scubasteve38
New Member
Found this video on YouTube and I thought I would share.
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F-16 dodges SAMs
- Thread starter scubasteve38
- Start date
It'll take you three or four more years and a back story before that video gives you the proper level of chills that it should.
scubasteve38
New Member
Yeah the video got my heart racing, but I can imagine that the pilot in this video probably almost had his heart explode. One of my neighbors was a Marine F/A-18 pilot during Desert Storm and he told me all his stories and the times he got shot at.
Flying the P-8 or Seahawk, you won't have to worry (too) much about this!
Amen to that, when the warning warble goes to HI ... Atheists become Believers, instantly. BTDT.
BzB
MasterBates
Well-Known Member
All my near death experiences as a helo and hummer clown were either mechanical or idiot (SWO, Copilot, occasionally myself) induced.
I probably would have shat bricks.
I probably would have shat bricks.
Backstory...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Package_Q_Strike
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Package_Q_Strike
TINS: FWIW, there is a steep but very rapid learning curve when encountering SAMs for the first time … especially those that are trying to kill you, and not somebody else flying with you. [they only can hit one aircraft at a time, unless you foolishly fly through the debris.]
My initial experience was on a “protective reaction strike” to hit SAM sites in the North, despite the bombing halt. While not exactly scared shitless, I was scared… especially when I saw many multiple missile contrails going by overhead my cockpit. My experienced RO laughed his ass off at my distress. To chill. He told me they were friendly Shrikes outgoing. Not enemy SAMs!
Later I guess I encountered many SAMs. But I never really saw or evaded them, or knew who they were after, especially on a 40 plane Alpha Strike. My focus, my map, my destiny was tied to maintaining formation on my lead… I saw little else but my lead's wingtip, fuselage, and canopy as he did his evasive manuevers. So I never saw any of the many evil SAMs coming up at us, much less heavy AAA.
Many missions later I became somewhat frustrated. Indeed I had been trained how to defeat SAMs. More importantly, I was trained in knowing how to determine whether I, or another was targeted.
Finally one day I got my chance. I had all the RHAW warnings. I watched the SAM’s impressive lift-off. I jinked to see if it had me in mind to kill. And yes, it did! It had targeted me! Finally! Yes! So as I was about to do my maneuver to defeat it, it suddenly went stupid. Strangely, I was seriously disappointed. (Although later I had many occasions to not be disappointed.)
In the debrief, I told my tale. But my flight lead said, “that one SAM you saw may have gone stupid, but that second one (one I never saw) damned near bagged your ass!
PS: The heavy breathing in the video is justified, given the level of experience. But how many were shot down by SAMs in that war, compared to Vietnam? With experience, heavy breathing is reduced and the task at hand is better accomplished. No criticism; it's just the way it is.
My initial experience was on a “protective reaction strike” to hit SAM sites in the North, despite the bombing halt. While not exactly scared shitless, I was scared… especially when I saw many multiple missile contrails going by overhead my cockpit. My experienced RO laughed his ass off at my distress. To chill. He told me they were friendly Shrikes outgoing. Not enemy SAMs!
Later I guess I encountered many SAMs. But I never really saw or evaded them, or knew who they were after, especially on a 40 plane Alpha Strike. My focus, my map, my destiny was tied to maintaining formation on my lead… I saw little else but my lead's wingtip, fuselage, and canopy as he did his evasive manuevers. So I never saw any of the many evil SAMs coming up at us, much less heavy AAA.
Many missions later I became somewhat frustrated. Indeed I had been trained how to defeat SAMs. More importantly, I was trained in knowing how to determine whether I, or another was targeted.
Finally one day I got my chance. I had all the RHAW warnings. I watched the SAM’s impressive lift-off. I jinked to see if it had me in mind to kill. And yes, it did! It had targeted me! Finally! Yes! So as I was about to do my maneuver to defeat it, it suddenly went stupid. Strangely, I was seriously disappointed. (Although later I had many occasions to not be disappointed.)
In the debrief, I told my tale. But my flight lead said, “that one SAM you saw may have gone stupid, but that second one (one I never saw) damned near bagged your ass!
PS: The heavy breathing in the video is justified, given the level of experience. But how many were shot down by SAMs in that war, compared to Vietnam? With experience, heavy breathing is reduced and the task at hand is better accomplished. No criticism; it's just the way it is.
What is not included in that summary is they pressed without EF-111 (or Prowler) support. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
No one is going to wait forever for one of those things to achieve an up status.
But back then we still had new Prowlers they were better, I swear! I picked up one new from Grumman in 90. It smelled like a new car and came with new leg restraints and the seat cushions were (gasp) cushiony!
Whaddaya think, Cat/BzB ...can you remember all your stories and the times you got shot at? I sure as hell can't!
(No offense meant to the ss38 or his neighbor.)
No, not even close! It's mostly all a blur... if not long forgotten.
I will however admit there were maybe a couple of times that still do linger a bit in my memory. But that's about all.
[Edit: On second thought (thanks to this thread) some more SAM memories are coming back. (Thanks a lot!) While AAA bagged many more of our guys, SAMs got everyone's attention! ... especially several multiple ones, when you were out of airspeed and ideas defeating the first ones. And some didn't even have that chance...
]
Well, USMC neighbor's experiences were much more recent than ours (~45 yrs. past), plus I doubt they flew near as many 'heavy' missions, as the Iraq war was so short. Out of 247 "goes" (2 cruises pre-bombing pauses), I can clearly 'member many of the 30-40 Alphas in indian territory, in the vicinity of Dodge. I wrote narratives on some, and that helps to keep my memory refreshed.
One thing I clearly remember, was our reluctance to believe our first arrival-on line (PDL) anti-SAM brief, that the first action after spotting an incoming missile "is to turn directly into it, let it come to you until just out of range, then max-g turn & descent" which made it overshoot and skid on by. The first few times it was hard to do... but it worked! A missile tracking at mach ~2 simply CANNOT out turn an A-4, just can't let it get too close before turning. My Squadron only lost one to a SAM in 2 cruises, unfortunately it was fatal.
At my age, can't remember what I had for lunch today... but SOME things you just don't forget!
BzB
Flying the P-8 or Seahawk, you won't have to worry (too) much about this!
Amen to that, when the warning warble goes to HI ... Atheists become Believers, instantly. BTDT.
BzB
Not usually, thankfully. Mostly MANPAD threat for us by the time we fly overland. I do know of one P-3 that had a close encounter with an SA-2 during the early days of OIF (was at the PPCs Air medal award ceremony when I was in advanced) and several others that got lucky in situations encountering MANPADs and other threats. Anything like that video and we'd be totally effed though.