LA Speed Story

[Ishrub]

When I was in The Air Force I worked on the F111F. When the Black Bird retired the F111 was the fastest bird in the air. The F111 was retired in 1995. Today there is no aircraft that can fulfill her roll.
There are rumors about a plane called the SR 91.

Australia kept some of our F111s operational until 2010 - strangely the last few of 28x C's went 3 years AFTER the 15x G's retired in 2007.

The F-111Gs were retired before the F-111Cs, with the last leaving service on 3 September 2007.[7] The F-111C fleet was drawn down, and the type was finally retired on 3 December 2010.

List of General Dynamics F-111 aircraft operated by the Royal Australian Air Force - Wikipedia

 

[HansO]

This has nothing to do with motorcycles, but a lot to do with speed.

I had tears in my eyes and it was all I could do not to wet my self

 

[Ishrub]

I had tears in my eyes and it was all I could do not to wet my self

And you weren't even at work to raid the incontinence pad cupboard

 

[cusso ken]

And you weren't even at work to raid the incontinence pad cupboard

Wow how did we get from FR71 pilots to raiding the incontinence pad cupboard

 

[Ishrub]

Wow how did we get from FR71 pilots to raiding the incontinence pad cupboard

I have skills!

 

[Boog]

Speed is life; so says all the combat aircrews regardless of the machine they fly. I hear it all the time onboard the carrier air wings around the various fleets. Those USAF F-111s were assigned to my first air wing and we used them to train against as OPFOR aggressors. The Tomcats had hell trying to take them out before they got close enough to strike the battle group. Low and fast, hard to detect until almost too close to swoop down and intercept before they were gone again.

Pointy nose guys oftentimes make fun of us rotor head bubbas, until it is dark and they are cold and wet instead of dry and flying...

 

[Boog]

Speed is life; so says all the combat aircrews regardless of the machine they fly. I hear it all the time onboard the carrier air wings around the various fleets. Those USAF F-111s were assigned to my first air wing and we used them to train against as OPFOR aggressors. The Tomcats had hell trying to take them out before they got close enough to strike the battle group. Low and fast, hard to detect until almost too close to swoop down and intercept before they were gone again.

Pointy nose guys oftentimes make fun of us rotor head bubbas, until it is dark and they are cold and wet instead of dry and flying...

By the way, both of these machines of war now rest in Davey Jones' locker in the Atlantic. The USS America was sunk as target practice after decommissioning, and 611 took two pilots and two rescue swimmers with it. Both are tragedies in their own way...

 

[Ishrub]

This may tickle your fancies.

Not sure I want the US Navy to navigate for me

In Canberra we would call those navigation officers 'Bogongs'



Bogong moth - Wikipedia

 

[barbagris]

I have skills!

Experience counts!.

 

[Chris Kelley]

When I was in The Air Force I worked on the F111F. When the Black Bird retired the F111 was the fastest bird in the air. The F111 was retired in 1995. Today there is no aircraft that can fulfill her roll.
There are rumors about a plane called the SR 91.

My folks used to work on F-111's out of McClellan. Never understood why the retired that platform so early. My dad had a theory that since McClellan was their main maintenance hub they shut down the F-111's because they wanted to close that base. According to him there were still a lot of ill feelings from WWII when McClellan got a whole bunch a Liberty bombers on a top secret mission. The base personal were told they were stopping by for a quick checkup before heading off to do their thing. For some reason all the engines were running extremely lean, like major wear on the engine lean. So the mechanics all went and did their jobs and returned the engines back to specs. Later when the pilots of those Liberties were splashing down before mainland Japan on their secret bombing run on Tokyo...they were kinda pissed. No one bothered to tell the mechanics to keep the engines lean, but that didn't much matter and left a permanent black mark on the base.