F-35 Mach Loop

Hacker15e said:
One of my passes through the loop back in 2008:
ScreamingEagle.jpg


EDIT: Just checked my logbook, and it is 2006, not 2008.
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#oldpeoplewithsaggymemoryproblems
 
NovemberEcho said:
Yet you still need an enlisted guy to remind you to drop your gear =)
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Two of my instructors in the training squadron did a "gear up touch-and-go" on a night flight, even after acknowledging "gear down" with tower.

Pilots r stoopid sometimes.
 
Hacker15e said:
Two of my instructors in the training squadron did a "gear up touch-and-go" on a night flight, even after acknowledging "gear down" with tower.

Pilots r stoopid sometimes.
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Reminds me of the F-15 pilot undergoing F-22 transition doing a touch and go who raised the gear before the "go". Pancaked it right on the runway. Somehow the accident board tried to blame the PAR controller.
 
kaudbron said:
Low Fly Area 7, never found the mtn they take photos from, we were TDY so only did LFA 7 twice.
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If you go back, there are good directions on the internet to find it. Cad Pass is literally right off an A-road, with a small parking lot and a trail up the side of the hill.
 
NovemberEcho said:
Eh? They're using it in combat now?
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The USAFs first combat squadrons at Hill started converting late last year, with one or two squadrons already. The USMCs B-models have been combat capable for nearly 2 yes now, with 4 or 5 squadrons already.
 
MikeD said:
The USAFs first combat squadrons at Hill started converting late last year, with one or two squadrons already. The USMCs B-models have been combat capable for nearly 2 yes now, with 4 or 5 squadrons already.
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Yes I know they've been operational for some time. I meant actually using it in combat.
 
NovemberEcho said:
Yes I know they've been operational for some time. I meant actually using it in combat.
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I didn't know if you were referring to combat coded units existing, or actually being in combat.

Because you get the people who say "look at how long the F-35 has been at Luke or Eglin, and it's never seen combat!; forgetting....or just not knowing.....that those are training and test/eval bases for the F-35, not combat coded units.
 
Hacker15e said:
Tom is an excellent photog, I agree. He's on Facebook and posts quite a number of his Mach Loop shots there, too.
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What is the experience like for you flying that course and how does that opportunity/training there come about, if you like to share? I've really enjoyed the videos I have watched thus far. Incredible, talented flying.
 
A Life Aloft said:
What is the experience like for you flying that course and how does that opportunity/training there come about, if you like to share? I've really enjoyed the videos I have watched thus far. Incredible, talented flying.
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During normal peacetime training operations in a fighter unit, we regularly have opportunities to fly dedicated low-level training missions. In the US, that generally means flying a MTR or inside a MOA or Restricted Area. In the UK, they don't have MTRs, per se, but Low Fly Areas: large blocks of airspace that may be used for low-level high-speed flying training by military aircraft so long as you adhere to some specific restrictions on what you cannot overfly (towns/villages/etc).

The Mach Loop is a small part of one of those areas, Low Fly 7, over in Wales. In most of LFA 7 you can fly wherever you want, but in that area there are what they call "flow arrows" which dictate the direction of traffic in a certain specific area of the LFA. Because those flow arrows dictate a specific position and direction that military aircraft are going to fly, photographers figured out that it was a good place to go take pictures. A "fun fact" is that the USAF crews call the Mach Loop area "The Roundabout", because the flow arrows look just like a roundabout for vehicle traffic.

When a low level is on the schedule in the squadron, usually the flight lead gets to decide what airspace they're going to use and what the training objectives for the day are going to be. So, whenever the schedule and weather cooperated, I tried to book LFA 7 for my training missions as often as possible.

I had the opportunity in 2007 to go out to Cad Pass west as a spectator (with my friend, British author Steve Davies). I met many of these photographers on that visit (including Tom Gibbons), and kept in touch with them via email and text. Whenever the stars would align and I was going to fly a training mission in LFA 7, I'd blast some emails out with my callsign and approximate time I was going to be there.
 
Hacker15e said:
Tom is an excellent photog, I agree. He's on Facebook and posts quite a number of his Mach Loop shots there, too.
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A few years ago when I was thinking of taking a trip up there, I reached out to him and the best way to do it and he was super helpful. Ended up not going (went to Switzerland instead and got to randomly see some F16s through the mountain passes anyways) but his info would have been great if I had gone.
 
Hacker15e said:
During normal peacetime training operations in a fighter unit, we regularly have opportunities to fly dedicated low-level training missions. In the US, that generally means flying a MTR or inside a MOA or Restricted Area. In the UK, they don't have MTRs, per se, but Low Fly Areas: large blocks of airspace that may be used for low-level high-speed flying training by military aircraft so long as you adhere to some specific restrictions on what you cannot overfly (towns/villages/etc).

The Mach Loop is a small part of one of those areas, Low Fly 7, over in Wales. In most of LFA 7 you can fly wherever you want, but in that area there are what they call "flow arrows" which dictate the direction of traffic in a certain specific area of the LFA. Because those flow arrows dictate a specific position and direction that military aircraft are going to fly, photographers figured out that it was a good place to go take pictures. A "fun fact" is that the USAF crews call the Mach Loop area "The Roundabout", because the flow arrows look just like a roundabout for vehicle traffic.

When a low level is on the schedule in the squadron, usually the flight lead gets to decide what airspace they're going to use and what the training objectives for the day are going to be. So, whenever the schedule and weather cooperated, I tried to book LFA 7 for my training missions as often as possible.

I had the opportunity in 2007 to go out to Cad Pass west as a spectator (with my friend, British author Steve Davies). I met many of these photographers on that visit (including Tom Gibbons), and kept in touch with them via email and text. Whenever the stars would align and I was going to fly a training mission in LFA 7, I'd blast some emails out with my callsign and approximate time I was going to be there.
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That is too cool. Someone like myself really has no clue so I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences. I had no idea of the protocol or anything obviously. It must be really interesting to be able to interact with, work with and train with different Military organizations all over the world. I always enjoy watching the videos and photos of various countries that come to our bases here for training. I'll sit and watch the pics and videos at Nellis for instance just dozens of times, I find the pilots and the aircraft that awesome.

I found a photographer, Steve wright, who takes Mach Loop photos and posts on facebook but haven't found Tom's yet. I don't have a facebook account so I just look for certain subjects/ topics. If you have a link to his photography, I would appreciate that.
 
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