Rob Fox
Ever wanted to know what a fighter jet flying right at you looked like without the trouble of having to dodge 20mm cannon rounds because you’re an insurgent? Here’s your chance!
Videos by Rare
According to The Avionist, who I am just going to quote here because this Ukranian military tech jargon is confusing as hell, the pilots of the Ukranian Air Force do this a lot.
The latest one is a footage showing two Su-25M1 flying low over a taxiway. It’s not clear when it was filmed nor where. However, considered the number of Il-76MD cargo aircraft that you can see in the clip, it could well be Melitopol airbase, in southeastern Ukraine, home of the 25th Transport Aviation Brigade. The Su-25M1 Frogfoot jets were probably operating out of Mykolaiv/Kulbakino airbase, to the west of Melitopol, home of the 299th Tactical Aviation Brigade.
What’s really important, though is that you just watch this video. Warning, you might fall out of your seat.
Not sure what the deal with the music in that video is but otherwise GAH. Gah both at the plane coming at the camera like that and at how low the pilot is flying. It has to be terrifying to watch a plane fly that low when it’s not trying to land. That pilot sneezes and he’s a fireball. That’s a good way to suck a goose into your engine and park that war machine twenty yards inside of a hill.
Fighter pilots are lunatics though. No one normal takes that job, especially in Ukraine, I imagine. These guys know if they ever see combat they’re going to be going up against Russia, who has better tech trying to kill them than the tech they’re flying, both on the ground and in the air. It’s not exactly suicide but it’s not what an advisable career path either. But hey, at least they’re having fun while it lasts.
This story was originally published October 19, 2018.
