Great shot of the Thunderbird F-16 Ejection

"Jay Honeck" wrote

Over on "alt.binaries.pictures.aviation" someone has posted a terrific,
high resolution, nearly head-on shot of the Air Force Thunderbird F-16
ejection sequence from the crash in Idaho a few months ago. It REALLY
shows how close the pilot came to hitting the deck before ejecting.

Jay, ever since "Photoshop", I believe very little of what I see in
these sensational pictures. Although this photo may be genuine, the
first thing that I asked myself was "where was the photographer standing
and why he hadn't dropped his camera and run?"

Captain Chris Stricklin has been in the Air Force since 1994 and flew
with the Thunderbirds since their first season.

Hardly....The Thunderbirds have been around long before 1994. Perhaps
they meant to say "since the first of THIS season.


He has logged a total of 15,000+ flight hours

I find that REAL hard to believe.

Bob Moore

"Robert Moore" wrote in message
. 7...
"Jay Honeck" wrote


snip

Captain Chris Stricklin has been in the Air Force since 1994 and flew
with the Thunderbirds since their first season.

Hardly....The Thunderbirds have been around long before 1994. Perhaps
they meant to say "since the first of THIS season.

snip

The pilot that flies the #1 Thunderbird plane came out and talked with us at
A&P school. If I remember correctly, he said that they fly 2 (or 3 ?) years
with the T-Birds, no longer.

The T-Birds have been flying since the mid 50's. First planes were F-84's

Also, wasn't it about 1994 when they started flying again? Remember, they
had a crash and they stopped flying for several years.

"Robert Moore" wrote in message
. 7...
"Jay Honeck" wrote

Over on "alt.binaries.pictures.aviation" someone has posted a terrific,
high resolution, nearly head-on shot of the Air Force Thunderbird F-16
ejection sequence from the crash in Idaho a few months ago. It REALLY
shows how close the pilot came to hitting the deck before ejecting.

Jay, ever since "Photoshop", I believe very little of what I see in
these sensational pictures. Although this photo may be genuine, the
first thing that I asked myself was "where was the photographer standing
and why he hadn't dropped his camera and run?"


Snip

IIRC,

Per the images I saw on the local TV station's website (which had been
collected from air show patrons) the jet went down along a line near the
base of the tower:

http://www.borinquenrc.com/images/tb-crash/tb6-4.jpg

I'd be willing to bet that there was a photographer working from the tower.
Possibly either a team photographer or one for a vendor/supplier/civilian
contractor.

I think the angle of the photo looks right. Someone with a very big piece
of glass (400-600mm owing to the amount of compression), and he/she nailed a
once in a lifetime "Money Shot."

Over on alt.binaries.pictures.aviation, one of the folks who posted the
picture claims he got it in a very large size (3000+ x ???) from someone at
Boeing. People have been imploring him to post the original.

Boeing (until selling the operation to BF Goodrich) manufactured the ACES II
seat used in the F16.

http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/...se_991103n.htm

Just my hunch...

Jay In AZ

isn't it amazing how a long telephoto lens can kill the depth perception and
make you think you are right there..

BT

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:5igQb.131182$I06.1149412@attbi_s01...
Over on "alt.binaries.pictures.aviation" someone has posted a terrific,
high
resolution, nearly head-on shot of the Air Force Thunderbird F-16 ejection
sequence from the crash in Idaho a few months ago. It REALLY shows how
close the pilot came to hitting the deck before ejecting.

It turns out the pilot didn't convert his altitude from MSL to AGL
correctly, and thus started the split-S maneuver some 800 feet too low.

For those interested in the accident report, here it is:
************************************************** ***********

Thunderbird accident report released [Updated]
Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - 09:10 PM

A pilot's error caused a Thunderbirds F-16C to crash shortly after
takeoff during a September airshow at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.
The pilot ejected just before the aircraft impacted the ground.

On Wednesday, the Air Force Accident Investigation Board held a news
conference at the home of the Thunderbirds - Nellis Air Force Base - to
announce what caused an F-16 to crash last September.

According to the accident investigation board report the pilot,
31-year-old Captain Chris Stricklin, misinterpreted the altitude required
to
complete the "Split S" maneuver. He made his calculation based on an
incorrect mean-sea-level altitude of the airfield. The pilot incorrectly
climbed to 1,670 feet above ground level instead of 2,500 feet before
initiating the pull down to the Split S maneuver.

When he realized something was wrong, the pilot put maximum back
stick
pressure and rolled slightly left to ensure the aircraft would impact away
from the crowd should he have to eject. He ejected when the aircraft was
140
feet above ground - just 0.8 seconds prior to impact. He sustained only
minor injuries from the ejection. There was no other damage to military or
civilian property.

The aircraft, valued at about $20.4 million, was destroyed.

The difference in altitudes at Nellis and Mountain Home may have
contributed to the pilot's error. The airfield at Nellis is at 2,000 feet
whereas the one at Mountain Home is at 3,000 feet. It appears that the
pilot
reverted back to his Nellis habit pattern for s aplit second. Thunderbird
commander Lt. Col. Richard McSpadden said Stricklin had performed the
stunt
around 200 times, at different altitudes during his year as a Thunderbird
pilot.

McSpadden says Stricklin is an exceptional officer. "He is an
extremely talented pilot. He came in here and made an honest mistake,"
says
Lt. Col. McSpadden. But that mistake has cost Stricklin his prestigious
spot
on the Thunderbird team. "He's assigned to Washington D.C.," says
McSpadden.
"He's working in the Pentagon there in one of the agencies."

