Biff glory days...

Capt. Vick · Dec 17, 2015

Biff,

As a former Eagle driver, what would you say was the hardest part of your training?

Jim

Gnomey · Dec 17, 2015

Great stuff! Thanks for sharing.

BiffF15 · Dec 17, 2015

Capt. Vick said:
Biff,

As a former Eagle driver, what would you say was the hardest part of your training?

Jim

Capt. V.,

1. Flying the final turn in a T-37
2. F-15 IPUG (Instructor Pilot Upgrade)
3. Dealing with those guys that could dish out criticism better than they could take it

Cheers,
Biff

GrauGeist · Dec 18, 2015

ok Biff, since we're on the subject of the Eagle...what was it like to put the nose up and light the candles?

BiffF15 · Dec 18, 2015

GrauGeist said:
ok Biff, since we're on the subject of the Eagle...what was it like to put the nose up and light the candles?

GrauGeist,

I flew a demo jet once (no pylons, missiles, or bullets) with a partial fuel load. It was a cool day, and with an afterburner take off I had 540KIAS at the departure end of the runway. I then went out to the airspace at 3k, went full afterburner again, accelerated to just below the Mach, then did a nice 3-4 G pull to straight up. The jet went straight up from 3 to 43k, rolled to level flight, then accelerated to above the Mach without losing altitude.

It's a great plane! Easy to fly, built like a tank, carries 8 missiles, 3 external fuel tanks, and 940 rounds of 20mm in a gun that's canted well above the a/c's centerline. It was like pulling on my Superman duds.

Cheers,
Biff

Greyman · Dec 18, 2015

BiffF15 said:
... pulling on my Superman duds.

Sounds like there's one last photo you need to post ...

GrauGeist · Dec 19, 2015

I've known several jet pilots over the years but never an Eagle driver, so I had to ask...

Sounds like it was simply a badass ride, to put it midly!

Thanks for sharing that bit!

syscom3 · Dec 19, 2015

Biff, how did you get selected for F15's? Probably every pilot wants to fly them but only a few do. Were you suprised at getting the nod?

gjs238 · Dec 19, 2015

syscom3 said:
Biff, how did you get selected for F15's? Probably every pilot wants to fly them but only a few do. Were you suprised at getting the nod?

VS, say, getting selected for a F-16.

pbehn · Dec 19, 2015

BiffF15 said:
GrauGeist,

I flew a demo jet once (no pylons, missiles, or bullets) with a partial fuel load. It was a cool day, and with an afterburner take off I had 540KIAS at the departure end of the runway. I then went out to the airspace at 3k, went full afterburner again, accelerated to just below the Mach, then did a nice 3-4 G pull to straight up. The jet went straight up from 3 to 43k, rolled to level flight, then accelerated to above the Mach without losing altitude.

It's a great plane! Easy to fly, built like a tank, carries 8 missiles, 3 external fuel tanks, and 940 rounds of 20mm in a gun that's canted well above the a/c's centerline. It was like pulling on my Superman duds.

Cheers,
Biff

Thats OK Biff, but I have flown a Sukhoi 35 (or something like that) on a sim and it was much better.

Seriously, great to see someone who has been there and done it, worth a thousand words of theory. I always wanted to do it, life took me in a different direction.

GrauGeist · Dec 19, 2015

pbehn said:
Thats OK Biff, but I have flown a Sukhoi 35 (or something like that) on a sim and it was much better.

This right here deserves more than one bacon!

pbehn · Dec 19, 2015

GrauGeist said:
This right here deserves more than one bacon!

There are some people you meet on line who simply make you want to spit, as in real life. Biff lived my dream and the dream of most on this forum, to question his and others knowledge is stupid, to use a "sim" as back up for the argument is almost mental (lost in the internet world) illness.

GrauGeist · Dec 19, 2015

In my (much) younger years, we actually went outside and did things.

One such activity of mine, was learning to fly. My mentors and teachers were actual WWII combat pilots and while I never flew in combat (or a jet), I was thoroughly educated by the time I soloed. I never got beyond a basic VFR rating, as life intervened and I never took the time to go back, renew or upgrade.

However, it was an interesting adventure, as I learned to sit back and let the guys argue who's advice was better...as there was USAAF, USMC, USN and even former Luftwaffe all going back and forth. Needless to say, I learned alot (including insults).

Many decades later, my friends and I would run combat SIMs after a long day at work to unwind. It was always nothing more than a distraction, not a way of life and certainly not a means to establish aircraft performance values.

