F-22 Raptor - Endangered Species

[Curtis N]

For various reasons, it appears doubtful the US Government will continue to purchase more of the F-22 Raptor.

I witnessed the amazing flight capabilities of this aircraft at the Rockford (Illinois) Airfest, August 22-23 2009.

Most of these were shot with a 1D Mk III and 100-400L.

http://performancephoto.smugmug.com/photos/628438422_398Uo-XL.jpg

http://performancephoto.smugmug.com/photos/628432377_wi5Fb-XL.jpg

http://performancephoto.smugmug.com/photos/628436733_VXUtR-XL.jpg

http://performancephoto.smugmug.com/photos/628445223_LpQQQ-XL.jpg

http://performancephoto.smugmug.com/photos/628446920_4VAcq-XL.jpg

The crowd enjoying the show:
http://performancephoto.smugmug.com/photos/628443082_Uxrtz-L.jpg

[jverran]

These are great shots Curtis! The raptor is an amazing bird. Also, thanks for including the crowd shots,, not very many shooters do.. :)

[TheBigDog]

gorgeous shots....

[jdlloyd67]

Awesome shots! That girl...I mean plane is amazing!!! :D

[RadAL]

i haven't even seen one in real life yet...

[vtecsilver]

Great set of photos!!
Looks like you were kept entertained between the flying :D

[garyeaton]

I think this should be moved to the "glamour/nude" section :)

[Curtis N]

I think this should be moved to the "glamour/nude" section :)I know what you mean. That's one sexy airplane!

[jverran]

G&N,,, why?? aircraft and radardomes fit this category!

[jrotello]

Great shots. 1, 3, and 5 are killer.

The last one isn't so bad either. :)

[FlyingPhotog]

Nice series...

I'm afraid the F-22 is a victim of its own press releases.

The average mind (and Congresscritter) says: "Why build more when it can take down the enemy at better than a 5 or 6 to 1 ratio?"

[jdlloyd67]

i haven't even seen one in real life yet...
Yea, for some reason they don't bring those Raptors down to the Florida airshows. I haven't seen one in person either. :confused:

[Pete]

That first shot is awesomely iconic.

[gjl711]

I think this should be moved to the "glamour/nude" section :)

G&N,,, why?? aircraft and radardomes fit this category! Well, that F-22 was baring all after all. I mean you could see everything...

Nice shots. The f-22 is an amazing bird but somehow isn't a pretty as some of it's predecessors. To simple and plain looking. I like the f-16 with all the junk, tanks, missiles, god knows what else all hanging in there. Made it look mean somehow. Still, it's plainness does not detract from the awesomeness of the f-22.

[spitfirejd]

Yea, for some reason they don't bring those Raptors down to the Florida airshows.

Considering one of the two demonstrator teams is based at Tyndall in Fla, I find that hard to believe. I'm sure they're flying there somewhere, you must just be in the wrong place at the wrong time :(

[izthistaken]

2,3,5 and :drool: I mean 6 :lol:

Great shots, thanks for sharing!!

[jdlloyd67]

Considering one of the two demonstrator teams is based at Tyndall in Fla, I find that hard to believe. I'm sure they're flying there somewhere, you must just be in the wrong place at the wrong time :(
Been to two shows at MacDill and one in NAS Jax in the past two years and no Raptor. Heck we were lucky to get a B1 fly-by at MacDill this year. I reckon I'll have to drive over to Eglin to see some Raptor action. :confused:

[PhotosGuy]

Love the 2nd one, Curtis!

[hawk911]

Curtis, great shots. Did you have a polarizer on for the cockpit shot?

[Curtis N]

No polarizer used.
It would have improved that shot dramatically if I had one on.

[Cyclop]

Excellent series!

[Yogurt]

Great planes and they fly one every year at our airshow at tyndall AFB in panama city.

[A2EVOMR]

... wait what? There's an F-22 in this set? :lol:


Great shots by the way

[Jon Foster]

Good shots Curtis. Yes, it looks like these fantastic birds are hitting the endangered species list. Idiots...

Jon.

[andrewhuxman]

Heck with the airplanes lets see more , like the last one;) Nice series Curtis, I saw you there on Saturday was gonna come over and say hello but was called away cause the Bone was ready for take off.

[Curtis N]

Ok, if you insist.

My wife actually took this one. Chicks dig pilots. I think I'm gonna learn to fly!

http://performancephoto.smugmug.com/photos/628754316_Q9uXK-L.jpg

Here's the first girl without her sunglasses. Don't blame me, I didn't pose the group!

http://performancephoto.smugmug.com/photos/630594685_DJrF7-L.jpg

[jverran]

now that is the nicest matching pair,,,, of F22's I've ever seen... Great Job!! :)

[hawk911]

No polarizer used.
It would have improved that shot dramatically if I had one on.

