How Close did Tu95s get during/after Cold War?

[MiloMorai]

Elfie, could you put an apperance in the 'I hate russia' thread. Viking thinks the Soviets never intruded into American and NATO airspace.

[Angus]

Icelandic waters are NATO airspace and they were here allright, hundreds of times over decades....

[Jebus]

Another good author that i enjoyed was Dan Brown.  He had some really good books.  Most involved the EB-52 which I thought was fictional but i guess there was some real ones out there.  Just cant find a pic of it.

[AquaShrimp]

Originally posted by Elfie
There are 2 different ways to start the J-79 engines in a Phantom. You can either use an impulse cartridge which when fired produces lots of high pressure gas. Or, you can use an external power unit that supplies air under pressure.

Also since most military pilots aren't qualified to fly more than one aircraft type, I find it difficult to believe that a Phantom pilot would hop into an A-7 instead of using the alternate engine start method.

 You haven't heard of Admiral Gilchrist?  He was a Navy test pilot who flew everything from F6Fs to F-14s.  I read his biography.  The big thing back in the 60s or 70s to prove squadron readiness was intercepting every single Bear that the Soviets would fly over.  Gilchrist's squadron had just arrived in the Med, and they didn't have all their equipment.  They had been using an improvised jet starter cart to start their F-4s.  It just so happened that while waiting on alert, the improvised cart broke down.  An A-7 pilot was taxiing to takeoff, Gilcrist commandered it, and went on to intercept the Tu-95.

Gilchrist mentioned something about the starter cartridges.  I think he said that while they could be used in emergencies, they also posed a high risk for fires.  I think one of his F-4s burned up on the ground because of a starter cartridge.

I recommend this book, Feet Wet , its a fascinating read.  Gilchrist was an F-8 Crusader pilot in Vietnam, and this book gives alot of insight into this often overlooked plane.

[Elfie]

You haven't heard of Admiral Gilchrist? He was a Navy test pilot who flew everything from F6Fs to F-14s. I read his biography

Also since most military pilots aren't qualified to fly more than one aircraft type

Read that part again. *most* would be the part that doesn't make that statement all inclusive. Obviously, test pilots are an exception.

The big thing back in the 60s or 70s to prove squadron readiness was intercepting every single Bear that the Soviets would fly over.

It's not so much about proving squadron readiness as it is ensuring the Soviets didn't invade our airspace. Or in the case of an aircraft carrier, ensuring the safety of the carrier and it's battle group. There are major inspections done on all active duty squadrons to evaluate squadron readiness.

Gilchrist mentioned something about the starter cartridges. I think he said that while they could be used in emergencies, they also posed a high risk for fires. I think one of his F-4s burned up on the ground because of a starter cartridge.

I've seen lots of Phantom engines started with starter cartridges. Only one of those Phantoms caught fire and it was due to a cracked cartridge retainer. When the starter cartridge fired it blew the retainer to pieces rupturing a fuel line in the process. The fuel ignited and since the pilots didn't shut down either the battery or the fuel pumps before jumping from the cockpits and running like scared little girls, that plane burned much worse than it would have otherwise.

The F-4D Phantoms that sat on alert at SJ AFB not only had air hoses hooked up to the engines to start them in case of a scramble order, but they also had the starter cartridges installed just in case the external power unit failed in some way.

I'm not saying you didn't read what you posted, but I am going to call horse hockey on the guy that originally said it.

[Elfie]

Originally posted by MiloMorai
Elfie, could you put an apperance in the 'I hate russia' thread. Viking thinks the Soviets never intruded into American and NATO airspace.

That could be true. All the intercepts that I know of, happened outside of the 12 mile exclusion zone. The Soviet planes were always seen coming on radar and fighters were launched to intercept them outside of American airspace.

Whether or not Soviet planes violated European countries airspace, I don't know if that did or didn't happen. Although it is much more likely that it did happen there since the Soviets wouldn't have had to fly long distances over oceans and there is no 12 mile zone between borders on the European continent.

[AquaShrimp]

Tu-95s flew out of Cuba, which is only 90 miles from Miami, and just a few from the Florida Keys.

[Estel]

Originally posted by RAIDER14
The Cold War was a no win situation...it was basically kill each other  so nobody lives

Nuclear strike Scene from the Cold War movie The Day After

Greate movie. It was shown on soviet TV shortly after it's premiere in USA. AFAIR in march or april 1984. The second time it was shown in few days after Challenger disaster. I remember it because I'v seen Challenger blast in live on TV.

[Elfie]

Originally posted by AquaShrimp
Tu-95s flew out of Cuba, which is only 90 miles from Miami, and just a few from the Florida Keys.

90 miles is the closest point. Still enough time to see the bombers on radar and launch fighters to intercept from Homestead AFB.

[Viking]

Originally posted by MiloMorai
Elfie, could you put an apperance in the 'I hate russia' thread. Viking thinks the Soviets never intruded into American and NATO airspace.

I simply wanted to know the number of US airspace violations by Soviet planes. I have a feeling the number is disproportionate to the number of violations of Soviet air space.

[Elfie]

Originally posted by Viking
I simply wanted to know the number of US airspace violations by Soviet planes. I have a feeling the number is disproportionate to the number of violations of Soviet air space.

I have no doubt that the number of Soviet violations of US airspace is far less than the violations of Soviet airspace simply due to overflights of the USSR by the U2 and later SR-71 spy planes. The USSR mainly used the Tu-95 bomber which is easily intercepted by supersonic fighters.

[RAIDER14]

What was the point of the airborne command centers?

or better known by its nickname "The Doomsday plane"

[Viking]

Not being easy targets for Soviet missiles?

[storch]

Originally posted by Elfie
I have no doubt that the number of Soviet violations of US airspace is far less than the violations of Soviet airspace simply due to overflights of the USSR by the U2 and later SR-71 spy planes. The USSR mainly used the Tu-95 bomber which is easily intercepted by supersonic fighters.

what about the use of the psychic friends network, hmmmm?

[Boroda]

Originally posted by eagl
And now the Russians have pulled out of the conventional forces treaty that limited force concentrations on their borders, citing some unnamed threat to national security.  Maybe they think someone is about to invade?  What's the name of that drug that makes you paranoid?  Maybe it's in the water over there.

Unnamed threat?!

We are unable to inspect the new NATO members according to that treaty, NATO bases are within 10min flight time to Leningrad, Western side countries didn't ratify the treaty, so now we give a 150 day period to get it fixed. We followed it to the last digit, NATO didn't. Now Russia is outnumbered 5:1 in conventional forces in European theater.

Look, free-fall nuclear bombs, that can be dropped from F-16s, stored in Europe are officially against "terrorists". Pure nonsense. And we can't even count them - NATO bases in Pribaltika are outside the treaty!

We are tired of following our obligations when our vis-a-vis are spitting on all agreements and laugh in our face.