I wasn't aware that the term 'elephant walk' is used in military aviation - in my (African) experience, it's always involved pachyderms! Nevertheless, I was entertained to read about two 'elephant walks' by US Air Force units in recent months.
The first was held in Korea on March 2nd, when 60 F-16 Fighting Falcons of the USAF and the ROKAF staged an 'elephant walk' down the runway at Kunsan.
(Click the image to be taken to a larger version at the Kunsan AFB Web site)
The maneuver was apparently intended to 'send a message' to North Korea before it (unsuccessfully) tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile. I daresay the message got through!
Not to be outdone, on April 16th the USAF's 4th Fighter Wing gathered no less than 70 of its F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft for an 'elephant walk' at Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina, in honor of a victory by its predecessor, the 4th Fighter Group, over the German Luftwaffe on April 16th, 1945.
(Click the image to be taken to a larger version at the USAF's Flickr photostream)
According to Gizmodo, the planes went on to attack about 1,000 separate targets on bombing ranges across the state. It's sobering to think that, at today's prices, 70 F-15E's represent a capital investment of about $7 billion!!! At those prices, I hope the aircrews did their best not to scratch the paint . . .
Peter
2 comments:
Peter:
Since you decided that #GBC is beyond you, and don't visit anymore.
Re Elephant walks. Shame! And you a Sud Akrikanner.
http://www.amc.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123022838
Rrefers to the the aviation elephant walk. which dates back in aviation to the USAAC in WW2, max sortie of every available asset.
Lumbering loaded all together to the runway.
Reading this article. Back in the glory days of traveling circus's in the US before WW2. The Circus's would pull into a town for a week of shows, the night before, set up, and the Next Morning. do a parade down the main street with all performers in costume and riding horses, Beautiful women seated on decorated up Elephants, to lure the countryside into coming to the circus. A secondary Elephant walk was the daily trip from the fairgrounds to a river or lake, by the elephants of the circus with their handlers, lumbering nose to tail out to the water, where they'd drink, bath and play, and then walk back to the fairgrounds.
this is true.... i am stationed at kunsan aribase. the first elephant walk was 27 jets loaded with 2 mk82 2000lb bombs, 2 AIM-9-X and 2 AIM-120 amraks.. that totals to over 180 thousand pounds of munitions...the picture you are viewing is an elephant walk between the 8th FW at kunsan the 20th FW from shaw and the 388th FW from hill AFB the total aricraft was (I.E. what you see in the pic) 57 F-16 fighting falcons carring a total of 230,394 pounds of explosives ready and on the runway with a 3000 mile+ radious with tanker support (which we had) not to mention over 5000 lbs of 2omm high explosive incendiariy ammunition thats allmost 30,000 rounds and thats only at kunsan... you gotta factor in osan and the 38th FW from korea.... all in all there was over 3 million pounds of munitions that could be dropped in a 3000 mile+ ratious from kunsan airbase not to mention the hundreds of thousands of patriot missiles the army has out here....
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