Forum: Mishaps

Does anyone have any information on this birdstrike footage? It's all over the net as an F-16, but I can assure you that it isn't a 16. HUD camera looks different, and we have Bitchin Betty, not Bitchin Bobby.

Also, the AF says "Bailout, Bailout, Bailout!", not "Eject, Eject, Eject!" when pulling handles.

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Forum Veteran Joined: Dec 15, 2006 - 12:28 AM Posts: 760

I think you're wise to be skeptical.

I have seen a lot of videos that seem to be misrepresented either out of ignorance or to be deliberately misleading.

However perhaps it was a Navy F-16? After all on the movie “top gun” didn't they say eject, eject, eject? After all that movie has a golden accuracy. (The last two sentences were sarcasms). Though is far as I know that maybe Navy policy.

Don't some of the foreign customers install some of their own avionics? Perhaps some of the foreign customers have their own version of Bitchin Betty.
(It kind of reminds me of some of the early photographic still cameras from the 80s that there was a high-end gimmick of a Bitchin Betty. TWWOO CWOSE, TWWOO DARWK) (Japanese accent)

I seem to remember that some of the foreign customers have a male version of the Bitchin Betty that sounds like it has a British accent. Though I'm not familiar what aircraft it is installed on.

If it is the video I think you're talking about, I think it may have been some sort of trainer for Great Britain.

It wasn't an F-16N, or one of the newer B models from TOPGUN. TOPGUN only lost two Vipers. Both were N models, and they were both single seaters. Plus, the Navy birds all have Bitchin Betty as well. No American military plane, to my knowledge has a male voiced CAWS or CVWS warning system.

Also, again, the HUD display doesn't look like a Viper's HUD.

The pitot tube is also visible in the video. Definitely doesn't look like a Viper's pitot tube.

You are correct, the Navy does use the phrase "Eject, Eject, Eject!" "Top Gun" did get that part correct. However, the USAF uses "Bailout, Bailout, Bailout!"

Bitchin Bobby definitely sounded British in the video. Now, using that logic, and since they were a two seater, with a single engine, I'm guessing a BAe Hawk? The crew didn't sound British, and it definitely wasn't England that they were flying from, so possibly Canadian Forces?

Is there a link to this video somewhere? I got no joy on one in here.

The only birdstrike video I've seen which matches your description was a Hawk trainer with the RCAF. It sucked in a bird shortly after takeoff IIRC.

Forum Veteran Joined: Dec 15, 2006 - 12:28 AM Posts: 760

StolichnayaStrafer wrote:

Is there a link to this video somewhere? I got no joy on one in here.

I think he might be talking about this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN_Zl64OQEw

Investigation report
http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/dfs/re ... 02-eng.pdf

I remember a USAF brig General that used to joke the survival kits should include spray paint cans so you could disguise the insignia of the aircraft. He joked that if you crash you should spray-paint Navy or Soviet insignia on your aircraft before the media showed up.

I wander if misidentifying the RAF Hawk as a F-16 was a similar tradition. Wink

No, I think that was just another internet Cliff Clavin, who earned his "aviation expert" status, by watching Top Gun and Iron Eagle. Rolling Eyes

I knew from the first time I watched that video, that it wasn't a Viper...Then again, I've spent a little bit more time around the Viper than the average internet wise@$$.

Thanks for the bloodhound work on that one, Crash. This Bud's For You! Beer

Thanks for posting those links, ATFS_Crash! Wink

Nothing worse(short of getting killed) than the nylon letdown, eh? Confused

Forum: Mishaps

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