We were in Rockford Saturday for a b-day party. I had a car show on Sunday and wanted to find a polarizer to fit my 24-70. I called Camera Craft, and all they had was a $290 filter; they had sold out of the cheaper ones because of the airshow. :confused: Needless to say, we didn't get to the airshow at all and I still don't have the polarizer.

[yarrh]

What an amazing machine those are...

[lgunnz]

Good shots Curtis. Yes, it looks like these fantastic birds are hitting the endangered species list. Idiots...

Jon.
Are you aware of the cost of maintaining an F-22? Do you know how many people were cut from the military to buy the F-22's in the first place? Any idea how many specialties in the Air Force are undermanned because of the F-22?

Amazing machine, yes. Cost effective, no.

[mrehbaum]

Cost effective? No. Amazing to watch? YES!

[mrehbaum]

http://mrehbaum.smugmug.com/photos/295970935_yGuME-M-2.jpg

http://mrehbaum.smugmug.com/photos/295971971_HFKnV-M-2.jpg

[maxblack]

I think they want to go back to F16 because of diffraction issues. :o
Really nice shots guys.

[FlyingPhotog]

Are you aware of the cost of maintaining an F-22? Do you know how many people were cut from the military to buy the F-22's in the first place? Any idea how many specialties in the Air Force are undermanned because of the F-22?

Amazing machine, yes. Cost effective, no.

A "new" F-22 costs more to maintain than a 20-year old F15? :confused:

[Curtis N]

Michael T. Rehbaum,
Lots of nice shots there.
Way too many.
Please read the image posting rules:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=74718

[JWright]

Considering one of the two demonstrator teams is based at Tyndall in Fla, I find that hard to believe. I'm sure they're flying there somewhere, you must just be in the wrong place at the wrong time :(

It took two years for one to come out to Miramar... i actually saw my first one at March ARB.

My big complaint is that I have never seen an Apache demo... And I built the things. :(

[mojo300]

Awesome shots! That girl...I mean plane is amazing!!! :D
There was a picture of a plane?

[motofan]

2 years ago last weekend, we were landing from our honeymoon in Toronto during the air show, they routed us waaay out of the way, and we had to wait on the tarmac when we landed for awhile, then out of no where a F-22 taxi's by a couple hundred meters beside my window :eek:, get off the jet in a hurry, scramble to the top to take a pic, and get it taxi-ing towards it's own hanger away from everyone else, later learned it was the first "official" time it had been out of US air space.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b91/dohp/misc/f22b8315.jpg

Considering one of the two demonstrator teams is based at Tyndall in Fla, I find that hard to believe. I'm sure they're flying there somewhere, you must just be in the wrong place at the wrong time :(

fast forward to this march, laying on the beach in Panama city (got the worst burn of my life in the process), either the day before or the day of St.Patty's day, and being an ex-military aircraft nut, picked these out flying high above us. so YES they do exist in Florida haha. (crappy quality pics from my A720IS)
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b91/dohp/misc/f221799.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b91/dohp/misc/f22a1824.jpg

[lgunnz]

A "new" F-22 costs more to maintain than a 20-year old F15? :confused:
Yes, the anti radar paint and the machine that shots it everytime it has to be repainted cost the tax payers more then you can imagine. There are a lot of hidden costs in the maintenance of a F-22 then you think. I've worked them and I don't care for them.

[izthistaken]

^They have to keep re-painting them?

[FlyingPhotog]

^They have to keep re-painting them?

Kinda wondering about that myself.

I know the paint on the F-117 had to be "re-touched" every time they cracked an access panel and I suppose the F-22 could be similar.

Didn't realize they were using as exotic a coating on the F-22 though.

I honestly can't see though how (from a purely man hour basis) 30-year old systems needed less work than "new" technology. I realize we're not talking about the jump that occured from the vaccuum tubes of the F-4 Phantom to the F-15 but surely there have been improvements in the reliability of components.

As a paralell, the Navy has seen an enormous decrease in maintenance man hours moving from the F-14 to the F/A-18 and further improvement as they've migrated to the Super Hornet.

[RFDGuy]

There is actually only one demo team at the moment ( there were thoughts of a 2nd demo Raptor team but thats on hold) and its based out of Langley.....However the Raptor team doesnt have its own jets like the other demo teams it just borrows jets from where ever it can...which is why the demo sometimes flies Tyndall birds.

[gkarris]

Great shots. 1, 3, and 5 are killer.

The last one isn't so bad either. :)

Same here...

Couldn't make it out to RFD this year - maybe next...

[H20boy]

I think they want to go back to F16 because of diffraction issues.

Took me a sec... but eventually :lol:

[MikeFairbanks]

Beautiful plane.

[cb1]

I like the Mustang with the Raptor