cool story bro

I thank you for your family contributions to our Country!

Nice man😅

Actually no our homes are pretty standard in size. His experience with North American Aviation was very pleasant, eventually worked for Pratt & Whitney and Lockheed as well before he retired.

@timtrfny timtrfny ik

Your grandpa must have been a genius.

@@fanofflight200 still is 😃. The last XB-70 is in Ohio and I wanna take him to go see it.

@@Tgamer234 Did you Grandfather ever get to fly in the XB-70??

And a museum very well worth the visit. So much history there, you need 2-3 days to see everything.

It is a magnificent aircraft and I’m glad it’s finally in the main museum where it belongs. It used to sit outside, then in the annex building where you had to sign up for a bus ride to see it. One of the volunteers told me he was an engineer for the braking system. That was many years ago.

Very cool! Does anyone know what happened to the remaining aircraft from the program?

@@skylined5534 What, exactly are you reading?

@@hordboy I saw it outside there in the 80's . Very impressive to stand next to.

I’m so sorry for that 😞 may his soul Rest In Peace

Thank you

@Lemickey My Dad is Elvis Presley

reading thru this comment i couldnt help but be reminded of that book

@@scott8908 My Dad is Me

imagine the stealth technology they are developing today… probably so advanced we can’t even imagine it

@@BGTech1 its very easy to imagine. Anti gravity spacecraft are already here

I'm old enough I remember seeing prop planes being used for commercial flights. I remember when this plane (the XB-70) was first shown, and I remember this crash. So, yes, it was amazing seeing the transformation of aviation. I also remember watching Sputnik flying over and the space race that followed. Today's kids take it all for granted, we've always had all the technology as far as they know.

@@Bischlarbo69 I believe they had that back in the 1950s

@@BGTech1 oh ok I thought you were alluding to fixed wing aircraft. Yeah I would imagine that the spacecraft available now can do anything. Bend space time, create their own gravity fields....maybe even give the pilot a lil blowey on the ride home, who knows

Thank for that info... I really wondered if they only had 1 ejection seat or something. I mean it was built/designed in the late 50's.

Thanks for mentioning why the co-pilot was unable to escape. I'm not familiar with the designs and functioning of most ejection seats, especially those that allow more than one person to escape. From what you reported of the co-pilot being forced up against the controls, ejection seats were designed to prevent that situation. Without an ejection seat, a pilot trying to leave an airplane to parachute to safety without mechanical assistance, would be forced up against the controls and held in place by G-forces. Ejection seats were invented to prevent this, so I wonder if there were TWO EJECTION SEATS in this aircraft or only ONE? These two aircraft were being used as test aircraft, which often have a single ejection seat. Was the use of TWO PILOTS in this case because of the formations for the photo op? It's not that I don't trust most accident investigations and reports, but from experience, I don't completely trust most accident investigations and reports. I still wonder about flight 800, JFK's "Magic Bullet", the "Official 9/11 Report", debunked before it was published, and many more. The public rarely gets "news" that makes our government or large corporations look bad. Facts are often misreported or omitted. Pilots, especially dead pilots, are blamed too often for failures of aircraft that result from corporate cost-saving measures. So, I'm just wondering about the ejection seat(s) situation in this instance, where the co-pilot was unable to escape, when he should have been blown clear of the disabled aircraft, the G-forces, the air pressure, the controls, with the pilot who did escape. Did the co-pilot have an ejection seat too?

Surly the pilot is fully strapped in?, why would he be forced against the controls?, i would of thought the harness would be pretty restrictive to stop such an issue?

They had a capsule each, but it's not entirely clear why the system didn't work for the co-pilot. I remembered incorrectly about him being up against the controls (I might have been thinking of the Gary Powers U2 crash, or something else entirely) but for whatever reason the action to fire him backwards didn't work. The History Guy explains the ejection from 12:55 onwards in this video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/e6qqmJB_ruCXgac.html

@@LethalJizzle Thanks. I'll take a look as it makes no sense. Why did one seat work and the other didn't? As soon as the video said the XB-70 started to deviate from the straight path, my brain started to scream, EJECT, EJECT, EJECT, and it's not MY life that's at stake. I think one of the accompanying pilots from the formation actually DID SCREAM, "EJECT, EJECT, EJECT". Wouldn't both pilots have tried to eject at the same time? These were the TOP TEST PILOTS. Would one have tried to wait a few extra seconds in an attempt to control the aircraft? The best are often those who go the extra mile. Could that have been a fatal flaw in this case?

This

Yeah.

True

The reason I spotted this too was because I built a model a model of the F4 when I was a child, over 40 years ago. An incredible video thank you so much.

And they call this "TheFlightChannel"???

Hmm, see above.

The attention to detail ? , please be real. can not tell a trainer aircraft from one of the best fighters in the sky. With digital video it would be very easy to fix this mistake, why is it left up this way. I see this alot on utube. Nobody corrects mistakes in video, makes me wonder who edits them.

Where did you learn to type puppers? LOL Great command of English too!

attention to detail would be putting the right text to the correct aircraft.. the F4 and T38 are mixed up

And, uh, the XB-70 was cancelled in 1961? Try 1971, AFTER the 1966 collision, lol. I expect a lot better from the Flight Channel.

