Incentive rides - What maneuvers?

Spiker · by **Spiker** » 17 Oct 2006, 02:02

1. When someone gets an incentive ride, is there a standard routine that the pilot will follow or will he improvise based on the rider?

2. If you had the chance to only have one incentive ride, what maneuvers would you want to perform?

Meathook · by **Meathook** » 17 Oct 2006, 02:15

In my experience, it has been "what ever you can handle or what level (within reason) you ask to be taken too"...depending on your stamina or tolerance (and how you handled the last maneuver you performed). I have seen it where you can be taken for a ride that is nice and smooth, a few twists and turns here and there.

However, I have seen it (done it myself) where the rider is taken pretty close to a full our experience...it all depends on the person and what the pilot feels you can handle (no one wants to see you ruin your ride or get hurt from it). After all, the high G environment is Not to be taken for granted.

Sorry to say, a few folks have developed serious problems from it (think about it, it is not a ride for pure enjoyment although over 90% feel that way about it), recently (as many heard)..a person died from it. It can and on rare occasions happen, the USAF does not want to even get close to something like that happening...ever.

I say life is worth living and if you get the chance, I would suggest you take the ride of a lifetime, as you know, very few get that chance, I say 'go for it" and take the risk...you only live once!

Fly a Viper, life will never be the same again!

TJSmitty · by **TJSmitty** » 17 Oct 2006, 13:49

I have had two rides, one an "incentive" ride and the other a cross country. During incentive ride (81-0815) we did a max climb, barrel rolls, loops, I even got to put the jet into a stall (we were at 18,000 feet). I got to pull 9g's (got my 9g pin) and I got to break Mach 1 (1.08 according to the HUD tape). It was fantastic, the whole flight lasted 1.1 hours and when we landed we were "out of gas".

The only ill effects that I had was from all of the g's, I got "g measles", little spots on my skin from tiny blood vessels that ruptured during the g's it didn't hurt and it went away after a couple of days.

The cross country was from Lakeland, FL to Nelllis, (86-0041) that was AMAZING, I enjoyed seeing all of the interaction between the ground and air controllers. We got to aerial refuel twice, both with KC-135s. We did some formation flying and it lasted a little under 4 hours. I was very lucky, to have had the opportunity to fly in the F-16.

I have to agree with Meathook, Once you fly in a Viper, you're never the same again!!

Smitty

Meathook · by **Meathook** » 17 Oct 2006, 13:52

Roger That Smitty

falconfixer860261 · by **falconfixer860261** » 17 Oct 2006, 15:30

Definitely ruins rollercoasters.....

TJSmitty · by **TJSmitty** » 17 Oct 2006, 15:39

falconfixer860261 wrote:Definitely ruins rollercoasters.....

The Mission Space ride at Disney Epcot in Florida is the closest thing to simulating g's that I have come across (albeit, it's only 2 - 3 g's)

I think more people have gotten sick on that than in the back seat of an F-16.

How many little white bags have you seen???

The only time I even got close to "loosing it", was during some of the "low level" runs on the way back to the base, I had to switch to "IFR" and stay focused on the instruments, nice deep breaths.

Smitty

TC · by TC » 18 Oct 2006, 02:45

My pilot asked me what I wanted to do, saying "This is your ride. I want you to enjoy it." I wanted to do a max climb on takeoff, break Mach, and then I wanted to pull a lot of Gs, figuring I might as well jump on the opportunity, should it never come again. We did all three.

We did a lot of acro too. It was a helluva ride.

I was fortunate enough to get another before I got out. Both were great experiences, and I have to say, that if you ever get the chance, don't pass it up. I kept telling my sis to get a ride in the Eagle before she retired, but she kept backing out everytime she was offered. Tsk. Tsk.

vinnie · by **vinnie** » 18 Oct 2006, 02:55

Depends on how hung over the pilot is, I was TDY to Miramar and and the night before my flight we ran into our pilots at a restaurant, about 2200 hrs, they were blitzed, at 0900 the next day we took off, was OK but he didn't want to do much. think I got 4 G's

c_pastorius · by **c_pastorius** » 18 Oct 2006, 09:20

I got my flight at Cannon when the big fires were going on up in Colorado. We did a max climb take off and all you hear on the HUD tape is me saying "holly f**k thats awesome" We flew up to Colorado to see the fires it amazed me of all the other aircraft fighting the fire. On the way back he ask if I wanted him to do a AGM 65 shot. I said sure the next thing I knew we were upside down and diving. He lined up a shot on a 18 wheeler then pulled up. I left it ALL in the bag after that. Great ride I miss my 16's

aggressor271 · by **aggressor271** » 27 Oct 2006, 23:19

I revived my first ride while TDY to Holloman. It was classed as A FAM flight we were cleared out to the North and had the airspace to ourselves. we did everything that the pilot could think of..... Sick...SICK. SICK!!! Thanks "FACE"
I didnt care though it was AWESOME!!!

