Ever get buzzed by a Tomcat or Hornet?

Yes, years ago sailing as delivery crew on a 57' Columbia sloop to New York. We woke up one morning 100 miles off the Virginia coast to find we were in the middle of a carrier battle group apparently engaged in a battle exercise with a another fleet just visible on the horizon. Shortly after the F-14 came by we were buzzed at much closer range by a Navy helicopter. The helicopter came back several times during the day. I'm not sure if they were just checking out the boat or the boat's permanent French stewardess sunbathing topless on the bow. At any rate shortly before sundown the carrier landed all planes and took off headed north. It was pretty impressive. This 1,000 foot ship just kept going faster and faster until all of the battle group disappeared over the horizon.

yes this still happens i go from mexico to the bering sea every year and have been known to go from san diego strait to sitka or kodiak and have been fortunate enough to see some very good air shows, one of my favorites is the reagn off shore this year before they got to washington

still waiting on the ice travler

I dared the owners pilot to buzz us as we where anchored off Cozumel. I didn't know at the time that he had served in Vietnam as a fighter jet pilot with Ace combat awards. I told him I didn't want to see a some weak fly by buzz as all the other pilots always did when I dared them in previous situations. He told every one to be ready including the owner at a certain time. I am standing on the top deck with the boss and I actually got scared as that 727 buzzed us.

The mate was sent out on the tender for pictures and unfortunately he was a half second late snapping the photo.

Best buzz I ever had!

PhotoChopped!

Also off the coast of Norfolk Virgina I been buzz quite a few times by F16's or whatever coming to take a closer look at us. Once a fighter jet buzzed us causing a sonic boom and I thought the engine room blew up as I did not see the jet.I dam near $%&# myself

I am not that sharp. That is real! Plus I would have centered the jet if I did!

Just havin' fun!

Can you send me the hi-res on that? It's the perfect pic for a project I'm working on.

I know you are! Unfortunately the mate had a real cheap camera and the pic is 258KB. I will still send it if you like, just tell me how.

PM sent. Thanks!

Here's the other perspective ...

The best one I had was going from Great Inagua to Montego Bay, there was a CG chopper getting quite an earful from a US yacht heading to Haiti and the CG pilot just responded. "on patrol Sir", well, I called the pilot, told him who we were and suggested he could follow us all the way to Vancouver if he wanted, he got quite a chuckle out of that, we did get buzzed in the Windward Passage betwen Cuba and Haiti and my deckhand it was Castro out to get us, then he was all worried about vodoo coming out of Haiti, poor guy, 23 yr old from St Thomas. Was fun though. That was the only interaction between CG or Government except for inbound clearances all the way to Vancouver.

No photos?

With postings like this, we would expect at least some photos! LOL

I was delivering a new 32' yacht tender from Campbell River, BC to the owner in Seattle. I had been in and out of fog for a couple of hours, running at about 20 kts. The military practice area WG was active so I was skirting the outide of the boundry. Visibility was about 200'.

A target appeared on the radar dead ahead at 2 miles heading straight for me at about 25 kts. I altered course to starboard. It altered course to port, still on a head to head collision course. I altered course to port. It altered course to starboard, still on a collision course. Range on the radar was down to less than a mile. I tried hailing them on the VHF but no response.

Things were getting a little exciting when they were less than a quarter mile away still at 25 kts. on a collision course. I did a hard 90 degree turn to port and pinned the throttle. I am now doing 35 knots in the fog and they are still on a collision course. Finally I just stopped and figured that as soon as I had a visual on them I would scurry out of the way.

My head is out the window while I strain to see it through the fog. Hand on the throttle waiting and waiting. And then I spot it.

About a 100' off the water and 200' in front of me is a militery helicopter. They are inching closer and closer until I can see the pilot and co-pilot. They are laughing and pointing at me. Real funny, guys!

Hope this works. This is the Reagan coming in to Puget Sound. Pic taken from a DeHavilland Beaver.

sorry the quality was not the best of the regan photo but that was as close as we could get

enjoy travler

Travler,

I've edited your text to make it more legible. I'll venture a guess that you onboard Maggie from Kenmore Air?

thanks carl i have many hours in the old girl

travler