I honestly love getting buzzed but give me some notice....

SO I CAN GET MY CAMERA!!!


This past weekend Fi FI the B29 was in the air over El Paso (took off from the airport)....no camera.

A few minutes ago 3 P-51's and a P-38 all took off together from the airport....no camera. This was my first time seeing and hearing a P38. I'm sure it was the first one off the strip and when it came over (with the P51's right behind) I knew it was a high performance engine but couldn't place it. Got it locked in the brain now. The dual sound of the P38 and P51 together threw me for a curve until I realized it was 4 aircraft not just 1. Man I love this place.

Since being here for thepast 6 months I've been buzzed by F/A 18, T38s, Guppy, Atlantis on piggyback of a 747, F-15 (I think--it wasdark), AH64, AH1, and I'm sure I'm leaving something out. Dang it, give me warning so I can grab the camera before you're gone.

You have Everything and then some at White Sands just N. of you.

Some of the things you might see out there are not allowed to be photographed so be careful, depending on your location, of what you take a snapshot of. It's posted!

There is a little regional airport near my house and they have a dustoff unit there and I am truly blessed to get frequently overflown by all sorts of stuff, albeit mostly rotary wing.

Used to be a lot of Hueys, I was nearly moved to tears when what I think was a D or M model flew past last week. Definitely not the USMC N model. A good Huey story later. Made me wonder "who is flying that old dude around?"

Blackhawks, Chinooks, some Ospreys recently, etc.


Hueys: This Medevac unit used to be all Hueys until Ga. finally got Blackhawks. So we used to have Hueys all the time. I mean constantly. A few years ago, we had 5 or 6 deuces in the backyard. I was sick on a Saturday and by myself playing video games. I heard the distinctive whopwhopwhopwhop sound and it got louder and louder and louder and then it just stayed the same. For a looong time. Like 30 seconds. So I got off the sofa, went out the back door and here sits this Huey, maybe 500-1000' up, hovering over my backyard. He's so low that I can clearly see the helmet of the guy leaning out of the rear door and looking straight down into my backyard!



I was about to start looking for GL invoices to prove they were ours when they took off.

I last saw FiFi in Midland, TX (sounds like i'm talking about a stripper doesn't it) when it was in the middle of it's restoration-amazing aircraft!!!!

I shot our Huey about an hour ago. I get paid to do this

You'd better have a camera ready if an UFO flys by.

Naw, that's Roswell---4 hours to the north.

Clint,

My medevac story is a little more intense and deals with the Wyoming Army National Guard (Cheyenne Medevac) and that one still comes back to me clear as if it happened an hour ago. I think I'll leave it at that and if you want to hear the story of it (it opens in 1991 and has a conclusion in 2004) you willhave to buy me a beer or 3 and get my tongue wagging. But then you may have to put up with my AT4 story, my English speaking Croat sentry story (quick but funny), my 'how slick willie left me hanging' story and probably a few others that many may try to throw the BS flag but each has witnesses (LOL).

I read the title and I though you where talking about an adult beverage.


Your CARNAC, you should already know when they will be flying by.

Put one of those dash cams on your forehead and you will be ready all the time.

Living close to Tinker AFB, I see alot of different aircraft. AWACS mostly, B-Ones, Alot of the F-XX series, Blackhawks, A few Hueys, Air Force One occasionally. Not many Ospery.

Have you seen any of the new LASH's or whatever the new choppers that only the Guard are getting? The ones that are supplimenting the Blackhawks to replace the rest of the Huey fleet?

I saw FiFi last year and it was a huge treat.

The most shocking sighting for me was a J-Star at BTL in lowly Michigan. I was in a company truck going out to see a customer and it was a low overcast day. All of a sudden I see that big bird with the unmistakable pod on the bottom drop from the ceiling and drag the field. It was just surprising to see one of them considering there are less than 20 and we were in a war.

clinto said:

So I got off the sofa, went out the back door and here sits this Huey, maybe 500-1000' up, hovering over my backyard. He's so low that I can clearly see the helmet of the guy leaning out of the rear door and looking straight down into my backyard!

