Landed behind 2 F-18s on Friday

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Tracey

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tracey
I wish I had my camera with me. I was on downwind at PSM and watched 2 F-18's land-- and then I heard them call the Tower and ask if they could take off and land again before I did (the nerve!). Tower ok'd their request and asked me to make a 360 (guess they actually thought I might catch up to them). It was the first time I've been asked to do a 360, so that was exciting, as was watching the F-18's.

Boy, they're fast! :yikes:
 
Gotta love them.
A few days ago I was landing on 21R while a T-45 Goshawk (navy's skyhawk I guess) did an....

Overhead break.

:hairraise:
And landed on 21L.

Love this plane.
 
gil_mor said:
Gotta love them.
A few days ago I was landing on 21R while a T-45 Goshawk (navy's skyhawk I guess) did an....

Overhead break.

:hairraise:
And landed on 21L.

Love this plane.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure what an overhead break is.... although it sounds exciting! What is it?
 
Tracey said:
I'm not sure what an overhead break is.... although it sounds exciting! What is it?
Click to expand...
It is!
I'm no expert but I believe you are supposed to come high and fast on final (like 1000ft high) then cut the power, bank 80 degrees to downwind which will kill your speed, then land normally.

 
I don't know everything this is use for, but in Vietnam, the C-130s would do this when bringing us supplies. It was a 4,000 foot psp strip near the Cambodian border and they would usually take rocket or mortar fire. So. the flight overhead helped them locate the runway and the steep turns and descent got them in quickly; hopefully, before the bad guys could set up and fire at them.

I'm sure there are other uses.

Best,

Dave
 
Dave Siciliano said:
I don't know everything this is use for, but in Vietnam, the C-130s would do this when bringing us supplies. It was a 4,000 foot psp strip near the Cambodian border and they would usually take rocket or mortar fire. So. the flight overhead helped them locate the runway and the steep turns and descent got them in quickly; hopefully, before the bad guys could set up and fire at them.

I'm sure there are other uses.

Best,

Dave
Click to expand...
It's a standard technique for landing a flight (formation) of airplanes. The planes start out in echelon (side by side on a diagonal) flying along the runway centerline at pattern altitude above what would be a normal final (initial). At some point, typically between the arrival end and midfield the lead pilot rolls sharply away from the formation followed by each airplane after a fixed interval. After a 180 level turn each plane rolls out in a line, drops their gear and flaps, then makes a descending 180 to the runway. An alternative had each pair of planes making the turns together and landing as a pair (element). The steep turn is used to bleed off airspeed and slow to gear speed while remaining reasonably close to the runway. The largest formation I've landed with this way included 7 other airplanes.
 
Basically a way for the military to show off.



btw, don't get me wrong. I was in the Navy and the military deserves to show off.
 
Tracey said:
I wish I had my camera with me. I was on downwind at PSM and watched 2 F-18's land-- and then I heard them call the Tower and ask if they could take off and land again before I did (the nerve!). Tower ok'd their request and asked me to make a 360 (guess they actually thought I might catch up to them). It was the first time I've been asked to do a 360, so that was exciting, as was watching the F-18's.

Boy, they're fast! :yikes:
Click to expand...

Was this today? What time? I was near Pease today around noon. Actually, on our way to the airport I was driving in Acton, MA and two fighter jets went overhead, fast, eastbound. I didn't get that good a look since I was driving. I wonder if they were headed to Pease. I didn't see any F-15s in action at Barnes.
 
I'm jealous! I was more or less told by tower to "land or leave" when I was doing pattern work once, so a V-22 could do a high speed fly over. Thats the closest I've come to something like this.
 
Tracey, you've been here long enough.
Here's the real definition of Overhead brake.

"Something that gets POAs excited more then a room full of single female pilots".

Add "RV" and "Light sport is better" and you are set for 3-4 pages.

Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.

I'll now go sit in the corner and write a lesson plan about FAA publications and Regs.
 
Tracey said:
asked me to make a 360 (guess they actually thought I might catch up to them).
Click to expand...

I few weeks ago I heard the tower ask a Cessna 208 to maintain visual separation from an F-18 (they were both on downwind). I was surprised as well.
 
gil_mor said:
"Something that gets POAs excited more then a room full of single female pilots".

Add "RV" and "Light sport is better" and you are set for 3-4 pages.
Click to expand...
:rofl: :lol: :rofl: :lol: :rofl: :lol:

Good one!
 
MachFly said:
I few weeks ago I heard the tower ask a Cessna 208 to maintain visual separation from an F-18 (they were both on downwind). I was surprised as well.
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The 208 should have offered to slow down.

:lol:
 
Dave Siciliano said:
I don't know everything this is use for, but in Vietnam, the C-130s would do this when bringing us supplies. It was a 4,000 foot psp strip near the Cambodian border and they would usually take rocket or mortar fire. So. the flight overhead helped them locate the runway and the steep turns and descent got them in quickly; hopefully, before the bad guys could set up and fire at them.
Click to expand...
Wow. The bravery... amazing.

And thank you for the time you spent there, Dave.
 
I used to get advisories flying through Norfolk airspace, and PAX River for F-14's when they were still flying. Pretty cool. But the best was watching the Thunderbirds land at KACY after they did a show at Millville one year. They all did overhead breaks and watching it was like a mini airshow. The taxied and parked. By that time I had finished my pre-flight, and taxied past them as they were getting out. They all saluted us, and my little Tiger as we taxied by. I couldn't have been more proud. They were really cool, and I asked the tower to thank them for me if they could.
 
Tracey said:
I wish I had my camera with me. I was on downwind at PSM and watched 2 F-18's land-- and then I heard them call the Tower and ask if they could take off and land again before I did (the nerve!). Tower ok'd their request and asked me to make a 360 (guess they actually thought I might catch up to them). It was the first time I've been asked to do a 360, so that was exciting, as was watching the F-18's.

Boy, they're fast! :yikes:
Click to expand...
Should have said, UNABLE :rofl:
 
Here is Miami, we usually go down to the airbase to practice ILS approaches (KHST). So it is not unusual for HARB ATC to inform you of a flight of F-16's to watch out for. I usually pull the hood at that point and play tourist.
 
One of my first flights at NAS Millington in a Cessna 150 in the pattern included a call to make a 360 on downwind for a flight of 2 F-4s as they came in for the overhead. They're just as loud at pattern altitude as they are anywhere else! :)

The occasional call at KBJC that still gives me a little adrenaline jolt every time is "traffic is a MIG on final".
 
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gkainz said:
The occasional call at KBJC that still gives me a little adrenaline jolt every time is "traffic is a MIG on final".
Click to expand...

Yeah but you don't have to worry 'bout that 'cause he's out of gas!
 
gkainz said:
The occasional call at KBJC that still gives me a little adrenaline jolt every time is "traffic is a MIG on final".
Click to expand...


Old habits die hard, huh? That must have been the same MiG-17 I used to see at KAPA.
 
Anthony said:
Old habits die hard, huh? That must have been the same MiG-17 I used to see at KAPA.
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Yep. MIG was always a bogey ... training law of primacy in full effect.

089304.jpg


Link to above pic found via google ... I'm not sure how linking to copyrighted photos falls into fair use or violation ... mods, if I've crossed a line with that, let me know and I'll remove the hotlink to the image.

http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/089304.html
 
Bluedharma photography is a friend of mine here in CO. As long as his Copyright notice is on it, I'm sure he's cool with the link.

He's taken most of the in-flight photos I've posted (with his permission)! of 79M on here. ;)
 
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