QF-4N Phantom II launching and AQM-37D. A mainstay mission of VX-30. This was a sub-sonic launch, normally we did super-sonic. I checked my log book when I saw the date, I was sure I was either the shooter or the…
Buy Now
|
The AWARD WINNING Aviator Series (MWSA 2012) catapults the reader into WWII. Action explodes from the pages of novelist LC Shanle's series set in World War II. Experience the battles from the cockpits of fighter aircraft, dangling from parachutes with the Army’s Airborne over France and through the eyes of men trapped in island tropical hells. Written by a retired Naval Aviator and former Paratrooper; the author puts the reader there, as warriors engage in a titanic struggle around the globe. This series offers a rare perspective written by an author that flew modern fighters over the historic battlefields, even from the decks of aircraft carriers that fought in the Pacific. |
Blog Archives
F-4 Phantom Launching an AQM-37D super-sonic target
Posted in Aviator book series, Blog, flight test, Military, Naval Aviation, war bird Tagged with: AQM, AQM-37D, F-4 Phantom II, F-4N, Phantom, QF-4N, super sonic flight
Super Sonic Flow and the Modern Airliner
F/A-18C Super Sonic at 100 feet, a great video. It happens fast, you can see the shock wave as a ball of vapor as the Hornet flashes by. Let’s take a closer look. In this picture you can see the…
Posted in Airline Safety, Airlines, Aviator book series, Blog, blogging in formation, Book, Military, Naval Aviation Tagged with: A-380, Airbus, Airbus 380, f-18, F-4, F-4 Phantom II, F/A-18 Hornet, hornet, Phantom, sonic boom, super sonic, what is area rule
Phantom Attack (part 4)
Our two Phantoms came off target in formation. Quickly I pushed my wing man back into combat spread. We weren’t done by a long shot. “Beaver, picture between Shantini and Texaco?” Texaco was the KC-135 inflight refueler orbiting 200 miles…
Posted in Aviator book series, Blog, Book, Featured, Military, Naval Aviation, Vengeance Tagged with: ACM, air combat, dog fighting, f-18, F-18 hornet, F-4, F-4 Phantom II, F-4N, F-4S, fleetx, fox 2, gun kill, hornet, Naval Aviation, navy, navy fighters, Phantom, Phantom 2, Phantom II, radar lock, top gun, usn, War at sea
Solo Flight
Sliding the throttles outboard, I eased them further forward into the afterburner range. I heard the boom as they lit and began to stage, a quick glance at the burner can gauge showed the exhaust nozzles opening all the way,…
Posted in Asides, Aviator book series, Blog, blogging in formation, Featured, Military, Naval Aviation, Vengeance Tagged with: EA-6B, EA-6B Prowler, F-4 Phantom II, F-4N, Phantom, Solo flight, T-28, T-28B, T-28B Trojan, T-2C, T-2C Buckeye, usn
Phantom Attack (part 3)
BLUEBIRD transmitted over the shot common frequency meant an Aegis Class Cruiser had entered the fight. Not good! The Aegis class was an SM-2-ER shooter, a particularly nasty Surface to Air Missile (SAM). The Spy 1 radar system could literally…
Posted in Asides, Aviator book series, Blog, flight test, Military, Naval Aviation, Vengeance Tagged with: ACM, air combat, dog fighting, F-4, F-4 Phantom II, F-4N, F-4S, fleetx, fox 2, gun kill, navy, navy fighters, Phantom, Phantom 2, Phantom II, radar lock, top gun, usn, War at sea
Phantom Phlashback…in the Phight! (part 2)
“Bloodhound 101, LA Center, switch Beaver control 354.5” “Flight go.” I dialed the manual frequency in the UHF radio. “Beaver Control, Bloodhound 101 flight of four Phantoms checking in for your control.” “Roger Bloodhound, squawk 1001, have your section leader…
Posted in Aviator book series, Blog, flight test, Military, Naval Aviation, Vengeance Tagged with: ACM, air combat, dog fighting, F-4, F-4 Phantom II, F-4N, F-4S, fox 2, gun kill, navy, navy fighters, Phantom, Phantom 2, Phantom II, radar lock, top gun, usn
Phantom II Plashback (part 1)
“Tower, Bloodhound 101, flight of four, take off.” “Bloodhound 101, Point Mugu tower, you are clear to take off runway 11.” I tapped my helmet over the ear then held up 5 fingers to switch my flight to button 5…
Posted in Aviator book series, Blog, flight test, Military, Naval Aviation, Vengeance Tagged with: ACM, air combat, dog fighting, F-4, F-4 Phantom II, F-4N, F-4S, navy, navy fighters, Phantom, Phantom 2, Phantom II, top gun, usn
Vintage Aircraft Carrier Operations (1971)
Some great old footage of F-4 Phantom IIs, A-5 Vigilantes and F-8 Crusaders; enjoy!
Posted in Blog, Military, Naval Aviation, Vengeance Tagged with: A-5, carrier landings, carrier operations, catapults, Crisader, F-4, F-8, landing on ship, navy, Navy F-4, navy fighters, Phantom, usn, Vigilante
Pilot Shortage
As my readers know I have been writing about a looming pilot shortage for years. The world economic downturn, age 65, industry consolidation and gutted airline pilot contracts; have all slowed the pace. Two things are now evident: first, retirements…
Posted in Airline Safety, Airlines, Military, Pilot shortage, Vengeance Tagged with: 707, air force pilot, airline pilot shortage, airline pilots, Airline Safety, Airlines, attack pilots, fighter pilots, fly by, military pilots, Naval Aviation, Phantom, picture of 707, picture of f-14, picture of f-4, pilot shortage, pilots, tail hook, tail hooker, tomcat, USAF