F-106 Cornfield Bomber

[Puma44]

Interesting event.

https://youtu.be/noriLGVL7Qo

[BOBO]

"Gary, you'd better get back in that plane"

[Puma44]

"Gary, you'd better get back in that plane"

Yeah, for sure!  No do overs dude.

I met Gary when stationed up in the frozen North.  Nice guy who had a bad day.

[Vraciu]

Ah, yes.   

Jack Broughton talked a lot about the Six in “Rupert Red Two” and mentioned this incident. 


Lots of guys got killed because the ejection seat 💺 was a kluge.   He went into some detail on that whole thing.    He loved that airplane, though. 

[icepac]

Maybe the ejection pushed the nose down?.......or the drag from the open cockpit?

[Puma44]

Maybe the ejection pushed the nose down?.......or the drag from the open cockpit?

Yeah, that was the theory at the time.  The seat firing provided enough downforce on the nose to break the stall.  Amazing ending to the event.

[Vraciu]

They repaired it and the pilot flew it again years later.  It's now at the NMUSAF in Dayton.  Very cool stuff. 

Amazing plane.  Loved them as a kid.  They were a living classic back in the 80s.

[Puma44]

They repaired it and the pilot flew it again years later.  It's now at the NMUSAF in Dayton.  Very cool stuff. 

Amazing plane.  Loved them as a kid.  They were a living classic back in the 80s.

They are still a classic.

[MiloMorai]

I remember that.

There was another over California, which I can't remember the details of. I think it was shot down.

[Puma44]

I remember that.

There was another over California, which I can't remember the details of. I think it was shot down.

Highly unlikely it was shot down.  Ejected from, quite possibly.  Any other details?

[MiloMorai]

https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/17_fm2017-above-beyond-180961670/

Not this one as iirc the other was at night.

[Puma44]

https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/17_fm2017-above-beyond-180961670/

Not this one as iirc the other was at night.

I assumed you were talking about an F-106.