F-22 Raptor closeup

[Victor Archer]

Just hanging out at the airport...

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: F-22 Raptor closeup

That IS one awesome looking airplane Victor.. and very nicely captured I might add!!

[SpinB]

Re: F-22 Raptor closeup

Randy Haskin knows about these villainous avians.......

(Look at all those Aussie -111s......)

Great images,Sir.....Thanks.....

[race9]

Re: F-22 Raptor closeup

Is this at Red flag? If so, I almost feel sorry for the other countries.

[Stevo]

Re: F-22 Raptor closeup

Yeaa, Sesion 2... looking forward to seeing what else you got out of that camera Vic. So far it's looking as Awesome as ever

[speeddemon]

Re: F-22 Raptor closeup

(Look at all those Aussie -111s......)

You beat me to it....my FIRST thought was "ooooh, look at all the Aardvark's in the background!!!!"

[Randy Haskin]

Re: F-22 Raptor closeup

Thost guys gave us a tour of 'em a few weeks ago when we were there for Red Flag period 1. Many of the older dudes in the squadron were drooling over them...some of us just made fun of 'em.

[speeddemon]

Re: F-22 Raptor closeup

Thost guys gave us a tour of 'em a few weeks ago when we were there for Red Flag period 1. Many of the older dudes in the squadron were drooling over them...some of us just made fun of 'em.

I look at them more the same way I would look at a Phantom or a Thud....something from another era, but cool in its own right...in a nostalgic way.

[FedexBob]

Re: F-22 Raptor closeup

Yeah, it really is a funny looking plane. The sh#t, for shure, but not many cool, timeless salient features.

[zaqwrx]

Re: F-22 Raptor closeup

My good friend, who was with the Chiefs & Rockets (335th & 336th FS) in the early 90's, would always say, that when the 111's would put the wings back and turn the heat up, they could barely keep up with them. Things probably have changed since then.

[zeke]

Re: F-22 Raptor closeup

(Look at all those Aussie -111s......)

, (ok I'm Aussie and biased, love those jets)

how about as a team, Raptors giving cover for an Aardvark strike force. Good luck for anyone trying to stop that.

Come on guys, play fair. Let us have some F22's . We want some too. No fair when you keep all the good toys to yourself.

Randy, they might be old school with dated avionics, but on payload/range they are fantastic, your Strike Eagle would struggle to lift the load or take it as far. Ever flown with or against them? How did they go in the exercise.

In the First gulf war they did brilliantly. An F-111 mission could have been the reason the war ended when it did. http://www.ausairpower.net/GBU-28.html and as for the % of bombs dropped and targets destroyed they hauled a huge share.

The Aardvarks have to be one of the most spectacular aviation displays of all time. I've watched 2 of them do a "dump and burn', low level at night through a city. Seeing the afterburners turn on, hearing the jets scream just above you and watching there run down a river, below the height of the city high rise, giant flames leaping out from behind the jets lighting up the sky, silhouetting the the buildings, causing all the glass to reflect the fire as it races past like a giant moving fireball before it shoots up at a 45 degree climb, within seconds entering low level clouds. Then suddenly the whole sky is lit up in a orange cloud, everywhere is lit up in an orange hue as all the clouds reflect the flames. A scene I'm never going to forget.

Over the years I have seen the "Pigs" perform that a number of times at different places. Even heard young kids freak out seeing it, thinking it was the end of the world and running to their parents. There's not much that can top that.

I'll see if I can find some photos I've taken and post them. Don't really do justice to the scene, but I'll see what I can find.