O.T. from Afganistan

this is from my nephew in Air Force.
john
take out the TRASH to email me





From Afghanistan, the story of the week:

So we are up in the mountains at about 0100 hrs looking for a bad guy
that we thought was in the area. Here are ten of us, pitch black,
crystal clear night, about 25 degrees. We know there are bad guys in
the area, a few shots have been fired but no big deal. We decide
that we need air cover and the only thing in the area is a solo B-1
bomber. He flies around at about 20,000 feet and tells us there is
nothing in the area. He then asks if we would like a low level show
of force. Stupid question. Of course we tell him yes. The
controller who is attached to the team then is heard talking to the
pilot. Pilot asks if we want it subsonic or supersonic. Very stupid
question. Pilot advises he is twenty miles out and stand by. The
controller gets us all sitting down in a line and points out the
proper location. You have to picture this. Pitch black, ten killers
sitting down, dead quiet and overlooking this 30 mile long valley.
All of a sudden, way out (below our level) you see a set of four
200' white flames coming at us. The controller says, "Ah-guys-you
might want to plug your ears".
Faster than you can think a B-1, supersonic, 1000' over our heads,
blasts the sound barrier and it feels like God just hit you in the
head with a hammer". He then stands it straight up with 4 white
trails of flame coming out and disappears. Cost of gas for that:
Probably $50,000

Hearing damage: For certain
Bunch of ragheads thinking twice about shooting at us: Priceless

"john" wrote in message
He then stands it straight up with 4 white
trails of flame coming out and disappears. Cost of gas for that:
Probably $50,000

Hearing damage: For certain
Bunch of ragheads thinking twice about shooting at us: Priceless

That's just too cool, John.

Too bad we have that silly rule about not breaking sound barriers in
populated areas here in the states. I'd love to witness that some day.

I ain't going to Afghanistan to see it, though.

--
Jim Fisher

Too bad we have that silly rule about not breaking sound barriers in
populated areas here in the states. I'd love to witness that some day.

I ain't going to Afghanistan to see it, though.


Well, they didn't go supersonic, but at an airshow here at NAS Norfolk, a B-1
did a demo that included a slow flight pass, dirty, ending by sucking up the
gear and throwing in the burners in that nose high attitude. The resulting
BOOM! set off every car alarm on the base.

I was impressed.

--
Wm. Donald (Don) Tabor Jr., DDS
PP-ASEL
Chesapeake, VA - CPK, PVG

"Wdtabor" wrote in message
...

Too bad we have that silly rule about not breaking sound barriers in
populated areas here in the states. I'd love to witness that some day.

I ain't going to Afghanistan to see it, though.


Well, they didn't go supersonic, but at an airshow here at NAS Norfolk, a
B-1
did a demo that included a slow flight pass, dirty, ending by sucking up
the
gear and throwing in the burners in that nose high attitude. The resulting
BOOM! set off every car alarm on the base.

I was impressed.

--
Wm. Donald (Don) Tabor Jr., DDS
PP-ASEL
Chesapeake, VA - CPK, PVG

It's just as much fun to do it, Don!

Cheers,

JB

"Wdtabor" wrote in message
...
Well, they didn't go supersonic, but at an airshow here at NAS Norfolk, a
B-1
did a demo that included a slow flight pass, dirty, ending by sucking up
the
gear and throwing in the burners in that nose high attitude. The resulting
BOOM! set off every car alarm on the base.

I was impressed.

I used to go to Heathrow every so often to stand under Concorde as it
took off to get the same sensation. It would also set off all the car alarms
at Hatton Cross if it took off on 09.

Difference is, at an airshow you have to be on a line parallel to the flight
line...at Heathrow, you can stand right under it! :-)

Paul

"Jim Fisher" wrote in message ...
"john" wrote in message
He then stands it straight up with 4 white
trails of flame coming out and disappears. Cost of gas for that:
Probably $50,000

Hearing damage: For certain
Bunch of ragheads thinking twice about shooting at us: Priceless

That's just too cool, John.

Too bad we have that silly rule about not breaking sound barriers in
populated areas here in the states. I'd love to witness that some day.

True story supposedly, from two friends who told it to me, happened in
the late 1980's. They were fishing early one morning someplace in the
middle of nowhere northeast of the Abilene TX area, said they heard
nothing, no warning at all, dead silence not knowing anything was
about to occur when suddenly a pair of B-1B Lancers came screaming
over their heads maybe a couple hundred feet AGL with afterburners
glaring and sonic booms that knocked them out of their folding
lawnchairs, followed by the tremendous roar of the engines and
powerful turbulent wind blowing debris all around them on the ground
as the jets sped away. They said the experience was absolutely awesome
and they jumped up and down with joy, hooting and hollering like a
couple of rowdy drunken rednecks afterwards, wishing they'd turn
around and make another pass.

The location, Abilene, sounds about right since that's where the B1's
were based back then.

