8:23:20 PM EDT
[#34]
xanadu...my nephew is naval airman on the Harry S. Truman, right now.....
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 9:00:56 PM EDT
[#35]
Black&Green... I was in in 77 and out in 82, a long time ago.  Best thing I ever did, and would never do again.  

Your nephew is enjoying the hardest and best time of his young life right now. God bless him for his service to our country.
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 9:10:57 PM EDT
[#36]
Black&Green,

I've got family in Plattsburgh and moved to the area in 94.  We bought a house and farm (92 acres) in Altona, about 20 north of Plattsburgh.

Then our government closed the AFB and sent most of the B-52's to McGuire, a stupid move.

Out government pulled 35,000 people out of the North Champlaine region and the unemployment went to 15%. At the same time the Canadian dollar went to crap and Canadian companies pulled their manufacturing plants out of the Plattsburgh area. I lasted 1 year in industrial sales (thankful to have a job at all ) until I packed up, sold the farm and moved back to Tennessee.

I often think what things would have been like for me and my family if the local economy hadn't take a catastrophic hit like so many others around the nation due to military cutbacks.
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 9:22:35 PM EDT
[#37]
I live in the outer flight plan for Tinker Air Force Base in OK.  I believe it is one of the largest air logistics (repair and maintenance) centers remaining.  We regularly have AWACS, KC-135's, B-1 Bombers, and lots of other types of small and large cargo planes I can't identify.  

We even get the Space Shuttle piggy backed on the 747 if it has to land in the PRK due to bad weather.  Best plane lately was GW's AirForce 1 coming in to land at Tinker which is about 15 miles South.
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 9:37:26 PM EDT
[#38]
That's nothing, once I saw a triangle of lights, 10 times larger than any helicopter, it would hover, then move at about 900 knots, and then make a right angle turn.  It gave me the creeps. wow,there it is again,oh shi............
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 9:53:16 PM EDT
[#39]
I live 60 miles from Mountain Home Airbase which has B-1's, f-15's and lots of tankers.

While 4-wheeling in the Bruno canyon we had 2 f-4's blaze through the canyon chasing each other.

Last year while driving into the City of Rocks to do some climbing I heard something loud come up behind us, I thought it was a rancher with a stock trailer so I pulled of to the side of the road, just then an f-15 blazed by in the valley below us, when my wife looked over there he was waving. To see a pilot blaze by and be able to see he is waving meens they are VERY close. As soon as he had shot by his buddy did the same thing. The last we saw of them they where jinxing through the granite towers headed toward Hill AFB in Utah.

My uncle retired as a general in the Air Gaurd and flew wild weasel F-4s, my cousin is an instructor for the a-10's so I get my fix of planes quite often. No matter how many you see the adreniline never seems to fade!!

idaho-ar15
Link Posted: 7/6/2001 10:14:19 PM EDT
[#40]
Here is my "I can't believe it happened to me story"...

I was in college during the build up for the Gulf War.  One weekend I was sharing a ride with a buddy back to San Antonio, he lived in the flight path, very close to Kellie AFB.  

Just as we got to his house I looked skyward and saw a line of C5-A Galaxy's stretching out to the horizon.  At the point they fly over his house they are very close to landing, as each one went over it litterally rocked his house.  They were landing in very quick succession.  Their whole neighborhood is used to having one fly over now and then, but this "convoy" had everyone outdoors oohing and ahhing.
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 12:57:12 AM EDT
[#41]
Guncrazy223,
C-130's do not drop bombs at low level.
They are a cargo aircraft.
Commando Vault aircraft dropped M-121 10,000 lb bombs (daisy-cutters) during Viet Nam.
When those ran out the Air Force went to the BLU-83 15,000 lb bomb containing a slurry mixture of TNT and propane.

Spec-Ops can drop BLU-83's (daisy-cutters), but that is not a mission that is practiced with live ordnance too often, and those get droped from 10-18 thousand feet.

MC-130's dropped a few of these during Desert Storm.

They are loaded on a standard NATO cargo pallet (88 by 108 inches) and dropped using the same techniques as are used when the C-130 crews are precision air dropping cargo.

And just now accurate were the bombers? In 1969 SAC sent out a letter showing the average circular error of all aircraft dropping bombs in Vietnam using the ground radar method. The C-130s had the lowest circular error of all the types - including SAC's own B-52s!
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 4:59:43 AM EDT
[#42]
They're up here at the Muskegon Air Fair.  Blue Angles are up today.
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 6:00:19 AM EDT
[#43]
C130`s may seem low&slow, but the pilots are pretty amazing characters. Once at a nia falls air show, they did a "close combat" takeoff and land demo. the guy came in on his last bank so tight, the wingtip was no more than 4ft off the ground...i honestly thought it was going in, but he righted and touched down perfect. it was right in front of us!...quite a skilled bit of flying!
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 6:01:41 AM EDT
[#44]
Quoted:
Black&Green... I was in in 77 and out in 82, a long time ago.  Best thing I ever did, and would never do again.  

Your nephew is enjoying the hardest and best time of his young life right now. God bless him for his service to our country.
View Quote
                                           xanadu....give me a [email protected]
Link Posted: 7/7/2001 10:18:37 AM EDT
[#45]
Quoted:
Originally Posted By LARRY G:
...I was driving along in a rented Ford Exploder...
View Quote


Hmm, sounds like you were riding on a set of recalled Firestone's then, eh?  Or did you just have too many bean burritos on the way there?
[grenade]

Oh yeah, and I'm thinking about joining my E-7 uncle's Air Guard unit in B'ham, AL.  A recruiter is coming in next weekend to talk with us, and he [i]actually arranged[/i] for me to go up on one of the KC135 fuelers.  I've seen plenty of camcorder videos of the Blue Angels, stealth fighters, etc from when my uncle went up...but I'll actually get to see what's it's like myself in a mere 8 days [:)]

[img]www.auburn.edu/~littlcb/E-vil2.jpg[/img]
View Quote
Actually, the Explorer is not a bad vehicle and I did not worry about the tires because I kept the AIR PRESSURE where it should be.  I think that was really the problem.  People bought an SUV, whined when it rode like a TRUCK (which is what it is), and lowered the tire pressure for a CUSHIER, WIMPIER ride and BOOM!  Underinflated and overloaded tires is what that whole thing was about.

As for the Alabama Air Guard unit in Birmingham, I grew up in Birmingham in the 50's and 60's (old ain't I) and they were flying RF84's (recon F84)back then.  My neighbor across the street was one of the pilots and I remember his unit being put on active duty in Germany for a while.

Oh, by the way, I see that you go to Auburn.  Oh, well, ROLL TIDE!  But in my old age I am getting mellow and pull for Auburn when they are not playing 'Bama, especially against the 'trembling chihuahua's' from Athens.
Close Join Our Mail List to Stay Up To Date! Win a FREE Membership!

Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!

You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.


By signing up you agree to our User Agreement. *Must have a registered ARFCOM account to win.
Top Top