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F-15 Midair Collision . . . Almost
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PapaJoe



Joined: 09 Nov 2020
Posts: 73
Location: Massachusetts USA

PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 1:48 am    Post subject: F-15 Midair Collision . . . Almost Reply with quote

If you fly fighters long enough, chances are you'll have the stuffing scared out of you for one reason or another at some point. Generally, that fear manifests on the ground after landing. You reflect on the event and realize how close you came to the end.

I experienced this while training a young fighter pilot on the intricacies of air combat maneuvering in the F-15 Eagle. My student, a sharp young jock,, combined excellent flying skills with a keen intellect . . . a good mix. His reputation for excellence probably lulled me into making unwarranted assumptions about his ability at that stage of training. But, in the fighter business, we push pilots to their limit every day, and this day would be no exception.

Our training mission involved protecting a high value asset from the threat of two F-16 Vipers. The F-16, small and highly maneuverable, is flown by aggressive jocks who enjoy defeating F-15s very much. So, this threat had no intention of going easy on me or my student.

Once airborne and on station, we received word the threat was inbound, so we accelerated and pointed our jets toward the Vipers. Before long, they popped up on our radar scopes. We achieved a quick kill on the lead Viper, then maneuvered for a 2 versus 1 scenario against the wingman. He refused to cooperate, however, and I became engaged in a turning fight with him requiring a great deal of my attention. It was during this dogfight that my student lost situational awareness and streaked passed my nose, high to low, missing me by a few feet. Crap! To avoid colliding, I pushed full forward on the control stick resulting in a negative over-G condition. An over-G is an exceedance of aircraft design limits requiring an airframe inspection. So, training ended at that point and we headed home.

Back on the ground, we determined my student had fixated on the threat aircraft and lost sight of my airplane in the heat of battle. As we reviewed our cockpit video tapes, we noted a miss distance between F-15s of zero distance units . . . a sobering realization. Reflecting back, it's a moment I'm unlikely to forget, watching two jet engine exhausts roar by just inches in front of my nose.
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Keith D



Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Posts: 1127
Location: Upper Swan, Western Australia

PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 5:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You certainly led an exciting life, Joe!

I was lucky. My working life was far more mundane and safer than yours.

Keith
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PapaJoe



Joined: 09 Nov 2020
Posts: 73
Location: Massachusetts USA

PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 9:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Keith,
After 21 years in Fighters, my airline career gave me the opportunity to dial back the excitement meter a bit. From that seat, one could relax watching the sun rise and set, have a conversation with other crew members, and see things rarely viewed from above like the snow-covered mountains of Greenland and the Grand Canyon. All this while sipping a cup of hot tea or coffee.
Regards,
Joe
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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 22429
Location: UK

PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 3:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great read there PJ, thanks for posting, definitely a code brown kind of day.

RJ
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