"One's Too Many" wrote in message
om...
"Jim Fisher" wrote in message
...
"john" wrote in message
He then stands it straight up with 4 white
trails of flame coming out and disappears. Cost of gas for that:
Probably $50,000

Hearing damage: For certain
Bunch of ragheads thinking twice about shooting at us: Priceless

That's just too cool, John.

Too bad we have that silly rule about not breaking sound barriers in
populated areas here in the states. I'd love to witness that some day.

True story supposedly, from two friends who told it to me, happened in
the late 1980's. They were fishing early one morning someplace in the
middle of nowhere northeast of the Abilene TX area, said they heard
nothing, no warning at all, dead silence not knowing anything was
about to occur when suddenly a pair of B-1B Lancers came screaming
over their heads maybe a couple hundred feet AGL with afterburners
glaring and sonic booms that knocked them out of their folding
lawnchairs, followed by the tremendous roar of the engines and
powerful turbulent wind blowing debris all around them on the ground
as the jets sped away. They said the experience was absolutely awesome
and they jumped up and down with joy, hooting and hollering like a
couple of rowdy drunken rednecks afterwards, wishing they'd turn
around and make another pass.

The location, Abilene, sounds about right since that's where the B1's
were based back then.

I was flying B-1s at Dyess from 1986 to 1991. I'm sure your friends were
impressed with the flyover, and I don't doubt their word, but nobody was
flying less than 400 feet and no one was flying supersonic in that area in a
Bone. Fast I'm sure, but not ss.

The no warning feature is one of the great things about the B-1. Flying low
in B-52s, the wild horses and cattle can see and maybe hear you coming.
They start running as you approach. In the Bone, they never moved. Didn't
see or hear us. Odd.

Cheers,

JB

"Jim Baker" wrote in message
...

I was flying B-1s at Dyess from 1986 to 1991. I'm sure your friends were
impressed with the flyover, and I don't doubt their word, but nobody was
flying less than 400 feet and no one was flying supersonic in that area in
a
Bone. Fast I'm sure, but not ss.

The no warning feature is one of the great things about the B-1. Flying
low
in B-52s, the wild horses and cattle can see and maybe hear you coming.
They start running as you approach. In the Bone, they never moved.
Didn't
see or hear us. Odd.

Cheers,

JB



JB,

Could it be that the BONE pushes less of a pressure wave out front?

Maybe the BUFF pushed enough air that animals could sense it (ala an
earthquake before it happens...) but the BONE is too clean?

Just musing out loud...

Jay Beckman
Chandler, AZ
Student Pilot - KCHD
3.2 Hrs ... Nowhere to go but up!

"Jay Beckman" wrote in message
news:UcU0c.22812$qL1.2255@fed1read02...
"Jim Baker" wrote in message
...

I was flying B-1s at Dyess from 1986 to 1991. I'm sure your friends
were
impressed with the flyover, and I don't doubt their word, but nobody was
flying less than 400 feet and no one was flying supersonic in that area
in
a
Bone. Fast I'm sure, but not ss.

The no warning feature is one of the great things about the B-1. Flying
low
in B-52s, the wild horses and cattle can see and maybe hear you coming.
They start running as you approach. In the Bone, they never moved.
Didn't
see or hear us. Odd.

Cheers,

JB



JB,

Could it be that the BONE pushes less of a pressure wave out front?

Maybe the BUFF pushed enough air that animals could sense it (ala an
earthquake before it happens...) but the BONE is too clean?

Just musing out loud...

Jay Beckman
Chandler, AZ
Student Pilot - KCHD
3.2 Hrs ... Nowhere to go but up!

That very well could be Jay. I really don't know, but I think that it's the
visual "footprint". A Buff is a huge black figure in the sky, even coming
at you. The B-1, with wings swept, is a much small visual head on, I'd
guess, even to a horses/steers eye. LOL

Thirty years ago right now I was living in Chandler, actually at Williams
AFB. I was a student there from 10/72 until 10/73 and then stayed on until
6/76 as a T-38 IP. I was in Chandler about 6 years ago...much changed from
the '70s. What a great first assignment...really loved that area.

Regards,

JB

In article UcU0c.22812$qL1.2255@fed1read02, "Jay Beckman"
writes:


Could it be that the BONE pushes less of a pressure wave out front?

Maybe the BUFF pushed enough air that animals could sense it (ala an
earthquake before it happens...) but the BONE is too clean?

Just musing out loud...


That pressure wave moves at the speed of sound, just like the sound if the
aircraft is supersonic, and slower if subsonic.

But it is possible that sound conducted through the ground in response to the
approach of the aircraft arrives ahead of the sound in the air, and the B52
directs more energy downward into the earth than the B-1B.

But that is also just musing.

--
Wm. Donald (Don) Tabor Jr., DDS
PP-ASEL
Chesapeake, VA - CPK, PVG