Is there anyone here on this board who has flown a supersonic fighter plane? “Backseaters” would also count. If so, I have some questions for you.
LSLGuy is an ex fighter pilot I believe.
Yes, **LSLGuy **is our go-to guy for that; he flew the F-16.
I have been in the backseat of an F-16. But I hardly think you’d be interested in my 1.6 hours of experience.
I’m interested in how you got to do it…was it a paid-for service offered by some private owner of an F-16, or were you working in the military in some non-flying capacity on an air base and were allowed to tag along on a ride just for the hell of it? Or did you begin aviation training on the plane but end that career path early for whatever reason?
I’ve been in helicopters that broke 100 knots. Does that count?
I actually already know one longtime helicopter pilot who flew in Vietnam, Desert Storm, and the very earliest parts of the Iraq War, was with the 160th SOAR (Night Stalkers) out of Ft. Campbell and finished his career as a Chinook test pilot at Ft. Rucker. So I have a LOT of helicopter stories from him. But you should definitely have a separate AMA thread at some point.
Not me, but a friend got to ride in the backseat. He was active-duty Air Force as a Crew Chief on the F-16, and it was what they called an “Incentive Ride” for good job performance.
He says he hurled.
My dad flew F-86’s and F-100’s. I have his “Super-sonic Shoes” and “Mach Buster” card. That’s as close as I’ll get.
I was just very lucky to be offered the chance, and of course I jumped. And yes, I barfed a lot.
I’m a professional pilot, never served in the military, but I have flown in several subsonic warbird fighters: L-39, MiG 15, T-33, Fouga. Not extensively, but multiple flights in the L-39.
I mean, in what context was the chance offered?
Did you break the sound barrier during the flight?
I had a few training flights, totaling about 2 hours, in a L-23.
[spoiler]That’s just a smaller version of the L-39.
Okay, it’s a Blanik L-23 sailplane. Typical cruising speed, 45 - 50 knots.[/spoiler]
I was an aerial photog in the Air Force. Logged over 400 hours in various fighters, F-16, F-15, F-4, and T-38 (fighter trainer).
As an aerial photographer, were you required to actually learn any different procedures for these different planes? In other words, were there specific operating procedures of the F-16, the F-4 and so on, which you were required to learn about and presumably pass some kind of qualification?
Did you have to start out in the T-38 before you were able to operate as a photographer on the other planes?
What kind of camera was used and how did it work exactly? Was it merely a matter of looking into a viewfinder and activating a shutter at the right time, or did various calibrations have to be done to ensure that the focus and exposure were correct? (Did the camera have an automatic light-metering system?)
How frequently did you break the sound barrier, and what does it physically feel like? How long did it take you to get used to it?
Naaa, he was Air Force. OP said fighter pilots so you’ll have to find a Naval aviator.
Ouch.
That’s okay. Haven’t seen LSL for a few days, so he’s out flying for a living. When he gets back, this will be buried.
I have made some contributions to the Air National Guard that they were appreciative of, and I think it’s fair to say that the flight was meant as both an educational opportunity for me and as a gesture of appreciation.
No.
Pfft…
I fart in you general direction!
Call the hospital, get the burn unit ready.