The maneuver the pilot was trying to complete is called the "Split S
Maneuver." The stunt requires that the pilot climb to 2,500 feet.
Investigators say Stricklin only climbed to 1,670 feet before he went into
the spinning roll.

The board determined other factors substantially contributed to
creating the opportunity for the error including the requirement to
convert
sea level altitude information from the F-16 instruments - to their
altitude
above ground and call out that information to a safety operator below.

But the Air Force has now changed that as a result of the crash.
Thunderbird pilots will now call out the MSL (mean-sea-level) altitudes as
opposed to the AGL (above-ground-level) altitudes.

Thunderbird pilots will now also climb an extra 1000 feet before
performing the Split S Maneuver to prevent another mistake like the one on
Sep.14, 2003 from happening again.

Captain Chris Stricklin has been in the Air Force since 1994 and
flew
with the Thunderbirds since their first season. He has logged a total of
15,000+ flight hours and has received numerous awards. He served as a
flight
examiner, flight instructor and flight commander.

The Thunderbirds will again take to the skies this year. They have
65
air shows scheduled.

The September crash was the second involving a Thunderbirds jet
since
the team began using F-16s in 1983.

Pilot error was blamed for a Feb. 14, 1994, training crash involving
in a maneuver called a spiral descent at the Indian Springs Auxiliary
Airfield, northwest of Las Vegas. The pilot survived, but the maneuver was
discontinued.

The worst crash in Thunderbird history, dubbed the "Diamond Crash,"
came when four pilots crashed Jan. 18, 1982, during training at Indian
Springs. A malfunction in the lead plane was blamed.
************************************************** ***********
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Hey gang... just wondering if anyone's been here.
The wife and i want to do an overnighter in the city
and was wondering how the services and security are?
I went to Airnav.Com and checked out some comments.
Some good, some bad...
Any help is greatly appreciated.

Mark, N3165P, Apache Driver

I haven't been there since all the snow started, but I have been there
several times over the last year or so. There is a group of really nice
guys who split time between Bader and two or three other south Jersey
fields. Someone is generally there 9-5, but not every day, so you can
call them to find out their schedule (the number is on AirNav or AOPA -
South Jersey Air). The runways get swept for debris (dropped by seagulls)
once a week, and so if you get there the right day, they are very clean.

They charge a small landing fee ($5 for a 172) when they are there, but
they're not always there...

The field is fenced in, but last time I was there, you could walk in and
out any time. I had heard there was a vandalism problem a few years back,
when the FBO wasn't servicing the place. But now that they are back, it
seems to have been resolved. (I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't
sponsored by their previous Mayor who had a bug up his ass for GA). I
have left a plane there overnight without any problem.

There are cabs that listen to the CTAF, so if you request it on callup
they will meet you there... "Bader Unicom, Cessna is 10 miles to the
north, inbound, for advisories. Will need a taxi after we land." (It's
not FAA language, but if you keep it short no one seems to mind - it's
done all the time!) In fact, the last time I was there, a cab was waiting
even though I hand't asked for it!

Even if you land and there is no cab waiting for you outside the gate,
they have phone numbers posted on the trailer on the field so you can
call one if your cell is charged. If not, you have to walk a bit to the
brown building to the left of the baseball field, where they also have
offices (and bathrooms)... Or you can walk straight out to the McDonalds
or other restaurants on Black Horse Pike. It's not bad when it's not -7F!

The cab ride to the casinos is quick and cheap. As far as staying there,
I haven't done it - I fly to Bader because I do business with the
newspaper there... I'm not sure of your (or your wife's) tastes vs. your
budget, but you can get a clean and comfortable bed for $69 or so with
(IIRC) a free shuttle at a place like the Ramada Inn if you don't want to
stay right in the casino. You can even see the airport from your room if
you are on the right side of the building!

Good luck!

"Mark S Conway" wrote in news:H6BQb.110271
$Rc4.794519@attbi_s54:

Hey gang... just wondering if anyone's been here.
The wife and i want to do an overnighter in the city
and was wondering how the services and security are?
I went to Airnav.Com and checked out some comments.
Some good, some bad...
Any help is greatly appreciated.

Mark, N3165P, Apache Driver

In article 5igQb.131182$I06.1149412@attbi_s01, Jay Honeck
wrote:
McSpadden says Stricklin is an exceptional officer. "He is an
extremely talented pilot. He came in here and made an honest mistake," says
Lt. Col. McSpadden. But that mistake has cost Stricklin his prestigious spot
on the Thunderbird team. "He's assigned to Washington D.C.," says McSpadden.
"He's working in the Pentagon there in one of the agencies."

Yep, have an aviation accident in the military and your two choices for
your next duty station a

a. training command

b. the Pentagon

Go figure?

Blimey. That would pay for 2/5 of an indoor rainforest.

Paul

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:5igQb.131182$I06.1149412@attbi_s01...
The aircraft, valued at about $20.4 million, was destroyed.

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message news:5igQb.131182$I06.1149412@attbi_s01...
Over on "alt.binaries.pictures.aviation" someone has posted a terrific, high
resolution, nearly head-on shot of the Air Force Thunderbird F-16 ejection
sequence from the crash in Idaho a few months ago. It REALLY shows how
close the pilot came to hitting the deck before ejecting.

What appears to be cockpit video of the incident can be found at:

http://s91499480.onlinehome.us/vids/

No background info given, but it sure seems to be genuine. 4 meg download.
There's also the classic video of the moron giving himself helicopter lessons.

No background info given, but it sure seems to be genuine. 4 meg
download.
There's also the classic video of the moron giving himself helicopter
lessons.

If you like this kind of stuff, I've collected a fair number of aviation
videos he

http://alexisparkinn.com/aviation_videos.htm
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"