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I once flew a military supersonic jet. T this day, I think of that flight as one of the most amazing experiences of my life.
By today’s standards, the jet was a dinosaur. It was an F4, the type of fighter aircraft used in Vietnam by the Air Force. My pilot was a former U.S. fighter jock in ‘Nam and we managed to do about as much as we could in that plane. We had a simulated dogfight with our wing man. We did an Immelman maneuver, climbing straight up before rolling upside down, reaching 4.5 Gs in the process. We did parabolic curves where our bodies were weightless for a few moments. Touch and gos, rolls, prolonged upside down flying and more.
And yes, I really did take the controls. I sat in the rear, strapped tightly into an ejection seat, listening to the sound of my own breathing into the face mask. Suddenly, my pilot told me, “Wanna have some fun? Take the stick and push it hard right or hard left.” Sure, I said, fun sounds good. And around we flipped, 360 degrees. He told me to push the stick in the other direction and we rolled again. I flew the jet for a while after that before he took over. And no, I didn’t get sick. Got close once during the touch and gos, but I never lost it.
I was remembering all this today as I did my usual morning beach session in Fort Lauderdale. This weekend, of course, we’ll be hearing military aircraft of all kinds thundering overhead around Broward County as the McDonald’s Air & Sea Show kicks into gear. The U.S. military’s two top fighter jet demonstration teams take turns coming to Fort Lauderdale for these annual shows, carrying out extraordinary flight maneuvers in machines much more powerful than my old F4. This year it’s the Blue Angels who will dazzle the massive crowds along A1A. Next year, the Thunderbirds will be back. The Canadian version of these teams, the Snowbirds, also will dart across our local skies during the weekend’s events. There’s always a variety of other air and sea demos to watch if you make your way to the beach.
Actually, I’ve always thought the cool thing is that you don’t necessarily have to go to the beach to enjoy the show. It’s all free anyway, thanks to corporate sponsorship. But if you’re not into crowds, just keep your eyes and ears open. You can’t miss some of the action. Each year, I see squadrons of planes flying in formation overhead and then watch the jet fighters flash by in the late afternoon – all without straying far from my home.
So catch some of the show, soak up some of the excitement that always builds around the event and appreciate the skill of these highly trained pilots. And if you are not able to be in town for this, you just might catch some of the air action via the beach webcam right here.
By today’s standards, the jet was a dinosaur. It was an F4, the type of fighter aircraft used in Vietnam by the Air Force. My pilot was a former U.S. fighter jock in ‘Nam and we managed to do about as much as we could in that plane. We had a simulated dogfight with our wing man. We did an Immelman maneuver, climbing straight up before rolling upside down, reaching 4.5 Gs in the process. We did parabolic curves where our bodies were weightless for a few moments. Touch and gos, rolls, prolonged upside down flying and more.
And yes, I really did take the controls. I sat in the rear, strapped tightly into an ejection seat, listening to the sound of my own breathing into the face mask. Suddenly, my pilot told me, “Wanna have some fun? Take the stick and push it hard right or hard left.” Sure, I said, fun sounds good. And around we flipped, 360 degrees. He told me to push the stick in the other direction and we rolled again. I flew the jet for a while after that before he took over. And no, I didn’t get sick. Got close once during the touch and gos, but I never lost it.
I was remembering all this today as I did my usual morning beach session in Fort Lauderdale. This weekend, of course, we’ll be hearing military aircraft of all kinds thundering overhead around Broward County as the McDonald’s Air & Sea Show kicks into gear. The U.S. military’s two top fighter jet demonstration teams take turns coming to Fort Lauderdale for these annual shows, carrying out extraordinary flight maneuvers in machines much more powerful than my old F4. This year it’s the Blue Angels who will dazzle the massive crowds along A1A. Next year, the Thunderbirds will be back. The Canadian version of these teams, the Snowbirds, also will dart across our local skies during the weekend’s events. There’s always a variety of other air and sea demos to watch if you make your way to the beach.
Actually, I’ve always thought the cool thing is that you don’t necessarily have to go to the beach to enjoy the show. It’s all free anyway, thanks to corporate sponsorship. But if you’re not into crowds, just keep your eyes and ears open. You can’t miss some of the action. Each year, I see squadrons of planes flying in formation overhead and then watch the jet fighters flash by in the late afternoon – all without straying far from my home.
So catch some of the show, soak up some of the excitement that always builds around the event and appreciate the skill of these highly trained pilots. And if you are not able to be in town for this, you just might catch some of the air action via the beach webcam right here.
posted by LauderBLOGGER at 7:00 AM
Being a fighter Pilot has to be the coolest job in the world
I love watching the Air and Sea show from a boat off Fort Lauderdale. See my Blog post at Odie's Roadies: Fort Lauderdale: McDonald's Air and Sea Show
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