USAF showcasing it's power on Air Force’s birthday.

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play_hard_outside@reddit

That photo was really badly edited in a misguided attempt to lift the shadows to expose more detail on the bottoms of the planes.

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What would pilots from, say, WWI think of seeing this? I mean, could they have imagined 100 years ago that their fabric and wood propeller planes would evolve in just a century into these amazing aircraft? Heck, even going from WWI to WWII aircraft was an amazing evolution. Other than perhaps computer technology, it's hard to think of another technology that has evolved as fast and far as aircraft.

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FencerPTS@reddit

Considering when the B-52 was being developed, that one probably wouldn't shock them all that much.

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shadrackandthemandem@reddit

The B-52's first flight was closer to the Wright Brother's first flight than it was to today.

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stormwalker29@reddit

They might be shocked that it's still in service, though.

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Sketchy_Uncle@reddit

(u-2).."am I a joke to you?"

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stormwalker29@reddit

They'd be shocked by the U-2 for different reasons. Notably its altitude capabilities, and that anyone was willing to fly something that landed like that.

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Komarov12@reddit

M2 browning of planes

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SinkBurger@reddit

Underrated description

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Im_Balto@reddit

Aircraft like the B-2 were literally impossible at the time

The only reason that an aircraft without a tail can fly like the B-2 is with complex computers that control the aircraft and prevent it from losing control/stability

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GHeusner@reddit

The YB-35 flew in 1946. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_YB-35

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W00DERS0N60@reddit

And had pretty bad teething problems.

The data gathered enabled the B-2 later on, though.

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TwatWaffleInParadise@reddit

But it flew.

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PigSlam@reddit

The leap in computers and communication networks of 100 years ago to today are probably even more impressive. The phone in your pocket can probably perform more calculations in a second than the entire human population could over the course of a year in 1925.

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JohnPaul_II@reddit

One of these planes first flew over 70 years ago. Even the F16 had its first flight over 50 years ago now. Even the B2 has been in the sky for over 35 years.

What really amazes me is the 15 years or so on from the breakout of WW2. The most common fighter in the RAF at the start of the war was the Hurricane, which was developed by upgrading the piston engine enough to be able to convert the Hawker Fury biplane into a "monoplane".

By 1952 the RAF had the Vulcan and wasn't far off the Hawker Hunter. That's just.. insane.

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magnumfan89@reddit

The B-52 is scheduled to fly until well past 100 years old. It, and the DC-3 are truly irreplaceable

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steveamsp@reddit

"I have GOT to get me one of these!"

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Samurai-Pooh-Bear@reddit

The Final Countdown movie

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the_oof_god@reddit

they would prolly just faint

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hobojoesrevenge@reddit

I wonder if like the B-2 is near stall while the A-10 is living its best life. They gotta have different thrust profiles to be in formation all together

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greatlakesailors@reddit

B-2 has the same 140 knot landing speed as most other jets its size. Getting a bunch of jets to all do 200 or 250 knots together isn't terribly hard.

Getting a jet to fly beside something old, though... They used to fly the Hamilton museum's Lancaster in formation with the CF-18. Lanc at full throttle, Hornet at full flap.

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KaysaStones@reddit

I noticed this with the f22 and p51 heritage flight.

That Merlin was at full tilt 😂

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mkosmo@reddit

That's mostly for effect. The Mustang is surprisingly fast and Raptor can go surprisingly slow, especially when clean and light.

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antariusz@reddit

yea, supposedly the p51 has a top speed of around 375kts...? when all planes are restricted to 250kts under 10,000 anyway.

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mkosmo@reddit

Up high, TAS will be up there, but it's not doing that in level flight down low. A Merlin-powered Mustang won't have trouble getting to 250-260kias for an airshow, though, given enough time to run in. Most of those airshow passes and heritage flights are slower than that, though -- 160-180kts not being uncommon, or even slower if slower aircraft are involved.

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MonsterGuitarSolo@reddit

I want healthcare.

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luffydkenshin@reddit

I’m a simple man. I see an A-10, I upvote.

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paragonchan@reddit

Just wanted to say 😁

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1039198468@reddit

Where the airlift contingent!? 😡

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Ichthius@reddit

This is the delivery crew.

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MapleMapleHockeyStk@reddit

Delivery of pain.....!

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Due_Capital_3507@reddit

One of those almost looks like a Russian Backfire

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reyfin@reddit

Can't they just do this on ai and save millions?

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ZweiGuy99@reddit

No F-35A?

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SupersonicOverload@reddit

On Spring Break in Puerto Rico.

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torquesteer@reddit

Fat Amy never gets invited to stuff.

