The Airplane Thread

2008M36MT wrote

How about the Navy F18 Jolly Roger?

Note the side number, which should start with 1 through 4. 084 presumably for VFA-84 and maybe an odd CAG aircraft? And they've now passed the Jolly Roger livery and traditions to VFA-103. Great historical shot.

Murf the Surf wrote

The Warthog speaks to me, the tough ugly duckling, first through the door kicking ass and taking names.

I can't help thinking there's a certain Eastern European country that could use a few squadrons of Warthogs right about now.

dradernh wrote

I can't help thinking there's a certain Eastern European country that could use a few squadrons of Warthogs right about now.

Unfortunately, I don’t think they’d last very long in that environment. They definitely need air superiority with air defenses knocked out plus top cover from getting jumped by fighters.

FWIW the A-10 is one of my all time favs to.

3.0L wrote

I got to go for a ride in Aluminum Overcast a few years ago. It was awesome, inspiring and humbling to think about the young crews who manned these magnificent aircraft during WWII.

My uncle (Mom's sister's husband) was a navigator on a B-17 towards the end of WWII. Saw some action, but it was late in the war.

kscarrol wrote

One of my favs…

Ditto. Love the gull wings. Dad used to talk about the noise they made in a dive when they were in the ground support role in the Korean war.

Llarry wrote

kscarrol wrote

One of my favs…

One of the best Corsair shots I've ever seen! I see that it is cannon-armed rather than machine guns. So do you know if it is an F4U-4B or F4U-5?

Oh man, I'm just a very small part of the supply chain that contributes everything from aero structures to mechanical systems to interiors in support of the war fighter or commercial aerospace customers. Couldn't answer that question.

No my favorite aircraft, but a couple of my favorite shots. Conditions that day were perfect.


Airshow 2016 by Mark Johnson, on Flickr


Airshow 2016 by Mark Johnson, on Flickr

Looks like a 4B to me…

kscarrol wrote

One of my favs…

This is my all time favorite, can’t wait to see Devotion in the theater for a number of reasons!

@2008M36MT's post with the VF-84 Jolly Rogers Hornet prompted me to go looking for all the historical aircraft that have worn the Jolly Roger. It starts with Fighting Squadron 17 (VF-17) in 1942-43. The Corsair was initially considered unsuitable for carrier duty and so most F4Us went to the Marines. VF-17 was pulled out of Air Group 17, replaced with an F6F Hellcat squadron, and sent to the South Pacific serving alongside Marine squadrons. Later in the war, VF-17 was re-equipped with the F6F Hellcat and did a second combat tour aboard a carrier. After WW2, the squadron was redesignated VF-5B, then VF-61 and the Jolly Roger tradition continued. The squadron flew the F8F Bearcat 1948-50, then transitioned to jets with the F9F-2 Panther (the period when my Dad was a squadron member) 1950-53, then to the swept-wing F9F-6 Cougar 1954-55, then to the FJ-3 Fury 1955, then to the F9F-8 Cougar 1955-56 and finally to the F3H-2 Demon 1957-59. I've been unable to find a photo depicting the Jolly Roger insignia on squadron FJ-3s.When VF-61 was disestablished in 1959, VF-84 assumed the Jolly Roger traditions. They were flying the FJ-3 briefly before transitioning to the F8U (F-8) Crusader. During the Crusader period, I don't believe they displayed the Jolly Roger on their airplanes. In 1964 they switched to the F-4B Phantom and the Jolly Roger livery returned. In 1976 they transitioned to the F-14 Tomcat and that well-known paint job. In 1995, VF-84 was disestablished as part of the general drawdown in the military after the Cold War's end. Once again another squadron, this time VFA-103, assumed the Jolly Roger tradtion and has maintained that to this day.

So here's the photos (apologies for the small size and poor quality of some of them):

M_Six wrote

No my favorite aircraft, but a couple of my favorite shots. Conditions that day were perfect.


