Harrier cockpit perspective.

a reply to: parad0x122

F-15D backseat during an engine run.

a reply to: Zaphod58

No way, really!? A good friend of mine just got back from his final deployment as an F-15 repair technician, he said the engines in them are just obscenely powerful. Did it rattle you to the bone? We were busting on the person in charge of our program to see if he'd allow the pilot to take one of us lucky kids up in the RIO seat, but he said we'd probably pass out or get hurt from the G forces, lol. It was worth a shot!

a reply to: parad0x122

It was only idle on one engine, but it was fun. I was on intercoms with the pilot, and Bitching Betty was freaking out.

Oh yeah, the right seat of a B-1 too.

a reply to: Zaphod58

ENGAGE PILOT HEATER, ENGAGE PILOT HEATER, WARNING LOW ALTITUDE, PULL UP, PULL UP

hahahah, damn you Betty and your nagging.

FWIW, I just recently picked up DCS (Digital Combat Simulator) and download the A-10 module....been studying the cockpit and controls and finally was able to get it to turn on and taxi. My notes for the start up procedure alone are easily 3 and half pages of switches and levers, God knows how much more complicated it must be in real life. Now the weapons systems? I'd say those will take MONTHS to even get fairly familiar with, without any professional training.

a reply to: parad0x122

She was really freaking out over the left engine being off while the right was ruining. I think that broke her digital brain.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I'm sure it did! To her, she probably thought you guys were doing donuts on the tarmac. LOL

Awesome view. And this is a good reference for modelers building Harriers. hehe

a reply to: parad0x122

You want freaking out, towing a B-1 is a blast. Master Caution every two minutes for the aircraft moving with the crew door open, and ignition off.

It's so much simpler on the 22 and 35 hearing what happens on other aircraft. And engine running a 35 is a blast. Though, it does get warm out in the sun.

a reply to: 5GenNext

The biggest pain in the ass I ever encountered was the S-3. Refueling that thing was a total nightmare. You could CAREFULLY hit 18 psi IIRC. Hit 19 or higher, you might as well declare the ground emergency now, because that damn thing was gonna dump all over the damn ramp.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Not being a crew chief, I don't gas it up. The 35 has come a long way in how everything is working.

22 didn't have a lot of issues like that. The struts never liked to settle after a full load, kick the nose and the whole thing would drop, or the ladder, always made for an interesting ride.

Did you know that in each individual's cockpit "Bitching Betty" is set at a pitch equal to the pilot's wife, mother or daughter? Silly little fact I thought you might like to know.

On topic, a nice video of a US Marine AV-8B taking off and landing in HD

www.youtube.com...

a reply to: 5GenNext

I used to have to help clean the mess up while with TA, when they'd come through.

I can imagine that's gotta be a bit nerve wracking the first couple times it happened.