My building here at the Naval Base is directly under the runway approach for NAS Norfolk. A V-22 just flew over, it was the first one that I’ve seen this close ( a couple of times we’ve seen them approaching the helicopter field a mile off). Any of you folks see them where you live? It looked like a couple of windmills beating up the sky.
How many pictures did you take?
Darwin, O.F. [alien]
Not allowed to have a camera where I am. And it’s a pity!
Do I understand it right ??? You’re not allowed to have a camera at your house ???
I think he means he can’t have a camera on the Naval Base where he works, where the Osprey flew over.
Lucky, lucky… never seen one fly in person. I’m green with envy.
I live in the Dallas Ft. Worth area where they were originally built before Bell moved the plant to Amarillo, & have seen them flying several times. I also saw one at Ft. Smith airport in Arkansas for a fuel stop.
Never have seen an Osprey. Not up close or far off. I’ve gotten a few glimpses of the F-22 Raptor here lately. They’ve got a “test corridore” between our town and Huntsville, AL that they use. Even when we don’t see them flying around, you can sometimes hear the sonic boom just to let you know they’re around.
I live on MCAS New River. I see those things all the time on the flight line. I hate em’. I’d need permission to take pics of them.
I work at NAS Patuxent River, and I guess am lucky enough to see them flying all the time. Unfortunately no cameras at Pax either. Usually they are hovering or cruising around at low speed with 45 degrees or so nacelle angle. But a couple weeks ago I happened to be in the parking lot when one went ripping overhead at high speed, low altitude in full airplane mode. The ground shook and everything. Never was a huge fan of the V-22, but that was awesome!
Hey Jewilson!
I’m just down the road in the 'Nooga! I used to hear Raptors all the time, but ever since I started working downtown, I don’t anymore. Watching the contrails go overhead, I’ve never seen anything move that fast. On a good day at this end of the run, we can watch the Raptor slow down via S-turns to allow the Viper chase plane to catch up!
Lockheed Martin PR came up here about a year ago since no one knew who was causing the booms(Ever since 9/11, people freak out about the local nuclear plant if they hear a truck backfire outside their window). ATC here only talks to aircraft up to 10K and calls to area bases got “Sorry, not any of ours.” responses. It took a while before someone thought to call LM and ask them. The Air Force requires them to supercruise every new Raptor before delivery and the Sequatchie Valley is the closest area they can do that. They could go off the Georgia coast, but that would require tanker support and that’s too complicated and expensive for what they’re doing. LM wants to stop the flights since they’ve proven the plane can do it (“The pilots have a hard enough time keeping it from going too fast in the first place.”) So, until production completes or the USAF changes it’s mind, it’s “Hello, Tennessee!”
Subfixer -
So how loud was the Osprey?
An Osprey flew over and it didn’t fall on you… remarkable…
And I don’t wanna hear any ‘that’s in poor taste’ crap… [;)]
Fade to Black…
The worlds oldest flying prototypes!
They must be knocking around since the late 80’s.
You think that they could get it working in 20 years.
I’ve seen many a V-22 flitting about here at Camp Swampy. Once, while we were staying out at the beach (waiting for our housing to be repainted) I got to watch a pair do “touch and go’s” in one of the big LZs just off the intercoastal waterway. I was fascinated by them. I don’t know about the real ones, but I’m looking forward to building my 1/48 kit one of these days…
What is the status of the Osprey? Are they in service already or just testing and training stage? I’ve only heard bits an pieces over the years that the program is on again, off again, on again…
Just this past summer, MCAS New River had their training squadron fully manned up with aircraft and personell, and resumed regular flights. The aircraft is not operational in any combat squadrons, but I guess there is plenty of training going on.
Oh yeah, and about the coolest thing that has ever happened to me was to be able to get some stick-time in the Osprey simulator…
[8-][8D]
Just saw on the news tonight that theres going to be six V-22 Osprey’s training around one of the bases now. So I should be seeing them. Should be nice to see since I can add that to seeing a C-130, F-117 at night if you are lucky and some times Ah-64 Apache.
What is the Marine Corps using in the interim while transitioning from their CH-46s?
The Phrogs are still flying strong, subfixer. There are no plans for any type of interim aircraft. Until the V-22 is produced in enough quantities, and VMMT-204 has trained enough pilots and maintainers for a squadron, the 46’s will fly. As I understand it, the V-22 has passed all of it’s operational qualifications to be fit for the fleet. VMMT-204 at New River is now in the stages of training some more aircrews and hashing out tactical training procedures.
Anyone with more knowledge on the program feel free to correct me, I’m just a ‘skid kid’ [:)]
Are these things going to be used for Vertreps? Or will the Navy use Seahawks for verticle replenishments?