Down low (Read 2,808 times)

Yea, I'm pretty good at math tin. And based on the shadow of the BUFF on the water, the angle of the photo, the color tint and glare I'd say in my professional option the level of that BUFF is... PRETTY DAMN LOW! :rofl

If you have never seen a BUFF flying lower than the tops of the COOP grain elevators across the Plains, you have missed a sight.

Whilst at The Goose, we would get lots of V Bombers on the transient ramp. I worked at the 59th FIS Alert Hanger, and the transient ramp was not far away.

In 1959 and 60 the V Bombers were at the top of the heap.

We were able to wander around them, get pictures and talk to the crews.

We also got a Lancaster or two dropping in for a visit.

There is nothing like the sound of four Merlins wound up for takeoff.

Jim Too

:god_bless_usa

Impressive stuff Mark.

I`ve flown as a passenger at low level in Jet Provosts, Hawks and once in a Jaguar and there`s nothing like it.

Next a Buccaneer at normal operating altitude. It doesn`t take off so much as just lift the gear up.

Mark: While stationed at Pope we had a C-130E come back from a LAPES at Bragg with the wheel wells packed with pine branches, needles and cones took several hours for my AR troops to dig the stuff out. Herky did it in the dirt regularly. Everything was tried. Once parachute extracted a road grader. Assault landings were frightening to watch. When the "........do it in the ........" sayings were popular, "Herkys do it in the dirt" was at the top of the list to those in the business.

My first tour was at RAF Coningsby back in `77 which at the time housed 3 squadrons of F-4Ms.
The Battle of Britain Memorial flight was (and still is) based there with Spitfires, Hurricanes and a Lancaster.

We used to hate them because we had to work most weekends during the Summer and the Squadron Leader who flew the Lanc then was a right git. :razz

Happy dayz

I never found any myself, but I heard plenty of stories from crew chiefs here at Dyess that pulled rabbit remains out of landing gear, and APUs after landing on our assault strip!

I know for a fact that I never hit a tree (thought I came close a couple times!), or something fixed to the ground. I have taken out a few birds, however! We would actually have to send any bird remains we found to the Smithsonian, but it was rare we found remains. There are folks there that do the research on bird strikes for the FAA, USAF, etc. I never knew that until I became a crew chief. Here's a typical bird strike I experienced on a Herk. This was back in October 2008 in the desert.

Flying around here in Texas we all were always "eyes up" looking for birds when we flew low-levels. They are actually easier to see, than avoid! We got lucky most of the time though!

Mark

Edit: I just remembered a funny thing all the IPs used to tell the students when we would practice 3-engine go-arounds. We would do a normal (well, normal for a 3-engine) approach then the IP would tell the student pilot flying, "Okay, there's a bus full of Nuns on the runway. Go around." That never got old!

Back when the Air Force was not PC, we had ADC, and pilots who had fun flying, I remember a couple of "low flying" situations.

In those days we would go to Yuma Air Base (later Vincent AFB) before it became MCAS Yuma.

Not too far from Yuma is the All American Canal, the Colorado River and other canals.

Our pilots very much enjoyed flying low, following the canals or river. Some would even fly down the big, concrete canal, dropping under the rim level.

It was also common for fighters to fly below the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.


Whilst at The SCAB, we would get periodic visits from the (self-proclaimed) oldest First Lieutenant in the Air Force.

He always flew a B-25, and was always alone.

He always parked in the 13th FIS area. He had a friend in the squadron who would loan him his car.

One time he requested a Gear Check from the tower to make sure all three were down and locked.

He went by the tower, but was too high for the civilian controller.

He was asked if he could bring it down a bit and they would check.

So, he pulled the gear up, pushed the throttles forward and went right in front of the tower greenhouse.

Then he dropped the gear, went around and landed.

Maybe that is one of the reasons he was the oldest Silver Bar in the Air Force.

Some of us met his parents on a TDY to Malmstrom. They owned a bar and grill in the town of Coulee, not far from Great Falls.

No, there was no complaint filed and he never had any problems because of his "Gear Check".

Jim Too

:god_bless_usa

Excellent.

Would it an attachment for some sort of IFR training hood?