Com-Central.net

Hiya,

Heading for lunch yesterday, I look up to see a P51 and an F15 flying formation. On the way back, a P47 flying wing with an F4 was on downwind leg overhead.

There is a certification deal at the AFB here this week, for airshow formation flying, and I heard there are a bunch of unusual and historic a/c in town for it.

Now, we have all seen a P51 model and an F15 model on a table, and some of us have been fortunate enough to see both in person. I still found it amazing to compare the size of the two side-by-side in flight. The F15 looks HUGE compared to the P51!

The P47 looked less tiny compared to the F4, but it was amusing watching the F4 pilot struggling to keep his speed down enough and still stay airborne.

(P51 and P47 were in civilian clothes, and I couldn't tell what the F4 was dressed as...supposed to be a wing of German F4s over at Holloman in New Mexico.)

As we finished up our 18.7 mile ruck march today, they were flying four-ships. Among the warbirds there must be two P51s, but that seems to be the only duplication. Weird to see an F4, an F15 and an F16, all flying formation on a P47 lead. The F4 was really struggling to stay in tight...doesn't like the slow speeds!

Earlier today, an F15, a P47, and a P51, with an F86 flying lead, flew past outside my window.

They had an F22 flying around too yesterday. Pretty loud...which, in addition to the US$150 million price tag, is one of many major gripes about it. There's a P40 tooling around, too.

The guy at the hobby shop was positively frothing to show me his pics yesterday...barely more than dots on the screenful of sky. He was thrilled with them, but I doubt he has the megapixels for a 40x enlargement to show any detail at all!

C

I'm not familiar with your location, where were these planes flying?

Great story Sherman and I've seen the F15 and P51 flying together a couple of years ago in Indianapolis at the air show there.

And you're right, the F15 is huge compared to the P51. We (Com Central) had a convention in St. Louis and got to tour the Air National Guard Air Base there. The F15 is their primary aircraft and lucky for us, got a grand tour of those birds up close. The F15 is amazingly loud...

Did you tell the guy at the hobby shop about Com Central? (Shameless plug)....LOL.

This pic was taken at the Commemorative Air Force Airshow 2005
F-15, F-4, P-51
To learn more about the heritage flight go to the link below
www2.acc.af.mil/airdem...ritage.htm

- SFC_Jeff_Button

I'm not familiar with your location, where were these planes flying?

Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, AZ.

They were out again today, practicing their individual programs. My son and I watched the F15 and the P47 doing aerobatics and showing off.

There was a new (or at least one I hadn't seen before) F4 flying with them today, dressed in camo topside. Even my son could see what a struggle it was for the pilot to fly formation with the slower propeller-driven aircraft. Meanwhile, an F16 was just cruising along with it's nose in the air (high AOA), like it was designed to fly that way!

From the side, the mixed formations are funny to look at, because the prop jobs are flying straight and level, while the jets are all at high AOAs.

Amazing how those old warbirds draw out the kid in even a cynical barstard like me, and still fascinate the kids. It did set me back a moment, when my son said "Oh, yeah. Those are in my Medal of Extreme Heroic Valor (or something like that) game". I guess that is how our kids are experiencing history, if we don't drag them out of their darkened rooms now and then...

Chuck

My two boys know about bazookas, M1 rifles, 45 colts, and various armor by playing "Medal of Honor" and some of the other PS2 and X-Box games. As an Infantry NCO I get a kick out of it. They both have taken a shine to armor, helicopter, and plane research as I have since volunteering at the Fort irwin museum.
Thats an awsome picture, lucky you and your son are to see that. Not many are as lucky as you to see those three fly together at the same time. Do you have some more pictures?