I don’t know if this link will go directly to the photo:
The page (as it is now) shows three images of a flaming MiG-23 crashing to the ground and exploding. The pilot is seen to have ejected.
A MiG-23 crashes? And that’s news?
I have a great book on the shelf called Red Eagles, which is about the U.S. and its allies secretly acquiring MiGs and other foreign aircraft for aggressor training in the 70’s up through the 90’s.
They flew the MiG 17, 21 and 23. The 23 was by far considered the most dangerous. When asked for recommendations on tactics, the squadron jokingly suggested encouraging enemy nations to procure as many MiG 23s as possible. They felt that would ensure the demise of our foes’ air forces fairly quickly through mishaps.
I saw the video from where the screen grabs where taken, the plane seemed to came down on a flat spin and went nose pointed down at the last moment for a proper one point landing. I’m dubious about the health of the pilot, he seemed to parachute into the fireball… talk about going from the frying pan into the fire. :eek:
I’ve always liked the MiG-23, it’s a very cool looking aircraft in my opinion; it has that certain sinister look as a Me-109.
Do you have a link to the video?
I can’t decide if I like the MiG-23. On one hand it looks a bit like a Tornado, which I like; on the other hand, it’s like the Tornado’s ugly younger brother. According to Mach Tuck, it’s not a very good aircraft.
As for the pilot, there’s quite a lot of telephoto distortion that compresses distances. In the middle photo he seems to be moving away from the aircraft. In the third he is out of frame. It looks like the wind might be blowing left-to-right, which might have been an issue, but I think it’s likely that he did not land in the fireball.
NB: The pictures are no longer shown full-size on the link. As of right now, they are the sixth thumbnail from the left.
No link, I saw it on local TV but I can’t recall the source of the footage.
I didn’t see a chute; fireball might have been the least of his/her worries.
The various segments of the video don’t look like they go together. It’s as if the shootdown segment had some file footage tacked on the front.
Whatever amatuer was flying that thing at a moderate altitude at a moderate speed in a more-or-less straight line over hostile territory got exactly what any pro would expect.
Do we actually have any confirmation that the aircraft was rebel vs. loyal Libyan AF?
I can’t find the article right now, but CNN reported the other day that it was a rebel fighter.