US Top Gun pilot flies Welsh dragon in cockpit of F-15E Strike Eagle

Great balls of FIRE! US Top Gun pilot proudly flies the Welsh dragon in cockpit of F-15E Strike Eagle while roaring through valleys of Snowdonia at 600mph

  • United States Air Force F15e ‘strike eagle’ fighter jet was spotted leaving base at RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk 
  • Pilot cruising along at 600mph displaying the Welsh dragon in the cockpit above Snowdonia National Park
  • Plane enthusiasts gather at Cad East in Snowdonia to watch F-15 Eagle fighters as they complete Mach Loop

A United States Air Force pilot delighted plane enthusiasts after being spotted displaying the Welsh dragon while soaring above Snowdonia National Park. 

The F15e ‘Strike Eagle’ fighter jet, based at RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, was seen flying the Welsh flag in the cockpit as the plane roared through the skies at some 600mph. 

The pilot was seen travelling through the valleys in north Wales, near Dolgellau yesterday.

A United States Air Force F15e ‘strike eagle’ fighter jet, based at RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, flies the Welsh flag in the cockpit

The jet flies at speeds of up to 600mph, through the valleys in the Snowdonia national park, North Wales

American and RAF jets often use the Wales low-fly areas and routinely fly at speeds of up to 575mph and 500ft from the ground as they perform high-G manoeuvres.

Nearby there is a location known as The Machynlleth Loop – which is located in a set of valleys in Wales near Barmouth and is commonly used as practice grounds for low-flying jets.

There is also an area known as Cad East in Snowdonia National Park where plane enthusiasts often gather to take pictures of F-15 Eagle fighters as they complete the Mach Loop.

Despite being designated a Royal Air Force base, RAF Lakenheath hosts units and personnel from the United States Air Force.

RAF Lakenheath and nearby RAF Mildenhall serve as the two main US Air Force bases in the UK, while the 48th Fighter Wing is the only US Air Force F-15 fighter wing in Europe.

Mildenhall and neighbouring Lakenheath were re-opened after the second World War to host B-29 Superfortresses and have hosted US airmen ever since.

Lakenheath is currently home to the 48th ‘Liberty’ Fighter Wing and Mildenhall to the 100th Air Refueling Wing.

American and RAF jets often use the Wales low-fly areas and routinely fly at speeds of up to 575mph and 500ft from the ground as they perform high-G manoeuvres

THE UNDEFEATED FIGHTER: F-15 EAGLE JETS 

The F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas, now Boeing, in 1972. 

It entered service in 1976 and is among the most successful fighter jets in production today, with no losses in aerial combat. 

The F-15 has a laser designator which can lock in a target 10 miles away, while also having LANTIRN (Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night) which is beneficial for attacking on the ground.

It has space for a pilot and weapon systems manager. In the rear cockpit there are four screens displaying information from the radar, infrared sensors and weapons status, along with others. 

The aircraft is predominantly used by the US Air Force as well as the air forces of Saudi Arabia, Israel and Japan.

Each model costs around £21million ($28million) and the aircraft has been modified and improved over the years with different variants now used around the world, including the faster F-15E Strike Eagle. 

A pair of United States Air Force F-15 Strike Eagle fighter jets are pictured over the English Channel

As of 2018, the aircraft is being produced in different variants with production set to end in 2022.

At a glance:

Crew: One pilot

Length: 63ft 9ins (19.43m)

Wingspan: 42ft 10ins (13.05m)

Height: 18ft 6ins (5.63m)  

Max takeoff weight: 68,000lbs (30,845kg) 

Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-100 or −220 afterburning turbofans 

Max speed: Mach 2.5+ (1,650mph) 

Max altitude: 65,000ft (20,000m) 

Armament: One 20mm (0.787in) M61A1 Vulcan 6-barrel Rotary cannon, four AIM-7 Sparrow missiles, four AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, eight AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles 

Source: Read Full Article