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Thunderbird F-16 Cockpit FOD

Vzlet From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 820 posts, RR: 0
Posted (5 years 9 months 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 6921 times:

I noticed in some of my shots of a Thunderbird performance at the '07 Andrews show that #5 had checklists or some other charts, papers, etc., unsecured in the cockpit. Seems potentially dangerous and especially surprising for a T-Bird sortie because (I would assume that) every preflight and demo is so scripted.

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"That's so stupid! If they're so secret, why are they out where everyone can see them?" - my kid

6 replies: All unread, jump to last

Moose135 From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 2009 posts, RR: 12
Reply 1, posted (5 years 9 months 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 6871 times:

That's a great catch on that shot - not something you see every day. As to how it happened? Well, sometimes stuff just happens...

I remember one of the first times I did spin training in the T-37 - I pushed the stick forward to break the stall, and the map case between the seats popped open, and various approach plates and nav charts bounced off the canopy and into our laps. Just when I was thinking "I'm going to get chewed out for that", the IP said "Damn, I know I checked that!"

[Edited 2007-08-27 04:10:27]

KC-135 - Passing gas and taking names!

Mark5388916 From United States of America, joined Aug 2007, 377 posts, RR: 0
Reply 2, posted (5 years 9 months 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 6830 times:

Wow good catch, that must have made his day.....

I Love ONT and SNA, the good So Cal Airports! URL Removed as required by mod

FlyUSCG From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 656 posts, RR: 0
Reply 3, posted (5 years 9 months 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 6728 times:

Well from what I've heard it's not all that uncommon. I've had ROTC friends who do their rides in F-16's and have all kinds of stuff hit the canopy when they went inverted. But any other fighter pilots out there can probably add more to that. Plus whenever I was flying in training or right now in the Dash-8, there is so much crap loose in the cockpit. You just dont worry about securing it.

Go Trojans! Fight On!

GimliGlider From Germany, joined Jun 2006, 90 posts, RR: 0
Reply 4, posted (5 years 9 months 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 6673 times:

Yeah, stuff happens, I guess.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vfNrD0sBzUw

Found that on youtube.

Nice shot!

"You could attach that to your house and still go 0-60 in 5 seconds..."

Glideslope From United States of America, joined May 2004, 1542 posts, RR: 0
Reply 5, posted (5 years 9 months 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 6660 times:

There is some neat T-Bird cockpit video on U-Tube. I think it was the 50th tour in 97. Pulling - g's #5 has a pen that just floats up in front of him. He grabs it and sticks it in something below.

"All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved"

Navion From United States of America, joined May 1999, 981 posts, RR: 1
Reply 6, posted (5 years 8 months 3 weeks 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 6269 times:

That youtube video clip is from the year 2000 and it's Thunderbird #5, Major Dean Wright (hence the call sign "Wilbur" as in one of the Wright Brothers). Notice he shoots a bird to Thunderbird #6, Major Kevin Mastin after Mastin, being only a few feet away, sees all of the crap in Major Wrights canopy. Good stuff. By the way, Major Wright as of a year ago was at Holloman Air Force Base flying F-117A's.