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Originally Posted by MNBoxster
Hi,
Don't call me Sir - I haven't worn any Rank for quite a while and I'm not that old... 
Ironically, I may well have escorted the very ship you're flying. When we flew MigCap, we escorted Buffs both to and from the target areas. These usually flew in 3 plane formations in which one, an H model (latest and last of the series) carried only ECM gear.
IIRC, only the H models are still flying and the last of these rolled off the line in Wichta back in '62. Amazing that this aircraft, the precursor of most modern commercial aircraft would be so enduring.
It was amazing the power these things could exert, we could actually feel the concussion waves from the ordinance...and this was at angels 30!! I can't imagine what it would be like to have been on the ground.
Not my thing though - you guys have something like 16 hr. endurance, IMHO, that's waay too long for a Government Job. Longest sortie I ever flew was like 8.5 hrs. and I thought I was gonna die. BTW, you should changed your screen name to Steel RainMan... lol
Happy Motoring!... Jim'99 |
Ok no more Sirs
I'm sure you did escort some of the jets I've flown. And the great part is they are supposed to be around another 33 years. Since they sat on alert so long none of the jets have that many hours for their age. At the current hrs/yr we are putting on them they say the wing supports (I'm pretty sure thats what it is) will need upgraded and that's when they will go down in 2040.
I'm not sure what the longest sortie has been (I'll have to find out but wikipedia says it's 35) but I know that they flew some 24+hr sorties back in Desert Storm. It's a little different that a fighter cockpit though because we can get out of the seat, almost stand up, and walk in a small circle or go to the piss funnel.