From this year's "Fleet Week" in San Francisco. There was a big hubub about whether or not to allow the Blue Angels to perform. I don't know if that had anything to do with these pics, but this is extraordinary, even for them.
Scroll down... there's pics of a low altitude high speed pass by lead solo (#5). In some of the shots, including a great blow-up to get a close-up, you can see the shockwave starting to form as he approaches the speed of sound. In another shot, the plane is nearly obscured because he has flown behind a *boat*.
I'm fairly enthusiastic about aviation and I've never seen anyone this low and fast simultaneously. Enjoy.
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
I saw a lower res version of the shockwave one earlier this week and didn't quite get it at the time. That is wild.
Posted by Starsnuffer (Member # 8116) on :
It would have been bad if he'd hit a boat... or the water, but that's more normal. Taking out somebody's mast: not so expected.
coool pictures.
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
That's pretty dang cool.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
Pooka -- that's the exact same page I linked on GC when I posted the shockwave image.
Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
Dang, that's got to be loud. A jet plane passing you pretty much at eye level, maybe 50-100 feet away, over water.
Posted by Mr.Funny (Member # 4467) on :
Going at just under the speed of sound, to boot!
Those picture are absolutely amazing.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Wow, pretty sweet pictures.
And I have to say, the Raptor is a thing of beauty. It might be the last new air superiority fighter we make, and if that's the case, we certainly went out with a bang.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
You know what makes it for me? The gee-whiz fanboy captions.
Posted by Alcon (Member # 6645) on :
Dude... those guys were flying as close as people drive cars in bumper to bumper traffic... but several hundred miles per hour! That's ridiculous! Paint me a gee-whiz fanboy...
Posted by Nighthawk (Member # 4176) on :
If he had broken the sound barrier, he would shattered every pane of glass on every boat in the bay.
I'd pay to see that! Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Man, I thought this was gonna be kid pictures. I'm a little bit disappointed. Posted by BandoCommando (Member # 7746) on :
quote:Originally posted by ketchupqueen: Man, I thought this was gonna be kid pictures. I'm a little bit disappointed.
Well...SOMEone's kids are flying those jets, and if I were a parent of one of them, you can be darn sure I'd be pretty proud of them!
Posted by Enigmatic (Member # 7785) on :
The low altitude ones are awesome! Especially where you can see the shockwave.
--Enigmatic
Posted by krynn (Member # 524) on :
awesome pics. really amazing. how could those people on the boats not have anything to protect their ears? are they crazy?
Posted by dantesparadigm (Member # 8756) on :
Maybe they weren't expecting the close air support?
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by ketchupqueen: Man, I thought this was gonna be kid pictures. I'm a little bit disappointed.
Seconded! I've been cheated! Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
Wow - those are some pics!
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
My uncle could die a happy man if he had been there.
As for myself not wearing ear protection would be part of the experience, like going to a rock concert and standing next to the speakers.
Posted by Morbo (Member # 5309) on :
Those are some of the most amazing aviation photos I've ever seen. Good link Jim-me.
I'd love to see video shot from the cockpit of the low-flying planes over the bay.
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
Great pics! Those shock wave ones blow me away! Thanks Jim.
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
I've seen them at an air show here in Alabama - the Blue Angels, that is - it was a horrible drive, lots of traffic, uncomfortable, sitting on the ground, major frustration, huge crowds.....and worth every second of inconvenience and every dime we spent to get there.
If you have a chance to see them, GO.
Posted by JonnyNotSoBravo (Member # 5715) on :
Those are very cool pics, Jim-Me. I was very impressed with the quality of the photographs! I'm guessing you already saw the video of that one jet streaking across the water around fourth of July? (hmmm, I don't remember who posted that - maybe it was you!)
Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
I didn't post the video, but I have seen it.
Kid pics may be forthcoming someday after I get a digital camera...
Glad everyone enjoyed these, though.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quote:Kid pics may be forthcoming someday after I get a digital camera...
Want our old one? It's only, like, 4 megapixels, but it's a digital camera...
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
quote:Originally posted by advice for robots: Dang, that's got to be loud. A jet plane passing you pretty much at eye level, maybe 50-100 feet away, over water.
Not quite eye-level. According to Wikipedia, the F/A-18 Hornet is 56 feet long. You can extrapolate that the aircraft is about 20-30 feet off of the ground based on scale.
Still a remarkable feat, but hardly eye level.
Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
Well, if you're standing in a big yacht, like some of those people were, I imagine it had to be going by at about eye level. Or 10 feet above you, maybe.
Posted by Mike (Member # 55) on :
Wow, very impressive photos! The shockwaves are like glass!
I was in Golden Gate Park that weekend seeing the Flecktones at the Hardly Strictly Bluegress Festival and saw some pretty good aerial maneuvers on the way there. Far away, though.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quote:I was in Golden Gate Park that weekend seeing the Flecktones at the Hardly Strictly Bluegress Festival
*jealous*
I have not been to NEARLY enough music festivals and events since I got married and started having kids.
Posted by Mike (Member # 55) on :
There were plenty of people with kids there. Some of them were probably even married, too. (Yes, even in San Francisco!) Get thee to a music festival!
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It would have been bad if he'd hit a boat... or the water, but that's more normal. Taking out somebody's mast: not so expected.![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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