Wanna see something cool #2

cmartinez

Joined Jan 17, 2007
8,783
Yes, electrons spin is just a name for a 'quantum property ', not a physical action.
Yeah, that concept had me confused some years ago. Physicist sometimes use common, everyday words trying to explain weird stuff in an "easy" manner for the public. But I think that sometimes their effort only creates more confusion.

Here's a video I found a while ago giving an excellent explanation of how and why electron spin emerges from quantum theory:

 
Last edited:

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
32,919
When I was an Eagle Keeper (back in '86 time frame) the unlimited takeoffs were truly unrestricted -- they went vertical. Later, they restricted them to 70° pitch, which looks like about what that takeoff was, give or take. Doesn't sound like a huge difference, but it's amazing the difference in impression it makes when you see them go truly vertical.

You could usually tell when one was making an unlimited takeoff because you'd hear the burners light off. Our should was located about midfield and was right where they would usually make their pitch up. Back then, once they popped off the ground, they would settle into ground effect much closer to the ground than that one in the video and do an aggressive pitch up which was breathtaking. One morning, after spending the entire evening helping strip out and replace the fuel system on a bird (#74113, IIRC), I was walking to the shop when I heard burners light off and as the bird came even with me and pitched up, I saw the big "113" on the tale. At that point, I was assuming that after an aircraft had undergone major maintenance, that the FCF (Functional Check Flight) would begin in a gentle takeoff and then some easy maneuvers to verify basic functionality and then get progressively more severe. I was surprised to see what had to be 113's first flight after being buttoned up start with an unlimited takeoff, so I asked a pilot in the squadron what the deal was. He said (as closely as I can remember after nearly four decades), "You signed that aircraft off declaring it fully mission capable. We accept you at your word and, to keep the faith, the next flight starts with an unlimited takeoff right in front of you."
 

Thread Starter

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
9,744
Back then, once they popped off the ground, they would settle into ground effect much closer to the ground than that one in the video and do an aggressive pitch up which was breathtaking.
Back in 93 I had the family at a Houston Air Show. Don't remember the air base name. Well before the show begun there were maybe 5 jets (don't ask what F they were ((Not "the F")) ). They popped off the ground, cleaned it up, then at the end of the field they went vertical. Don't recall if they were slightly off vertical or 100% vertical, but yes, afterburners were lit and it was impressive as all heck!
 

nsaspook

Joined Aug 27, 2009
16,336


Two Air National Guard F-15s out of Portland International Airport went supersonic over the continental U.S. Tuesday, and the sonic booms were caught on local videos. The jets had been dispatched by NORAD. They had been granted permission to go supersonic to intercept an aircraft that was wandering near airspace that had been temporarily restricted during a Presidential visit to the region. The first video was shot in Seattle by a local news crew; the second, apparently by a local mother. The booms shocked many local residents who flooded 911 facilities with calls. The pilot of the small plane, a Cessna 180 on floats, was not met by the jets in the air but by Secret Service agents on the ground. Pilots are responsible for checking for temporary flight restrictions, but the restrictions are often posted with little notice in order to obscure the President's schedule. The FAA will determine what, if any, penalties the Cessna pilot will face.

 

Thread Starter

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
9,744
I live next to an AFB. They fly F-35's (Raptors). Twin engines, louder than the older F-16 Falcons. Every now and then there's a pilot who LOVES buzzing my neighborhood, low and loud. I call him "Loverboy" because I suspect he's trying to impress someone. Maybe he has a family living off base and flying over their house may impress his child(ren). I've captured him on cell phone video but the audio portion of the recording does gross injustice to just how loud and powerful the jet is.

Lately they've been doing "Night Flying Exercises" (NFE's) and he's not allowed to buzz the neighborhood. They fly between 8:30 and 10:30PM, and they only do it for a few weeks out of the year.

Had a friend from Florida visit for a few weeks. She didn't get to see Loverboy but DID comment on how she heard the jets way over there and they were nowhere to be seen. I pointed a good 30˚ west of where she was looking for the jets. There they were.

I hate those guys. They get to have all the fun. I'd LOVE to burn holes in the sky and light fires in the air. "Turn and burn" as they say.
 
Last edited:

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
32,919


Two Air National Guard F-15s out of Portland International Airport went supersonic over the continental U.S. Tuesday, and the sonic booms were caught on local videos. The jets had been dispatched by NORAD. They had been granted permission to go supersonic to intercept an aircraft that was wandering near airspace that had been temporarily restricted during a Presidential visit to the region. The first video was shot in Seattle by a local news crew; the second, apparently by a local mother. The booms shocked many local residents who flooded 911 facilities with calls. The pilot of the small plane, a Cessna 180 on floats, was not met by the jets in the air but by Secret Service agents on the ground. Pilots are responsible for checking for temporary flight restrictions, but the restrictions are often posted with little notice in order to obscure the President's schedule. The FAA will determine what, if any, penalties the Cessna pilot will face.

The first video is an A-model F-15, so that video is probably pretty old. I can't tell for sure, but it looks like he went vertical. He didn't do as aggressive a pitch up as the guys at Tyndall generally did, but still impressive.

As for the sonic boom video, my guess is that they didn't do anything to the Cessna pilot unless they determined that he was doing something intentional. Furthermore, the video said he was just flying near the restricted airspace, it didn't give any indication that he had actually penetrated restricted airspace. Since they said he wasn't actually met in the air by the fighters, my guess is that they determined he wasn't a potential thread before the planes could intercept him.

We used to do training flights, in small aircraft like Cessna 182s, as intercept targets for fighters. The scenarios varied a lot -- sometimes we were suspected drug runners, other times we were lost or incapacitated pilots. Even though we knew it was just a training exercise, when you are intercepted by a pair of jet fighters, it is an intimidating experience.
 

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
32,919
Today I took a shooting class and the instructor had me try to split a playing card in half. I was well into my second magazine before I did it. He then taped up another card and predicted that I would get it on the first or second shot. I said that I would bet him it would be closer to ten. I would have lost -- split it on the first shot.

So I wanted to get a feel for how difficult (or not) this actually is and the first video I came across was this one.


At first I suspected that it was a fake, but as near as I can tell this guy is legit and is just an awesome shot.
 

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
32,919
Today I took a shooting class and the instructor had me try to split a playing card in half. I was well into my second magazine before I did it. He then taped up another card and predicted that I would get it on the first or second shot. I said that I would bet him it would be closer to ten. I would have lost -- split it on the first shot.

So I wanted to get a feel for how difficult (or not) this actually is and the first video I came across was this one.


At first I suspected that it was a fake, but as near as I can tell this guy is legit and is just an awesome shot.
Here's a montage of some of his trick shots. Just amazing.

 
Top