Some nice color RAF WWII photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8270787@N07/sets/72157605269786717/show/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8270787@N07/sets/72157605269786717/show/
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The Great, Constantly Changing Picture Gallery...part DEUX
- Thread starter Gatordev
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120728-F-IG195-290 PACIFIC OCEAN (July 28, 2012) An Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 465th Air Refueling Squadron refuels a Marine Corps F-18 Hornet over Hawaii during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2012 exercise. Twenty-two nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in the biennial RIMPAC exercise from June 29 to Aug. 3, in and around the Hawaiian Islands. The world'Äôs largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world'Äôs oceans. RIMPAC 2012 is the 23rd exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Staff Sgt. Stephany D. Richards/Released)
120802-N-MH210-279 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Aug. 2, 2012) MH-60S Seahawk helicopters assigned to the Golden Falcons of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 12 fire flares alongside the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Lincoln is en route to the United States to complete an eight-month change-of-homeport deployment during which it operated in the U.S. 5th, 6th and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Zachary A. Anderson/Released)
120802-N-HB951-314 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Aug. 2, 2012) F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2 conduct an air power demonstration over the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Lincoln is en route to the United States to complete an eight-month change-of-homeport deployment during which it operated in the U.S. 5th, 6th and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Phylicia A. Sorenson/Released)
120802-N-DI587-241 SEATTLE (Aug. 2, 2012) Lt. C.J. Simonsen, in the #5 aircraft, Lt. Dave Tickle, in the #6 aircraft, both solo pilots assigned to the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, fly in formation with Team Oracle Airshow Performer Sean Tucker during a photo shoot near Seattle. The Blue Angels are in Seattle to perform during Seafair. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Rachel McMarr/Released)
This was fun to see from the hold~short line:
Yup, good ol' B-17G "Sentimental Journey", home-based at Falcon Field... 1/2 mile west of my home in Mesa, AZ. She would often fly directly over the house (loud & low) on departure/arrival. You could tell it was 'Journey' by the impressive engine roar, before she came into view. Never heard of any "noise pollution" complaints, however.
Most weekends during the airshow season she would be showing her stuff at various airshows nationwide, providing rides for $$$ to help with maintnance costs... and stars annually as the centerpiece of the summer WWII USO dance/show at the old CAF hangar at Falcon Field. A historic aviation gem (just hope nothing bad ever happens to her) .....IRREPLACEABLE!
BzB
The First Time I Ever Saw Anti-Missile Flares.... Scared The Crap Out Of Me!
120802-N-MH210-279 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Aug. 2, 2012) ..../Released)
TINS - Early on in the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese had only radar guided SAMs. Therefore, other than our onboard ECM, we carried only chaff bundles to confuse and hopefully defeat enemy SAMs. Then late in the war the intel. rumor was that the bad guys now had IR guided SAMS too. So our chaff dispensers were now loaded with a mixture of chaff and flares for either type of SAM, instead of chaff only.
Although my RO and I might have punched out a few flares when we were targeted by enemy SAMs earlier, they would have gone unseen by me, behind our aircraft. It would be a little later that I would finally see a countermeasure flare for the first time.
With our skipper in the lead, our section had hit a large POL storage site west of Haiphong. We were taking heavy fire on our egress, so we got down low, fast, and jinked violently along the Thai Binh River to the Gulf. Passing by Haiphong we received multiple SAM launch warnings with aural tones and cockpit red lights flashing like a major crime scene.
Still taking AAA fire and about 300' in trail of my lead, I suddenly saw these immensely bright orange balls of fire trailing white smoke and coming straight at me, seemingly out of nowhere! Yikes! They were exceptionally close, zinging right by my cockpit as we were doing in excess of 600 Kts. I thought they were some new kind of super secret new enemy weapon that was obviously extremely accurate. Indeed I thought we were goners!
Fortunately my RO calmed my near panic. He said those incoming fireballs being 'shot' at us were really the skipper's new anti-missile flares being expended from his F-4 because of the SAMs fired at us. Wow, what a relief!
However to this day, whenever I see a photo of anti-missile flares, I immediately flash back to that dangerous day long ago, when I saw my first one.
RadicalDude
Social Justice Warlord
First time I got a face full of flares in Key West scared the shit outta me, too.
The only flares I ever experienced were those @%&(*!$ MK-24 Paraflares we carried for night truck thumps along the HCM trail. Flickering, shadow-producing, vertigo-generators (along with being the principal culprit in the ORISKANY tragedy). Damned touchy to handle & carry also, always sweated having one accidently ignite in- flight, especially being attached to the underside of the Scooter wet-wing!
We were prohibited from ever trapping with unexpended or hung flare(s), CBUs, or napalm!
BzB
120802-N-HB951-314 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Aug. 2, 2012) F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2 conduct an air power demonstration over the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Lincoln is en route to the United States to complete an eight-month change-of-homeport deployment during which it operated in the U.S. 5th, 6th and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Phylicia A. Sorenson/Released)
No Family Wagons or Hummers?
Don't remember if I ever carried any of those flares. But I will never forget trying to do 40 degree night bombing with those "flickering, shadow-producing, vertigo-generators" allegedly trying to illuminate the target... either in training around the Salton Sea, or for real around the Mu Ghia Pass.The only flares I ever experienced were those @%&(*!$ MK-24 Paraflares we carried for night truck thumps along the HCM trail. Flickering, shadow-producing, vertigo-generators (along with being the principal culprit in the ORISKANY tragedy). Damned touchy to handle & carry also, always sweated having one accidently ignite in- flight, especially being attached to the underside of the Scooter wet-wing!
We were prohibited from ever trapping with unexpended or hung flare(s), CBUs, or napalm!
BzB
As a newly winged nugget and fresh caught F-4 driver, I couldn't believe anybody could night bomb with those damn things. It was f'n crazy! As the flares swung back and forth in their chutes as you know, the shadows danced, ebbed and flowed. Terrible vertigo inducing! It was like a horror movie on Halloween. It was worse than a night trap in bad weather!
While I can't speak to your experiences in Viet Nam, I've flown around the Salton Sea at night on NVG's and it still has really disorienting effects going on...
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