The French Air Force keeps a number of units in Chad. Because of the nature of the missions, the old Aerospatiale SA 330 Puma and Dassault Mirage F1 are stationed there. Pilots often call these “leisure missions” because they pretty much get to do stuff they wouldn’t normally do… like flying extremely low and generally having lots of fun. Check out the videos of the “Crazy Boys” over Chad.
This is a compilation of some of the greatest low passes ever, soundtrack of the video is The Who - Baba O’Riley. Lots of action here, from low flying airliners to high speed jet fighters going down on the deck. Enjoy a great video!
Robert A. “Bob” Hoover (born 1922) is a former air show pilot and United States Air Force test pilot. His personal trademark is a wide-brimmed straw hat and wide smile.Bob Hoover is best known for his air show career, which started when he was hired to demonstrate the capabilities of Aero Commander’s Shrike Commander, a twin-engined piston business aircraft which had developed a rather staid reputation due to its bulky shape. Hoover showed the strength of the plane as he put the aircraft through rolls, loops, and other maneuvers which most people wouldn’t associate with executive aircraft. As a grand finale, he shut down both engines and executed a loop and an eight-point hesitation slow roll as he headed back to the runway. He touched down on one tire, then the other, before landing. After pulling off the runway, he would start engines to taxi back to the parking area. On airfields with large enough parking ramps (such as the Reno Stead Airport where the Reno Air Races take place), Hoover would sometimes land directly on the ramp and coast all the way back to his parking spot in front of the grandstand without re-starting the engines.
A few years after starting the show, he began carrying passengers during the show — after all, he reasoned, the Shrike Commander carries six passengers in comfort (though perhaps not as much comfort when upside down.) These passengers became known as “Hoover’s Heavers” due to the number who became airsick during the maneuvers.
With the advent of camcorders, Hoover added a flourish to the act by pouring a cup of tea from a Thermos, while performing a slow barrel roll (a 1G maneuver). Video of this has been widely distributed, to the pleasure of Aero Commander enthusiasts.
Taking a jet down on the deck guarantees an adrenalin rush like no other. The aircraft feels tight, close to the ground you realize just how fast you are going, your body fills with joy and the feeling becomes addictive. They say speed is life. To know what speed really is just push the throttle forward, go low and feel the rush. It is quite amazing!
The French really do know how to make good videos. I’ve said this for quite a long time now. Anyway, check out these cool pilots and their Pumas doing some really crazy stuff over the deserts of Chad. That low pass over those three soldiers is really scary. I bet if I were in their shoes, I’d shit myself in fear. Enjoy!
Another great video from the French. This time it’s the Gazelle helicopter in what appears to be a low altitude training exercise. These low level flights are quite intense… the helicopter feels very tight, very responsive and the rush of seeing the ground pass under you at high speed is quite spectacular.
Very relaxing video with great music too. Enjoy this fantastic helicopter ride in Hawaii!
This F-16 comes in for a very very low level high speed pass. Some might argue this Viper was way out low, but who cares… as long as the crowd was pleased 
This Harrier jumpjet comes in for a high speed low pass. That jetblast must have been really hot… anyway awesome pass!
There have been quite a lot of stunts performed by skydivers over the years and this one has to be one of the coolest of them all. Jumping out of a perfectly good airplane is already a sign of madness, but jumping out of a perfectly good airplane without a parachute and with just a pair of shorts on you is definitely beyond crazy… or so it would seem. My personal opinion? Coolest jump ever!
