Friday Video: Flying Backseat in an F-15E Strike Eagle

Ever wanted to fly in an F-15E Strike Eagle? Well, here's your chance. Check it out.

AC-130 Spectre Gunship 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

The AC-130 Spectre evokes an array of emotions. This variant of the lowly C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft first saw service in Vietnam and has participated in conflicts ever since.

The USAF has one in the National Air Force Museum and I got a picture of the nose art.

Sepecat Jaguar Attack Aircraft Refueling 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

Here's a shot of the Sepecat Jaguar attack jet catching some fuel. I think some nations still fly the aircraft but it's slowly being replaced by the Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon.

Friday Video: F-15 Eagle West Coast Demo Team

Here's some great F-15 Eagle flying from the West Coast Demo team. A slick Eagle has impressive power and this video shows it to you.

C-17 Globemasters 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

Talk about a boatload of C-17s, check out today's widescreen desktop background. It's impressive.

Thunderbird Knife-Edge Pass 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

Demonstration teams always perform heart-stopping maneuvers like the one in this Thunderbird wallpaper.

Great photography on this shot to stop action on one jet while blurring the other.

F-16B and F-16C Ready For Takeoff 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

Today's high res widescreen wallpaper is a pair of F-16s from the 162nd Fighter Wing (Air National Guard) based in Tuscon, Arizona.

The two-seater is a rare F-16B (you don't see many A or B models anymore).

I've visited Tuscon once before while on a trip to Phoenix. They filmed a lot of old western movies in the surrounding desert area (famous for the Saguaro Cactus) but overall, there ain't much there....


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We Have a Winner!

Today's Friday August 15th and that means we have a winner for our next contest to give away a free F/A-22 Raptor Mousepad.

The winner is: Kyle Mitchell!

Congratulations to Kyle. For the rest of you, keep your eyes open for our next give-away.

As a side note, many of you signed-up for the mailing list but have not responded to the automated confirmation E-mail. Those of you with Yahoo, Hotmail, and Gmail accounts need to check your spam/junk filter folder. If you don't confirm your sign-up, you are not on the list.

F-15C Eagles Formation Flying 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

Here's a great shot of two F-15C Eagles from the 18th wing stationed at Kadena Air Base, Japan.


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C-130H Hercules Taxi to Takeoff 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

It's the workhorse of the USAF and even worse than flying Southwest Airlines. If you've ever flown in one, you know it's about as no-frills as you can get (and you're lucky to not freeze to death flying in the cargo area). I should also mention it's slower than maple syrup, but it gets the job done...

F18 Hornet Carrier Launch 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

Nice shot here of an F/A-18C Hornet getting launched off a carrier in full afterburner. Pilots often say the carrier launch is the best part of the whole mission.

Friday Video: F-22 Raptor Demo

If you can't get enough of the F/A-22 Raptor, check out this airshow demonstration video. You'll see some of the greatest flying you can get with this amazing aircraft. The F-22 is a game-changer.

Blue Angels: A Year In The Life

I just finished watching an absolutely amazing high definition (HD) show on the Blue Angels. If you've got a HDTV, you will be blown-away.

The show is called "Blue Angels: A Year In The Life" and it chronicles how a pilot goes from flying Navy fleet aircraft to flying an F-18C with the Blue Angels demonstration team.



What makes the show so amazing is that the film crew has complete access to the BA team. You follow the team through their initial training in El Centro, CA to their final show in Pensacola, FL. Have you ever seen a BA preflight briefing? You will now and prepare to be humbled by their dedication and professionalism.

You also get HD camera footage from inside the cockpit and it's STUNNING. I can't recommend this show highly enough. If you don't have it, buy it now. You won't be disappointed.

F-18E Formation Flight 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

Today's widescreen wallpaper features a pair of F/A-18E Super Hornets in tight formation. Almost as a good as the Blue Angels!

F22 Raptor 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

From certain angles the F/A-22 Raptor is a mean looking fighter. In this shot you can see the side weapons bays with missiles on the launchers. Impressive.

New Give-Away F-22 Raptor Mousepad -- Winner Announced on Aug 15 2008

Hey all,

We're having a new give-away this month of this excellent F/A-22 Raptor Mousepad. If you're already on our mailing list, you received a notice today. If you haven't signed-up yet, you still have time (see upper right corner of the site).

I will pull the winning name on August 15, 2008 and announce it here on the blog.

Good luck!

French F-2 Rafale Carrier Landing 1680 x 1050 Widescreen Wallpaper

Here's my artistic rendition of a French F-2 Rafale fighter performing a carrier landing. The Rafale is a beautiful aircraft.

Enjoy!

Friday Video: The YF-23 and Test Pilot Comments

I worked at Northrop during the time the ATF competition was in full swing. I remember watching the videos and getting the promo materials on the YF-23. Today's video is all about the YF-23 with commentary by test pilot Paul Metz.

When I look at the YF-23, it reminds me of the SR-71. I wanted it to win the competition but it lost out to the YF-22, which we know today as the F/A-22 Raptor. In the end, the F/A-22 is an incredible plane, but I still wish some F-23s would have been built.