Really cool video: IMAX Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag
It's not quite the same as watching it on a 7-story IMAX screen, but Stephen D, who tells me that this video was being shown at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, sent me this video which he says includes Israelis (who fly circles around everyone else). I'm still watching it at this writing, but it's neat enough to share. Here's the blurb:Boeing Company and IMAX present film Fighter Pilot: Operation Red FlagLet's go to the videotape.
John ("Otter") Stratton is a young American fighter pilot who flies the F-15 Eagle. His grandfather was a decorated World War II flying ace, and he intended to follow in his footsteps. Red Flag is the final training for pilots and their aircrews before being sent into actual combat. We follow our young pilot as he makes his way through this extraordinary event held in the desert of Nevada.
Labels: Israel Air Force, US Air Force
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:38 AM
6 Comments:
Stephen D might be right about the IAF taking part but having watched the whole film I didn't hear any reference to them or see any shots of IAF planes.
aitch... I was wanting to find out about that too. Didn't see them. Carl, did you see them? Or maybe Stephen D can give us some time markers? It's so fun to watch. In '95, they had the Air Force 50th Anniversary celebration in Las Vegas. Sat in a room full of cold warriors, while, for the first time, the Russian head of their Air Force, whom we had all heard of for years, spoke from the podium. Could have heard a pin drop. And then the fantastic airshow out at Nellis. Excellence on parade.
On the video at 7:01 to 7:05, the canopy is shown closing over the cockpit of an IAF F-16. The Magen David markings are clearly visible on the wings.
IAF participation at Red Flag is confirmed on the on-line Wikipedia entry, and on YouTube there are numerous videos posted of IAF jets flying in to Nellis AFB for the exercises.
Stephen D sent me the following by email:
On your website I saw a comment posted from a reader who watched the IMAX video but did not see evidence of Israel's participation in the Red Flag exercises.
On the video at 7:01 to 7:05, the canopy is seen closing over the cockpit of an IAF F-16 with the blue Magen David markings clearly visible on the wings. Also, Israel's participation in Red Flag is well known, confirmed in the on-line Wikipedia entry, and there are a number of YouTube clips showing IAF jets landing at Nellis AFB to participate in Red Flag.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Flag_%28United_States_Air_Force%29
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hqjo6F8oVU&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waTwcqI9Q-U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UhMjrx61qA
thanks for the references and time marker - I didn't doubt their participation at all but as for the film I must have blinked at the crucial moment :-)
Yes, a film shown at a quintessentially American institution such as the Smithsonian is not going to focus on the excellence and innovation of the IAF or draw attention from the USAF.
However, there was a decent segment about the IAF on "60 Minutes" some years ago (see the links below). Considering the anti-Israel bias at CBS, and the historical hostility towards Israel on "60 Minutes," this report is refreshingly sympathetic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZMCY0Iq0YA&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLDFA565033E236BF7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZYFdrOq-FM&feature=related
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