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Crash at Kirtland/ABQ 28 May 24


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News is saying it was a tail on its way from factory to be delivered and it was a contractor pilot. We always picked up our hercs from the factory. Any pointy nose guys care to weigh in?

Somewhere a GFR is crapping his or her pants.


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2 hours ago, McJay Pilot said:

News is saying it was a tail on its way from factory to be delivered and it was a contractor pilot. We always picked up our hercs from the factory. Any pointy nose guys care to weigh in?

We have the option of getting it ourselves or someone from Fort Worth delivering.

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Wonder if he took off that way or was trying to land that way (after some T/O issue) guess we'll have to wait...

In either case I don't get it. I've seen a few F-35Bs depart various airfields in person (to include ABQ) and their penchant for doing VSTOL takeoffs never make sense to me. Especially at a high/hot airport such as ABQ, even with 2x 10,000+ runways. Curious if it is a TOLD thing or just preference.

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1 hour ago, contraildash said:

Curious if it is a TOLD thing or just preference.

I remember watching Harriers doing partial down vectored takeoffs routinely at Kandahar as well.  Always puzzled me as the airfield should have been plenty long enough.  I would speculate it's a procedural thing.

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Posted (edited)

It’s an approved procedure, but also not required on “standard length” runways. Seen plenty of B model conventional takeoffs during normal ops.

Edited by brabus
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Posted (edited)

Plot thickens...was an AF pilot...

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-pilot-f-35b-crash-kirtland/

Edited by Swizzle
For DCMA. I like how article says they're qualified in all three variants, but infer the B's STOVL is easy by only flipping a lever in the cockpit. As Emeril would say, "BAAM!" Pretty sure it's not THAT easy.
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STOVL systems have way too many moving parts, just like helicopters, if one part fails the damn thing crashes. 

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On 5/28/2024 at 5:11 PM, McJay Pilot said:

News is saying it was a tail on its way from factory to be delivered and it was a contractor pilot. We always picked up our hercs from the factory. Any pointy nose guys care to weigh in?

We do some of the delivery pilots periodic training and I've heard some of the other CIPs mention occasionally that there was quite a bit of color in the events.  

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Minor thread derail here but for Navy carrier based airplanes, is there something in the TO's that state you have to do every landing like you're attacking the runway? Or is it just a "practice like you play" kind of thing how you would land on the carrier?

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A retired hornet bro referencing Delta training, “flaring is so stupid.” From what my navy friends have said, it’s SOP to set a decent rate (700 FPM?) and ride it in, every time. It does make sense to not have two different landing procedures based on carrier vs. no carrier - guys would probably fuck up and accidentally flare at the boat and miss the wire…and then their entire career is over and they might as well kill themselves because you know, admin is more important than combat capability! #gONaVy!

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10 hours ago, brabus said:

A retired hornet bro referencing Delta training, “flaring is so stupid. // // #gONaVy!

Easy to say flaring is stupid when your landing gear struts are built like artillery barrels. 

Also in a normal approach to landing, or come-down, does that mean Navy bro's lay some rigorous pipe atop their shipmates aboard?

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