USMCFLYR

No.......I didn't personally ride in the backseat - but our flight surgeon got a ride and shared these pictures with me and I thought I'd share them with you. The squadron is VAQ-129 - the USN/USMC/and USAF ECMO FRS (RAG for the old timers) out of Whidbey Island, WA. He said the visibility wasn't too bad out the side windows but the view to the front is practically non-existent. Those ECMOs riding in back must have a lump in their throat when coming aboard the boat at night

Eck4Life

Nice shots. Thanks for sharing.

Is it me or are those things awfully loud for what they are packing? I mean I love a/c noise as much or more than the next guy, but they seem pretty loud. I love it! I used to fly into a field that the Whidbey Island NAS guys would frequent to shoot practice ILSs. When they came over the threshold before applying go-around power it was outstandingly loud considering the phase of flight. They would 'slow fly' down the runway before going on their way and I would be standing on the ramp next to my plane loving every second.

mmaviator

Is that the salton sea. If so I have had AV8B's fly under me while I was flying at 4k. good pics

AZFlyer

Ah, the Navy/USMC family car. Some say its ugly, but I happen to really like the looks of the EA-6B. Certainly far better looking that the original Intruder, IMO.

USMCFLYR

Eck -

As far as loud goes - I'm not really sure. I just spent two weeks with them practicing their night field carrier landing practice (FCLPs) which means they were going around and around the landing pattern at 600' and I didn't find them to be too much of a distraction when trying to watch TV The Harriers seem louder because of the high pitch whine and the Hornets seem to growl louder and deeper. I haven't heard that the Prowlers are an exceptionally loud jet for the military.

mmaviator - Great reccce. Yep - over the Salton Sea. Where were you flying out of when flying in the area?

AZ - It is not a bad looking ariplane for the shape and size. I think you may be right about it looking even better than the A-6E, but you'd really need to clean those wings off to make it look anything near sleek. I remember the first time standing next to an A-6; I was amazed how BIG of an airplane it was - having to nearly reach UP to touch the nose.

USMCFLYR

Eck4Life

True. Military aircraft play by a different set of rules when designing an aircraft with respect to noise. IE, it isn't considered! I just love the fact that an airframe that isn't supersonic in unaccelerated flight (as far as I know) makes that much noise. Let freedom ring!

mmaviator

mmaviator - Great reccce. Yep - over the Salton Sea. Where were you flying out of when flying in the area?

USMCFLYR[/QUOTE]

i was out of san diego doing a cross country

USMCFLYR

i was out of san diego doing a cross country[/quote]

I really enjoy flying in that area. I first flew there in '92. Flew out of NAF El Centro quite a bit in ther '98-'01 timeframe and again from '06 to present.
Maybe you and I have gone left to left at some point in the past

USMCFLYR

mmaviator

yeah i was around in '07 till early '08. I liked seeing 18's in the practice area just north of el centro and west of salton sea. what do you guys do in that area?

USMCFLYR

R-2510, Kane E/W MOA, R-2512, R-2507 and the Abel MOAs - in these areas squadrons do a bit of EVERYTHING (meaning air-to-ground and air-to-air, and support missions), but in my squadron we do mostly Low Altitude Tactical Training, Dive and Sensor Bombing, and Close Air Support.

USMCFLYR