My next ride was in Korea and the pilot was perforing bombing runs.... once again sick....SICK....SICK!!!

997KSEF · by **997KSEF** » 03 Nov 2007, 04:13

I got a ride while TDY at Barksdale AFB in LA. We did all the normal stuff: 9G inside loops, rolls, max climb, slow flight then burner up to mach. I think the best part was just having the controls and flying VFR around some clouds. The F-16 is like flying on a magic carpet! We also buzzed a water skier and made a couple of bomb runs on a old barn. I really hated that crew chiefs had such a hard time getting a flight when combat camera, life support, B list celebs, ROTC, and local officials could get one at the drop of a hat. Plus, they always missed the white bag or dropped something under the seat.

JoeSambor · by **JoeSambor** » 04 Nov 2007, 00:43

My first incentive ride was at Shaw in 1987; but it wasn't an incentive ride, it was an "orientation ride" because we couldn't fly incentive flights for a while after the F-16 with incentive rider was lost in Honduras. We did air-to-air intercepts, taking turns being the bad guy. We took off, headed out to the fight, and the pilot told me to keep my eyes open and watch for bogeys. I spotted the bogey a few minutes into the fight, and called out "Bogey, 5 o'clock low" and sat stunned as the pilot whipped the jet around and back and shot the guy in the face. That was truly a great moment, well worth the barfing that took place later.

My second was at Misawa, and was a great flight as well (is there a bad one?). We took off, headed for the mountains, did a simulated attack on a ski lodge (there's about forty within two hours of Misawa AB) and then headed out over the ocean for a Mach run. The pilot said, "Okay, let's do some maneuvers. First I'll do it, then you do it." Hell yeah!! He showed me a 90-degree combat turn and then asked me to do the same thing, but hold it to 180 degrees. I did so, and pulled 6.2 gs in the turn! No graying out, no problems, I was loving it! We didn't pull 9 gs (I wasn't interested in that anyway) due to our stores load but I did loops, barrel rolls, even an Immelman turn! That ride I have on video.

I did have to chuckle a little when the pilot sat on the ladder just after I strapped in, and started briefing me on the MFDs, throttle, etc. I politely reminded him that I was an Avionics troop and pretty much knew what they all did. In fact, we had a redball on launch which I talked him through. No way was I going to miss that one!

Best Regards,

ACMIguy · by **ACMIguy** » 06 Nov 2007, 12:50

My ride took place in Homestead with the 93FS. We were using a D model loaner from Luke s/n 0040 which shortly after my hop crashed and killed Maj Tom Carr.
We started out with a AMRAAM shot on a C-130 returning from Key West, then moved to a heater shot on a Navy jet. As we approached Key West we switched on the Ground Mapping radar mode and set up for a CCIP drop. I was totally amazed at how much you could see using the radar.
We then flew down to the Dry Tortugas and did a dive toss run on Ft. Jefferson.
We proceeded to the Gulf of Mexico where he dispensed some chaff and flare then he turned the stick over to me.
He talked me through BFM, rolling inverted and pulling loops and rolls.
He took over control and we did a 9G turn then he let me put it into full burner for our Mach-1 dash. After we went supersonic he backed off the throttle and put out the speed break, it was just like the movie Apollo 13 when the Saturn V staged. Remember when Tom Hanks said "get ready for a little jolt fellows" well it was just like that!
Then we vectored back to Miami and he let me play with locking onto some airliners going to MIA, before we landed back in Homestead with the low fuel light burning bright.
That ride really gave me a better insight as to what they were talking about in debrief, and was not only the best educational experience but the most fun you can have with or without clothes on.

MaddogF16 · by **MaddogF16** » 06 Nov 2007, 14:04

Sounds like each of you had a great time....barf bag or not..!! That's exactly what we want when you do get your incentive sorties. Trust me we know how hard you bust your A$$ for us and this is just a small token of our appreciation that we can give back.
I generally would offer up things we could do and then let you choose. No harm, no foul if you didn't want to do anything but site see....I've done alot of that with pitters. The coast of SC has some great sites during the summer..!! Generally the only limitations we have is that we're not suppose to go above 18,000 feet as you're suppose to have had chamber training to do that. I think most of my riders liked the initial takeoff, low level flying to an attack, and then loops, aileron rolls, immelman, etc followed by going super sonic. Cloud chasing was always a good one too......Hope everyone gets the chance of a life time to ride in the "Mighty Viper"......

Pilotasso · by **Pilotasso** » 06 Nov 2007, 16:33

"Zoom boom throw up on your helmet ride". :lmao:

My fav manuever. I tried myself in aerobatic gliders, havent gotten lucky enough for a real fighter yet.