Pretty amazing story!

Cool story.

I was aware of this story in that I'd read about the plane landing itself after the pilot ejected, but I'd never seen the interview with the pilot describe the incident in his own words, and I never knew the plane was repaired and returned to service or that he flew it again, so thanks for the video.

To be sure, it's uncommon for planes to land themselves after they get away without a pilot onboard, but I've read of a couple incidents Where it's happened.

Several years ago I posted a forum thread about an Air Force F-16 Thunderbird that had just flown as part of the annual graduation ceremony demo and, while on final approach for a landing, the pilot ejected. Pilot landed safely and the plane 'landed' intact, with no fire, no explosion, in a field short of the runway.

The military scrambled to contain the event by setting up a perimeter and brought in generators and lights. Took them a couple days before they were able to remove the plane from the field.

Low quality cell phone photos

I was expecting a J.D. 4440 cab tractor in better than mint condition with chrome rims 30 ft. Disc on the back.

A little more mundane, but there was a story years ago in Flying magazine about a Mooney pilot who passed out from carbon monoxide poisoning. The airplane continued on until it ran out of fuel, then made an uneventful gear up landing in a field. It was a long time ago and my alleged memory isn’t the best, but I think the guy even survived.

I knew about the story. One of my high school friends went into the Air Force after college and flew F-106s out of a civilian airport in Duluth, MN. Our high school was in Missouri, but we both live in San Diego now.

BTW – the F-106 is the fastest single engine US fighter.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
...

BTW – the F-106 is the fastest single engine US fighter.

Perhaps I'm splitting hairs, but while the F-106 was assigned a fighter model designation, it was really designed and utilized more as an interceptor.

Also, depending on configuration and other variables, the F-104 had virtually the same max speed as the F-106, although the F-106 bested it in other performance criteria such as service ceiling and range.

quote:

Originally posted by Modern Day Savage:

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
...

BTW – the F-106 is the fastest single engine US fighter.

Perhaps I'm splitting hairs, but while the F-106 was assigned a fighter model designation, it was really designed and utilized more as an interceptor.

Also, depending on configuration and other variables, the F-104 had virtually the same max speed as the F-106, although the F-106 bested it in other performance criteria such as service ceiling and range.

You may be right, but here’s some evidence for my assertion:

F-104 maximum speed: 1,320 mph
F-106 maximum speed: 1,525 mph

https://www.airplanes-online.c...-series-fighters.htm

What’s your evidence?

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:

quote:

Originally posted by Modern Day Savage:

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
...

BTW – the F-106 is the fastest single engine US fighter.

Perhaps I'm splitting hairs, but while the F-106 was assigned a fighter model designation, it was really designed and utilized more as an interceptor.

Also, depending on configuration and other variables, the F-104 had virtually the same max speed as the F-106, although the F-106 bested it in other performance criteria such as service ceiling and range.

You may be right, but here’s some evidence for my assertion:

F-104 maximum speed: 1,320 mph
F-106 maximum speed: 1,525 mph

https://www.airplanes-online.c...-series-fighters.htm

What’s your evidence?

I specifically mentioned "configuration and other variables" because if you read enough articles and performance tables, as I've done over the years, you'll come across discrepancies in listed specs.

Altitude, configuration (external fuel tanks, targeting pods, bombs/ rockets/ missiles, ammo, number of crew etc...) humidity, winds aloft, which engine type, etc...all factor into the performance specs for a given flight. Often, when going for a speed record, the pilot and flight team plan for optimal performance by stripping a plane down and loading only the minimal fuel (weight) necessary for the flight. Essentially sacrificing combat capability, range, and endurance for max performance.

Also, there can be significant performance differences between variants of the same aircraft model, making it important to note just which model variant(s) are being compared, when evaluating performance.

There are many F-104 variants, with the early ones using the early older J65 engine, and later variants using the better performing J79 engine. There was a program to retrofit some of the early variants with the J79.

Again, go to different sources and you'll get different numbers but, just using Wikipedia with its footnoted sources:

F104

F104G
• Maximum speed: 1,528 mph (2,459 km/h, 1,328 kn)

• Maximum speed: Mach 2


F106

F-106A
• Maximum speed: 1,325 kn (1,525 mph, 2,454 km/h) at 40,000 ft (12,192 m)

• Maximum speed: Mach 2.3


Years ago I was an Amsoil dealer. I was small volume, buying just enough for myself and family/ friends to maintain dealer status. I used to buy my products from a larger dealer named Don Gray. Don was retired, but spent years as an F-106 driver. He operated his business with his wife, out of his house. The entire basement was a cluttered mess of all his products and displays, but I used to love to go pick up my order from him because of all his airplane photos on his walls and especially to try to squeeze a flying story out of him.

The F-104 guys and the F-106 guys used to love to compete and talk trash about each other... but even the F-106 drivers would admit that the F-104 was a worthy rival.

Here is a fun interview wih Bruce Gordon, a former Air Force pilot, that wrote a book about his experiences flying the F-106, called The Spirit of Attack

@ 15 minutes


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YNjfGdyg7xk