paradime Posted September 28, 2017 Report Share Posted September 28, 2017 I attended this airshow at Brown Airfield in Souther California in 1981 (at the hight of the cold war) and saw that massive AN 122 pull an 80 degree bank figure 8 a few hundred feet off the ground. Seeing a plane that size flying like that was unsettling to say the least, because everything I knew about aviation was screaming "That Plane is about to fall out of the sky!" To this day, it was the most audacious bit of flying I've ever seen. Total Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother F'er maneuver. 25:45 in. This shot was from the parking lot, but I was still standing on the edge of the runway. People were gasping and hushed, because it looked like the plane was moving in slow motion, and there was nowhere near enough airspeed to keep it aloft. I also got to sit in the pilot seat of that plan and was astonished to find it was nothing more than a piece of cloth covered styrofoam sitting in a POS aluminum bucket seat. Seemed totally incongruent with the amount of technology engineering and resources that went into the plane. Why would they show so little consideration for the human operator? I understood this was a product of communist ideals, but even as a kid I could see cutting corners in this area was illogical. The actual value of any piece of military equipment is absolutely dependent upon the interface with the human operator; Overlook this fact in designing and you lower a multi million Ruble aircraft's real value. After a 15 hr. flight to offload invaluable cargo to troops on the ground, a simple thing like a padded seat can make all the difference between success and failure. I've seen many cockpits of military planes and understood the pilot seat is never meant to be a Barcalounger, but this was ridiculous. For me it was a stark example of the fundamental flaws in Russia's military expression of communist ideology. 4 Quote Link to comment
Jesse C. Posted October 1, 2017 Report Share Posted October 1, 2017 I attended this airshow at Brown Airfield in Souther California in 1981 (at the hight of the cold war) and saw that massive AN 122 pull an 80 degree bank figure 8 a few hundred feet off the ground. Seeing a plane that size flying like that was unsettling to say the least, because everything I knew about aviation was screaming "That Plane is about to fall out of the sky!" To this day, it was the most audacious bit of flying I've ever seen. Total Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother F'er maneuver. 25:45 in. This shot was from the parking lot, but I was still standing on the edge of the runway. People were gasping and hushed, because it looked like the plane was moving in slow motion, and there was nowhere near enough airspeed to keep it aloft. I also got to sit in the pilot seat of that plan and was astonished to find it was nothing more than a piece of cloth covered styrofoam sitting in a POS aluminum bucket seat. Seemed totally incongruent with the amount of technology engineering and resources that went into the plane. Why would they show so little consideration for the human operator? I understood this was a product of communist ideals, but even as a kid I could see cutting corners in this area was illogical. The actual value of any piece of military equipment is absolutely dependent upon the interface with the human operator; Overlook this fact in designing and you lower a multi million Ruble aircraft's real value. After a 15 hr. flight to offload invaluable cargo to troops on the ground, a simple thing like a padded seat can make all the difference between success and failure. I've seen many cockpits of military planes and understood the pilot seat is never meant to be a Barcalounger, but this was ridiculous. For me it was a stark example of the fundamental flaws in Russia's military expression of communist ideology. Air/Space America '88 I was there! I was living in Imperial Beach and my folks where in San Ysidro off Beyer Way. When the planes took off they shook the heck out of their house, but, when the Concord took off, my mom swore that thing was about to land on the house! Great times! Thanks for the memories! Quote Link to comment
paradime Posted October 3, 2017 Report Share Posted October 3, 2017 Air/Space America '88 I was there! I was living in Imperial Beach and my folks where in San Ysidro off Beyer Way. When the planes took off they shook the heck out of their house, but, when the Concord took off, my mom swore that thing was about to land on the house! Great times! Thanks for the memories! Shit, I was a bit off, but you nailed it on the name and date of the show. I thought it was closer to when I graduated high school, but that was when I returned to SD from NY. I was working at the Town & Country Hotel Convention Center back then. Brown field was right there at Otay Mesa where I used to ride motocross bikes. That was the best of times. Quote Link to comment
KoHeartsGPA Posted October 3, 2017 Report Share Posted October 3, 2017 Last week in LA.... Quote Link to comment
Jesse C. Posted October 4, 2017 Report Share Posted October 4, 2017 Shit, I was a bit off, but you nailed it on the name and date of the show. I thought it was closer to when I graduated high school, but that was when I returned to SD from NY. I was working at the Town & Country Hotel Convention Center back then. Brown field was right there at Otay Mesa where I used to ride motocross bikes. That was the best of times. Did you work the at the Town and Country during the Model Builders NNL contest? Or the Lifestyle conventions? Yeah, almost the whole area is now developed, no more off road stuff around there. We used to enter off Palm Ave. and haul ass all the way to Brown Field. Quote Link to comment
Jesse C. Posted October 6, 2017 Report Share Posted October 6, 2017 Whoever is inventing the time machine, hurry up! 4 Quote Link to comment
a.d._510_n_ok Posted October 8, 2017 Report Share Posted October 8, 2017 I got to see this one in person today. Not sure why but Connie is just sexy as hell to me. 2 Quote Link to comment
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