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Two EA-18 fighter jets collide at Mountain Home airshow, pilots ejected safely

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Re: Two EA-18 fighter jets collide at Mountain Home airshow, pilots ejected safely

#91

Post by stingraycharles »

dboreham wrote: post #88
Levitating wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think these ejection seats work in more or less any orientation. I am more surprised that they didn't immediately blow up or lose control after colliding. Or even that the crew took that long to eject.

The aircraft appear to have become "stuck" to each other perhaps due to aerodynamic forces similar to how a piece of paper gets stuck to a car windshield (probably something to do with one of the Bernoullis). There wasn't much of an impact to cause a destructive event such as compressor stall. Perhaps the pilots were waiting to see if the aircraft would become un-stuck, or to get clear airspace into which they could…

That’s my read as well, but I’m looking forward for an official analysis as things often aren’t as they appear.

Re: Two EA-18 fighter jets collide at Mountain Home airshow, pilots ejected safely

#92

Post by stingraycharles »

dboreham wrote: post #86
jcgrillo wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Arms and legs can take a serious beating too. Airplane cockpits are pretty tight spaces, and to be explosively shot out of one with little notice is.. yikes.

Ejection is often a career-ending event, unfortunately. Better than dying though.

How so, because of the damage to the body?

Re: Two EA-18 fighter jets collide at Mountain Home airshow, pilots ejected safely

#93

Post by jmward01 »

jterrys wrote: post #41
avalys wrote: post #3

These are pretty expensive and specialized electronic warfare planes that are identical to a regular F18 in aerodynamic performance. Sucks to lose two of them for an airshow display. Isn’t that what the Blue Angels are for?

This actually begs the question...why the fuck would they use THESE for an airshow? They're aesthetically identical to F18 from a ground silhouette perspective. They blew through some really expensive planes from a much smaller fleet for a pony show that any regular F18 could've been part of.

They do training all day every day in these planes. Air shows are probably less exciting than the stuff they practice to do. Also, while they a generically '18's' they are EA-18g's and possibly have enough differences to require maintaining a separate NATOPs check from the other variants. (never flown one so I don't actually know though :). Either way, other than the blue angles who can't be everywhere and don't represent the diversity of platforms out in the fleet, there really aren't dedicated airshow aircraft out there.

Re: Two EA-18 fighter jets collide at Mountain Home airshow, pilots ejected safely

#95

Post by ak217 »

What are Growlers doing performing aerobatic maneuvers at air shows? They have tens of millions in specialized extra equipment on board. Seems like a poor use of taxpayer money. Send regular F-18s, not the rare expensive ones that look the same.

Re: Two EA-18 fighter jets collide at Mountain Home airshow, pilots ejected safely

#98

Post by kube-system »

stingraycharles wrote: post #92
dboreham wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ejection is often a career-ending event, unfortunately. Better than dying though.

How so, because of the damage to the body?

They impart significant g forces (~15g) in line with the spine. Compression fractures are common, and most people permanently lose height as a result of the event. The goal is to provide a result better than death.

Re: Two EA-18 fighter jets collide at Mountain Home airshow, pilots ejected safely

#99

Post by m348e912 »

testfoobar wrote: post #87
ProAm wrote: post #71

I cant wait to pay for that with my tax dollars.

Tax dollars really don't pay for things in the US Federal Government. Deficit spending leading to an ever rising debt is the source of continued spending. When Debt/GDP grows, we're spending ever more money that we don't have. Total Debt: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GFDEBTN Total Debt/GDP https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GFDEGDQ188S

You're not wrong, but exorbitant deficit spending has its own dire consequences. (eventually) Not that I am telling you anything you don't already know.
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