Video: F-35 VTOL Flip Is Another Fake

There's been a video circulating recently showing a Lockheed F-35 VTOL airplane lifting off from the deck of an aircraft carrier, performing a forward flip, and then flying off into the distance. There are numerous reasons it's a fake, a few of which have to do with the fact that there should be more doors open above and below the aircraft while performing the lift off. Here's a video of the real thing from YouTube:




Now, watch this video and notice that the rear exhaust nozzle isn't pointing down when the airplane lifts off, the door above and behind the cockpit isn't there either. And, last I checked, the F-35 didn't have a rocket able to cause a roll like what you see:



Here's another fake takeoff video mixed with real footage of the airplane in flight:


Cg USMC F-35-B - Celebrity bloopers here


Noting the lack of any type of name attached to the video, and the fact that the same music plays in all of the videos on the internet, I'd guess that the video was produced by Lockheed Martin or the U.S. Marines as a viral marketing stunt to show how cool their new replacement for the AV-8B Harrier is.

Best Aviator Sunglasses | VedaloHD | Review

(Top Photo: VedaloHD Azzurro2 Aviator

Bottom Photo: World Advanced Aerobatic Champion Rob Holland is sponsored by and wears VedaloHD's... Used with permission)

While wandering around Sun n Fun this year, one of my colleagues introduced me to Rob Holland and Chris Pederson, marketing director for VedaloHD sunglasses. Chris asked if I'd be interested in an interview with Holland to see how he likes the sunglasses. He also mentioned that other pilots like Sean Tucker and Reno racer Kevin Eldredge wear Vedalo's.

Holland seemed quite impressed with his glasses, but I couldn't help but think, "Of course you're going to say great things about them in front of your sponsor!"

Pederson then lead me to his booth and allowed me to try on a few pairs of glasses to see which ones fit best. I chose a pair of Azzuro2's, and he said to try them out and let him know what I thought. I asked when I should bring them back, and he said, "They're yours." Whoa! All I could think was, "Man I hope I don't hate them!"

Well, I put the glasses on, and the first thing I noticed was that the reds, greens and blues were highly enhanced. It was like they became fluorescent, and at first, I wasn't sure I was going to like it. You grow use to it quickly, and the value of the color enhancement really comes into its own once airborne. In order to avoid interference with some flat panel displays in aircraft, VedaloHD aviator sunglasses are not polarized. I thought this would be a disadvantage, but I was in for a surprise.

Flying in the hazy air of Florida, your ability to see traffic is diminished, and polarized glasses can cut the glare. The first day I went up, I was wearing no sunglasses, and it was quite difficult to make out traffic while we were flying out to the Gulf Coast. The next time I went up, I was in the front seat of a Pitts S-2C wearing the Azzuro's, and from the moment we lifted off, I knew there was something different. In the busy airspace surrounding Lakeland, Florida, I was able to easily locate every target in the vicinity. It was an uncanny feeling, because the glasses literally make the haze disappear and traffic sticks out like a sore thumb.

Leaving Tampa on a commercial flight, I was in a window seat on the Airbus A-319. As we flew out over the Gulf of Mexico at 30,000 feet, I was enjoying all of the underwater features, including a channel that had been dredged from the shore so boats could make it to deeper water. It was then I realized I was wearing my glasses, and decided to take them off. I was shocked! The underwater features completely disappeared, and all I could see was the green water. I put them back on, and it was like I had X-ray vision. They were that good.

I've been flying for over 17 years. In all of that time, I've seen just about every gimmick and gizmo there is claiming to enhance vision while flying an airplane. The VedaloHD sunglasses are the first ones I've ever tried that actually made me say, "Wow!"

I can honestly say that I think these glasses can help enhance your ability to see-and-avoid, and therefore should be a serious consideration for daytime flight safety.

Visit VedaloHD to find your pair...

Video | Falling Out of The Sky | Mooney Acclaim

This is an emergency descent in a Mooney Acclaim from 25,000 feet to 15,000 feet. At 4600 feet per minute, we were falling the equivalent of 52 miles per hour straight down! Our forward speed was 222 Knots True Airspeed. Not a true emergency, but fun to rehearse, nonetheless.

Air-to-air At Sun n Fun 2009

What do you get when you fly a Pitts and a Husky together? A boatload of fun, that's what! When I was at Sun n Fun last week, I convinced Bill Finagin of Dent Air Ltd. and Aviat Aircraft President Stu Horn to take a Pitts S-2C and a Husky A-1C up for an air-to-air photo shoot over the Gulf of Mexico. The resulting photos are the product of the right light, setting, aircraft and, most importantly, people. I was fortunate enough to be sitting in the front cockpit of the Pitts with Bill Finagin as we rolled and hammered over the coast. Beautiful! Thanks Stu and Bill.

Sun n Fun 2009 Air-to-Air Photo Shoot

Flying in a Cessna 210 with Jim Koepnick and Bruce Moore, I got to experience first hand what it's like to take off into a beautiful sunset and photograph an airplane over the Gulf of Mexico. I'll be writing an article about the experience for Sport Aerobatics Magazine's June issue, so keep an eye out for it.