Soviet Era Jet - Flying the L-39
Ranked #6,224 in Hobbies, Games & Toys, #77,854 overall
Jets - They Don't Have Propellers and They're a Whole Heck-of-a-lot Faster!
I've got a lot of experience being "around" jets--but never being closer than a few yards--until recently.
When I was a kid growing up in New Mexico, some of those years were spent in Alamogordo--sort of the home of America's testing in preparation for Space Flight and Exploration and the home of Holloman Air Force Base. Living this close to the home of a fighter-jet wing got us used to having our windows rattled every day by "Sonic Booms"--the jets flying out of Holloman AFB were supersonic. When my family lived in Alamogordo, most of the jets were F-4 Phantom Jets... but they also had F-104 Starfighters and later, F-16s.
Although we lived close enough to see these jets flying overhead (and sometimes over the road ahead of us when we were driving from Alamogordo to Las Cruces under the Holloman AFB flight path and through White Sands Missile Range. We only saw them relatively "close-up" (still not too close) during Armed Forces Day exhibits and Air Shows at Holloman AFB and White Sands Missile Range.
Then, when our family moved to the Western Pacific Island of Guam, we would see the A-4 Skyhawks and A-7 Corsairs doing "touch-and-go" carrier landing practice at Guam's Naval Air Station (NAS). Again, the closest we got to these jets was to walk a few yards past them when they were on display during Armed Forces Day and during Air Shows.
After moving back to New Mexico from Guam, I worked briefly as a photographer/writer at a daily newspaper--and had the great opportunity to be on the runway for the landing of the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-3) at White Sands Missile Range. I managed to get some great shots of the T-38 Talons escorting the Space Shuttle to the WSMR runway.
Little did I know that twelve years later, I'd be working at NASA Ames Research Center in California--and I'd be seeing the T-38s regularly coming in for astronaut training at Moffett Field NAS. Another awesome jet that I regularly saw at NASA-Ames was the Lockheed U-2. Sometimes I had to wait in my car on the tarmac to allow a U-2 to pass by on its way to its hangar. And, I'd see the Harrier Jump Jets doing their vertical-take-off-and-landing (VTOL) on the tarmac across from my office--totally cool.
So, it was an interesting turn of events when my daughter got a job working as an operations manager for a flight training school. And some of the planes they had visiting their hangar were the Czech-made Aero-Vodochody L-39 ZO Albatros fighter jet. This Squidoo lens describes a bit of our experiences with this interesting jet.
Soviet-Era Czech Light Fighter Jet in Camou with Original-Style Markings (at least most of them!)
This jet had a bit of fame in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies--in the opening scene, Bond takes off in one of these jets and another of the same make is in pursuit. Lots of aerobatics in this high-speed chase. You can see why these planes are sometimes used in Top-Gun exercises to represent the enemy aircraft--they are fast, versatile, light fighters.
A row of L-39 Albatros Jets at an air show, McChord AFB, Washington
These jets are based in northern California - near Sacramento
Study Up On These Amazing Planes! The Info Is Right Here!
Draw 50 Airplanes, Aircrafts, and Spacecraft: The Step-by-Step Way to Draw World War II Fighter Planes, Modern Jets, Space Capsules, and Much More... (Zephyr Book) by Lee J. Ames
World War I bombers, rocket launchers and all t more...0 points
Modern Military Aircraft (Aviation Factfile, The)
More than 120 bombers, transports, and tankers, al more...0 points
Jane's Aircraft Upgrades, 2005-06 (Jane's Aircraft Upgrades) by Jamie Hunter
This essential companion to Jane's All the World's more...0 points
Jane's International Directory 2005 (Jane's International Defense Directory) by Peter Partridge
Section on the Czech-made Aero-Vodochody L-39 ZO A more...0 points
Jane's Aircraft Upgrades, 2004-2005 (Jane's Aircraft Upgrades)
Section on the Czech-made Aero-Vodochody L-39 ZO A more...0 points
Jane's Simulation & Training Systems 2004-2005 (Jane's Simulation and Training Systems) by Ian Strachan
Section on the Czech-made Aero-Vodochody L-39 ZO A more...0 points
Model Maker Military Planes: Discover The Exciting World Of Fighter Planes And Build Five Incredible Models (Model Maker) by Ian Graham
From World War I bombers and wooden biplanes to mo more...0 points
L-39 "Firecat" Ready To Go...
