USNRET Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 Meh, I favor the F-22 but I have some slight prejudice after flight testing 160 of them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 You lucky dog you are @USNRET!!! If I still made models like I did in `72 when I had and F4 Phantom, B-58 and a huge 3 feet wingspan B-52... I'd have several F-22, it's an awesome plane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USNRET Posted January 25, 2018 Author Share Posted January 25, 2018 Want some swag from Lockheed? No, I don't get a discount.http://www.lockheedmartingear.com/lockheed_martin_enthusiasts__models_slash_toys__models Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 Tough so the F-35B is the one with the Harrier capabilities. Felt lucky I got to work at a cool facility one time for a few weeks didn't realize until I sold that Silverado that I still had this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieb Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 1 hour ago, USNRET said: Meh, I favor the F-22 but I have some slight prejudice after flight testing 160 of them. I can't imagine the power or the feeling of commanding these things. I have read about a canyon in Cali where pilots fly through while testing/training. I don't think it's a restricted area either. You just need good timing to be there when it happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkevind Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 Wow, great footage. I miss working on F-16's sometimes. The noise and power at EOR while being on the ground is something else I always loved watching the test flight take offs, never got sick of it after a few years of it. Didn't so much enjoy the early wake morning wake up from the Thunderbirds practicing pretty much at the roof level of my dorm building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USNRET Posted January 25, 2018 Author Share Posted January 25, 2018 Ok, just to be clear I did not fly these birds. I was just the flight test conductor, on the ground, monitoring real time telemetry during initial tests and then acted as flight following in later flights. I just sat at console going thru checklists with the pilots, staring at a PC and giving some help with any inflight anomalies. During the first flights I briefed maybe 30 folks on preflight. Later it was just me and the test pilot for LM and then the A.F. test pilot that flew after we proof tested. My real thrill was as gunner in an AH-1J Cobra; I love me some helo time although I did have some back seat F-14 Tomcat time (puke bag firmly attached to face) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkevind Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 4 minutes ago, USNRET said: Ok, just to be clear I did not fly these birds. I was just the flight test conductor, on the ground, monitoring real time telemetry during initial tests and then acted as flight following in later flights. I just sat at console going thru checklists with the pilots, staring at a PC and giving some help with any inflight anomalies. During the first flights I briefed maybe 30 folks on preflight. Later it was just me and the test pilot for LM and then the A.F. test pilot that flew after we proof tested. That is very cool. What was your job role in the Navy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USNRET Posted January 25, 2018 Author Share Posted January 25, 2018 1 minute ago, bkevind said: That is very cool. What was your job role in the Navy? Plain Jane: Jet engine mechanic then on to door gunner, Naval Air Test Center / Navy Test Pilot School crew /, search and rescue, anti-submarine P-3 flight engineer, jack of all trades and of all things ended up as a Navy recruiter on my last tour. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkevind Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 Speaking of Navy, I worked at Nellis Air Force base. Sometimes Navy would fly in for various reasons - it was great watching them land because it always looked like a crash landing Nellis had a nice 2 mile long runway, but the Navy guys had what looked like an emergency AOA, and would stop incredibly short. It helps of course the Navy birds had robust landing gear designed for carrier crash landings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 1 minute ago, USNRET said: Plain Jane: Jet engine mechanic Seems like a valuable service to me, the new joes could probably learn a thing or two from you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkevind Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 2 minutes ago, USNRET said: Plain Jane: Jet engine mechanic then on to door gunner, Naval Air Test Center / Navy Test Pilot School crew /, search and rescue, anti-submarine P-3 flight engineer, jack of all trades and of all things ended up as a Navy recruiter on my last tour. Nice. I was a mechanic, specialty was weapons systems. Which meant I worked on all aspects of the F-16 since we cross trained - aka "hey grab a speed handle and pull panels!". Also meant that I always met the jets EOR coming back from a sortie. The funnest part of that was when they had a hung live bomb (Pilot triggered to drop the bomb...and it didn't release fully). We show up in our bdu pants and tshirts, walk up to the bomb to make it safe and disarm the fuse (hopefully), meanwhile FD is 4000 feet away (minimum radius) in full protective gear waiting with halon extinguishers. By now the pilot has to piss, and is pissed off that he has to wait. Good memories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USNRET Posted January 25, 2018 Author Share Posted January 25, 2018 5 minutes ago, bkevind said: By now the pilot has to piss, and is pissed off that he has to wait F'ng glory boys. Had one sit in an F-22 cockpit for 4 hours while we decided how to cut the canopy off as it would not open. I am going: blow it, blow it, but no that would damage it. No SCHITT but the K12 saw cutting thru it does no harm! Ended up cutting and foding the entire cockpit suite. Hey, just saying, just pull the string. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimjimbo Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 14 minutes ago, USNRET said: Plain Jane: Jet engine mechanic then on to door gunner, Naval Air Test Center / Navy Test Pilot School crew /, search and rescue, anti-submarine P-3 flight engineer, jack of all trades and of all things ended up as a Navy recruiter on my last tour. Meh....pfffffftttt..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkevind Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 Just now, USNRET said: F'ng glory boys. Had one sit in an F-22 cockpit for 4 hours while we decided how to cut the canopy off as it would not open. I am going: blow it, blow it, but no that would damage it. No SCHITT but the K12 saw cutting thru it does no harm! LOL! Might as well test the emergency cockpit canopy "release". Seemed like an opportunity to me haha. Maybe if the pilot wanted to go for a 40g ride he could have pulled the full ejection process...but that doesn't sound like much fun. Oh man the big wigs we'd get at Nellis, come to play golf and get a couple hours flight time. One time at EOR we had a jet that was leaking fuel like crazy, gallons per minute. We made him shut her down. He was PISSED, turns out it was a general having a fun run. On the flip side, we'd have pilots come in too heavy (didn't use all the fuel from external tanks - or didn't drop bombs) and then brake a bit too hard...we'd have to check brake temps before sending him to taxi home, if they were hot they were an explosive danger so we'd have to make them park it. God they would be livid about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USNRET Posted January 25, 2018 Author Share Posted January 25, 2018 2 minutes ago, jimjimbo said: Meh....pfffffftttt..... and then there are our shipmates that had it much harder than I. Thanks! No apologies for what I did but I recognize your harder lives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimjimbo Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 Just now, USNRET said: and then there are our shipmates that had it much harder than I. Thanks! No apologies for what I did but I recognize your harder lives. Oh cmon....just pulling your chain, as usual.... When were you at Pax River? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USNRET Posted January 25, 2018 Author Share Posted January 25, 2018 Just now, jimjimbo said: Oh cmon....just pulling your chain, as usual.... When were you at Pax River? Dude I know that but also recognizing that I had it soft as compared to others. Pax eh, 74-77 ish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimjimbo Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 2 minutes ago, USNRET said: recognizing that I had it soft as compared to others. I don't know, it's all tough in it's own way. Pax, wow, it had changed A LOT between the time you were there, and when I was there in 90-94. Although, all of St. Mary's County was still run by the good ole boys..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USNRET Posted January 25, 2018 Author Share Posted January 25, 2018 ^^^and beside this thread I would have thought that after a couple of Hope meetings and that weak azz slushy that Carl serves you would know that me giving you Shiiit was just that...darn boat riders. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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