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- Thread starter Bodizephax
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Eagles are incredible creatures. Golden Eagles, in particular, are cruel, precise, devastating killing machines. The Mongolians train them to hint and they're perfect.
I grew up near an air force base that mom worked on. At that time we could go up to the base just about whenever we wanted and when when Canada and USA were doing joint NORAD training they'd fly their F-15s up our way and work alongside out F-18s. As much as I love the Hornet and the Super Hornet and it's multi-role ability, carrier launch capability and the sophistication of its instruments, in my opinion, there has never been a more ruggledly beautiful, dependable, capable or perfectly named fighter jet (relative to it's time) than the Strike Eagle. Just a warhorse of a bird. One of my fondest memories as a child was watching a flight of them land on our base and having the flight leader let me climb up into his cockpit and put his helmet on, with his instrument panel lit up. Made my year, especially considering in no way was he allowed to do that given the circumstances. Great guy and I'll forever be thankful for his generosity towards a 9 year old who was crazy curious. To this day I cannot remember his name but somehow do remember him saying that he was from Maryland.
Off topic, sorry... I friggen love eagles.
I grew up near an air force base that mom worked on. At that time we could go up to the base just about whenever we wanted and when when Canada and USA were doing joint NORAD training they'd fly their F-15s up our way and work alongside out F-18s. As much as I love the Hornet and the Super Hornet and it's multi-role ability, carrier launch capability and the sophistication of its instruments, in my opinion, there has never been a more ruggledly beautiful, dependable, capable or perfectly named fighter jet (relative to it's time) than the Strike Eagle. Just a warhorse of a bird. One of my fondest memories as a child was watching a flight of them land on our base and having the flight leader let me climb up into his cockpit and put his helmet on, with his instrument panel lit up. Made my year, especially considering in no way was he allowed to do that given the circumstances. Great guy and I'll forever be thankful for his generosity towards a 9 year old who was crazy curious. To this day I cannot remember his name but somehow do remember him saying that he was from Maryland.
Off topic, sorry... I friggen love eagles.
And I get excited watching our local falcons cruising through the trees about twenty feet off the ground and dive bombing for a rattlesnake and carrying them off.
IIO..off topic as well. My only military air fighter experience was when I was given a VIP tour during a three day stay at the Hanford Naval Air base in Calif. about twenty seven years ago. The most impressive and memorable experience was when they gave me a couple hours training and then put me into a simulation cockpit and had me try to land my F-17 (not positive about name) on an aircraft carrier. I think I killed several hundred sailors and destroyed the bridge, and of course I went up in flames. Even knowing it was a simulation exercise, heartbeat must have been pushing two hundred. Always appreciated the sacrifices and demands of military duty, but this increased that tenfold.
IIO..off topic as well. My only military air fighter experience was when I was given a VIP tour during a three day stay at the Hanford Naval Air base in Calif. about twenty seven years ago. The most impressive and memorable experience was when they gave me a couple hours training and then put me into a simulation cockpit and had me try to land my F-17 (not positive about name) on an aircraft carrier. I think I killed several hundred sailors and destroyed the bridge, and of course I went up in flames. Even knowing it was a simulation exercise, heartbeat must have been pushing two hundred. Always appreciated the sacrifices and demands of military duty, but this increased that tenfold.
Awesome story. If it was an American bird (which it almost certainly was), and you were making a carrier landing it was likely and F-14 Tomcat or an F-18 Hornet / Super Hornet. I'm a huge aviation junky from a family of military aviators. In the simulation, the bird you were flying, did it have a conventional fighter frame layout (likely an F-18) or was it a bigger airframe with wings that were swept back (and F-14)?.. Your Navy has used both frames but the Tomcat has been phased out (awesome bird for its time though) and most modern carriers are lugging around much more versatile F-18s for the time being.
If you actually did fly a simulated F-17 Cobra, which I believe was a Northrop product, That's really cool. It was tested by the Navy, but to the best of my knowledge, never ended up on carriers as the F-18 was chosen as the successor to the F-14 instead.
Had to look up pictures of the ones you mentioned to answer, and it was the F-18 I believe. I didn't want to bore folks here, but the lead pilot of the blue angels also took me up for an hour flight across the desert, and that was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. Not sure what fighter he flew since it accommodated me sitting behind him, but I thought it was the same as my simulation fighter. Brings back some great memories of a great three day experience.
Oh awesome! Definitely an F-18 hornet. That's what the Blue Angels fly. They have multiple configurations, as either single seat or two seat aircraft. We fly them as our primary fighter / bomber here in Canada as well. The F-22 Raptor is being phased in as the new striker aircraft to replace your F-15s, but the Super Hornet will be around in both our air force's and your Navy, for a while yet.
I've had the pleasure of flying in one as well. The GF's brother is an F-18 pilot posted to CFB Goose Bay and a couple summer's back I had the opportunity to pull a few G's in the back seat. I totally agree with your assessment of the ride!!!
Can that Eagle be trained to fly over N. Korea and kidnap That nut job?
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