Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/05/07/watch-these-heart-pounding-jet.html
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It would be super rad to be that pilot, and it would super suck to live in one of those houses and have to listen to sonic booms all day.
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I live by the Air Force Academy and every year before graduation the Thunderbirds practice for several days. Have to admit it sometimes feels like this:
Although fighters aren’t that bad. You want to see windows rattling watch a B2 bomber fly overhead. Seems like the opposite of “stealth”.
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When I watch stuff like this, I try to imagine myself doing that…
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Yea, no.
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The aircraft is stealthy ahead of its track, not below or behind. The purpose is so that defenders don’t know they are going to get hit before they do.
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Everything in that video was very sub-sonic. (It was still really really noisy, but continuous roar, not sharp crack.)
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But you wouldn’t hear a sonic boom from inside the aircraft.
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The closest I’ll ever get to this, I’d wager, is when I put in around 22 hours in a Robinson R-22 helicopter, just for the hell of it. While it’s nothing like this video, let me tell you: Practicing autorotations and settling with power situations is pretty damn exhilarating. Just learning how to hover is some pretty hectic but awesome stuff!
If you’ve ever even thought about taking flying lesson, I can’t recommend it enough, even if just for fun, and not a license. They will have you in control of the vehicle, at least partially, in your first lesson! It’s a lot of fun! Getting your “I gave flying a shot” life merit badge is something I think is a good thing.
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Now I miss my Saab 90. Damn that was a good car.
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I lived near Leuchars air base. Every year the air show was awesome, but the weeks leading up to it were not fun early in the morning if you wanted to sleep in. Spent some time near the Air Force Academy a few months ago, wish I had had the chance to see some flying (didn’t).
What a carbon footprint!
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I started cracking up when I realized that he has rearview mirrors
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I live on a small hill almost overlooking the Saab airfield. When I hear the right kind of roar I use to run up the stairs an peek thru my roof hatch to get the best view possible, I cant count the rivets or see the pilots eyes but its close. Sadly I only work from home 1/4 of the time so it is usually a month or two between free airshows even if Saab practise and show of for VIP customers fairly often. Wife and especially cats are not as pleased but they are getting used to it.
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What’s the best cleaner for getting vomit out of an oxygen mask? Asking for a friend…
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I love the look of the Saab fighters. Grippens were my shit back in the day. Not as cool as the F-15, but still cool.
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I think it’s pretty rad (cue the movie trope “where is he, is he on my tail?”), but disappointed that they look like simple automobile rear-view mirrors.
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Always been partial to the F4 myself; kind of retro spaceship style, and noisy as hell.
(My dad loved airshows and it kind of rubbed off a bit)
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Man - the F4 was the one one jet I couldn’t find any love for. Even though my “uncle” flew them, and I acknowledge their versatility, they are just too ugly to love.
Now the A-10, that is the right kind of ugly to love.
Growing up near Wichita, we did get some nice air shows!
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Sounds like dude was pulling 7-8 g in some of those turns. High performance pilots are some incredible athletes.
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