One of the few female Pakistani fighter pilots, Marium Mukhtiar, has died from injuries sustained after her aircraft crashed in Punjab province.

Click on the above still photo for the full story and 2 minute video posted by the BBC.

Above is the digitized version of the 14 minute 1958 DOD film produced to inform Military, U.S. Federal and military contractor employees of the critical need to respect confidential and secret information. Click on the “Hollow Coin” photo to see the film. Both Jim Donovan and Soviet spy Rudolf Abel appear in the video.

Although the U-2 Spy Plane featured in the superbly done new film by Steven Spielberg and featuring Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance and Alan Alda, was an older version of the plane now being flown by the First Aero Squadron out of Beale Air Force Base in California, only an expert aficionado of modern aircraft will be able to detect the difference, since the newer more powerful model of the U-2 continues to very closely resemble the original version that caused such an international uproar – and embarrassment – to the Eisenhower Administration on May Day in 1960. Otherwise, the accuracy with which Mr. Spielberg recreated the film’s 1950’s and early 1960’s background scenes, including the autos and other period artifacts seen in the movie, are impeccably accurate in their attention to the smallest details.

To see the official 2:32 minute trailer for this film simply click on the above photo from the movie of a U-2 taking off.

From its opening moments, this masterpiece of entertainment easily captures its audiences and doesn’t let them relax their white knuckled grips on their seats until the credits roll at the film’s end.

Sticking respectably close to actual history, Spielberg and his screen writers nevertheless weave a captivatingly colorful and dramatic tale of these two major historical incidents, particularly useful for those born after the international events about which the plot circles. The dramatic incidents at the core of this masterpiece actually took place, so the film’s producers provide a memory refresher – or possibly even some new history lesson specifics for those of us who actually lived through the potentially catastrophic nuclear war-triggering events at the center of the film’s story.

In fact, one could speculate that many who remember when the stories behind this film actually unfolded in real time, but likely didn’t even know some of the critical details behind the frightening world headlines that rolled off the presses. But now they will.

While the film begins with an actual Soviet Spy incident that unfolded in the U.S. several years before the infamous shooting down of the U.S. spy plane over the USSR, the captured Russian spy, Colonel Rudolf Ivonovich Abel (meaningfully portrayed by actor Mark Rylance) and his reluctant yet dedicated and principled defense attorney, Jim Donovan (played by Hanks), manage to capture and easily hold the audience’s attention as they relive the history of those precipitous times.

The public uproar over Soviet spy Abel’s capture and subsequent trial – and Donovan’s brilliant and dedicated defense – are brilliantly woven into the movie’s fabric. This was a dangerous time in America, and, in fact, the entire world, with the two super-powers of the day consistently threatening one another in both word and action. The intensity of the international spying that lay just under the surface on both sides of the Atlantic inspired many exciting action films, including the popular James Bond series. The world, and most in it, realized they were truly living on the precipice of a nuclear holocaust.

CIA U-2 Pilot Gary Powers and his U-2 capture by the Soviets was a major diplomatic disaster for the U.S., which had repeatedly and publicly denied they were spying on the Russians (and violating their sovereign air space) with high flying military surveillance aircraft. After all, the U.S. was confident that the top secret the U-2 was flying safely far above Soviet missile range.

Although Spy Abel’s defense attorney, James Donovan, was subjected to serious and even life-threatening threats for simply trying to do a good job of defending his assigned (not desired) client, his public and court room explanations of why his hearty defense was necessary, spoke loudly to the principles and ideals upon which the United States was founded. However this nevertheless didn’t in any way abate the abuse to which he was subjected, as much of the public cried aloud for the quick execution of his client, Russian spy Rudolf Abel.

If you see this outstanding film you will most likely come away richer for the experience.

Thanks to the archives of the U.S. Department of Defense, we have provided a short video, above, of a film they produced, which includes some actual footage of both spy Abel and of his famous defense attorney – and his reluctant, but successful international negotiator, Jim Donovan.

To give you a better grasp of the famous spy plane, the U-2 “Dragon Lady,” we have also embedded a ten minute clip excerpted from the more lengthy BBC Special Film entitled “James May on the Edge of Space,” a part of the larger project called, “James May on the Moon.” This much viewed production of the BBC was made possible by then USAF Major – and highly experienced U-2 Pilot – John “Cabi” Cabigas, an active member of the FASF.

