Low Fly Bys

[FrankNitti]

some crazy stuff....#3 is just insane.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Dr2Z...layer_embedded

[RINTY]

Fantastic.

We were driving by Glacier International one time, when I noticed a B 24 Liberator warming up. I stopped, got my camera out, and walked over to a spot near the end of one runway. The crew taxied the bomber past me while I took pictures, and then took off. Luckily, I hung around for a few minutes and noticed them flying a flat tear drop, back in my direction. They flew right over me at about 100 feet so I could take more pictures. Some days you just get lucky; what a great bunch of guys.

[MarkM]

A biplane crop duster scared the daylights out of me once. I had not seen him working at all and he flew low over the highway from my 4:00. Sounded like a large herd of Harleys at first but much louder as he passed over. That was back in 1983 on my brand new R80RT, my first Beemer.

[dmftoy1]

When I was growing up my dad would load us in the plane and we'd take off (literally) for the weekend sleeping under the planes wing in sleeping bags. (Usually the small airports we'd "fly in" to had a pancake breakfast)

Most times we'd arrive late and my dad would buzz the house if the local FBO or the runway itself to get someone to turn on the landing lights. Really miss those days. . .

[r184]

Couple of years ago a friend and I were E/B on Hwy 50 in central Nevada, when a couple of F/A 18's did a very low level pass over us. One of flying west along the north side of the hwy, at about 100 feet. His partner, who I didn't see till the last min. was lower than him, flying west along the hwy center line and head-on towards us. Felt the buffeting and could count the rivets along his underside, when he flew over. Yep, that made my day!

[rad]

I was running through the deserted Panamint Valley years ago on my way to Death Valley Daze on my 99 S. I was doing just over 125mph thinking I was the badest mofo in the valley. Out of nowhere an F18 roofed me from behind at a height that looked like I could almost touch him! I was stunned I did not hear him coming. He rose very slightly after he passed over me and dipped both wings to me.WoW!

Those boys know how to have fun.

[32232]

The actor Cliff Robertson used to keep his Spitfire at the airport in Windsor, Ontario where a local WW II vet named Gerry Billings flew it for him. My then father-in-law knew Gerry and arranged for us to go out to Gerry's farm airstrip where he would practice for air shows.

We were waiting on the airstrip for the Spit to come out for a few passes. Everyone was looking in the direction of Windsor when I thought I could hear a Merlin and turned around to see a Spitfire coming straight at us right on the deck. Everybody dove for the grass and you could feel the prop wash. He waggled the wings as he pulled up and I know he was killing himself laughing.

If you ever see a fellow named Matt Younkin on the schedule for an air show, make sure you see it. He does spectacular aerobatics in a Beech 18.

In this picture he's at the bottom of a loop:

[dmftoy1]

I never knew the beech 18 was rated for acrobatics!

[donbmw]

Use to see F-4 Phatoms coming down the Mississippi Alabama line of Pickwick Lake. Never seem to have a camera every time.

[GeneT]

When I lived in the Florida Keys back in the 60's & 70's at six AM every morning the spray plane flew through my car port, at least it sounded that way. Then later in the day the same spray plane would fly over the marina so low he had to tip one wing up to clear the sail boat masts. We could actually see the pilot smile and wave to us. Later he county bought 2 government surplus DC 3's for $1.00 each and converted them to spray planes, except they injected the liquid into the hot exhaust creating a heavy smoke, they flew very low straight up US 1 emitting smoke which made it appear they were going to crash on the highway. One was lost when one wing clipped a tree, somehow the pilot survived.

[wvpc]

During Speed Week '93 at the Bonneville Salt Flats one afternoon 2 F-16's roared right down the paint stripe LOW @ 400 knots. That fired up the crowd. Of course my video set up was not ready.

[AKsuited]

A biplane crop duster scared the daylights out of me once. I had not seen him working at all and he flew low over the highway from my 4:00. Sounded like a large herd of Harleys at first but much louder as he passed over. That was back in 1983 on my brand new R80RT, my first Beemer.

Same thing happened to me but I was on a road job in Northern Kentucky, riding on a wheeled loader traveling down the grade. Without any warning the whole flight of Blue Angels roared over us at about 100 feet. They were in town for an airshow, and we weren't far from the airport.

Harry

[txedomoon]

One of the most sad (IMO) impacts of sequestration is the fact the Blue Angels are being grounded for many of their shows this year -- including the Fargo Air Sho. (sic) my house is on the final approach to Hector International and each time the Blues are in town we get one great low-level display. Can damn near see the Ray Bans they are wearing. We take the pictures off the wall that week, but thoroughly enjoy the display.

[shakeybone]

We live on top of a small mountain, 1017' elevation, not far from an Air Force tracking station and some times when they have training the jets "buzz" our house. If we hear them coming we can run out on the deck and watch, very cool.

[arthurdent]

I was running through the deserted Panamint Valley years ago on my way to Death Valley Daze on my 99 S. I was doing just over 125mph thinking I was the badest mofo in the valley. Out of nowhere an F18 roofed me from behind at a height that looked like I could almost touch him! I was stunned I did not hear him coming. He rose very slightly after he passed over me and dipped both wings to me.WoW!

.

Exactly why loud pipes don't help anyone in front and scare children.