Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: phatzo on December 02, 2010, 07:19:45 PM

Title: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: phatzo on December 02, 2010, 07:19:45 PM
In about 40 minutes time the RAAF F-111s wil do their final flight from  Byron Bay to Brisbane, slow and along the coast for photo opportunities. Anyone living along that part of the coast grab your cameras, rumour has it that there may be a legndary dump and burn or two.
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: Masherbrum on December 02, 2010, 07:54:24 PM
My fav. lookin plane of Modern Times.    :frown:
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: kilo2 on December 02, 2010, 08:10:56 PM
In about 40 minutes time the RAAF F-111s wil do their final flight from  Byron Bay to Brisbane, slow and along the coast for photo opportunities. Anyone living along that part of the coast grab your cameras, rumour has it that there may be a legndary dump and burn or two.

So long F-111 we hardly knew ye.
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: Dichotomy on December 02, 2010, 08:14:57 PM
 :salute
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: phatzo on December 02, 2010, 09:24:15 PM
(http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/1671/f111r.jpg)
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: FiLtH on December 02, 2010, 10:16:52 PM
  When I was getting ready to join the air force, the recruiter took us to Pease AFB and they let us see the 111 up close. Think they were FB-111s there.
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: spacer on December 03, 2010, 12:31:39 AM
Sorry to hear that the RAAF is laying them to rest!   I worked on the F-111 D/F from 1989 to 1994 at Cannon AFB.  I cannot say it was fun to work on them. (Old PIGS that they were!)  But still have alot of fond memories, of the people and places.
  Filth if you saw it at Pease AFB it was most likely the FB-111.

RIP  F-111    :angel:
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: Plawranc on December 03, 2010, 12:33:15 AM
*last post*  :cry


 :salute

(http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Plawranc/PtCookFeb10144.jpg)
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: oakranger on December 03, 2010, 01:14:22 AM
Why are they not flying them anymore?
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: phatzo on December 03, 2010, 03:21:08 AM
Why are they not flying them anymore?
They have been replaced with shiny new FA-18 superhornet
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: -tronski- on December 03, 2010, 06:34:35 AM
Why are they not flying them anymore?

Politics

They have been replaced with shiny new FA-18 superhornet

Bad bad bad stupid idea

 Tronsky
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: Shifty on December 03, 2010, 06:54:36 AM
Nice thread Phatzo.  :aok

I was an F-111E Crew Chief on aircraft 68-005 from 1980 to 1983 with the 20th TFW at RAF Upper Heyford UK.
They were a pain in the a** to maintain but certainly an awesome bird.

<S>
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: Strip on December 03, 2010, 07:26:01 AM
Politics

Bad bad bad stupid idea

 Tronsky

How is replacing an aircraft older than most of the people flying said aircraft a "Bad bad bad stupid idea"?

A cheaper and more capable aircraft to boot?

Strip
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: BowHTR on December 03, 2010, 07:59:38 AM
Dump and burn

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/F-111-Fuel-Dump%2C-Avalon%2C-VIC-23.03.2007.jpg)
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: BowHTR on December 03, 2010, 08:02:34 AM
Neat bump and burn video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFjycL0qEgs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFjycL0qEgs)
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: tmetal on December 03, 2010, 09:26:15 AM
are there any other planes that use a similar/same type of ejection system used on the F-111's?
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: Dichotomy on December 03, 2010, 09:44:35 AM
I was told by a program manager at General Dynamics that they used circus bears to test the early ejection system.  Not sure how true it was but it was one heck of a funny story. 
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: oakranger on December 03, 2010, 01:21:11 PM
INice thread Phatzo.  :aok

I was an F-111E Crew Chief on aircraft 68-005 from 1980 to 1983 with the 20th TFW at RAF Upper Heyford UK.
They were a pain in the a** to maintain but certainly an awesome bird.

<S>

I thought you where serving in the U.S.A.F?
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: phatzo on December 03, 2010, 01:55:53 PM
The dump and burn video is cool  :aok I had the pleasure of seeing this quite a few times when they ran a round of Indy cars on the Gold Coast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klTnfEjvmLE

flying through high rise buildings like that would be awsome
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: Nefarious on December 03, 2010, 02:19:31 PM
I thought you where serving in the U.S.A.F?

There were a few squadrons of US F-111s stationed in the UK. I have an uncle that served in the 70's working on F-111s I'll have to mention the final F-111 flight next time i see him.

He told me an interesting story of an F-111 that had some sort of landing gear failure, It may have been a training video... Any who, he told me that as the F-111 was sliding down the runway the crew had jettisoned the canopies and were riding down the runway with one leg out the cockpit ready to run as soon as the F-111 came to a stop. Can't say I blame them, but apparently it was a running joke for some time.
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: rogwar on December 03, 2010, 03:00:14 PM
are there any other planes that use a similar/same type of ejection system used on the F-111's?

Yes the B-1A prototypes and some older jet bombers.
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: Shifty on December 03, 2010, 03:34:31 PM
I thought you where serving in the U.S.A.F?

Jebus Oak...  :rolleyes:

I was the 20th TFW at RAF Upper Heyford is USAF. The RAF owned the base we just played there.  ;)
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: Shifty on December 03, 2010, 03:36:21 PM
There were a few squadrons of US F-111s stationed in the UK. I have an uncle that served in the 70's working on F-111s I'll have to mention the final F-111 flight next time i see him.

There were two Wings of 3 Squadrons each in the UK. The 20th TFW at Upper Heyford...
And that other bunch at Lakenheath.  :D
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: oakranger on December 03, 2010, 09:05:37 PM
Jebus Oak...  :rolleyes:

I was the 20th TFW at RAF Upper Heyford is USAF. The RAF owned the base we just played there.  ;)

LOL, sorry shifty.  Not turn in on these things with bases we are at and who it belongs to.   :salute
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: -tronski- on December 04, 2010, 03:31:39 AM
How is replacing an aircraft older than most of the people flying said aircraft a "Bad bad bad stupid idea"?

A cheaper and more capable aircraft to boot?

Strip

$6 Billion on an interim aircraft that slower, which cant carry half as much, cant fly half as far, and costs more to lug that bomb load sounds like a pretty stupid idea to me...maybe the USAF should shelve their B-52's because their a bit old as well?

 Tronsky
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: 007Rusty on December 04, 2010, 09:26:25 AM
 :aok
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: Hajo on December 04, 2010, 12:01:00 PM
Sort of reminds me of the demise of the F-14.  Friend of mine flew one off the Roosevelt if memory serves.  He told me it was the best

fleet defense fighter the navy had...maybe still is.  Could engage more targets at a greater range then any fighter the Navy had

at the time.  Was politics and cost.  Guess ya lose a fleet or a cv...would the cost be greater? (shrugs)
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: Shifty on December 04, 2010, 02:45:34 PM
LOL, sorry shifty.  Not turn in on these things with bases we are at and who it belongs to.   :salute

Notta problem Oak just messing with you.  ;)
Title: Re: Last flight of the F-111
Post by: TOMCAT21 on December 05, 2010, 09:51:24 AM
 :salute.... another chapter of aviation history closes.