Hey look, I went for a ride in a cool airplane today...pictures!

[AKcharger]

Went up for a ride in an F-15D, lots of fun. These two are Captain Edwards (Pilot) and me...I went for a ride before but never expected to get another so I was happy.

[AKcharger]

Wingman and inverted dive through clouds

[AKcharger]

Me strapping in and another inverted dive

[AKcharger]

I tried to take a picture outside while pulling 6G's...didn't come out good, camera got real heavy

[Todd Wilson]

Thats SWEET!   That side shot of the wing man is poster material for sure!



Todd

[AKcharger]

More pictures

[AKcharger]

Langley AFB at 250kts and Wingman

[Khyron]

I'm jealous!

[Beer]

Very Cool, we used to dock near the end of the runway in Anchorage with the SS Greatland (a RO/RO), we would see F-15's on their departures and approaches all the time.

[Shakey]

That was F'in COOL!  Very cool!

[Ponch ®]

dude...that is simply freaking awesome. I'd give my left you know what for a ride in one of those.

Them pics are sweet too, and I already put one to good use:

[Johnny SixPack]

D@mn!!! 

That's too cool, man. 

And awesome pix too boot. 

[AKcharger]

Thanks Guys and cool screen saver Ponch!

here's a few more shots...
End of Runway right before take-off...place where jt gets armed and given las inspection
Another Wingman
Me

[RD]

hey bill,
   since i saved you 300 dollars last year with that headlight motor, why dont ya pull a couple of strings and get me a flight too! hehe

[TeeWJay426]

Very nice. Here's what I flew in last summer..... the opposite end of the aviation technology spectrum! Somehow I think your ride may have been a wee bit more of an adrenalin rush than mine, but I had a blast all the same.

[Telvis]

That's just plain awesome!! You are a lucky man!

[chargerboy69]

That is sweet, I am so jealous. . . Great pictures. . . .

[Guns N Rotors]

AK,

Thats cool! Good deal.

Isn't it great to play with Uncle Sam's wonderful and deadly toys!

[Bevs 68]

There's nothing like enjoying 8 1/2 G's! I don't know how to post pics here yet, however this entry at Full Speed Fishing (you'd have to register) has my story about a trip up in my friend's Extra 300. I call him Crazy Larry (and he's married to "Mary"... they still haven't seen the film, LOL!)
http://www.fullspeedfishing.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6880&highlight=plane

Otherwise here's a story you can view now which shows his plane and Rocky Hill's.
http://www.svcn.com/archives/saratoganews/08.02.00/cover-0031.html

[SuBLimE 69]

That was F'in COOL!  Very cool!

Yup, what he said x 2 ! ! 

Nice car too bevs...

[Charger_Fan]

Great pics, AK! Thanks!

Two observations; I noticed the pilot has mirrors, I've always wondered if the can see behind them.
I also noticed that the rails on what appears to be the pilot's ejector seat has a lot of the paint rubbed off on the inner tracks...do they frequently slide those seats out for maintenance? I would assume they would periodically, but not real often.

I bet that was a great day.

[AKcharger]

Thanks again guys Bevs and TeeW those little airplanes can actually do more acro than F-15's so i'm sure you guys had some good rides. One advantage the F-15 has is the thrust to sustain the maneuvers, where as a piston engine usually starts to die out...at least that's what I understand.

Charger Fan
- Yup pilot has two mirrors to see behind. Looking out side is still very important even with radar...radar doesn't see aft. So if a bad guy isn't transitting on his radar he will not get picked up by any threat warning gear in your jet so he could sneak up and kill you...which is bad. Now you can "data link" to AWACS and other radars but that is too complicated to explain, but yes still have mirrors, in fact I think the new F-22's have em too, I'll look tomorrow

- Correct about the paint rubbing off he rails, that plane was an 83 model. When it left Mc Donald Douglas all pats were painted in a metallic green primer. then the cockpits were painted in black to avoid glare. that seat has been out probably 100 times. Seats come out at 18 months for pyrotechnic time changes and also come out for unscheduled maintenance like throttle quadrents or usually Forgien Objects in the cockpit which can be mucho bad

AK
-

[hemihead]

Now that's the true meaning of HIGH PERFORMANCE!!!

[4402tuff4u]

Nice ride!, boy you are a lucky man! Can't wait to see the Blue Angels here in NY this summer. Even though they are the F/A-18 Hornet, they are truely awesome. Two years ago we had them put a show in Jones Beach, NY and their practice run was right over the construction site I'm at now. They practiced on Thursday before the Saturday show and the practice was better than the show!! They were buzzing us for about two hours flying 500 - 700 over our heads. Nothing got done those two hours. You could see their helmets they were so low!! The awesome thing is that you see the jet overhead and then seconds later you hear it. The sound those jets put out, is enough to make you go on your pants!!! After seeing the practice runs overhead and see how they sneak up on you, you realize and say to yourself, "boy, I'm lucky that they are in our side!!"

[hemi68charger]

Ah Man,, AK........ That's awesome. I flew a F-16D back in Oct. I think it was.. Did the whole unrestricted full-afrerburner takeoff from 0 to 14,000ft in 30 seconds....... You flew out of Langley? How did you get yours? I got mine from winning an NCO of the Quarter board. That was your 2nd !!!!  Man, that's great.... Most only dream of it let alone get one and then a second?!    What a charmed life you have....... Those 8.5 G manuveurs were great and VERY stressful on the ole' body...... Mach 1.1 was pretty cool too...

Here's me during my flight.. I wasn't allowed to take a camera for FOD reasons.....

Troy

[AKcharger]

Hi Troy

I remember your post about your flight...no Camera, what a rip off!! I think an F-16 might give a better ride, 9 G's is nothing in a F-16, in an F-15 you're close to over G'ing the Jet. I got this one for SNCO of the year for the 1st FW..should help with Chief this year. I know what you mean about G's. When I got home I took a Nap...I was beat, and it was only an hour and 40 mins!!
Oh, got pictures of my plane from my "wingman" today

[hemi68charger]

Hi Troy

I remember your post about your flight...no Camera, what a rip off!! I think an F-16 might give a better ride, 9 G's is nothing in a F-16, in an F-15 you're close to over G'ing the Jet. I got this one for SNCO of the year for the 1st FW..should help with Chief this year. I know what you mean about G's. When I got home I took a Nap...I was beat, and it was only an hour and 40 mins!!
Oh, got pictures of my plane from my "wingman" today

Chief !!!!!  Good gracious... You're heading for Chief?   

I think I'll be taking my course 9 for Master this May... crossing my fingers... Never thought I'd get to Master after getting out in '91 from active duty and joining the Guard...... But, never say never.... I almost feel obligated now to give you that NOS burnt orange headliner........... NOT !!!   

Congrad's and good luck on the promotion.... That's really something, I just wish our young Airman really knew what it is to be a Chief.......  Only so much you can mold in a weekend.....

Troy