one single day we lose 1 Thunderbird and 1 Blue Angels plane...
06-03-2016, 06:09 AM
#1
one single day we lose 1 Thunderbird and 1 Blue Angels plane...
How eerie and random for that to happen within hours of each other, that our Military's 2 main flight demo teams would lose a aircraft on the same day.. Sadly the Blue Angels pilot didn't survive, but the Thunderbird pilot was able to eject after flying his plane out of civilians harms way.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/02/politi...ash/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/02/politi...ash/index.html
Last edited by GSXR1000; 06-03-2016 at 06:56 AM.
06-03-2016, 09:09 AM
#2
Yes Sir , a tragedy when any life is lost and I offer a prayer to God for the lost Airman .As to the aircraft themselves ; I've never been one to become so attached to mechanical contrivances as to actually mourn the loss of one . In spite of folk's seeming need to attach human attributes and names to their machinery , I guess being a lifelong mechanic has put the difference between living things VS inanimate objects into perfectly clear focus for me .
That being said , these are machines , deadly machines , and when used as toys , as literal "circus attractions" , and are being operated at the very edges of their design limits for nothing more than to put on a good show , incidents like this WILL happen ! I have always had a "Love/Hate" relationship with airshows , on the one hand I can understand how the public likes to see impressive aerial aerobatics performed by professionals , and on the other hand I can see the patently unsafe condition of , as I said earlier , operating any machine at the very edges of it's design limitations for show , usually right over the heads of the appreciating audience . The words "recipe for disaster" come to mind here .....
06-03-2016, 11:14 AM
#3
Yes, the loss of a Pilots life is worse than the loss of the aircraft themselves.
The last time the Blues lost a plane was in 2007 and the Thunderbirds was in 2003. So these accidents are pretty rare and to have them happen on the same day is even rarer.
The last time the Blues lost a plane was in 2007 and the Thunderbirds was in 2003. So these accidents are pretty rare and to have them happen on the same day is even rarer.
06-03-2016, 01:48 PM
#4
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06-04-2016, 06:34 AM
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The recent news stories about the condition of our military planes due to budget constraints makes me wonder if these crashes were due to having to use old worn out equipment? A recent crash of a Marine Harrier off the coast on N. Carolina
revealed the plane was about 47 years old as I recall (memory). Another news story was about how the services were having to remove spares from existing aircraft to keep the others flying, all due to the current administrations budget slashing
of the military. Our military deserves better than they are receiving right now!
revealed the plane was about 47 years old as I recall (memory). Another news story was about how the services were having to remove spares from existing aircraft to keep the others flying, all due to the current administrations budget slashing
of the military. Our military deserves better than they are receiving right now!
06-04-2016, 09:17 AM
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I personally do not think that our Military especially our military teams that preform for the civilian public would use subpar parts due to budget cuts. I was a aircraft mechanic in both fighter and bomber AFSC's as they were in the early 80' all aircraft get the top of the line parts at no expense. Yes the planes are dated but upon inspection no one would without experience would know the difference, the B52 dates back to the mid 50's and are among the top bombers of today, they were considered to be replaced by the B1 but that was rejected because of it's excellent performance reports of todays standard that really eliminates the subject of age. The accidents were just coincidence that just happened the same day and could not have been foreseen.
06-04-2016, 05:40 PM
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I can assure you that the Blues and the Tbirds get the best of the best equipment with the best of the best mechanics. There is nothing, I mean nothing subpar with these two Show Teams. They are right up there with AirForce One. These two teams might limit shows as far as cutbacks, but they do not compromise safety or integrity.
06-05-2016, 03:54 AM
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I can assure you that the Blues and the Tbirds get the best of the best equipment with the best of the best mechanics. There is nothing, I mean nothing subpar with these two Show Teams. They are right up there with AirForce One. These two teams might limit shows as far as cutbacks, but they do not compromise safety or integrity.
I'm inclined to agree.
Mike
06-05-2016, 05:32 PM
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I had a conversation with a thunderbird pilot a few years back. I did ask if they flew newer aircraft.
He replied by telling me the best and newest were reserved for active military use and that they're planes were well used. He did mention that they we very well maintained. They do keep a few in reserve if there is a problem with one. The show must go on.
He replied by telling me the best and newest were reserved for active military use and that they're planes were well used. He did mention that they we very well maintained. They do keep a few in reserve if there is a problem with one. The show must go on.
06-06-2016, 12:14 PM
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I had a conversation with a thunderbird pilot a few years back. I did ask if they flew newer aircraft.
He replied by telling me the best and newest were reserved for active military use and that they're planes were well used. He did mention that they we very well maintained. They do keep a few in reserve if there is a problem with one. The show must go on.
He replied by telling me the best and newest were reserved for active military use and that they're planes were well used. He did mention that they we very well maintained. They do keep a few in reserve if there is a problem with one. The show must go on.
06-12-2016, 11:36 AM
#14
#6 was a Lemoore guy, where I still have friends that knew him well. We also have friends in Pensacola that are close to their family. So this hits close to home.
It never gets easy. I lost a member of my strike planning team in Desert Storm, a member of a sister squadron not long after that, another on my '98 deployment, and one of my groomsmen a few years later. In my first month at Lemoore some years ago, we lost a young pilot in a mid-air, and one of my peers was killed in a private plane crash just before I retired. It sucks. No way around it. You never get used to it.
It never gets easy. I lost a member of my strike planning team in Desert Storm, a member of a sister squadron not long after that, another on my '98 deployment, and one of my groomsmen a few years later. In my first month at Lemoore some years ago, we lost a young pilot in a mid-air, and one of my peers was killed in a private plane crash just before I retired. It sucks. No way around it. You never get used to it.
06-13-2016, 12:36 PM
#15
#6 was a Lemoore guy, where I still have friends that knew him well. We also have friends in Pensacola that are close to their family. So this hits close to home.
It never gets easy. I lost a member of my strike planning team in Desert Storm, a member of a sister squadron not long after that, another on my '98 deployment, and one of my groomsmen a few years later. In my first month at Lemoore some years ago, we lost a young pilot in a mid-air, and one of my peers was killed in a private plane crash just before I retired. It sucks. No way around it. You never get used to it.
It never gets easy. I lost a member of my strike planning team in Desert Storm, a member of a sister squadron not long after that, another on my '98 deployment, and one of my groomsmen a few years later. In my first month at Lemoore some years ago, we lost a young pilot in a mid-air, and one of my peers was killed in a private plane crash just before I retired. It sucks. No way around it. You never get used to it.
I do remember him being a a aircraft mechanic for both the F-4's and F-16's I do remeber him being a part of the 418th AGS. I remember being able to sit in the cockpit of a F-16, F-4, OV-10 Bronco. I remeber us being stationed at Hill AFB Utah, Shaw AFB South Carolina, and Kadena AFB Okinawa.... Okinawa was cool, we were there when the SR-71 was based there, and I could see and hear when they took off, it was so cool to see them at night. I remember getting to see those up close and being able to go to recon map HQ' and take a look at all the cool non classified pictures...
Of course this was all pre 9/11 when rules and regulations were kinda of lax i guess...
