Interview with Former F-117A Nighthawk Pilot Thad Darger
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2022
- The Air Zoo is a world-class, Smithsonian-affiliated aerospace and science museum, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with over 100 air and space artifacts, inspiring interactive exhibits, full-motion flight simulators, indoor amusement park rides, a theater and over 100 education programs!
This is a sick interview….rare to see a 117 crew speak!
Just to mention when he spoke about their retirement, they only retired them from combat service, some frames are still active and flying in the Air Force.
@@ScumfuckMcDoucheface
Nope. They're used for training and testing and familiarization. They've flown several times during Red Flag and serve as an alternative low-observable platform that's more broad-spectrum radar band all-aspect stealth (...as opposed to the F-35 which is *_not_* broad spectrum, focusing highly on optimization for X-band/Ku-band (NATO I-band and J-band) and S-band (NATO E/F-bands); and focusing ridiculously heavily on frontal-only RCS signature - rear-aspect of the F-35 is not all that low-observable even for X-band) that's more similar to the B-2's stealth characteristics (this is a gross generalization, but the F-117's stealth characteristics are more like the B-2's than the F-22 or F-35)... without having to actually pay to fly B-2s which are cost intensive to fly which cost around $135,000 (unadjusted for inflation) for every flight hour to operate.
My brain didn't connect the dots until just now. This is the airzoo in my home state! I have been here twice. Holy cow! This was by far my favorite place I've been. Would love to visit more, but it is a 2 hour one way trip.
I visited the Air Zoo in 2023 and saw this airplane. It was stunning to see it up so close! Looks like it could fly away at a moment's notice if they ever needed it again. You can walk right up and touch it, which is amazing. I HIGHLY recommend the Air Zoo to anyone who loves aviation. It's located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Super nice people and they also have an SR-71 in perfect condition!!
I feel like after they built this plane they said "somebody find us a Thad to fly it. If you can't find a Thad, bring me a Brick"
I enjoyed working on this jet at Holloman. It was a good time.
"Thad Darger" even sounds like a Star Wars character lol
Great interview, he's a class act no doubt. Thanks for posting!
Thanks for the nice comment Buck!
I was at the EAA Oshkosh airshow were the F117 was shown. I believe it was the first showing of it not on a military base. It did not fly during the airshow. You couldn’t get closer than roughly 20ft from any part of it. And their were military guards with sub machine guns walking around it. It was impressive to see.
I would dress up just to come up to one and hug it. They won't even notice I'm a tourist.
The air zoo is an amazing place kids and kids at heart can enjoy a visit
I'm gonna have to see one of these in person before they are retired completely.
This content lately is amazing.
Can already tell this is going to be so cool, love the videos please keep them coming:)
Great interview, thank you!
I guarded the F-117a in Security Forces from 1998-2003 and I always thought of it like the 'Darth Vader' plane. It was very cinematic looking from the front and side views. I saw the wings leading edge damaged in 2002'ish from a hanger door and it looked like a carbon fiber composite. An airmen stole Radar Absorbent Material[RAM] and put it on his car to evade police and got in trouble.
You can tell Mr Darger wears sunglasses a lot lol. He’s a pilot, so . . .
Just about every picture of my father with one of his airplanes, or at an airport, or a cockpit, sunglasses. 😂
amazing, you never hear anything about this plane. I could watch 12 hrs of history of this plane.
One of these would make a great addition to the Imperial War Museum collection
Thad Darger.. what a chad name
Nice of you to say, thanks Marcie!
@@bandit528 are u the pilot being interviewed?... Man... What a cool name Sir... And cool job too
🙏🙏🙏🙏 from 🇳🇿
They called the F117 a fighter for the same reason Kelly Johnson called Area 51 Paradise Ranch.
Brother Thad, we probably chewed the same dirt. Stationed at Area51 from 85-89 working with The Skunk 🦨 Works, Goat Suckers & Grim Reapers. Cheers 🇺🇸 -Ret USAF
3:30 Im flabberghasted this guy, a guy top of his field had not seen or known of the F-117. I know, i know this was a black project, but damn i remember having this thing on my wall on a poster in 90.
well i dont have the date but it was early 90's
Probably means in person.
I remember they flew on of those things at a Southern California airshow I attended (very strange to see it in flight). Then they parked it later with the pilot standing there answering questions. I said, "I figure you must have had lessons." I don't think he was amused.
It is nice for him to said F-117 is not a fighter even it officially is. I always wondering the the US military call it a fighter while it dint shoot down any fighter (in my knowladge)
Impressive career...but did he deliver Steven Segal through the tunnel into the 747 though? 🤔
That went over alot of heads....#executivedecision
what i want to know is why its a hundred, all other fightesr and bombers are in the two digits
Somehow i misread his name a "Chad" Darger.
can you feel my heart
"Sup, I'm Chad Danger, fighter pilot."
Single seat strike aircraft ? A-7 Corsair III 😇
Czechoslovakia (czech) developped in 70 and 80s spicial passive radar technology which was able to detect B2 and F117, radar called Tamara then Vera from company Tesla Pardubice, city Pardubice Czech R, soldiers were able to recognize all attack of USAF from GB to Lybia and back someday in 1980s....
The US military is very aware of VERA systems and passive radar. These have undoubtedly been accounted for in tactical strategies whether through flight patterns, electronic countermeasure, or target saturation via drones.
@@phoenixrising4073 i think they have been, in 1989 we had velvet revolution and savageous world (Rus or SSSR)
and we are in NATO and gave technoligies, also anti chemickal warfare experiences
"Retirement"
But they still fly around, no?
make a cool blackout aircraft only to put lame bright wheels on it , a can of black spray paint was like 3 bucks at the time
Most aircraft have their gear, gear bays, weapon bays, etc. painted white. It makes it easy to detect hydraulic leaks & other problems. Not like you can see them once they're retracted, anyway.
@@doctorwigglespank8933 no , I think they wanted to roll on those 20 Daytons to be cool
The bombs dropped on Belgrade in 1999 were at the same time precise enough to drop down the chimney of the post office and detonate on the ground floor, destroying critical infrastructure, all while being imprecise enough to _accidentally_ hit the Chinese embassy, hospitals, etc...
You do know there are different types of bombs, right?
Ask the people from Ovčara about hospitals and the wounded..
@@Pman353 I see, so _thats why they bombed hospitals_ ! How could I have been so ignorant. Of course they didn't mean to bomb civilians when they started bombing a city.
@@muha0644 then what did you mean with your original comment. Sounded to me like you where saying civilians where intentionally bombed
@@Pman353 Yes, choosing a capital city as your target tends to target civilians, this is not a new discovery.
FB117......umm... FB111
Needs a shave and a tie.
Warriors don’t shave or wear ties from 1972. Better idea is he should have worn a 3 piece suit, bow tie, had a walking stick, and been smoking a pipe. Clyde tell us about your commitment to destroying bad guys. I am interested.