Star Wars Canyon

[AmbulanceDriver]

Fly320 pointed out:

Yes, now I remember when I lived near Boulder Municipal (don't know what it might be called nowadays) watching the gliders release from the tow plane, and the tow plane would tip over 90° sideways and drop like a rock, with the towline trailing upwards behind it.  Takes a while for those memory engrams to percolate up to the surface.

AmbulanceDrive remarked,

LOL!

Yeah, but that's not flying, as in aerodynamically.  That's just...

https://youtu.be/jmsTzevG7aQ

...mere rocketry.

Yeah, but it's rocketry with style....

https://youtu.be/IsNYvmGrZKc

[Scout26]

Makes me mis the bad Ol', good Ol' days of the Cold War.  Watching A-10's come in from the west over Range 35 at Baumholder and blast the crap out of old derelict armored vehicles.   And then riding in Blackhawks flying balls out, doing nap of the earth, below the treetops, with the doors open, and praying that five point restraining really worked.

There really was nothing like looking out the doors and up to see the tops of the trees, while doing 100 knots.

[agricola]

Makes me mis the bad Ol', good Ol' days of the Cold War.  Watching A-10's come in from the west over Range 35 at Baumholder and blast the crap out of old derelict armored vehicles.   And then riding in Blackhawks flying balls out, doing nap of the earth, below the treetops, with the doors open, and praying that five point restraining really worked.

There really was nothing like looking out the doors and up to see the tops of the trees, while doing 100 knots.

The definition of "low" has certainly changed over time - for instance there was a programme on TV over here a few years ago about the Dams Raid, where the presenter illustrated how low some of the planes got in their attacks by pointing to the top of a lamp-post next to him.  On the same raid, one plane had to turn back because their bomb got hit by the sea and was torn off.   Many of the casualties were caused by flying into electricity pylons and wires - at night, with no visual aids, in a Lancaster and with people shooting at them.

[Fly320s]

Things are different in the training world as opposed to the war world. 

[dogmush]

Things are different in the training world as opposed to the war world. 

Things are also a lot different at 800kts rather than 250kts.

[KD5NRH]

There really was nothing like looking out the doors and up to see the tops of the trees, while doing 100 knots.

It was unnerving enough looking for lost calves from a J-3 at ~40kts, dipping between the pecan trees with the door open to get a look under the foliage.  Found a thistle head stuck to the wingtip after one of those flights.

[RocketMan]

One of the first videos was listed as 4k HD, yet it showed F4s zipping through the canyon.  I want to know who's still flying F4s.
The first of the pair had a red tail.  Maybe a QF4 and a drone director following.

[Scout26]

One of the first videos was listed as 4k HD, yet it showed F4s zipping through the canyon.  I want to know who's still flying F4s.
The first of the pair had a red tail.  Maybe a QF4 and a drone director following.

That's exactly what it is.   QF-4's flew until July of 2015.

[Ben]

That's exactly what it is.   QF-4's flew until July of 2015.

They've stopped the F-4 drone program? Bummer. Around 15 years ago, I got a tour of the control facility for the F-4 drones that flew between Mugu and San Nicholas Island. It was a pretty complex big dark pit. I guess now that you can do the same thing with a laptop and a UAV, they've become obsolete. :)

[Jamisjockey]

There are, however, a few F4's in private hands. 

http://www.collingsfoundation.org/

Based out of KEFD where I worked before coming back to the feeding trough.