OT Message to the Tornado Crew

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

If you two gentlemen from the RAF... flying the Tornado over the Northumberland countryside at approx 1:15pm this afternoon happen by chance to read this..I want you to know, that flying that low with your afterburners on..was not only shocking, noisy and a disturbance to wildlife...but also fantastic, exciting and brilliant!...please do it more!

[ConradB 0]

I know that one Widowmaker. The ex-Mrs and I lived in the east/ west landing path to the old Stapleton Airport in Denver. On a holiday weekend, we were suprised by the rumble of piston engined aircraft. Going out into the yard, we were treated to a B-29, B-17, and B-24, followed by 4 B-25s, and 7 P-51s. All at the same time, and everything in the house rattled. The china in cabinet even rattled and you could watch a glass on the dining table move as it vibrated from the engine noise. The ex became a real warbird watcher after that. She works close to a small airpark on the south side of Denver now, and calls me everytime she hears or sees an old warbird take off or land.

 

But having all those old bombers fly over at once, it made the fillings in your teeth rattle.

[Slartibartfast 153]

Was in the Falklands about 11 years ago at Mount Kent and had the pleasure of seeing them everyday coming over below around the place... Saying that though going for a spin around said Islands in said swinger was even better...

[MikeDixonUK 5]

I was woken up alarmed not too long ago by (what sounded like) a low flying Tornado, I put my thumbs up then went back to sleep.

 

About two years ago I was surprised to see a Lancaster Bomber flying over our Village, it was quite eerie (in that goosebumps kind of way) as I don't remember it making any particular sound as you'd imagine it would, despite it being quite close.

[Slartibartfast 153]

Aaaahh the sound of 4 Rolls Royce Merlins what a sound... its between that and 4 Rolls Royce Olympus engines in Full Reheat on take off (Yeah I know they gave them a fancy name) the sound we don't hear anymore unless you prefer it non-reheat and now we are talking that Avro Vulcan sound is something special...

[Galand 0]

As a 4 year old boy living in Flandersin 1945, I distinctly remember one day a large groups of airplanes coming over in late morning. Everything in the house was vibrating like ConradB describes. I guess it must have been a large day-raid by American bombers. My mother made us kids take shelter in the basement, which I felt was grossly unfair since my elder brothers were allowed to stay outside to watch.

The rumbling vibration made a strong impression on me.

Edited February 16, 2010 by Galand

[NS13Jarhead 6]

Two stories:

When I moved to Pensacola, FL for some military training, I failed to really look at a map prior to renting my townhouse. Turns out my new place was 3 to 4 miles out on the approach to Runway 07. Periodically, the Blue Angels' F/A-18s would come in for landing in low in a seven plane formation that rattled the entire neighborhood.

 

About six months ago, I was driving near Manassas, VA and I heard a strange airplane engine. I searched the skies and much to my surprise, I saw a navy blue F4U Corsair flying around! There was no airshow or anything, so it was apparently someone who owns one and had taken it up for a joyride.

[stumpjumper 3]

GROWING UP IN LOUISVILLE KY I WAS LUCKY TO BE IN THE DIRECT APPROACH AND LANDING OF THE 123 AW AND 165 FIGHTER SQUAD FOR THE ANG, NOW THEY ARE STRICTLY AN AN TRANSPORT UNIT FLYIGN C-130'S BUT DURING THE 70'S AND 80'S THEY FLEW PHANTOMS, AND ON A DAILY BASIS THEY WOULD SCREAM OVEHEAD THE HOSUE NO MORE THAN 2000 FT USALLY WITH FULL AFTERBURNERS, WE HAD THE PRIVLDGE TO HAVEONE PIOLT THAT REALLY ENJOYED DOING BARREL ROLLS ON HIS ASCENT AND HE FLEW ON FRIDAYS AROUND 330 PM RIGHT AFTER SCHOOL SO THAT WAS ALWAYS ATREAT ON THE WALK HOME TO LISTEN AND WATCH HIM, ONCE A YEAR USALLY IN JULY WE WOULD ALSO PRIVLEDGE TO HAVE A UNIT FORM SOMEHWERE COME IN WITHT THE C-5 GALXY'S FOR ONE WEEK THEY WOULD COME IN ON THE HOUR AND COMPLETY SHAKE THE HOUSE, A FRIEND OF MY FATHER WORKED CRASH FIRE AND RESCUE AND I WOULD OCCASIONALLY BE LUCKY TO GET TO RIDE WITH HIM AS THEY WOUDL COME IN, NOTHING BETTER THAN SEEING THOSE PLANES TAKE OFF AND THE WASH FORM THEM WOULD USALLY BLOW SOME OF THE GLASS MARKER LIGHT COVERS OFF I STILLHAVE A FEW FORM THSOE DAYS

[carrick58 23]

Used to hear F-18s as they departed a nearby airfield in calif, They are just to loud. However, I was at an airshow and a restored merlin motor started up in a flyable Hurricaine. This was followed by 2 P-51s starting up and I must say it was the sweetest sound that I ever heard except for my wife saying I do.

[Akmatov 1]

I didn't know there were still so many of the old multi-engine warbirds around.

