The Raptor Rocks

scking · Post by **scking** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 7:12 am

I was there at Atlantic City.. Was an awesome show.. The F22 was definatly my favorite at the show..

You can check out all my videos from the show at http://gallery.blessed.net/thumbnails.php?album=2

necigrad · Post by **necigrad** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 1:14 am

I'd love to tell you... Unfortunatly I spent over an hour in the bus line AFTER they started running, so I missed the demo

. Bright side, I joined CAP, so I have base access now

STRIKER · Post by **STRIKER** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 1:44 am

1 HOUR in a bus waiting? Whats that all about. Oddly, the rest of the VTB didnt have that problem.

Rhino · Post by **Rhino** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 10:05 am

This was taken from the forum on www.fencecheck.com which is an aviation photography site. This paragraph is from Lt. Col. Michael "Dozer" Shower who has been up until now flying most of the F-22 profile demonstrations around the US, including AN this year. Here he talks about how much "BA" the Raptor really is.

"One of the biggest challenges today to training in an F-22 is getting someone to be your adversary. No one wants to play vs. an airplane they can't see. They get no training of their own, and its tough on morale too. I've done my share of red air growing up in the F-15, and even when you were red air you still got decent training because you saw "blue" air on radar and were able to execute most of the same mechanics (radar work, radio chatter, intercept mechanics, thought processes, etc.), that you do when your blue air. You might have limited shot ranges and execute some red air tactic but it wasn't "that" different - and on the morale side, it's still pretty fun to be in the middle of that food fight. There was always the reward of getting a chance to get into blue air's chilli and cause chaos and get a kill or two. That just doesn't happen vs. the Raptor, you see nothing and then you die, kind of takes the fun out of it and you don't get any return on the investment, so if I was a squadron commander, I'd be hard to convince that I want to train vs. a F-22 squadron."

necigrad · Post by **necigrad** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 10:07 am

Yeah, I was flat out pissed about the wait. I wanted to see four demos. The F22 (missed), the Osprey (broken on Sat when I went), the Belgian F16 (Gawd DAMN he can fly!) and the TBirds. So I got 50% of my goals, and got off my butt and chatted with the CO for the Nellis Senior CAP Sq. Oh well. Nice thing about living here is that there's an air show every day that I want to drive across town

RFDGuy · Post by **RFDGuy** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 1:36 pm

That F-22 discussion on Fence is amazing....I love reading all the first hand accounts from Dozer.

Post by **Lawndart** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:50 am

Ladies and Gentlemen... the Raptor!!! (Coming with its own demo to an air show near you in 2008): http://www.f-16.net/news_article2086.html

Maj. Paul Moga will be the first pilot for the F-22 demo team. He is in the process of establishing a demonstration sketch for the F-22 team. ACC officials will unveil this sketch at air shows beginning in spring 2008. Some of the highlights of the F-22 demonstrations could include a max performance takeoff, fast passes, vertical climbs, and high alpha loops with a horizontal turn then straight up and a back into a loop, said Major Costello. Until then, the F-22 demo team will do small demonstrations, about five or six passes, around the United States to highlight some of the aircraft's capabilities.

"It's an honor to have the responsibility of bringing the Raptor to the public," Major Moga said.

RFDGuy · Post by **RFDGuy** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 3:18 am

I cant wait!

RFDGuy

RFDGuy · Post by **RFDGuy** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 3:45 am

Found this a few minutes after my previous post (on Fence). I can't get enough of reading about the Raptors abilites and what it can bring to the table while in the air.

http://www.aviationweek.com/avnow/news/ ... 0807p1.xml

RFDGuy.

Rhino · Post by **Rhino** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:08 pm

It was a historic weekend at Langley, with the Raptor flying its first full profile demonstration. The Raptor OFFICIALLY rocks......

Post by **Lawndart** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:50 pm

The "power loop" rocks! It's as if you can hear the bird screaming: "Suchoi, bite me!"

RFDGuy · Post by **RFDGuy** » Tue May 01, 2007 1:40 am

Lawndart wrote:The "power loop" rocks! It's as if you can hear the bird screaming: "Suchoi, bite me!"

Its funny though...people are still like...the Su-(insert model # here) still seems more impressive... the Su's and Mig's with TV are great aircraft but they seem like they're flung around compared to this.

Ells · Post by **Ells** » Tue May 01, 2007 11:19 am

Anyone have a download link to the vid, my company blocks youtube

Post by **Lawndart** » Tue May 01, 2007 2:55 pm

RFDGuy wrote:Its funny though...people are still like...the Su-(insert model # here) still seems more impressive... the Su's and Mig's with TV are great aircraft but they seem like they're flung around compared to this.

I was thinking along the same lines. People say the Suchoi's are more impressive, but then again, those birds depart flight quite nicely during their maneuvers and have to recover. It just seems the Raptor is in full control throughout all of its profiles, even the extreme AoA stuff... and I'm convinced

, this demo isn't a "no holds barred demo" either. The maneuvers are planned and coordinated, while the Raptor still isn't tested or stretched to its limit (yet), even if they are still mighty impressive to watch!

Just imagine what the demo would look like if the manufacturer was using contract pilots to try and sell the aircraft instead of the (mostly) tactical application demos of the military pilots!

Rhino · Post by **Rhino** » Tue May 01, 2007 3:09 pm

Lawndart wrote:Just imagine what the demo would look like if the manufacturer was using contract pilots to try and sell the aircraft instead of the (mostly) tactical application demos of the military pilots!

What you speak of happened earlier this year with the Super Hornet. Boeing is selling some to the Australians to replace their Aardvarks, and apparently they had the a Boeing test pilot flying it with some pretty kick butt maneuvers for a 4th generation fighter.

EDIT: Here is the video from that demo:

I wish that the Navy TAC Demos were like this!