I got buzzed by a jet fighter

**sAsLEX** · 21st March 2008, 18:50

Originally Posted by Mental-Trousers

Don't you mean C130 Hercules?? We don't have any C17's and the 6:00pm News would tell everyone if there was a C5 in the country.

EDIT the Aussies have C17's so maybe it was one of those. If it had a T shaped tail plane it was probably a C17.

Lots of Merkin trans planes down here during summer leaving CHCH mainly for the ice.

**Swoop** · 21st March 2008, 19:11

Originally Posted by Mikkel

It's a shame about the F-14s - they are very cool looking fighterplanes, I'm tempted to say Iconic. But I guess they are pretty dated now a days.

The Tom was only just hitting its full capabilities when it was withdrawn from service. The D model was just superb.
A very sad day when the US Navy traded them in for a lower quality aircraft.

Originally Posted by Mikkel

An Aardvark? Are you sure... That's the F-111(F/G/H - or something like that) and are designed for electronic warfare (ECM) and target spotting (laser).

You are probably thinking of the "Wild Weasel". "Spark Vark" jammer aircraft.

Originally Posted by Quartermile

F 15's theres a fuggin iconic jet, AWSOME AS!!!

Bloody overpriced pea-shooters...

Originally Posted by MisterD

A10's which I can tell you are surprisingly quiet. I didn't think it was possible to creep up on someone in a jet, but it is....no wonder they give tank crews the shits!

About as loud as a washing machine on spin cycle. Beautiful aircraft!!!

Originally Posted by Mental-Trousers

Don't you mean C130 Hercules?? We don't have any C17's and the 6:00pm News would tell everyone if there was a C5 in the country.

The NEWS did exactly that. You must have been watching the "propaganda network" TV One news...
The Aussies have a C17 here for Wanaka.

**Robert Taylor** · 21st March 2008, 19:25

Originally Posted by lb99

I got buzzed by a jet fighter today, I hav'nt got a clue what it was, but from looking at pictures it may have been an f14.
It took off from woodbourne airbase just after lunch, did a circuit of the plains, then fucked off at full notes RIGHT OVER THE MOUNTAIN I WAS WORKING 0N TOP OF, fuck it was loud, do any of you lot know for sure what it was?

the government should recommission the Skyhawks, even if its for no yse other than to boost the moral of all the petrol-heads out there

Add to that a whole generation of schoolboys that have missed out on such excitement because of one womans ( woman? ) shonky view of the world.

Warplanes rock!

**Mental Trousers** · 21st March 2008, 19:52

Originally Posted by Swoop

The NEWS did exactly that. You must have been watching the "propaganda network" TV One news...
The Aussies have a C17 here for Wanaka.

The only thing I watch on tv is motor sport mate. Otherwise I get all my news from the kb unsubstantiated rumour grape vine

**DingoZ** · 21st March 2008, 20:14

P/T on the supposed STEALTH Plane. Was on board the carrier for the making of the movie Stealth, which starred Jamie Fox, some white dude, and that "Female" pilot - Kara Wade was her screen name....Jessica Beil is her real name

**gunnyrob** · 21st March 2008, 20:23

Being in the Air force for 25 years pretty makes me qualified to flex my plane spotting expertise....

Aussies are now the only user of F-111's. They started off with 24 F-111Cs, then a couple of years ago they bought a stack of F-111Gs and spares to replace the ones they crashed. Of the ones they pranged in NZ, one was at Ohakea, another in the Hauraki Gulf as previously described.

The F-111B was a Navy variant that was stillborn, but that led directly to the development of the F-14 Tomcat.

The Tomcats were all retired last year. Note that they had reached the end of their lives, all the wiring was completely shot, & maintenance was a real bastard. They are now replaced by the F-18E & F Super Hornets. These have a real shit hot Radar & use updated AMRAAM Missiles. Navy pilots love 'em (Talked to a Hornet Driver last year)

Even the F-15s are getting dated. Recently they took a Sqn to India, who fly the latest variant of the SU-27 Flanker, and got their asses handed to them. Also, one had it's entire cockpit break off just in front of the air intakes during heavy air combat practice due to fatigue. Approx 40% of the fleet is still grounded.

The F117 Stealth fighters will all be retired this year too.

Main focus for the yanks is the F-22. They now have an operational Sqn. During mock ACM, two F-22s totally wasted a Sqn of F-15s before they were even detected. Aussies & Israelis have expressed interest in them, but are likely to go with the F-35 instead.

Aaaah, fighter aircraft.... Closest we have now are seasprites, at least we have missiles. (Here's me loading one now!)

**gunnyrob** · 21st March 2008, 20:25

Oh, yeah, the movie "stealth" sucked.

totally.

**Mental Trousers** · 21st March 2008, 20:42

Originally Posted by gunnyrob

Even the F-15s are getting dated. Recently they took a Sqn to India, who fly the latest variant of the SU-27 Flanker, and got their asses handed to them.

That would've been an interesting exercise. The American military doesn't like it when they get owned during friendlies.

Originally Posted by gunnyrob

The F117 Stealth fighters will all be retired this year too.

There's going to be a bit of a gap in offensive capabilities with those gone because the IOC for the F35 isn't until sometime in 2011. However the B2 and F/A18 will probably cover all of the F117's roles until the F35's turn up.

**Rogue** · 21st March 2008, 20:44

They seem to get around

a jet flew over me tuesday about midday while I was in the Whareorino Forest

never got to see it but it was FAST and LOUD

**gunnyrob** · 21st March 2008, 20:52

Here's the hot poop:

A recent exercise with the Indian Air Force is causing U.S. Air Force officials to re-evaluate the way the service trains its fighter pilots while bolstering the case for buying the F/A-22 as a way to ensure continued air dominance for the United States, according to service officials.

“The major takeaway for the Air Force is that our prediction of needing to replace the F-15 with the F/A-22 is proving out as we get smarter and smarter about other [countries’] capabilities around the world and what technology is limited to in the F-15 airframe,” said Col. Mike Snodgrass, commander of the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base, AK. “We’ve taken [the F-15] about as far as we can and it’s now time to move to the next generation.”

Although service officials have been reluctant to detail how the Indians performed against the six F-15Cs from the 3rd Wing that participated in Cope India, Rep. Duke Cunningham (R-CA) said in a Feb. 26 House Appropriations defense subcommittee hearing that U.S. F-15Cs were defeated more than 90 percent of the time in direct combat exercises against the IAF.

**limbimtimwim** · 22nd March 2008, 08:20

Originally Posted by gunnyrob

said Col. Mike Snodgrass, commander of the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base, AK. “We’ve taken [the F-15] about as far as we can and it’s now time to move to the next generation.”

Sounds like they took knives to a sword fight so they could show daddy they needed a gun.

**Dak** · 24th March 2008, 17:32

While we are at it, fark this is low, would of been awesome to be there.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYfhC9ft_hk&feature=related[/YOUTUBE]

**Swoop** · 24th March 2008, 20:35

Originally Posted by gunnyrob

Rep. Duke Cunningham (R-CA) said in a Feb. 26 House Appropriations defense subcommittee hearing that U.S. F-15Cs were defeated more than 90 percent of the time in direct combat exercises against the IAF.

Not surprising since the IAF has MIG-29's & Su-30's .
I wonder if that "Duke Cunningham" is the one and the same as the F-4 driver?