We suggest you watch the full BBC film of that flight and of the complicated preparations required of Mr. May, before he was certified capable of just riding in the back seat of the U-2 trainer at Beale AFB with Cabi. Although Cabi has retired from the USAF, he continues to instruct our “Dragon Lady” pilots at Beale.  Below is shot of Cabi aloft in the U-2,

At left is Cabi kneeling on ramp at Beale AFB CA in front of a T-38 Talon.

At right is photo of Cabi with his vintage Piper J-3 Cub.  Cabi is also busily constructing a P-51-like higher performance experimental airplane called the “Jaguar.” This aircraft is seen below at right.

FAS 1916 Pennant

Directly below is the low resolution 10 minute clip from the full length BBC film: “John May at the Edge of Space”  Cabi is the pilot in this film.

Your Webmaster interviewed Cabi back in 2013 at Beale Air Force Base.  To re-visit this video-taped session with Cabi and his fellow U-2 Instructor, Bill Williams, merely click right here.  In this on-camera interview Bill and Cabi reveal some otherwise unknown and interesting facts about the Powers catastrophe and the Russian’s SAM Missile that was able to reach the high-flying U-2.

https://firstaerosquadron.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/cabi-cabigas-give-james-may-ride-in-u2-spy-plane1.mp4?_=1

This story came from FASF member, Virg Hemphill, himself a retired USAF fighter pilot and later airline pilot.  It should be explained that the term “P-51” and the “F-51” refer to the same airplane, it’s just that the Air Force changed the “P” (for Pursuit) to “F” (for Fighter) near the end of the fabled airplane’s career.  This great and speedy WWII fighter was nicknamed the “Mustang.”

This colorful remembrance uses a random collection from the thousands of photos available of this ubiquitous WWII fighter, since the recollection of the young man’s below was without his own photos.

“Just about every military pilot I know would like a chance to fly the Mustang, I know I do! It is still rated number one by the military channel on TV, ahead of all the fantastic jet fighters we current have flying,” said Virg.

It changed the face of WWII in Europe in that it could stay with the bombers all the way to Germany and still have fuel enough to get back safely. It could out climb, out turn, and was faster than most of the German fighters of that era.”

Old Aviators and Old Airplanes . . .

What follows below is a neat little story about the vivid memory of a P-51 – and its pilot – by a chap who was only 12 at the time – in Canada – back in 1967.  He was lucky enough to watch it take to the air.  He was told that it had flown in the previous night from an airport in the U.S., and that the pilot had mentioned how tired he was, so he’s arranged to stay in nearby Kingstown, Ontario, overnight.

“I marveled at the size of the plane dwarfing the small Pipers and Canucks (general aviation light planes) tied down near the 51.  She was much larger than in the movies and glistened in the sun like a bulwark of security from days gone by.”

“The pilot arrived by cab, paid the driver, and then stepped into the pilot’s lounge. He was an older man; his wavy hair was gray and tossed. It looked like it might have been combed, say, around the turn of the century. His flight jacket was checked, creased and worn – it smelled old and genuine. Old Glory was prominently sewn to its shoulders. He projected a quiet air of proficiency and pride devoid of arrogance. He filed a quick flight plan to Montreal (Expo-67, Air Show) then walked across the tarmac.”

“After taking several minutes to perform his walk-around check the pilot returned to the flight lounge to ask if anyone would be available to stand by with fire extinguishers while he ‘fired the old bird up, just to be safe.’ “

“Though only 12 at the time I was allowed to stand by with an extinguisher after brief instruction on its use — ‘If you see a fire, point, then pull this lever!’ (I later became a firefighter, but that’s another story). The air around the exhaust manifolds shimmered like a mirror from vaporizing fuel fumes as the huge prop started to slowly rotate. One manifold, then another, and yet another barked — I stepped back with the others in the crowd. In moments the Packard-built Merlin engine came to life with a thunderous roar, blue flames knifed from her manifolds. I looked at the others’ faces, but there was no concern, so I lowered the delivery horn of my extinguisher. One of the guys signaled to walk back to the lounge. We did.”“Several minutes later we could hear the pilot doing his pre-flight run-up. He’d taxied to the end of runway 19, where he was out of sight. All went quiet for several seconds; we raced from the lounge to the second story observation deck to see if we could catch a glimpse of the P-51 as she started down the runway. We could not. There we stood, eyes fixed to a spot half way down number 19. Then a roar ripped across the field, much louder than before – a furious bedlam from hell had spawned aloud.  Something mighty was headed this way! ‘Listen to that thing!’ shouted the controller.”“In seconds the Mustang burst into sight. Its tail had already lifted off the runway and it was moving faster than anything I’d ever seen by that point on 19. Two-thirds the way down the runway, the Mustang was airborne with her wheels tucking gracefully up into her wings. The huge prop tips were supersonic; we clasped our ears as the Mustang climbed hellishly fast into the traffic pattern to be eaten up by the dog-day haze.”“We stood for a few moments in stunned silence trying to digest what we’d just seen. The tower radio traffic controller rushed by me to grab his mike. ‘Kingston tower calling Mustang?’ He looked back to us as he waited for an acknowledgment.”“The radio crackled, ‘Go ahead Kingston.’ “

