F15 Down

[danny76]

UK News agencies reporting US F15 has crashed at RAF Lakenheath in Norfolk, apparently spun into the ground after a loss of control, pilot ejected safely and was picked up by helicopter shortly afterwards.

[zack1234]

At least pilot was safe

[danny76]

Absoruteley, septics can afford a new hairyplane

[MrRiplEy[H]]

UK News agencies reporting US F15 has crashed at RAF Lakenheath in Norfolk, apparently spun into the ground after a loss of control, pilot ejected safely and was picked up by helicopter shortly afterwards.

Another in-flight breakup due to stress fractures?

[danny76]

Well, they are a little long in the tooth

[BoilerDown]

Another in-flight breakup due to stress fractures?

That can't be it because it must have been some other completely speculative reason that just so happens to support my geopolitical viewpoint even more.

[Bruv119]

thankfully it didn't end up hitting anyone or the local primary school. 

Is there any need for Top Gun to be practising combat manoeuvres over the English countryside?  Surely they can go out over the north sea or something...

[DaveBB]

thankfully it didn't end up hitting anyone or the local primary school. 

Is there any need for Top Gun to be practising combat manoeuvres over the English countryside?  Surely they can go out over the north sea or something...

Depends on what they are practicing doing. 

[Bodhi]

Well, they are a little long in the tooth

Don't worry, we won't be building more of one of the best fighters ever made.  Instead we will be pinning it all on that awesome, superior replacement the, F-35.  The plane that can't carry the same weight, fly the same distance, or fight off enemy like it's "long in the tooth" precursor.

[Ratsy]

It's a miracle that nobody was hurt on the ground.

We are talking about the area around Spalding, correct?

The world is grateful that the United Kingdom continues to graciously host forward bases despite the possibility (inevitability) of flying accidents during peace time.  I'm very glad that the F-15C/E have better flying records than the B-47's that flew out of RAF Brize Norton in the 50's-60's.  I lived there with my military family a couple of times and know a little bit about it.

  the Brits!

[Bruv119]

Depends on what they are practicing doing. 

I was assuming they were in the air practising flying so they can do that over water where UK citizens aren't getting rained on by our "special relationship"   

[Rich46yo]

Don't worry, we won't be building more of one of the best fighters ever made.  Instead we will be pinning it all on that awesome, superior replacement the, F-35.  The plane that can't carry the same weight, fly the same distance, or fight off enemy like it's "long in the tooth" precursor.

The F-15 is a sitting duck to modern AA systems. It has the RCS of a bus and you cant make a fighter able to fly faster or higher then an AA missile. Even the proposed Silent Eagle is not in the class of the F-35. Not even close, to build a stealth airplane you have to build it from the start. The F-15 is basically a 1970's design. People cant seem to understand an airplane the enemy doesnt know is there is far better then an airplane the enemy DOES know is there no matter the other performance parameters.

[MrKrabs]

The F-15 is a sitting duck to modern AA systems. It has the RCS of a bus and you cant make a fighter able to fly faster or higher then an AA missile. Even the proposed Silent Eagle is not in the class of the F-35. Not even close, to build a stealth airplane you have to build it from the start. The F-15 is basically a 1970's design. People cant seem to understand an airplane the enemy doesnt know is there is far better then an airplane the enemy DOES know is there no matter the other performance parameters.

This...

A cookie for you...

[MiloMorai]

I was assuming they were in the air practising flying so they can do that over water where UK citizens aren't getting rained on by our "special relationship"   

They still have to fly over land to get back to Lakenheath.

A dah moment:

Mrs Prescott’s husband John, 70, said: “I dialled 999 after the plane crashed and I was on the phone to the operator.

“When she asked me which service I wanted, I said that all three were needed. I told her that a US military jet had just crashed and I was watching the pilot come down in his parachute.

“I couldn’t believe it when she replied, ‘Is it male or female’. I just said, ‘I don’t bloody know’. Then she said, ‘Is their breathing OK?’. I just gave her the postcode and address .”

[Ratsy]

I was assuming they were in the air practising flying so they can do that over water where UK citizens aren't getting rained on by our "special relationship"   

With respect I don't understand the quotes around special relationship nor the 'old' icon.

The 48th TFW has deployed forward from British-hosted bases more than once in the last two decades with NATO or UN-coalition mandates.

As the world and particularly Europe wakes up to the escalated threat of amateur religious radicalism, the importance of forward-deployed assets will become ever more obvious.

In my heart I had hoped that yesterday's situation had happened closer to RAF Lakenheath and that the crash could be explained as an arrival or departure incident.

Until proven otherwise, I choose to believe that remarkable airmanship was demonstrated yesterday over Spalding and that a pilot did his job well as evidenced by the absence of injuries on the ground.

To your point, Bruv, I sympathize.  I would be very concerned if the Air Force units here were 'Top Gunning' anywhere near a populated area.  It would be an outrage.  But in yesterday's incident that remains to be seen.

I will always appreciate the gracious willingness of the British people to allow forward-deployed assets on its soil.  Especially the 48th TFW.  Personally I will treasure the eight years of my own life spent in your country as a result of those policies.