Forum: General F-22A Raptor forum

I would like to start a thread for F-22 Raptor pilots assuming they do/can post here. Obviously, without divulging classified info, what are your impressions, opinions, anecdotes, etc about the Raptor?

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Last edited by flyboy22 on Nov 29, 2010 - 05:44 AM; edited 1 time in total

Well, after what happened to Dozer, most of us are probably pretty hesitant to say much of anything. But it's freaken awesome, I can tell you that!

flyboy22 wrote:

Well, after what happend to Dozer, most of us are probably pretty hesitant to say much of anything. But it's freaken awesome, I can tell you that!

Would our Air Force(aka Robert Gates) be happier if you guys said it sucks?!

Anyway, I'm not a frequent reader here so can you give me a quick rundown of what happened to Dozer?

bruant328 wrote:

flyboy22 wrote:

Well, after what happend to Dozer, most of us are probably pretty hesitant to say much of anything. But it's freaken awesome, I can tell you that!

Would our Air Force(aka Robert Gates) be happier if you guys said it sucks?!

Anyway, I'm not a frequent reader here so can you give me a quick rundown of what happened to Dozer?

Here's some dozer background. Really a big shame and loss to the AF that he felt he had no recourse but to retire. Not every pilot is a certified MiG killer and gets to command a Raptor squadron. A true Officer and a Gentleman in my eyes.
http://formerspook.blogspot.com/2008/03 ... peaks.html

Here's some dozer background. Really a big shame and loss to the AF that he felt he had no recourse but to retire. Not every pilot is a certified MiG killer and gets to command a Raptor squadron. A true Officer and a Gentleman in my eyes.
http://formerspook.blogspot.com/2008/03 ... ml[/quote]

Thanks for the link maybe I can also look up his posts on this site. Which war was his kill in?

So, does any other F-22 pilot wish to post on this thread in really general terms?

bruant328 wrote:

Here's some dozer background. Really a big shame and loss to the AF that he felt he had no recourse but to retire. Not every pilot is a certified MiG killer and gets to command a Raptor squadron. A true Officer and a Gentleman in my eyes.
http://formerspook.blogspot.com/2008/03 ... peaks.html

Thanks for the link maybe I can also look up his posts on this site. Which war was his kill in?

So, does any other F-22 pilot wish to post on this thread in really general terms?[/quote]

I think he got his kill during Operation Allied Force over the former Yugoslavia. AFAIK he only posted over at Fencecheck but as a result of the controversy he requested that all his posts be deleted.

Now I remember where I saw him! He is featured in an epsiode of the History Channel series "Dogfights." It's titled "Nightfighters" and he explains his Mig-29 kill in 1999.

bruant328 wrote:

Now I remember where I saw him! He is featured in an epsiode of the History Channel series "Dogfights." It's titled "Nightfighters" and he explains his Mig-29 kill in 1999.

Yes, that's him. As I recall, his missiles flew right over the canopy of a F-117 that was sharing the sky that night. Neither Dozer nor the AWACS overseeing the action could detect it.

Nightfighters part 4/5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FALbPn8x ... re=related

and Nightfighters 5/5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-HxUFEc ... re=related

Dozer appears at the end of 4/5 and his tale continues in part 5/5
Fascinating stuff.

shep1978 wrote:

Nightfighters part 4/5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FALbPn8x ... re=related

and Nightfighters 5/5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-HxUFEc ... re=related

Dozer appears at the end of 4/5 and his tale continues in part 5/5
Fascinating stuff.

So, to continue with pilot impressions, is the above what its like to fight an F-22, where the F-22 is like the F-117 in the middle and you don't even know he's there? Shocked

PS it's been awhile since I've been around

The F-22 is never in the middle, unless an SR-71 is in town. The F-22 opperates at 2-3 times the altitude of your typical combat jet. Not saying the others CANT do 1.6+M at 65k, just saying that isnt were they fly.

Fighting Raptors when they are 'full-up' is a mind-numbing experience. Between speed, stealth, altitude and all their capabilities, it was not even close . . . until we had regenerated so many times that they ran out of missiles and had to gun us . . . then it was fun but we still got thumped. By the end, the 2 Raptors had taken the best adversary replication we could give and played out a score of something like 18-0.

VprWzl wrote:

Fighting Raptors when they are 'full-up' is a mind-numbing experience. Between speed, stealth, altitude and all their capabilities, it was not even close . . . until we had regenerated so many times that they ran out of missiles and had to gun us . . . then it was fun but we still got thumped. By the end, the 2 Raptors had taken the best adversary replication we could give and played out a score of something like 18-0.

Yeah, when the cuffs are off, it's usually boring until you died so many times you depleted their missiles and forced them to use their gun. Then, if you get a chance to see them turn, you're either wide-eyed or cry.

Also, having the Raptor jocks write their name on the back of your jet isn't something to be proud of either.

Scorpion1alpha wrote:

Yeah, when the cuffs are off, it's usually boring until you died so many times you depleted their missiles and forced them to use their gun. Then, if you get a chance to see them turn, you're either wide-eyed or cry.
Also, having the Raptor jocks write their name on the back of your jet isn't something to be proud of either.

Considering that handicap you are in, there should be no shame in being bested by the best plane in fighter history! Isn't it a bit of pride to just be in the same sky with the F-22 knowing the are no slouches up there? Everyone up there is among the best in their profession!
As a civilian I want to say, thank you gentlemen for your input I have found it very informative and interesting.

Has anyone here flown with Paul Max Moga?

Forum: General F-22A Raptor forum

F-22 Pilot Impressions