“Roger Mustang. Kingston tower would like to advise the pattern is clear for a low level pass.” “I stood in shock because the controller had, more or less, just asked the pilot to return for an impromptu air show!”

The controller looked at us. “What? he posited.  I can’t let that guy go without asking. I couldn’t forgive myself!”“The radio crackled once again, Kingston, do I have permission for a low level pass, east to west, across the field?”

“Roger Mustang, the pattern is clear for an east to west pass.”“Roger, Kingston, I’m coming out of 3000 feet, stand by.”

“We rushed back onto the second-story deck, eyes fixed toward the eastern haze. The sound was subtle at first, a high-pitched whine, a muffled screech, a distant scream.”“Moments later the P-51 burst through the haze. Her air frame straining against positive Gs and gravity, wing tips spilling contrails of condensed air, prop-tips again supersonic as the burnished bird blasted across the eastern margin of the field shredding and tearing the air.”“At about 500 mph and 150 yards from where we stood she roared by us with the old American pilot saluting. Imagine. A salute! I felt like laughing, I felt like crying, she glistened, she screamed, the building shook, my heart pounded.” “Then the old pilot pulled her up and rolled, and rolled – – – and rolled – out of sight into the broken clouds and indelibly into my memory.”

“I’ve never wanted to be an American more than on that day. It was a time when many nations in the world looked to America as their big brother, a steady and even-handed beacon of security who navigated difficult political water with grace and style; not unlike the pilot who’d just flown into my memory. He was proud, not arrogant, humble, not a braggart, old and honest, projecting an aura of America at its best. That America will return one day, I know it will. Until that time, I’ll just send off this story; call it a reciprocal salute, to the old American pilot who wove a memory for a young Canadian that’s lasted a lifetime.”Find this story sent us by Virg inspiring?  If so, please send the site along to your friends to enjoy, too.

Also . . . like to see – and hear – more P-51 Mustang stories?

Look no further than right here on your FASF website to previous stories on the renowned fighter.  Check right here (just click your mouse on the emboldened and underlined words) and see – right here – this impressive fighting machine in action: “P-51 Mustang Cockpit View – From Take Off to Landing.”  And, here another story and video of the same famous fighter: “Scott Slocum Captures Mustang’s Beauty – – – Head On!“

Thanks to FASF member, Doc Edwards, who first suggested presenting our followers with a pictorial evolution of aircraft cockpits, we have put this series of fascinating photos together.

If you study the first photo below of the Wright Brother’s first “Wright Flyer,” you will notice that it’s not easy to even “see” the ship’s cockpit, since the pilot has no place truly worthy of even being called what we understand to be a cockpit.  In fact, the Wrights, and those they taught to operate their “Flyer,” were completely exposed to the elements, with no protection, not even from the wind stream.

Our beloved “Jenny” is seen in the second photo, and we now have what can be truly called a “cockpit.”  This evolution from the Flyer took about 13 years and provided a degree of practicality to operating the aircraft never realizable with the original “Flyers.”  While the Wright’s first “Flyer” models required the pilot to be prone, the later versions did at least provide seats for the pilots, who could now fly the airplane from a more comfortable sitting position.  Our own FAS Columbus Squadron Commander, Captain Benny Foulois,  actually learned to fly a Wright Flyer model with a seat, but was otherwise fully exposed to the slipstream, as much as were he on a motorcycle without a windshield. 

Did you know that he actually took lessons from Wilbur Wright by way of letters written back and forth between himself an Mr. Wright?  To our knowledge, Foulois is the first student pilot to learn by way of written postal correspondence.