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Euphoric_Shopping_37@reddit

The Lightning II’s Stealth mode is activated /s

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coringbomb@reddit

stealth so impeccable no one has seen it in the airshow

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Nihilus45@reddit

It's still on the runway...there was an issue

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Vlad2or@reddit

A10 looking absolutely massive next to that jet, never knew it was so big, even though I've seen it in person. Great perspective

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W00DERS0N60@reddit

Got to visit the CT ANG hangar where they serviced the A-10's back in HS, seeing them up on winches with the gun taken out was wild.

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zonedrifter@reddit

I was in the air force and I still forget it's birthday. Marines though... it's like their Christmas.

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Internal-Fruit-1482@reddit

Did 20 and couldn't tell you. Lol. We didn't do anything.

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StellarJayZ@reddit

Would be happy to see any one of those flying over your position in Iraq, although would really be wondering what an F-22 is doing there.

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Unusual-Economist288@reddit

*its ffs

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Trick-Ad-4550@reddit

USAF showing it is power

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StellarJayZ@reddit

Or it has power, which while kludgy, could work.

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bcchang02@reddit

To be fair, that one is a little confusing

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YPErkXKZGQ@reddit

99% sure this is from the "Freedom Flyover Formation" in May earlier this year, they didn't fly this today. More info/pics:

https://www.afgsc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4197145/afgsc-unveils-first-tri-bomberfighter-formation/

https://www.dvidshub.net/tags/image/freedom-formation

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19yards@reddit

Not sure if these military parades, no matter in which form, are a bit out of date. It seems very compulsive and almost autolitarian. These are not cost-effective and don't necessarily increase the perception of safety.

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MassaStinkFeet@reddit

It’s not for you, it’s for the men and women giving their life for you.

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Illustrious-Run3591@reddit

I don't remember asking for 500k Iraqi kids to be bombed but whatever keeps you from blowing your brains out i guess

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MassaStinkFeet@reddit

You don’t understand what it means when I say give their life for you. Every sovereign nation has a military of some sort. These men and women are serving when you sit behind your keyboard and speak from the comfort of your mother’s basement. We all just do or did a job. Simple as

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cheeksmear@reddit

These men and women are doing their jobs while you do your job

Fixed that for you. Thanks for your service

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Illustrious-Run3591@reddit

Once again, whatever helps you sleep at night. Working for a death machine on behalf of oil giants is nothing at all to be proud of. Just another pawn killing children to make other people rich. Then you sit around and wank yourself off like you're a hero - you aren't a hero. You are just a self righteous wanker. Thick as pig shit, to boot.

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Illustrious-Run3591@reddit

You're just another muppet like everyone else, and if you believed that bullshit, then you're just dumber than most around you.

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Final-Lie-2@reddit

You do realize for the pilots its not more than flight Training, right?

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fresh_like_Oprah@reddit

Combined age of aircraft: Longer than the history of flight

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madsimit@reddit

Oddly terrifying

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PaddyMayonaise@reddit

Enough air power in one photo to topple the governments of probably 180 countries on this planet

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Illustrious-Run3591@reddit

the US hasn't won a war since Korea but ok lol

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PaddyMayonaise@reddit

I mean that’s just a dumb comment. For one, I’d argue that Iraq was a win. Saddam is gone and there’s now an American aligned democracy in Iraq.

But two, wars aren’t won by the military, they’re won by the politicians. And I didn’t say this photo is enough AirPower to win a war, I said it’s enough to topple a government. Very different statement. US toppled the Taliban government in 6 weeks in 2001, Iraqi government in 3 weeks in 2003. Toppling a government isn’t the end of the war. Just look at WWII and how quickly Germany was able to topple governments in their blitzkrieg.

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JaMMi01202@reddit

Anyone able to tell me the average (mean) year of introduction for those 7 planes?

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snatchscene@reddit

The USAF main anchor of strength is logistics, these machines require huge maintenance efforts.

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Jose_xixpac@reddit

"Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there, I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air....

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew — And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, – Put out my hand, and touched the face of God."

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Candle-Jolly@reddit

As a life-long fan and former jet mech on them, I am 100% proud that the Bone is recognized in the Air Force's history.

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Jacobi2878@reddit

why are they yellow

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cheetuzz@reddit

they were probably very dark, and the photographer cranked up the brightness/gamma in post production, which caused artifacts.

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lopedopenope@reddit

Yea I was wondering why they look like toilet paper that got wiped with already lol

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Evilbred@reddit

Flying over Mexico

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Significant-Basket76@reddit

Really shows how much bigger that B52 is compared to the other planes. Just wow.

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RidesInFowlWeather@reddit

Huh, I thought that all the A-10s have been retired.

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cigarettesandwhiskey@reddit

Congress forced them to fund the program for one more year. The engineering offices and maintenance depots are being stood down though. Life support has been unplugged but the heart's still beating, for now.

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