Category: Aviation

FighterSweep Fans,  tens of thousands of people, maybe even hundreds of thousands, have dreamed of flying in a fighter of some type or other. It is an experience difficult to describe with words, and the feeling it leaves you with echoes each and every time you see or hear another pointy-nosed military aircraft ripping through […]

Dropping bombs, shooting the gun, dogfighting, and intercepts are some of the most rewarding and fun training opportunities available as a fighter pilot, but few people ever talk about going cross-country as anything more than a “Good Deal.” In the military, “Good Deal” is the equivalent of the worst four letter word. If it’s a […]

It’s airshow season, FighterSweep Fans! That being said, from time to time you can expect to see videos from our friends on the various demo teams–both foreign and here at home. That includes our friends to the north, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds. I have had the privilege of working with the team as their project […]

Editor’s Note: Long gone are the days of carpet-bombing and turning entire cities into rubble while trying to attack a small number of targets. Weapons technology has developed to a point where a Precision-Guided Munition can be dropped from beyond visual range, and impact a specific target so accurately the surrounding building or buildings are […]

Editor’s Note: The world’s most experienced Apache helicopter pilot has officially concluded his military flying career, but not before achieving an amazing milestone: 10,000 flight hours in the Boeing AH-64 Apache. Of those hours, over 2,200 were in combat operations overseas. Chief Jones’ callsign is “Jedi,” but we honestly wonder if “Yoda” wouldn’t be more […]

On the 21st February 2016, the world lost a legendary aviator. At 97 years old, Captain Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown RN was the most decorated pilot in the history of the British Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm and held three Guinness World Records. These included the most aircraft flown by a single person, totaling 487 and […]

Editor’s Note: We’ve touched on the subject of air shows before. For us at FighterSweep, every single one of us got involved in aviation–in one way or another–owe our involvement in the world of aviation to experiences we’ve had at airshows. They are the second most popular spectator sport in North America. Over 23 million people attend more than […]

Editor’s Note: Admittedly, I’m kind of at a loss for words. As a pilot, I have absolutely no idea what this Su-35C Super Flanker pilot was thinking, and can think of no good reason for the perpendicular final to a 90-degree turn on short final. Hot dogging will kill you, ladies and gentlemen, and this Super […]

Editor’s Note: What an amazing story. My grandfather flew B-24s (among other things) during World War II, and I have to believe he would have thought of the same thing. In any case, we can all certainly agree this weeks I-Am-A-Total-Badass-Award goes to Owen J. Bagget: the man who downed a Japanese Zero with a […]

The French Navy’s air forces, known as the Aéronavale, submitted a requirement for a carrier-based fighter in the early 1960s to serve aboard their new carriers. As it turned out, ol’ Double Ugly–the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II–was just too much warplane for the smaller French ships to handle, so they needed a Plan B. That came in […]

Happy (Wild) Weasel Wednesday, FighterSweep Fans! You know we have a very special affinity for this group of specialized aviators, and we cannot stress the importance of their SEAD/DEAD mission enough. Not only that, they’re just a fantastic group of guys and gals and we always have a good time when we’re hanging out and […]

I’m a prospective candidate going into the Naval Academy wanting to become an aviator afterwards and I was curious about how many people go into flight school wanting to be a fighter pilot after becoming an officer? And what is the expectancy of the military to actually maintain combat pilots with the ever increasing roles […]