BiffF15 · Dec 20, 2015

syscom3 said:
Biff, how did you get selected for F15's? Probably every pilot wants to fly them but only a few do. Were you suprised at getting the nod?

Syscom3,

On assignment night at pilot training I was number three in the class and got an OV-10 Bronco. Finished pilot training number two FWIW. I competed again for a fighter in that assignment and got the Eagle there. I busted my ass both flying and with my ground duties and it paid off when I got the one cherry location (Eglin AFB) for my squadron.

Did well in the schoolhouse and off I went to the 33rd FW, 60th FS. Those were some of the best times ever! I couldn't believe that I got to fly it! I remember my first solo in it, and that night lying in bed thinking what do I do next. I had wanted to fly it for so long, and had so diligently kept my nose to the grindstone, that when I finally solo'd it sort of caught me by surprise. I was on cloud nine!

Probably too much info...

Cheers,
Biff

GregP · Dec 21, 2015

I always suspected it was that way, but never having done it, wasn't sure. Thanks for the descriptive words. I admit I felt pretty good when I soloed and when I did my long cross-country, and again when I got my license. It would have been wonderful to fly a modern jet.

BiffF15 · Dec 21, 2015

Greg,

I solo'd in the Eagle in Dec 1991. It was the same cockpit as produced starting in 1973, and was nothing more than what you would find in a IFR C-172 with the exception of a HUD and the weapons stuff. It isn't what I would call modern by even 80's airline standards. I've been up in a friends Columbia 400 with a Garmin 1000, and that's modern! The Garmin 2k is even nicer and more like an airliner / easier to use.

Jets are much easier to fly, as you don't have to fly around the motors quite as much. A swept wing fighter is even less restrictive, as a stall is a mile wide and a tool used in fighting where a straight wing / airliner it's something to be avoided.

I have come down through the cons (contrails) backwards and the plane motors shrugged it off. It was odd having the cons go past the canopy backwards...

Cheers,
Biff

DerAdlerIstGelandet · Dec 24, 2015

gjs238 said:
OK Chief, now it's yur turn

Turn for what?

Peter Gunn · Jan 21, 2016

Apologies for resurrecting an older thread but I'm new here so I'm just reading through a lot of great stuff.

My upbringing was similar to several (or many) I imagine on this forum, my dad and uncle owned a small airfield in southern Michigan so I spent many hours aloft before I could walk. Like GrauGeist said though, I haven't renewed etc. in well... decades.

Great pics and descriptions Biff, it was always my intent to get where you've been but alas, life (or fate if you prefer) is a fickle thing so a big thank you for posting your pics and especially thoughts/experiences, great stuff.

I do have one question though, your avatar looks like a paint scheme I've only seen on one photo of Clay Kinnards Mustang 'Man O War'. If that is so who's plane is that and when was it ever painted like that?

Also...

"I have come down through the cons (contrails) backwards and the plane motors shrugged it off. It was odd having the cons go past the canopy backwards..."

OK, I must ask, what's the story on that?

Thanks,
Pete

BiffF15 · Jan 21, 2016

Peter,

I realize I'm a lucky human being in more ways than one! My intent with sharing is only that, and not blathering of my ego (have family and friends to keep that in check).

The Mustang is "Man O'War", and was on the cover of the first Air Classics Mag I ever bought (Aug 1977 IIRC). I think I still have it...

The tail slide through the cons event was just before my fini flight in the Eagle. Was Red Air (acting as adversary), was killed early while very high. I did a 180 to kill remove, and was watching the fight over my shoulder and flying looking backwards (not recommended). I pulled up to clear the fight even more and, while watching the show, managed to "stall" or tail slide back down through the contrails. The first 4-5k lost was the fun part, as it negative G stalled before I recovered it. Never any fear, it's an Eagle and it will recover.

I have attached a Mig-29 shot from my first ever Basic Fighter Maneuver sortie. The pilot, Spanky, can be seen flying civilian Mig's on Youtube.

Cheers,
Biff

BiffF15 · Jan 21, 2016

While not flying shots, these are notable for daily life in an Eagle squadron.

First shot is Doley (on right), and myself at some sort of costume party. Alcohol may have been involved in removing parts of this memory...
Second shot is Cleaver and myself in the Azores, running with the bulls. No alcohol was harmed in this shot. Caption contest winner would be, "Hurry up and take the damn shot"...
Third shot is my bud Fish and myself on the docks in Dammam, SA., Aug 1990.

Cheers,
Biff

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