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Hornets in Spain

By lex, on June 25th, 2009

There’s something genteel about paella and beer at the end of a lovely day spent tearing the sky asunder. But for my money, the best moment is the parachute rigger’s visual check at 0:50 seconds into the clip.

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June 25th, 2009 | Category: Flying, Military

21 comments to Hornets in Spain

  • XBradTC
    June 25, 2009 at 9:35 am

    Well, except for the paella and beer, it could be any US fighter squadron.

    Pretty cool.

  • Cro
    June 25, 2009 at 11:27 am

    Heh…at 50 seconds into the vid, I thought “who is that Hottie?”. Noticed the time and rewound to see if I’d missed the riggers check..

    She can check my pack anytime!

  • virgil xenophon
    June 25, 2009 at 11:59 am

    I almost hate to watch–brings back too many memories of Torrejon and long nights dining/drinking at Casa Paco and Casa Botin. (among others) We used to ferry our aircraft down from the UK for maj. Maint overhauls at our central facility there. Was constant warfare in the squadron trying to wrangle the task of ferry pilot–take one down, bring fresh one back. And in between a night (or two) on the town. REALLY fond memories….

    • AW1 Tim
      June 25, 2009 at 12:26 pm

      I so loved Spain. Between deployments I spent a little over 18 months at Rota. Fell in love with the food, the people, the culture, and especially the wine(s).

  • JR
    June 25, 2009 at 12:07 pm

    Beer from a bottle should be poured right down the middle – only tip the glass when filling from a tap. Looked pretty great other than that.

    • AW1 Tim
      June 25, 2009 at 12:24 pm

      Now see,

      right there’s the problem. you waste all that time getting a glass when the bottle is already made of it :)

      • JR Peck
        June 25, 2009 at 1:07 pm

        I was traveling from LA to PI to catch up with my boat – a young airman recruit. The entertainment system on the first leg to Narita was busted so they said beer was free. I was taking my first drink from a bottle when a P1 I’d latched onto nudged me and said, “Pour it in the glass, it’s good manners” and that’s stuck with me all these years – don’t remember his name or rate – never saw him again after we got to Olongapo. In fact it’s been over 20 years and I still have more habits I picked up from P1s and P2s than anyone else.

  • haddock
    June 25, 2009 at 12:19 pm

    OK vid… but did you catch all those alternative energy wind turbines at 3:09 just spinning away!

    • SJBill
      June 25, 2009 at 2:18 pm

      Spain’s famed wind turbines? Some appeared to have a blade missing.

      The Hornets looked so very “incomplete,” with a tailhook missing.

      Gorgeous paella! I think that’s for supper tomorrow.

      • Ceporrillo
        June 29, 2009 at 3:01 am

        Yes, currently Spain is one of the first countries in the world investing in wind turbines and solar farms. If you see a blade missing probably it’s because they are still ensambling the device. You can see trucks carrying giant blades everywhere in Spanish roads.

        By the way, Spanish Hornets do have a tailhook, although it’s only used in emergency landings.

  • George V
    June 25, 2009 at 12:52 pm

    As said, except for the beer could be any US squadron. Not surprising that these guys know their stuff. My recollection of Spanish Navy aviators is they definitely know their business.

    Back in the day (hmm… maybe 1978?) the squadron I was in took advantage of some extended in-port time with a detachment to NAS Rota. We flew a variety of dissimilar ACM againt the Harriers of the Spanish Navy. These guys were good – knew their airplane and it’s capabilities and what to do and not do against an F-14A. If you were too aggressive getting a sidewinder tone they would rotate the nozzles – tone disappears and their aircraft essentially stops – and you are overshooting…..

    They gave us a tour of their carrier, the SNS Dedalo. She was an ex-US Navy escort carrier, USS Cabot, launched in the later part of WWII. The interior was absolutely immaculate. And yes, in the wardroom there was a well stocked bar.

    George V.

  • lex
    June 25, 2009 at 1:04 pm

    We had a few Spanish pilots when I was a SERGRAD in Meridian. They came in two flavors, folks with influence (one of mine was allied to the royals) and those without. The latter tended to be outstanding aviators. The former?

    Not so much.

  • CPLGolden
    June 25, 2009 at 1:30 pm

    Hey Lex,

    I have always wondered what the two exhaust ports (I guess that is not the technical term) at the tips of the vertical stabilizers are……………into the clip, there is a segment where the Hornet is inverted and “venting” out of the vert stabs…………..what is that?

  • BigFred
    June 25, 2009 at 5:38 pm

    Was she checking out his butt?

  • JoshG
    June 25, 2009 at 8:58 pm

    CPLGolden, If I’m not mistaken, that was gas he was venting from the tails.

    Fred, Yes.

  • lex
    June 26, 2009 at 8:16 am

    That’s right, those are fuel dump masts. They’re typically used to dump fuel to get down to landing weight, but I believe they also have an overpressure purpose as the aircraft climbs.

  • babs
    June 26, 2009 at 7:38 pm

    Cool vid Lex but, do the people of Spain know that they have an air force protecting them? I think not.

  • ELP
    June 28, 2009 at 3:02 am

    Great video Senor Lex. Very fun to watch and well done.
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