The second significant development we invite you to notice as cockpits evolved, is what took place after WWII, around the late 1970’s, when the old round analog gauges (affectionately called by pilots, “Steam Gauges”) began to disappear in favor of new digital or so-called  “Glass Panel” instrumentation for flight crews.  The use of the glass panels (similar to computer monitors) greatly simplified the appearance of the airplane instrumentation layout.  Other significant developments along the evolutionary road inside cockpits was in how the instrumentation and controls began to follow new rules for standardization.  Similarly, the controls and instruments were also re-designed in favor of both comfort and safety, as the cockpits began to be laid our according the the principles of ergonomic design.

Many don’t realize that the older type or conventionally powered aircraft had instrumentation which is far more complex than what is used in most jet aircraft, which incidentally are also much easier to fly.

Another interesting evolutionary change has been in the primary control called the “stick.”  The early Jenny’s were most often equipped with this “Control Stick” while many single engined and also the later and larger airliners were most typically equipped with “Control Wheels” or “Yokes.”  The “sticks” were almost always situated between the pilot’s knees, or centered in the cockpits, as were the “control yokes” for that matter.  Now, however, many of the latest airliners and even jet fighters have a small “control stick,” however it is not centered in the cockpit, but rather found alongside the pilot seats on the side of the flight deck or cockpit.  You can notice this change in some of the last photos below.

Please enjoy the following series of sample photos which help depict the evolution of aircraft cockpits.  If you have any suggestions or other interesting comments to make, please give us your thoughts.

1903 – Wright Brothers’ Flyer – Is this even a cockpit?

1916 – 17 – Jenny JN-4 Cockpit.  Notice the wooden control “stick,” like the handle on a baseball bat, in center of photo.

1927 – Charles A. Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis Cockpit.  Notice he also had a “stick” as seen above in center of picture.  Because this unique aircraft had no forward visibility for the pilot, Lindbergh had a periscope mounted in the cockpit’s ceiling.  This device is in the top of photo, is painted black and sits slightly behind the control “stick.”  This displays one of the earliest fully enclosed cockpits.

1925 – Douglas M-2 Cockpit of Mail Carrier Craft. Again take note of the control “stick” in the center above.  This cockpit is still fully exposed and has no ceiling or enclosed sides.

1920’s – Award Winning Bellanca CF Monoplane.  Once again you can see the control “stick’ in the center above.  Also note that the passenger compartment was in front of and below the pilot in photo above.  Again, and open cockpit.

1916 – Fokker D.VII German Fighter Aircraft from WWI – Flown by famous Ace Baron Von Richthofen.  This German airplane also used the then conventional control “stick” (chrome tube above) with added controls attached to its top.  Once again, we have an open “cockpit.”  Enclosed cockpits were still not yet in use.

1939 – 1945 – Famed British Supermarine Spitfire Fighter, which helped win the Battle of Britain.  Here, you can see the control “stick” between where the pilot’s knees would be, but it is different insofar as it has a small wheel at its top.  Because this cockpit’s all clear plastic canopy is drawn back out of sight, it appears this was an open cockpit, but no WWII aircraft had open cockpits.

1941 – Nazi’s Top Fighter from WWII – Focke Wulf FW 190 F.G.  Note the usual control “stick” in front center of seat.

1940’s – Nazi Jet Fighter – Messerschmitt ME 262A – 1A – 1st Jet Fighter from any country  to enter service in WWII.  By now you can easily spot the control “stick” in front center of the pilot’s seat.

1948-1954 – Bell X1 Rocket ship – Flown by world renowned Test Pilot Chuck Yeager, who named this first supersonic test ship after his wife: “Glamorous Glennis.”  Again, the control “stick” is in front of the seat belt buckle.

1944 – Boeing B29 Super Fortress – Last WWII U.S.  heavy bomber which dropped the two Atomic Bombs on Japan.  Instead of the control “stick” this aircraft used control “wheels” or “Yokes” , which appear above painted in black and much like auto steering wheels, except that the top of the wheel is removed.

1930’s – Grumman G21 “Goose” – Company’s 1st Commercial Monoplane Seaplane to Serve as Commercial Airliner.  Here again, you can see that instead of a control “stick,” the pilots controlled the banking and pitching movements of the aircraft with control “wheels” or “yokes.”

1949 – De Havilland DH 106 “Comet.” World’s first full service Jet Airliner.  Again we see the side-by-side seating for the pilot and co-pilot as in most large aircraft, and they are each equipped with “yokes.”

1977 – Still in USAF Service – General Dynamics/Lockheed F-16 Fighting Falcon Day Superiority Jet Fighter.  Now, for the first time, we see the control stick on the right side of the pilot’s seat.  It is black with special buttons (red, white and black) on its top surface and you can see a rubber flex-boot (gray) at its base.