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70Deuce has guys from Patterson AFB buzz his place quite frequently. The Blackhawks have been known to hangout for a better look at his motorpool.

I have lived my whole life working in aviation. Both military and civilian. When 911 occurred and our FedEx fleet stopped taking off, my wife and I could not sleep. We're only 1/2 mile off the end of a runway. The sounds and smell of jet A is comforting to us.

As far as Med-a-vac or search and rescue or recovery goes, I have almost 2k of hours in a Huey (single engine all weather freedom fighter). Ole Bell hotel when deployed. When you rescue someone or recover remains for a family, it's the greatest feeling. Not all success stories. But never had anyone not happy that we did all we could do.

Got a chance to see a B-25 up close and tour it inside and out. Gave me a great perspective on my Great uncles job as tail gunner and what it was like when he was shot down in WW2. When I finally get to retire, I need to find a place close to a small airport for sure.

Lesson learned, keep a camera with you.

That would be awesome! Never heard a P-38 in real life! Gotta love that awesome sound of a high performance machine! Ever thought about a camcorder or similar device? Would love to hear and watch your next adventure!
God bless,
Tony

You guys are "Plane Nuts" too. I also thought this would be a drinking thread. Here's a couple of 2013 airshow links so the buzz can be scheduled.
http://www.airshownetwork.com/all_shows.html
http://www.milavia.net/airshows/calendar/showdates-2013-north_america-CA.html

If you can fly RC's you can get videos of the flyby's for us.

Here's a friend's first video of a little flight from our farm from the pilots POV. We'll call first if we fly over and buzz ya.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvWea4iVN94

.....and don't worry about the ufo's, they're up in New York.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=7c2_1362005131

mdmorgan said:

Lesson learned, keep a camera with you.

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Absolutely.....snapped this one with the family on the way to Disney (and the Pilot was totally cool having my little guy in the cockpit)



And my "prior" hobby was building and flying large scale R/C (until I added up what I spent on every crash....about a nice M923 from GL)......here's a video I put up a few years ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgN7toNH3ng

I've never been to Roswell, officially. I've been to White Sands missile range N. of El Paso.

It's funny. Every Sunday, we have the F-15 test pilot fly south of us, turn on the afterburners and break the sound barrier as part of his test. It' routine. When we get visitors, they duck to the double sound boom. I almost don't even notice it any more, unless it is one of those very rare days, one in a hundred, when I want to hit the ground. Seeing them want to duck, when he is up about 30,000 feet plus, and it used to be me doing so about 35 years ago, reminds me of my youth when I was doing the same. Even here, there are inexplicable flying craft at night that no one can explain or talk about. And I've worked control towers, RAPCON facilities, ground radar, flight testing and all sorts of things where someone would know, but lips are sealed at the appropriate time.

Just wondering if there is a scheduled Air Show in the area in the next few months where they are test flying some of those old beasts. We see some of those at Robins just before the Air Show here, but they would be more plentiful out there in the desert.

Neophyte, that is one bad arse model. Did the left wing take a hit on that flight? Looks like it might be a bit more limp in post flight then the right one.

Neophyte said:

And my "prior" hobby was building and flying large scale R/C (until I added up what I spent on every crash....about a nice M923 from GL)......here's a video I put up a few years ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgN7toNH3ng

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I'm waiting for the video that a bunch of GI Joe figures jump out with parachutes on...

He broke the outer main spar at the nacelle on the landing bounce. As rough as that was, it's a testament to the builder it didn't fall apart.

This makes me want to go build that Nobeler kit I have been hording since I was 12...

Heath_h49008 said:

He broke the outer main spar at the nacelle on the landing bounce. As rough as that was, it's a testament to the builder it didn't fall apart.

This makes me want to go build that Nobeler kit I have been hording since I was 12...

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Thank you. I originally used birch ply for spars, then went with carbon fiber (that was about a 50 hour repair, did both sides, dug out the gorrilla glue'd spars from the foam cores). Nobel kits....thats about 60 years old. My first was a Royal P-38.....a box of sticks, nothing pre-cut..."shape block of balsa into gondola". Fun hobby, though way too much time for something that can be turned into a pile of kindling in a split second.