More cool Airplane pictures!

[AKcharger]

Some pictures of the F-22's I work on up here in Alaska...well I don't work on them, I just sit in an office and tell other people to work on them. Anyway, our base photo shop took a few pictures during the arrival ceremony and a demo, thought I'd share for those that like airplanes:

Multiple photos of "official arrival" back in Aug
 Taxi in



This one only had 15 hours on it when it arrived...even had new airplane smell!

Crew Chiefs! these guys rock!

[AKcharger]

A few more of the arrival

[AKcharger]

Demo flight during the 90th Anniversary of the 90th Fighter Sq. The F-22 puts on a truly AWESOME show!



Rain/moisture helps make this a cool shot during the high speed pass


pass with all the weapons bay doors open

[AKcharger]

Misc F-22 Photos, thanks for looking!

[68chrgrwife]

those are some awesome pics and great looking planes!   BTW  anyone in the San Diego Area...the Miramar Air Show featuring the Air Force planes is this weekend!  parking and admission are free...there is tons of stuff to do/see and play with!  We go every year!

[Badbob]

I recently went to the Reno Air Races, T-6, P-38, P-51, Sea Fury, A-10, Mig, Corsair, Skyraider, Bearcat, Tigercat, Wildcat, Yak, Pitts, T-33 and a host of other super sport and jet aircraft. Thankfully nobody died the day we attended. The Merlins and radials were running around 480 MPH lap times and the jets around 500. Seeing a P-38 flying has been a lifelong dream of mine. The Tigercat was cool too, see the video. BTW great shots of the jets above, it's no wonder the US Military has always kicked ass.

Bob

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLXjU8wJqYA

[TruckDriver]

Cool pics Bill! 

I really like the one with the rain swirling around the plane.

[Forza]

Awesome pics!

Those F-22's are pure beasts

[Charger_Croatia]

Greta pictures!  I don't think I'll ever see F-22 live, though 

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Nice shots AK    

[4forty]

Incredible machines! Thanks for the pics!

[bull]

Those are very good pictures, and I'm not just talking about the subject matter. Good quality shots.

So how do they fly? Do the pilots like them?

[skip68]

Very cool pics! Also the scenery up there is georgous!!!!!!!! You are very lucky to be able to look out your windows and see that view every day!
Mrs.Skip68

[Ponch ®]

those are some awesome pics and great looking planes!   BTW  anyone in the San Diego Area...the Miramar Air Show featuring the Air Force planes is this weekend!  parking and admission are free...there is tons of stuff to do/see and play with!  We go every year!

Dang...its this weekend? Shoot...I know it'su sually sometime in October, but I completely forgot about it this year and made other plans...

BTW - Am I the only one who thinks that the F22 looks ugly as hell on the ground? In the air, well, thats a different story....

[bull]

No, you're not the only one, I don't think it's much to look at either. For one thing it's too neat and clean. Fighter jets should have a bunch of gnarly, scary and pointy things hanging off them for the intimidation factor if nothing else.

[Orange_Crush]

No, you're not the only one, I don't think it's much to look at either. For one thing it's too neat and clean. Fighter jets should have a bunch of gnarly, scary and pointy things hanging off them for the intimidation factor if nothing else.

See...I think the F-18 is an absolutely HIDEOUS plane.  It looks out of proportion and goofy to me.

Now the F-16...THERE'S a plane!

[bull]

I agree but I was just looking for an example. I'm actually more fond of some of the older, less glamorous war planes, like these below. I really love the A- and B-26s:

[Ponch ®]

When I was a kid I used to think the F-4 was hideous (mostly because for a long time I only knew them as the bad-guy-Russkie plane of choice in Iron Eagle II). It really grew on me though, and now I kinda like it.

Nevertheless, if we're talking old school, I have give a shout out to the F-104 Starfighter, one of my all time favorites. Even the name was cool!

[Orange_Crush]

When I was a kid I used to think the F-4 was hideous (mostly because for a long time I only knew them as the bad-guy-Russkie plane of choice in Iron Eagle II). It really grew on me though, and now I kinda like it.

Nevertheless, if we're talking old school, I have give a shout out to the F-104 Starfighter, one of my all time favorites. Even the name was cool!

WIngs so thin they could slice salami!  Now that was a badass plane.

Personally, I'm partial to the aforementioned F-16.  To me, it seems like one of the last true fighters...small and agile.

[AKcharger]

Those are very good pictures, and I'm not just talking about the subject matter. Good quality shots.

So how do they fly? Do the pilots like them?

Thanks sir, our photo guys are pros...I just steal their work 

As far as flying them, there is nothing that can touch them in the air...nothing and pilots LOVE the ability to swat F-15 from the sky (practice of course) without the Eagle guys even knowing they're there. Now since I'm a maintainer my perspective is how they behave on the ground...and they are a diffrent airplane to say the least.

Oh, BTW one interesting note when you see other  demos like the SU-35 they're pretty impressive, almost the same as an F-22's show but the BIG difference is the SU-27 is clean and would never fly in combat like that...it would have stuff hung all over it and slow it down considerably, where as the F-22 does it's show in combat configuration, no external stores.

[Guns N Rotors]

Awesome! Just a heart stopping, beautiful aircraft!

AK, did you guys get that International date line thingy figured out yet?

[Lowprofile]

Wow! Great Pics AK!
I'm happy to hear the Pilots are happy w/ their new rides!  I've always been a big fan of the F-15E and the Tomcat. Will the F-15's go to the ANG or suffer the same fate as the F-14's? Man, that broke my heart to see them get crushed. 


Here's a few of my favorites.......

[Lowprofile]

OC, this is just for you Bro! 

[AKcharger]

AK, did you guys get that International date line thingy figured out yet?

Ah, you heard about that one huh? Yeah, that was kind of embarrassing. After about 2 days Lockheed Martin came up with a patch and fixed the problem. The F-22 is more of a computer with an airplane attached to it and  a lot of stuff is fixed with program patches.

For those that don't know what Guns was talking about when the F-22s from Langley went to Japan last year and crossed the Int'l date line everything except engines and flight controls shut down...no radios, navigation, CD player ect. Luckily they were being "dragged" by a tanker and simply went back to Hawaii to await the fix. The airplane got "confused" when it reached the Int'l date line and shut down.

Lowprofile:
The F-15's will be with us for a long time (I'm an old 15 guy) the "A" models are just about gone and the "C" models are spread through active duty and guard. They are still very capable and good planes. Only reason the 14's were crushed was Iran...they would do anything to get their hands on parts!

[TheGhost]

They crushed the F-14s?  Those were damn fine planes.

The second pic with the P-51 and the F-16 is desktop material, if it was bigger.