US Air Force asks if anyone has seen missing F-35 fighter jet after pilot ejects

[arbninftry]

Last seen with Zilensky flying it

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Well, at least they couldn’t track it with the airport radars…..

[sgtrock82]

Sounds like someone's getting a new call sign this week

Sent from my BE2028 using Tapatalk

[Hank6046]

Thank God for the Babylon Bee
"Military Personnel Seen Wandering Forest Pressing Button On F-35 Key Fob"

babylonbee.com/news/marines-seen-wandering-forest-pressing-button-on-key-fob

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Sounds like someone's getting a new call sign this week

Sent from my BE2028 using Tapatalk

‘Ghostrider, the pattern is full….”.

[chuckman]

That's not what happened regarding the F18. He was on final approach to land with a single engine when his remaining engine flamed out. He reportedly tried to aim it in a small ravine before ejecting but it landed on the house, killing 3 generations (grandparents, mom, child). I won't go into more details than that, other than to say I was flying F18s in that squadron at the time.

I was talking about Navy and Marine aviation with a friend earlier, and we started talking about the Harrier specifically. I am from NC, born and grew up in eastern NC (father retired Marine), so around Harriers most of my life. I flew as aircrew (enroute care/CASEVAC) as a billet, responded to a Harrier crash once when I was attached for SAR work with Pedro at MCAS Cherry Point.

Anyhoo, I found this list. 33 Harrier crashes in NC; of the rest of the US crashes, about half from Cherry Point squadrons.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o..._family_losses

I am a bit of an aviation nerd so it's all fascinating to me.

[Diamondback]

I was talking about Navy and Marine aviation with a friend earlier, and we started talking about the Harrier specifically. I am from NC, born and grew up in eastern NC (father retired Marine), so around Harriers most of my life. I flew as aircrew (enroute care/CASEVAC) as a billet, responded to a Harrier crash once when I was attached for SAR work with Pedro at MCAS Cherry Point.

Anyhoo, I found this list. 33 Harrier crashes in NC; of the rest of the US crashes, about half from Cherry Point squadrons.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o..._family_losses

I am a bit of an aviation nerd so it's all fascinating to me.

Is Cherry Point a RAG, like VF-101 was for Tomcats? Replacement Air Groups are where rookies get trained on new birds, and IIRC tend to have higher accident rates than operational squadrons.

[Manofmayhem]

Is Cherry Point a RAG, like VF-101 was for Tomcats? Replacement Air Groups are where rookies get trained on new birds, and IIRC tend to have higher accident rates than operational squadrons.

Cherry Point and Miramar are Marine air bases, they have fleet and training squadrons.

[chuckman]

Is Cherry Point a RAG, like VF-101 was for Tomcats? Replacement Air Groups are where rookies get trained on new birds, and IIRC tend to have higher accident rates than operational squadrons.

They did have the singular Harrier training squadron, but it transitioned since both of the Harrier squadrons are scheduled to transition to F-35s in 2026/2027.

[Averageman]

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yt_puuNr1Rg
Worth a peek. This guy found it.