Another T-45 Goshawk day

Part of a 2 plane fly-by today. Here are some pics:











Cruise Position









And the Bunk

Cool pics Bunk, looks like a nice day to go flying. Love the RAT pic....that thing always looked so goofy to me.

As long as that sucker works as advertised. We were doing a fly-by for the local Boy Scouts. I'm just trying to finish up the IUT.

you should probably look into getting a hair cut.

...and tucking your laces in.
Seriously though, if you ever come near SW Michigan, let me know, it's a shame to leave that back seat empty.

For Ian, I trim my hair everyday, it just happens to be my nose and ear hair :crazy:

As for my laces, to much work!

What exactly is that prop/rotor sticking out the top in the first picture?

Nice pictures Bunk!

Yep. In the T-45 it is used to give back-up hyd pressure. Occasionally pops in flight during high demand.....commonly in ACM

Nah, it's not all it's cracked up to be and the T-45C isn't exactly a high performance jet. However, it's fun to fly and looks cool but it's no fleet grey jet. The RAT comes out anytime hyd pressue falls below 1500psi and retracts at 700psi I belive. It's a back-up for the flight controls if all hydraulics are lost.

Awesome! I know a couple of people that are in and graduated Advanced recently. T-45 looks sick in these pictures for sure!

I liked the shot of the wing landing. Flying Tweets and T-6's that used to be one of my all time favorite things to do. In the tanker... weeelllll.....not so much.

Yes. Wing landings in the tanker were always a challenge.

Always interesting to see the difference in opinions between the flying communities.

SUPT squadrons have this weird fetish with formation takeoffs and formation landings -- that's the option of choice for a lot of guys on formation rides. Out in the fighter world, though, most everyone hates 'em. They're only done to update currency, and even then many guys aren't current on any given day.

I can't stand it when I show up to a flight and a stud has put a form takeoff/form land on the card when it's not required for his proficiency or the syllabus. Give me an interval takeoff if the weather will support it, thanks.

I don't know, they are more difficult and there are weather considerations and everything... but I just like the challenge of 'em. Not that they are really all that challenging, but in a Tweet or T-6 they are one of the more challenging items. I mean, how many really cool things can you do in a T-37/T-6 anyways? Not too much... Spins, I guess, and a few other things.

Also, remember I come from the big jet community, and only had a couple of years away in the white jets to do things like close formation, acro, etc. Don't get to do that kind of stuff anymore. What I hated was when the student needed 4 or 5 ILS's or LOC's. SNOOZE!

This is possible? Maybe I am wrong in my assumption that AF jargon of "Wing landing" = USN/USMC jargon of "section landing"

How does one maintain "formation currency?" I dunno, I've done several dozen formation takeoff and landings, but they were all in piston singles, so what makes them require currency?