1966 – 1998 – Lockheed SR-71 “Blackbird” – Flown by the USAF’s First Aero Squadron. World’s Fastest Jet Aircraft, which was equipped with the now typical control “stick” in center above.

1953 – 1958 – Douglas DC-7. First Pressurized Douglas Four Engine Supercharged Airliner.  This was the last Douglass powered by conventional piston engines.  Their next model, the DC-8, was the first Douglas Jet Airliner.  Note the two yokes above.

1958 – French Sud Aviation Caravelle Jet Airliner – In service for over 20 years with various models.  Here again, we see the “yoke” controls provided the pilots.  Here, however, please note that the “yokes” are not center mounted, but rather mounted to side directed pedestals.

1969 – 2003 – 1st Commercial Supersonic Jet Airliner. Built by joint consortium of both the French & British. Plans are currently in process to fly it again.  As with most of its predecessors, this airliner also provided conventional “yokes” for each pilot.

1969 to Present – Boeing 747-8. First “Wide Bodied” jet in commercial service.  Here again we note that the pilots use conventional “yokes’ to direct the “wide-bodied” airliner.  Notice the disappearance of the old “steam gauges” and the substitution of the new multi-informational “glass panel” instrumentation now integrated into the cockpit’s design.

2009 – Present.  The Boeing “Dreamliner” incorporates the first widespread use of high-tech non-metallic structural members and skinning materials.  While this latest Boeing still provides “yokes” for its pilots, the old “steam gauges” have completely disappeared from the instrument panel above and all the flight and engine data is presented via the new rectangular glass panel instrumentation array.

1984 – Currently Operating: Airbus A320 Narrow Body Airliner.  This new airliner has both the new glass panels in its instrument array and has replaced the conventional “yokes” with side mounted control “sticks” on either side of each pilot.  The lighting in this photo tends to obscure the shape and location of the “sticks,” but they are there.  If you look closely you can likely see them.

2005 – Currently Operating. The Airbus 380.  Again, no “yokes” for the pilots, but rather the small “sticks” to the front and side of each pilot’s seat.  Notice the computer keyboard pulled out in front of the co-pilot’s seat (right).

We’ve received a number of inquiries in regard to the recent burst of Airshow tragedies at various events word wide, so we thought you’d like to see this short 3 minute 35 second video clip from one of this week’s “CBS This Morning” news shows which deals with the topic.  We also agree with the broadcast’s conclusion:  U.S. Airshows will continue to be big crowd pulling events, in spite of the tragic events of this past Summer.

This short six minute video comes to us from one of our FASF Member news scouts, Jerry Dixon, himself a retired US Marine Corps Jet Fighter Pilot.  The story tells of these two young Army Air Forces Lieutenants stationed on Hawaii on that fateful day in early December of 1941.

While most of us know how the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor caught the United States off guard and unprepared to defend itself, few are likely aware of the story of these two brave young P-40 “Warhawk” Fighter Pilots. (NOTE:  This fighter was the only front line fighter in the U.S. arsenal when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.  The plane was built by the same company that also made the First Aero Squadron’s famous Jenny open-cockpit biplane, which first went into combat for the U.S. only 25 years earlier out of Columbus, New Mexico.)

The two men were both only Second Lieutenants: Ken Taylor and George Welch.  Ken and George had spent Saturday night, December 6th, out on the town playing poker and dancing until the wee hours of Sunday morning.  They didn’t get home and into bed until about 6:30 AM.

Only an hour later, they were suddenly jarred awake by the screaming engines, rattling machine guns and the exploding bombs being dropped all around them by the attacking hordes of Imperial Japanese war planes. Nevertheless, and entirely at their own initiative, they grabbed a car and, amid exploding bombs and strafed machine gun bullets, they raced at breakneck speed to a distant part of the Island where their two Curtiss Fighters were parked. With only their smaller 30 caliber machine guns loaded, they nevertheless took off to engage the vast numbers of more heavily armed enemy attackers – – – with amazing results.  The two fledgling pilots did a remarkably heroic job, considering the terrible odds they were up against that morning.   Now view this remarkable story in graphic and documentary detail.