Airshow 2016 by Mark Johnson, on Flickr


Airshow 2016 by Mark Johnson, on Flickr

Love the A-1 Skyraider! Really helped a lot of grunts in Vietnam, especially on rescue missions for downed pilots.

Sexiest aircraft? Besides the P51, it has to be this:

vreihen16 Great thread idea!

So the best job I ever had fun-wise was when I was a junior and senior in college. I ran the unicom at CZG on Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday. There were airshows, a couple each year, by EAA and the Antiquers. There were military helicopters flying through that I would refuel. I got to crawl around on so many cool planes. During the quiet times, I would take the handheld radio and cruise the airport in the golf cart, giving wind advisories, etc. It was an awesome job!

Nowdays, I just dream of this in a private hanger with my name on it.

ezaircon4jc wrote

Sexiest aircraft? Besides the P51, it has to be this:

Agreed that the SR-71 was one of the most amazing techincal achievements of the last hundred years of aviation. And yet, the cost was incredible. Every SR-71 mission involved many KC-135Q tankers with complicated fuel offloads etc. The SR-71 had recon capabilities beyond that of satellites in many cases but the extreme cost killed the program. Of course, recon satellites are also incredibly expensive.

On several occasions when I was stationed in Okinawa (1972-74) the SR-71 did a local training flight practicing takeoffs and landings and it would fly right over the little base I lived and worked. Amazing airplane!

ezaircon4jc wrote

Sexiest aircraft? Besides the P51, it has to be this:

Agreed!

The one that always brought my dad home. If not, I wouldn't be here. Thanks dad and Boeing!

hubbahubba wrote

The one that always brought my dad home. If not, I wouldn't be here. Thanks dad and Boeing!

And the B-52 is amazing in its own right; the plan I believe is to replace the 1960s-era TF33 engines with new F130 engines. And the Buff just keeps on flying!

Llarry wrote

Agreed that the SR-71 was one of the most amazing techincal achievements of the last hundred years of aviation. And yet, the cost was incredible. Every SR-71 mission involved many KC-135Q tankers with complicated fuel offloads etc. The SR-71 had recon capabilities beyond that of satellites in many cases but the extreme cost killed the program. Of course, recon satellites are also incredibly expensive.

On several occasions when I was stationed in Okinawa (1972-74) the SR-71 did a local training flight practicing takeoffs and landings and it would fly right over the little base I lived and worked. Amazing airplane!

When I was in Okinawa in the Navy we could hear them takeoff at night! And we were at White Beach (maybe it was the flyover?)!

When I was a new controller my sup told me I should practice typing in flight plans. I typed in Aspen71, an SR71 from HIF (Hill Air Force base) to various points around the country and back to HIF. It wasn't a few minutes before the pentagon was on the phone inquiring when the SR71 got to HIF, how long it's been there and why weren't they notified that the plane was there. I got schooled that I could use any callsign EXCEPT Aspen, which was reserved for SR71 flights. Oops...

ezaircon4jc wrote

When I was in Okinawa in the Navy we could hear them takeoff at night! And we were at White Beach (maybe it was the flyover?)!

When I was a new controller my sup told me I should practice typing in flight plans. I typed in Aspen71, an SR71 from HIF (Hill Air Force base) to various points around the country and back to HIF. It wasn't a few minutes before the pentagon was on the phone inquiring when the SR71 got to HIF, how long it's been there and why weren't they notified that the plane was there. I got schooled that I could use any callsign EXCEPT Aspen, which was reserved for SR71 flights. Oops...

LOL!

ezaircon4jc wrote

I got schooled that I could use any callsign EXCEPT Aspen, which was reserved for SR71 flights. Oops...

I ASSume that you have heard this great SR71-vs-ATC story before.....



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When my Dad left Germany back to Canada, he transitioned to Voodoos and based at CFB Chatham with 416 Sqn. while my Mum worked next door on the radar station at RCAF St. Margarets, where I was born.

The video was made a year before my appearance to the world.

416 Sqn. Voodoo from CFB Chatham over New Brunswick.