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Aircraft that make your jaw drop!

Pacific Coast Air Museum

Airplanes, helicopters, family fun in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, Hot Dog Thursday, Windsor, Birthday Partys
pacificcoastairmuseum.org pacificcoastairmuseum.org

Going to add this to my list of places to visit
 
berth said:
Can I make a plea that when folks post a picture, they identify the aircraft? Shockingly, I have no problems identifying the ones I know, but struggle with the ones I don't.

Perhaps that's a condition unique to me.
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Reasonable request. I shall start doing so.
 
Blown tire on this DeHavilland Dash 8 while landing on a dirt strip at Qalat, Afghanistan, 2013. There was a platoon of MRAPs pulling security on the airfield while we were on the ground and nerves were escalating as the sun was quickly setting. The aircrew swapped out the wheel with the efficiency of a NASCAR pit crew and we were airborne before the bad guys could start shooting rockets at us.

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stratslingr77 said:
RF-8G Crusader
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The F-8 had a 'hard' afterburner. It lit with a sound like an explosion, and the aircraft would occasionally wheelie. There was an RF-8 visiting our flightline and I went out to watch it start and take off. It was amazing to watch. Then just after lift off it caught fire. I watched it continue to climb for a short period then descend below the trees. Then the smoke and fire became visible.

The pilot ejected, landed on his feet, and was the first person on scene helping to put out the fire.

www.upi.com

A Navy reserve pilot aimed his disabled photo reconnaissance... - UPI Archives

A Navy reserve pilot aimed his disabled photo reconnaissance jet at a parking lot and ejected to safety at only 300 feet from the ground seconds before the...
www.upi.com www.upi.com
 
Boulton Paul Defiant. A great concept, but not terribly successful. These things weight over a ton more that a Spitfire and the MkI had a Merlin III of 1,030 hp; the MkII got a Merlin XX producing 1,280 hp. Interesting tidbit for me; I was born on RAF Kirton Lindsey in Lincolnshire. That's not the interesting bit; a Polish squadron operated these from Kirton in Lindsey for 3 months in 1940.

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F-16XL
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Enchanter, Stratslinger, and Dravnx,,, your posts are the real deal. I was unaware of how directly you served our country, the photos from your collective memories are my favorites. My old1943 ercoupe hardly would make anyone's jaw drop,, but landing that sucker under power lines on an un-mowed grass strip sure could make the other end pucker.
 
I fly out to DC tonight and I've got trips planned to both the Smithsonian Air and Space museum at the national mall, and the annex near Dulles.

Super stoked to see all those unique aircraft!

Top of my list are the X1, X15 (might still be in restoration and not on display), Wright flyer, Me 262, Enola Gay, SR-71, space shuttle, Concord, and of course the X-Wing, from that space documentary about wars.

I made the wife sit down and watch The Right Stuff with me this this week just for some fun context before we visit.
 
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