                     Turn up your audio and enjoy this piece of little known U.S. history

The below 3 minute video clip captures the truly amazing aerobatics of the Red Bull Air Show team in action over downtown Budapest, Hungary.  Take it in, because our own FAA would not too likely let this sort of Air Show take place over the very center of an American City.  Should there be any accident or crash, or if one of the planes were to lose their engine, the results could be catastrophic for both the spectators you see watching the show, but any accident could also easily damage the numerous architectural antiquities in the heart of the city – and over which the aerobatics were being performed.  Although the Allies bombed Budapest near the end of WWII, they were careful to avoid these precious old buildings and monuments.  This video was spotted and provided for us by FASF member and news scout, Doc Edwards, who reminds us to watch for the rarely seen extreme aerobatic flying helicopters. As always:

REMEMBER TO TURN UP YOUR AUDIO and GO FULL SCREEN HIGH DEFINITION!

REMEMBER:  Turn up your sound and consider trying out your full screen video in hi resolution

One of the finest Air Show pros anywhere, is Russia’s Svetlana Kapanina.  While some of us have seen her aerobatic performances from the outside, how many of you have watched her go through one of her exciting and extreme show routines from inside her cockpit? This video is just under 18 minutes in length.

For those of you who may have flown your own aerobatics within your flying experience, you will easily relate to this young woman’s high tolerance for repeated hefty “g” forces, both negative and positive, and also marvel at her precision timing, even while conducting abrupt stalled maneuvers such as snap rolls.  Svetlana (Facebook) was World Aerobatic Champion in the women’s category in 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, and 2005 and Overall World Air Games Champion in 1997 and 2001.  As you can see, this woman is no fledgling at this challenging sport.

Watch as the negative “g” forces cause her hair to rise and her body lift slightly out of the seat, notwithstanding how firmly belted into her plane this aviator is.  Also notice how her boom microphone is frequently pulled down and away from her mouth by the positive “g” forces, compelling her to continue putting it back up and in place.  This mother of two young children may also be seen from the spectator’s viewpoint in several videos you’ll find within the video frame itself as it ends.  Her show is nothing less than sensational and the airshow crowds simply can’t get enough of her death-defying showmanship.

This video below is only 3 minutes 45 seconds long, but the extreme aerobatics displayed by these brilliant Russian fighter pilots is something to behold – and maybe to fear.  Have you ever seen these sort of maneuvers being done by either of our latest model fighters, either the F-22 Raptor of the F-35 Lighting II?  This former USAF pilot has not.  This jet demonstration was put on at the Paris Air Show. – SORRY!  This video was great, as those of you who have seen it seem to agree, but guess the copyright owners decided not to let YouTube show it . . . too bad 🙁  While I could ask the copyright holders for permission to use it, that would take more time than I have, just to get it done. (Inserted this “sorry” remark September 14, 2015 – Thanks to member Virg Hemphill’s alert following of our site)

Remember:  Turn on your sound and don’t hesitate to go to your full screen view of this video.

The “off the deck” extreme “stalled” type maneuvers are hard to believe, are they not?  Clearly these pilots are some of Russia’s best, but just the fact that this Russian jet can perform such death defying moves so close to the ground will make it an extremely difficult fighter ship to out maneuver, let alone defeat in combat.  The immense power of the Russian jet engines is almost making the typical meaning of the aerodynamic “stall” virtually obsolete – – – at least when it comes to these so hard-to-believe-what-you see jet aerobatics – many of which demonstrate that the aerodynamically “stalled” wing is almost irrelevant, since the power alone can drive and accelerate the fighter straight up into the sky. While both the U.S. new fighters, the F-22 and the F-35 can also fly straight up, whether they can also perform such extreme and abrupt maneuvers remains to be publicly demonstrated.

Some of the maneuvers seen here are surely imposing very high “g” (gravity) force loads on the two pilots.  Possibly exceeding 8 “g’s” or more.  Some of these high “g” load aerial stunts are also putting severely tough loads on the airframes of the fighters, as well – thereby demonstrating the craft’s excellent design and high structural strength.  While these supersonic fighters have the ability to fly at high speed, here we witness them literally standing still just above the ground!  The abrupt maneuvers shown by the talented Russian aviators will make them serious adversaries in any air-to-air combat situation.  Normally, when one considers the potential for exceptional maneuverability, it’s not in the same consideration with supersonic jets, which are known for their lack of maneuverability and of the great distance it takes them just to accomplish a simple turn.  This Russian fighter has clearly changed that concept regarding supersonic fighters.

This video is thanks to the alert eyes of one of our regular Aviation News scouts, John Edwards.  Thank you John!