Mach Loop - F-35s
 

Found this in my travels today.
Nice blue note from them all!

Also here earlier: http://www.pprune.org/military-aviat...-what-524.html

Two videos - scroll down....

One has to ask why this very expensive aircraft is show boating at low level with all the attendant risks? Surely being stealthy it does not need to penetrate at low level like we did in the Cold War? Maybe I have missed something?

Some of the the UK's best aviation photographers hang around the Mach Loop so, where better a place to get some great shots. Great PR.

Because it's fun!

Fanging around at low level through the Mach Loop?
The very epitome of fighter-pilotness I would have thought.
Right up there with ridiculous `taches and big watches...
Risk... pah...

And there was me thinking this was a serious forum not a spotters corner! Low level flying was fun but done for a very good reason! Once you go down the stealth route it is hardly appropriate! Much as you boys enjoy seeing them and photographing them it surely is not what they should be doing! Anyway, I'm going to sit and watch some home made video of low flying Jaguars in Oman and have a nice glass of vino!😎

Not sure I would class that as low flying Newt - otherwise I would agree with you!

The F-35 is designed to operate in both stealthy and non-stealthy configurations. Nothing remarkable about an F-35 training at low level and operating like a legacy platform, IMHO.

Certainly the USMC and RAF/RN are going to be operating the F-35B at times with external gun pod and external weapons. The same with the US Navy F-35Cs.

F-35B external weapons and gun pod.

http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/t..._load1_190.jpg

F-35C external weapons.

https://www.f35.com/media/photos-det...ternal-weapons

F-35A external weapons.

The Mach loop has generated a bit of a cult following in recent years, and not just amongst spotters but the aircrews as well! It's largely driven by social media I suspect and is generally seen as a bit of fun and a great photo op. At some point, when the inevitable happens and one of the jets piles in it will all stop quite suddenly i'd imagine. Sorry to be a doom-monger :)

I think you'll find that pilots are in the habit of missing the ground on a daily basis, so why should the 'inevitable happen' on what is just another bit of shaped ground?

We once met a 4 ship of Buccs coming in the opposite direction before it was made into a roundabout - interesting, but all low level was busy back in the day.

Really Andrewn?
Admittedly this happened in August 2014 but AFAIK there's never been a crash there?
Could anyone enlighten us all as to how long the Mach Loop has been in use - decades I would imagine?
Flew through it as a civvy in the back of a Hawk out of Valley in 2000 - amazing experience.

Anyway, what's all this "Mach Loop" nonsense? It's "My-C^nt-Lips" to real fighter jocks. Always known as that along with other favourites like "Smokey Joe's", "Playboy Lake", "Sally's T!ts", "Moon Country" and "Star Wars Valley". Some of these favourites are on this Aircrew Map of Great Britain:

http://ccgi.piers.plus.com/ball/aircrew_map_of_uk.pdf

"Mach Loop"? Pah, that's what the Spotters call it...:rolleyes:

LJ

PS. It's been a flow arrow loop for at least 30 years...

That's gold...

Oh dear Newt, catch up. You should have asked that question last year, about this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oCF1trDfN0A

Instead you wait until it was an F-35, which is, incidentally, both cheaper and more common than the F-22 these days.

...is it just an illusion, or are those girly spams in their fancy jets not flying as low as you RAF killers...? ;)

The last thing we need is pilots trained to fly the aircraft to its full potential and for all reasonable eventualities / scenarios

Not taking a new fighter to the mach loop would be like a car manufacturer not taking their latest sports car onto the nurburgring.

Just out of interest where would you guys rate the ML in a Top Ten and what others would you put in your list?

Not a fast jet pilot - but the military low flying area in NZ's North Island near the Desert Road and then east of the Ruahines down the coast towards Castlepoint was spectacular.
Did it in a MB339 two-ship formation - Falcon Grey and Falcon Black in 1995. No 2 was right down in the braided river beds at around 250 knots.
Constant 4g turn around snow capped Mt Ruapehu in formation.
Then down low for a buzz and break across Taupo township followed by aeros over the lake.
We ridge rolled low and close over some peaks on our way into the Wairarapa as well.
That and the Hawk flight through the loop are without a doubt the two aviation highlights of my life.
I'm sure others will have better stories.