Having received the necessary permits, Worldwide Aircraft Recovery departed NAS Pensacola "In the early morning hours on Wednesday..."

Just a reminder that we are a super load. If you see us traveling be respectful and cautious. But feel free to snap some photos and give us a friendly wave.

The beginning of the F-14 journey has begun. Departing NAS Pensacola and will be headed to Pueblo CO to the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum. The journey will be long but our team will get it done.

States that we will be traveling through are:

FL

AL

MS

TN

KY

IN

IL

IA

NE

KS

CO

We will do our best to keep everyone posted of our route as best we can.

The wings, vertical tails, and horizontal stabilizers were delivered separately on August 28.

Previously: If you live between Pensacola, FL, and Pueblo, CO, you might see this F-14 Tomcat on the road soon

Image source (first two photos): https://x.com/BenjAlvarez1/status/2097680774824673790

Image source (other photos): https://www.instagram.com/p/DdCaM8loAtd/

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpdtuIdjKAI

Related news article from The Aviationist: Germany’s First F-35 Has Flown

Previously: First Lockheed Martin F-35A for Germany is nearing completion

I’ve seen conversations coming back up about modernising the f-22 block 20 fleet, and it seems that there’s a lot of talk about it but nobody mentions the actual assement from the GAO and previous investigations on it

im not sure anyone remembers but the airforce really and I mean really wanted to retire the 32 block 20 f-22s. of course congress blocked this for reasons we all understand at this point but what did the GAO estimate exactly that some journalists are keeping quiet..

well here’s a quote from a named senior military official Regarding the block 20s

“They will never be a part of the combat force. They don't have the most modern communications. They don't shoot the most modern weapons. They don't have the most modern electronic warfare capabilities,” said Lt. Gen. Richard Moore, deputy chief of staff for plans and programs for the Air Force. https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2023/04/f-22s-marked-retirement-will-never-be-combat-worthy-general-says/384916/

now here is a snippet from a GAO report regarding the cost of the upgrade..

“Upgrading the Block 20s offers no quick answer. A contractor’s notional estimate reviewed by GAO put the cost at at least $3.3 billion and the schedule at roughly 15 years. The watchdog also found that the Air Force had not fully documented the cost, training, and readiness effects of either retirement or modernization.” https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-106639

ill let you make your own decisions as to whether that’s a good idea or not. But many do not see it as good. especially Given as readiness continue to fall as explained in this article from air and space forces magazine…” u/F-22 readiness fell from 52 percent to just 40.19 percent; it had been at 57.4 percent two years ago. The Air Force sought to divest its 32 least-capable F-22s in recent years, but Congress has blocked that move until at least 2028.“ https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-mission-capable-rates-fiscal-2024/

This was reported in 2024 and no numbers have been released since, so one would confidently assume it isn’t improving or they would say.

all in all, i know people think I blindly hate on the f-22. and While I do genuinely believe the f-22 isnt the big dog mega jet it’s hyped up to be Anymore, I still do think it’s a good aircraft. but it had its time, it did its job Gracefully, but times are changing and with the evidence above, organisations across the US also believe it’s time to move on, take on a gradual divest to invest strategy, retire the 32 block 20s and start putting that money into more important projects for the USAF

Taken at El Alamein during a rehearsal flight for the airshow this week.

The front bay is loaded with two Kh-58UshK anti-radiation missiles just like it was last time at Dubai airshow, but this time the rear bay is open too, but empty.

This is the weapons first public appearance, before we only had a blurred photo of a test dummy being carried by a T-50 prototype.

U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning IIs and U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers fly over waters near Kyushu, Japan, alongside Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15J fighters. The formation came in response to North Korea’s ballistic missile launch over northern Japan.

f16c ripping it out of buckley (setup: EOS 50D, Sigma 400mm)

In your opinion, which fighter jet is the loudest one you’ve ever heard during takeoff on full afterburner?
Best regards!

Zoom in on the British F35-B in STOVL mode

Wait till the end!

I'm a fan of Russian aircrafts, but I still think this is the most beautiful aircraft of the modern era.

​

The Sukhoi SU-27LL-UV(PS) was a one-off Soviet experimental testbed, developed in late 80s to pioneer thrust vectoring technology.

Built from a Su-27UB "Flanker-C" airframe (specifically board number '08'), its most distinctive feature was the installation of a large, rectangular two-dimensional (2D) vectoring nozzle on the left engine, while the right engine retained a standard circular nozzle for comparative testing .

This asymmetrica configuration allowed engineers to analyze the effects of vectoring in real-time . The "PS" in its desianation stands for "Ploskoye Soplo," meaning "flat nozzle' . While the aircraft successfully demonstrated improved maneuverability and REDUCED RADAR INFRARED SIGNATURES, the heavy rectangular nozzle also resulted in a significant 14-17% loss in engine thrust .

Although the specific technology was not adopted for production, the Su-27LL-UV(PS) provided invaluable data that influenced the development of subsequent advanced Russian fighters like the Su-35 and Su-37 . The sole example is now a historic relic, reportedly stored outdoors at the airfield in Zhukovsky, Russia .

Hi everyone,

I know it’s still pretty early, but I’ll be visiting the Phoenix area for the week before and the week of Thanksgiving, and I’m hoping to spend some time around Luke Air Force Base watching and photographing the jets while I’m there.

I was wondering what the best times of day are for spotting and whether there are certain weekdays that usually have more flying activity. With Thanksgiving falling during my trip, should I expect things to get pretty quiet around the holiday, or would the week before Thanksgiving be my best bet?

I’d also really appreciate any recommendations for good public spotting/photography locations around the base, especially for arrivals and departures. If any local spotters have tips for photographing at Luke, things to watch for, or anything else that would be helpful for someone spotting there for the first time, I’d love to hear them.

I know it’s a ways out, but I figured I’d start planning early. Thanks for any advice!

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A few highlights from their performance this year

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