Flyby..

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

I hate to fly however I'm thinkin' I'd dig this ....Keep it close to the ground 

Top 10 Low Pass Flyby's of All Time

[Michael K (Az.)]

What a RUSH!!

[Oss]

#3 was my favorite

[John Schmidt]

I was in the USAF during the Cuban missile crisis and had a chance to see some of the film taken when a couple of hot rod throttle jockeys made a low level pass of that island. It was a riot to watch the gun batteries suddenly realize there was a couple jets coming in off the water, but by then it was too late....they were already past. And watching the guys cranking the guns around trying to get off a shot. The jets went by so low and fast it actually blew some of the troops off their feet, palms whipped back and forth, and there was an antenna that got blown over....looked like the sonic blast caused it. Most of the flyovers were done at high altitude by the U2, but I can't help but wonder if these two were a test of the Cuban defense warning system...assuming they even had one. They apparently weren't picked up on radar.

When I was stationed at Lowry AFB in Denver, I watched as an F-104 made a couple low level  passes, just shooting the length of the runway. Both were just below the sound barrier but still a tremendous noise....busted some windows in a nearby hangar.

[Jess from VA]

I got a ride in the back seat of an F16 (B model) in USAF.  Low may look cool from the ground, but from the plane it looks fast, and the ride is incredibly bumpy and turbulent, and your butt puckers right up.  We passed the ridge of a canyon (in Turkey) so close I thought the wings were going to hit the trees.... then we went into the canyon, inverted.  Looking at the ground thru the top of the canopy is.... confusing.  I'd do it again in a heartbeat. 

[sugerbear]

to stand there in flyby #3, i'd have to have another pair of pants ready!!!!

[big turkey]

Where do I sign up for a ride in one of those things.

On second thought I would probably just barf anyway.

What a show.

Al

[big turkey]

Yes Sugarbear #3 would have caused me to have a shart.

Maybe some of you have had this experieince before.

A shart that is.

Al

[3fan4life]

 

Many years ago while fishing at a reservoir near my home town I watched a F4 Phantom make a run down the lake passing so low that his jetwash was creating a wake.

That is by far one of the coolest things thart I have ever seen.


A few years later while in the army I got to take some chopper rides where the pilot did some things that should have scared me.....

But, at 19 you still believe that you're invincible.

[Cruzen]

Quite impressive.

About 12 years ago I got to see a group of 12 British Spitfires do a fly over the Scottsdale Arizona airport prior to landing for their display.  After the group flyover, one at a time they did a low, slow speed fly over the runway while an announcer described the model of Spitfire and gave some info about the pilot.  Most of the passes were around 20-30 feet off the runway but one pilot came down extremely low about 8 feet off the runway.  It was an amazing display of a plane that at that time was over 50 years old.  Hearing those massive unmuffled Rolls Royce engines was amazing and brought more than one of the aged WWII vets who were on hand to tears.

[czuch]

Ok Boys heres my story;
1977/1979 US Navy. Somewhere in the big desert.
I was a young Photographer's mate and they needed someone to fly to White sands Missle range to film testing of aerodynamics of cruise missiles. I was the only voulnteer.  The pilot had massive VietNam experience and really knew how to drive a Phantom. The way we did that is one heckofa story in and of itself, but,,,,, He wanted to fly under an overpass and asked if I'd go along and film it. I told him if he'd go I'll follow.
I was in the back seat after all.
The caveat was the first take would be mine.
Thinking I had the upper edge because there was no way he'd do it twice.
The setting was perfect, traffic was nonexistant. We made the approach with the wheels down , just incase of slight miscalculation and went right through.
The face on the lady in the blue Maverik is etched into my memory to this day. :-0
As we circled for the second pass I informed him I could make thousands of copies from the one event.
I was everything BUT a child of God the whole way home.

[Super Santa]

So, where's the clip?  Or photo?

[thumper]

Don't know if you saw this one.  It happened at this year's Ga. Tech/Wake Forest football game in Atlanta.  Both pilots were Ga. Tech graduates and calculated their approach elevation from sea level not ground level and came through the city and over the stadium way too low.

Both pilots have been permanently relieved of cockpit duties and will never fly for the Navy again.

Fly Over at Georgia Tech vs. Wake Forest 2009

[Rowdy]

I was on the parkway  a few years back on the Valk - when I herd this loud sound -  then watched this jet boom out from the valley floor pulling up a few feet from the road - I'd swear the trees where bending     Startled me  did not see him coming 

I was a radar operator in the Marine Corps and all I ever saw was the blimp on the screen    cool seeing the planes in action 

Seen the WWII planes at various air shows over the years - what a great distinct sound 

[Jess Tolbirt]

US Navy, 1974,,, I got to fly in an F-4 Phantom,, by todays standards mach3 aint nuttin but when we did our fly-by you couldnt drive a needle up my ass with a sledgehammer,,,come to think of it the whole flight for about 45 minutes was all i wanted to this day....

[F-106]

I got 35hrs in the back seat of a F-16B. You are right, it is not what people thing it is.

I got a ride in the back seat of an F16 (B model) in USAF.  Low may look cool from the ground, but from the plane it looks fast, and the ride is incredibly bumpy and turbulent, and your butt puckers right up.  We passed the ridge of a canyon (in Turkey) so close I thought the wings were going to hit the trees.... then we went into the canyon, inverted.  Looking at the ground thru the top of the canopy is.... confusing.  I'd do it again in a heartbeat. 

[Jess from VA]

Wow, 35 hours is more than an incentive ride.  You must have actually had something to do. 

My pilot was the Wing King, and although he grayed me out on takeoff, and did some very high G (grunting) turns, most of the ride was not aimed at making the pass out.  I got to take the stick for a few minutes.  I remember what he told me as we were running down the tarmac for takeoff. "Hey, if you have to puke, I want you to turn off the hot mike.... I don't want to listen to that sh!t."  Confidence inspiring.  I never had a problem with motion sickness, and never felt sick at all.

[Normandog]

They do some practice runs up here in and around the Linville Gorge. Got to see a mock dogfight once. Awesome.