I just found this video over at The DEW Line. It’s of a Su-30 fighter flying low over Caracas Venezuela, (a city that Steve Trimble and I were stranded in for a day last winter, long story) for that country’s bicentennial celebration. The best part about it is the jet is popping flares right over a giant city at low altitude. Yeah, that’d totally be ok to do over a city like Washington DC. Riiiight.
Video: Venezuelan Su-30 Drops Flares Low
Previous post: Cartwright: Get Rid of the New Bomber
Next post: Why is China Buying MRAPs? (updated)
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Waste of flares
Almost like the scene from Return of the Jedi and the Ewoks and the Rebels celebrating and the X-Wings popping off fireworks overhead. Hey that would be even more cool if the Su dropped fireworks instead of plain old flares.
But yeah you're right, in the US people are too high and mighty and scream bloody murder and sue for endangering the public instead of appreciating the coolness of it.
makes a change from coloured smoke
You people are so lacking imaginations. Our people have been doing this for decades! We fire guns and RPGs instead of wimpy fireworks on weddings.
Recently we had to be more careful with them NATO planes flying overhead though, because they…eh…overreacts :)
Must have been a rehearsal for Chavez's funeral.
Now that was funny.
Someone is bound to post on how American flares are better, Venezuelan flares are knockoffs of Russian flares, which were in turn stolen from America. Eyeroll time
This is rubbish. American flares popped from F-15s and F-16s are much better. Venezuela flares are just cheap made-in-China trash which are knockoffs of Russian flares, and the Russian stole from America, Pah!
(memo to USAF: check the vendor of your flares, please)
"Next thing you know we will be buying Russian flares, and thats because of OBAMA"
Dear Mr. CSZ,
Thanks for your inquiry. Our flares are manufactured in China. Don't worry though, because the same factory also make fireworks and 99% of them are consumed by US customers during 4th July celebration. So the factory is practically ours.
Have a nice weekend!
USAF flares and fireworks coordinator
Hmm- if you drop 20 flares over a city- how many will cause housefires, burn a car, or fall harmlessly on a street?
Whats the air speed, altitude, whats the city like, high rises, urban, farm, industrial? where's the wind coming from and at what speed at what altitudes?, whats the dispersal of the flares, do some fall fast, some slow? whats the flare burn time, whats the weather like, how about vegitation, whats the local responce to a fire going to be. Get that info and you can find out if poping flares is a good substitute for fire bombs. :D
Just a hot shot pilot showing off. Just hope he didnt start a fire on top of a building by doing that.
Over heard conversation from Pilot: Hey, whats this Button for?
Ooops! My Bad! Sooooorrrrrrryyyyyy!!!!!! Kehhheee heee that was coooool!
wish i could see the Su-30MKMs in my country can do this kind of trick in air shows like the LIMA.
I thought people protest against things like this in warzones. That is a use of an WMD, phosphorus… in a civilian population.
My goodness, we should be putting this pilot on trial in the UN.
(sarcasm used throughout post)
Technical point – aircraft flare primarily use magnesium, for its much higher combustion temperature
Hello.
See and hear a Sukhoi on Caracas is a great experience. You can see close to the plane of video on the link below: http://www.fav-club.com/galeria/main.php?g2_itemI…
They can also see other photos of the parade, which debuted the T-72 and other vehicles manufactured in Russia. Greetings from Venezuela.