posted on Jul, 14 2006 @ 10:42 PM
Now THAT'S a real roller coaster ride! Forget the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds. I want to fly with THESE guys!
But, seriously.
Such flights can be life savers in warfare. Starting in the 60's the trend changed from high altitude to low level as a way of avoiding radar. Any
pilot who can do this; hit the deck, slam the throttle, and avoid any obstruction; is a valued asset. Stealth is expensive, jammers work but lets
everyone know SOMEONE is there. So, you hide behind natural features and block their view. And hunting you from above is hit or miss in that they
need to pick you out of ground clutter, which still isn't that easy. These guys have skill.
And actually deltas, like the Mirage, are great performers on the deck. Even the bigger B-58 was very agile going low and fast. The low aspect ratio
and strong wing structure are ideal for that kind of flying. I have yet to see an F-15 or F-16 do the same as what is in that video, which I think
is a sad fact about the actual performance of US Air Force strike capabilities.