Just saw something cool

924slover · 02-02-2010, 02:08 AM

As i was sitting at a stop light yesterday, my car started rumbling and shaking so i thought a plow truck was coming until it got real loud and I looked up and saw three military fighter jets in tight formation make a REAL low flyby down main street (west) before banking right(north) spreading out and climbing out of sight. I wasn't fast enough with a camera but it was VERY weird sighting because number one i've never witnessed this in my hometown before and two they weren't coming from the south ( stewart airport) . I thought it was pretty cool and figured i would share.

IROC · IROC's Garage

I used to work for McDonnell Douglas years ago and was standing in the lobby of our building when it sounded like the world was quickly coming to an end outside. I went outside real quickly to see an F4 Phantom banking right over the top of our building.

For sheer volume of noise, I don't think I've ever heard anything louder than that one plane.

onewhippedpuppy · 02-02-2010, 03:38 AM

B-1 bombers used to make very low passes over my in-laws' house in central KS. They live near a small town on 40 acres, their house is on the top of a hill and very visible from the air. Typically at least two at a time, sometimes several times per day. I had the opportunity to speak with a B-1 pilot at the McConnell AFB air show, who knew exactly which house I was referring to. Seems the pilots used their house as a visual navigation point and an occasional simulated bombing target.

Multiple B-1s at low altitude and high speed are LOUD.

Joeaksa · 02-02-2010, 05:40 AM

Another former McDonnell Douglas employee here...

lm6y · 02-02-2010, 05:59 AM

Try running 75 down I-70 west of St. Louis When they are "test flying". The first time it happened I almost shat myself. He was westbound, and it sounded like hell was taking over! Could NOT find the source of the noise, until he flew over, then it got worse! When you are close enough to a fighter plane to actually see the control surfaes working, you don't ever forget it.

Had the same thing happen in Evansville Indiana with three F-22s. Didn't know there was an airshow that day.

When a KC-135 does a slow, low, banking pass over your house, it gets your attention as well.

mikester · 02-02-2010, 06:28 AM

I grew up on airforce bases - if I don't hear jet noise at night I don't sleep as well.

I must admit, taxiing airliners don't so nearly as soothing as F-4s.

onewhippedpuppy · 02-02-2010, 06:32 AM

Quote:

When a KC-135 does a slow, low, banking pass over your house, it gets your attention as well.

I live under the flight path for McConnell AFB. Its KC-135 all day everyday, I don't even really notice them anymore.

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

The J-stars (converted B707s with water injection) used to fly out of KMLB when I lived down there. Those suckers were L-O-U-D on the takeoff roll. Sounded great!

krystar · 02-02-2010, 07:18 AM

i remmeber about 10 years ago at Chicago air and water show. was camped out on the beach with the family enjoying the f117's, c5's and other planes. the thunderbirds show was coming up. so the announcer does his intro about the thunderbirds and who was leader etc etc.

he goes "and here are your united states air force thunderbirds!!!!!!!" ..... and then nothing. crowd goes quiet....waiting....crickets chirp.

BOOOOOOOOM. they went supersonic from behind us at like 500ft then climbing into a bursting star (i think that's what it's called)

THAT was loud

onlycafe · 02-02-2010, 07:22 AM

i was riding through death valley back in 1999 at about dusk when i heard and then felt something louder than i had ever heard before. it was a fighter plane flying about a hundred feet over the desert floor. scared the crap out of me.

flatbutt · 02-02-2010, 07:26 AM

that happened to me in the Adirondack park years ago. There I was minding my own business in the middle of the wilderness when ROAR!!!!!! about two hundred feet over the canopy two fighters go screaming by. nearly shat myself.

M.D. Holloway · 02-02-2010, 07:28 AM

I had the exact same experience in Death Valley a few years ago! I saw it coming fast before I heard it though. Still incredible.

aap1966 · aap1966's Garage

In 1988, six FA-18 "Hornets" did a low in formation fly-by over my house.

Yes, it's loud.

Still seared into my brain 22 years later.

onewhippedpuppy · 02-02-2010, 08:13 AM

Quote:

In 1988, six FA-18 "Hornets" did a low in formation fly-by over my house.

Yes, it's loud.

Still seared into my brain 22 years later.

The Blue Angels performed two years ago in Wichita. My daughter was a baby, so my wife dropped off my son and I at the show and went to the nearby mall. She walked out just in time to for all six to fly over the mall in formation at a very low altitude. That didn't go over well.

bell · bell's Garage

I watched an f-18 intercept a cesna behing my old shop years ago when W was in town, it was freaking cool.....we heard him coming then went into a very tight turn in front of the cesna to scrub off speed and circled him a few times......I'm sure it spooked the cesna pilot, he was then "re-directed" away from the highway W was traveling on, the f-18 promptly disappeared after....

stomachmonkey · 02-02-2010, 08:43 AM

Growing up in the service you kind of got used to it.

Had not seen/heard it in many years until 9/11.

We were in a conference room watching the live news feed when we heard one coming. Everyone in the room started to freak out. I looked out the window as he banked hard right over our building.

That's when I got up, got my chit and went home.

widgeon13 · 02-02-2010, 08:54 AM

Not unlike others here, I grew up in the military and heard daily T/O's of B-47 w/ JATO tubes glowing, no doubt in my mind, "Jet noise - The sound of freedom".

Even at night you when you heard that you knew the right folks were at work!

looneybin · 02-02-2010, 11:46 AM

I remember when i was young, going with my dad to the end of the runway at Castle Air Base to watch the B-52's take off, damn loud, but a very pretty sight

Pazuzu · 02-02-2010, 11:53 AM

I've had an A-10 strafe me on the road, about 50 feet off the deck. He'd been tracking me as I went down the mountain, and ran across my path from behind a hill. Bastard...

We regularly got hammered by sonic booms on the mountain, despite the fact that they were over land. Guess the USAF doesn't care so much when it's just small Indian villages, scrub and coyotes out there.

jtfreels · 02-02-2010, 12:49 PM

Best I ever saw, several years ago on a July 3rd, driving in to the Pensacola naval base and the Blue Angels practicing for the next days show come screaming down the road at what felt/sounded like tree top level!

Had to stop and jump out of the car at that point.

Jay