Something to Wear When You're In the Jet!
L-39 Jets (and other Jets, too!) by the Bay.... eBay, That Is!
Links to L-39s and Other Goodies!
- Attitude Aviation
- This flight training school in Livermore, California provides training for tail-draggers, amphibious, and emergency-evasion techniques. Some of the planes they have available for flight include the L-39 Jet, a Pitts, Cessna 172, a T-6 Trainer, and a Great Lakes biplane. Check them out here for more information.
- Home of the L-39 Firecat
- This website is the home of the L-39 Firecat. Lots of cool pictures of this aircraft!
- L-39 Specifications
- This webpage displays the L-39 Specifications--right down to the serial number on the turbine blades! (just kidding on that last one!)
- L-39 Enthusiasts Website
- This is the website for the L-39 Enthusiasts... Check out the gallery photos! Lots of cool photos!
- Aero-Vodochody Home Page
- This is the Czech manufacturer's home page for their company.
- L-39 Patriots Air Show Team
- This is the website for a four-unit air show team. Neat pictures!
- Rus Adventures - L-39 Training
- This is the Rus Adventures website that features L-39 flights and training in Russia! Cool website!
Standing In Front of the L-39 Firecat!
L-39 Firecat in its Hangar
In Cockpit, Pre-Flight
Firecat L-39 on the tarmac getting ready for flight
View of Northern California from cockpit of Firecat L-39
Flying high in the Firecat L-39
Roll-Over at 500 mph
L-39s in Formation, San Francisco Fleet Week
You Want One of Your Own? Get Them by the Bay... eBay, That Is!
Acrobatic L-39s... San Francisco Fleet Week
High-speed flyby, L-39s, San Francisco Fleet Week
L-39s at San Francisco's Fleet Week
L-39s in Formation at San Francisco's Fleet Week
More L-39 Aero Goodies You Can Use for Decoration or Wear or... Well, You Get the Idea!
L-39 with arctic blue camouflage version - after landing and taxiing to the hanger
Approaching the L-39 to prep for flight
L-39 jet at hanger, getting ready for flight
Taking the first step for a flight in the L-39
Strapped In and Ready to Go!
Soaring above the clouds in the L-39
Cockpit instrument panel of the L-39 while in flight
View that you can get when you are soaring in an L-39
Create your own collection of Squidoo lenses by starting here!
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Squid graphic courtesy of Squidoo Squid Graphics For Your Lenses! by GreekGeek.
If You're Flying By, Stop Long Enough to Leave a Note!
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stargazer00
Jan 14, 2011 @ 9:33 pm | delete
- Seeing the Space Shuttle Columbia land must have been awesome!
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LizMac60 Jan 6, 2011 @ 2:47 am | delete
- A great lens for the boys! Love that Firecat. Blessed by a squid angel.
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kwj Jan 2, 2011 @ 5:23 am | delete
- You can really buy these things!? Incredible, I'd love to have a go.
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sukkran Jan 2, 2011 @ 2:10 am | delete
- flying is my fav subject - unfulfilled dream. very interesting lens. bookmarked it.
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SofiaMann
Oct 30, 2010 @ 9:41 pm | delete
- A great lens.
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by EditorDave
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Living on Guam is what now "defines" me. ...
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Radio Controlled (RC) Electric-Powered L-39 Jet!
L-39 Albatros Jet EDF ARF w/Fan+Motor
Amazon Price: (as of 05/27/2012)
Hey, if you've always wanted to own a jet and you can't get one of the big ones (you know, the ones you have to store in an aircraft hanger at your local airport), this is the jet to get! It will fit in your car and you can fly it on weekends (or whenever you can get outside on a nice day!).
You can get details on this aircraft here (in addition to details on other aircraft, as well!)
The Aviation Book: A Survey of the World's Aircraft
Amazon Price: $21.05 (as of 05/26/2012)
This book provides narratives and illustrations on many different aircraft--including the Aero-Vodochody L-39 ZO Albatros .... all sorts of interesting information for you!