 

I live just east of Davis-Monthan AFB and get to watch C-130s, F-16s and A-10s pretty regularly. Plus whatever allied airforce wants to play out at the bombing range up north. Right now there are some RAF tornados down on the snow-bird ramp. They are definitely a bit louder than some. Last spring I heard something strange and went out to find two planes practicing for the air show circuit. Flying in front was a brightly painted P-51 and behind it a much bigger gray shark-like F-4. Looked like the F-4 was about to swallow the P-51! :)

[Rickitycrate 10]

So a few years back the wife and I are on one of our Maui trips and we are out for a day drive and circled the island. We stopped at a very remote area along the shore that had some natural rock arches. We're just silently taking it all in and contemplating Gods handiwork when all of a sudden we were buzzed or zoomed at very low level by 2 military jets. Not being a jet guy I can't say what they were. It ruined the moment but it made my day.

 

Did anyone else notice that when Stumpjumper used all caps his spelling greatly improved? I'm cool with that.

[Flyby PC 23]

Maybe RAF pilots will know whether Longformacus is on any special flightpath?

 

I was working there on somebody's chimneys about 10 yrs ago or so when a low flying Herc passed overhead. Having once upon a time jumped out of them, I was quite touched when the dispatcher waved. Couldn't guess the height but it was low, and both side doors were open because you could see daylight right through. My first thought was there might have been a drop, but not in that area and they weren't pulling in any static lines. Low flying wasn't unusual, but it just seemed a little odd to be so low and so close to a house. It also wasn't the usual camo, but a silvery grey colour. I don't recall the date, but about a month later, there were stories about the Spectre Gunships in Iraq and I wondered a little bit. I'm 100% sure it wasn't a gunship, but it all seemed 'odd'. I was very impressed, but a few days later, at the same job, a Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster flew over on it's way to some airshow. (Battle of Britain Memorial Flight). In the middle of nowhere! Couldn't believe my luck.

 

I have to say however much as I love the sound of Merlins, the most impressive sound I've ever heard was a Vulcan Bomber taking off at Leuchars airshow. That was so loud that the ground trembled and the air actually physically crackled. It was scary loud.

 

I've also got a soft spot for Sea King helos. I remember being very cold, very wet, very hungry, and very dirty after a night exercise, and lined up in sticks to be lifted off the range. We were about the last ones out, but every time a helo landed, we got a massive belt of warm air from the exhaust. Damn it felt good....

[NS13Jarhead 6]

Quite a few still fly, for the Confederate Air Force.

Sorry to break the news, Unc,

 

Due to the dreaded disease of political correctness, I believe they've renamed the CFA as the "Commemorative" Air Force.

[FastCargo 412]

Sorry to break the news, Unc,

 

Due to the dreaded disease of political correctness, I believe they've renamed the CFA as the "Commemorative" Air Force.

 

Yes, they have. Damn it.

 

I would say the loudest jet noise I've heard was the sound of 2 B-1Bs taking off at a 12 second interval on parallel runways at Nellis AFB during flag. Me and a bud, since we weren't flying that day, decided to go out between the runways to watch.

 

First and only time I've ever actually gotten physically ill from noise...and I flew the damn things!

 

Surprisingly, a F-22 is nearly as loud as a B-1B all by itself...that's some serious power.

 

The best flyby was at home when my wife and I are working out in the yard. We live under the base leg of the airport nearby, and so we see commerical and light aircraft traffic a lot. However, we were hearing a steadily increasing prop noise that didn't sound familiar...when all of a sudden 2 B-25s with 2 T-6s roared overhead at about 1000 AGL. My neighbors thought I was probably the biggest idiot jumping around my yard like a schoolkid, laughing and grinning like a maniac afterward!

 

Coolest unintentional flyby ever!

 

FC

Edited February 17, 2010 by FastCargo

[MikeDixonUK 5]

Nothing like the howl of a Vulcan Bomber to make small children wet themselves though.

 

My older brother stood under one in a museum years ago and even that made him start crying.

[Rickitycrate 10]

When I was a kid playing in the yard with my brother I could have sworn a SPAD XIII flew overhead. I remember being afraid it was going to fall out of the sky.

 

A few years back at Oshkosh the stealth fighter and the SR-71 Blackbird did flybys at low alt. I saw so many great planes that weekend. Celebration of the US Airforcce 50th Anniversary. What a show.

[stumpjumper 3]

Did anyone else notice that when Stumpjumper used all caps his spelling greatly improved? I'm cool with that.

 

 

JSUT CONSIDER IT A SIDE EFFECT FROM ALLTHE MEDS IM ON ANYMORE

[ConradB 0]

Don't sweat it Stumpjumper. My best friend in school sufferred from severe dyslexia. I used to have to translate his papers for Miss Olsen, which I didn't mind. She was a young lady fresh outta college, and I enjoyed every minute of it. That was of course back when there were no special ed classes in the public school system.

[Flyby PC 23]

Talking about things that are about to fall from the sky, I also remember seeing a Lancaster flying for the first time, must have been 14 or so and I remember thinking if you threw a brick at it you'd have a fair to middling chance of hitting it. It seemed miraculous that any of these aircraft made it back from a raid where people were shooting guns at them. Like the Boeings, they were built tough because they had to be.