I had never heard of the B-58 being in the area, thanks for the video. Come see the last XB-70 in Dayton, Ohio. Pictures do it no justice.

Nobody flying prototypes of nuclear bombers should ever be allowed to rest in peace.

Agreed! The XB 70 is monstrously big. Kinda wish the testing was during my time at Edwards AFB. TONS of cool/unique testing went on there. When I was stationed there, the Space Shuttle landed 9 times! The first 2 or 3 were amazing. After that though it became a major PITA. Looky loos from all over the country/planet. Best landing? 4JUL83. (Even with the 12 hour shifts.) President Reagan attended as did an estimated 1 million people! An absolute ocean of human beings...

@@eriedawg I’ve known of this crash for several decades, but, like you, never heard of the B-58 playing a part in this horrific tragedy. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve visited to USAF museum in Dayton. Probably the greatest aircraft museum in the US.

@@ynemey1243 I don't think they'd wish to anyway. Rest in glorious, dangerous fire

Loved what he done? You mean killing himself, another pilot, and destroying two aircraft?

im 66 and loved that stuff. it was big news then. those guys were my first heros. loved the x-15. dont think they come with buckskin balls anymore.

@William Wilson he also saved millions with the research done with his test flights to help make modern aviation into what it is today. You must be a very sad person lol. Hope life gets better..

Did you become a test pilot!?

Wtf, bruh man😢

Yep, she's a keeper 😍🛩

Never seen it before watching this video. What a beautiful aircraft. You can see where the Concorde got its DNA.

Same here, El Comodoro. In 4th grade, classmates would even bring me XB-70 pictures and articles they'd found. I was a true nerd for this bird.

Me too. I even had a model of the XB-70. I was 8 in 1966.

Did they destroy/scrap the last XB-70? If not is the public allowed to see it? Something about this plane makes it the coolest I've ever seen, it looks futuristic even in 2021, and the 6 turbojets in a row, how badass can you get? I want to see this plane in person.

@@JohnDoeWasntTaken It's at the Air Force Museum.

SR-71 is better.

@@brucelee4996 yes, the SR-71 as a reconnaissance bird but don't forget the YF 12a and its counterparts for combat.

Yeah, it had a rather mixed image in Germany as well. In one year, I think it was 1965, 26 planes were lost. Over the years it acquired the nickname Widowmaker.

Q: "How do you acquire a Starfighter?" A: "Buy a plot of land and wait." - German joke Germany had a terrible track record with the F-104 because they were using it for low-altitude missions. They couldn't afford more than one model, and what they wanted was a supersonic multi-role aircraft, and Lockheed convinced the officials (Who probably didn't know any better) to choose the Starfighter. A high-altitude interceptor that was fucking terrible at low-altitude and ground-attack. Crashes ensued, and proved that Lockheed has been doing Lockheed things since the goddamn 50s. The Canadians had similarly bad experiences with the Starfighter, and dubbed it "Aluminium Death Tube" and "The Lawn Dart".

@@VolkerBee What exactly was the reason it was so unsafe?

@@watershed44 Very small wings meant that it only flew well (stable) at high speeds. At slow speeds lift and control were marginal. In case of engine failure it glided like a brick.

@@Vincent_Sullivan Thanks for the response!

It's so sad. I cried. RIP to the two pilots

Both planes were designed to kill - and yes, kill innocent people!

@@rossbrown6641 And your point?

@@rossbrown6641 Reported for racist attacks.

He has no point. (Other than proving to everyone he's a D*CK...) Keeping the free world safe through technology means NOTHING to him. Question for him - What have YOU done to make the world a better place? Negative comments on KZfaq don't benefit anyone. Jerkweed.

Yoooo ur here

Beautiful aircraft.

Hey Mr Michigan flag, I'm from there

I had similar thoughts. The XB-70 still looks like something out of sci-fi and was designed in the 1950s, just a decade after WWII. Pretty wild when you really reflect on it.

It was kind of funny that they crept up slowly on the sound barrier and experienced the terrible instabilities in flight control response....then Yeager discovered once past it...Plane flew like normal again....Fantastic era....Brave men as Tom Wolfe said....they had The Right Stuff.

Yeager was a real pioneer.

@@ericbrandt829 Sadly we don't have these types of people in this day and age.

@@Suisfonia and never will.

But incompetent in this instance. He caused the crash.

@@golden.lights.twinkle2329 Human error has nothing to do with incompetence ... you'd know that if you were anything but a keyboard commando in your momma's basement. Joe Walker was one of the most 'competent' aviators who ever lived. We're tired of your Shit, Fk-off ...

@timtrfny timtrfny well, bad construction. But in the end, better waste your arm than your life, right (or left)?

Sadly ejection system injuries are pretty common. But that ain't too bad when the other outcome is death. Trying to return a soft squishy human from a diving M0.7 metal cage without injury is near impossible

The Valkyrie needed those pods to protect people from ejecting at supersonic speeds. And yeah, as Bland Wolf said, injuries from ejection systems are common, you're basically sitting on an incredibly powerful, fast-moving rocket engine with minimal protection, and a broken arm or leg is generally small potatoes when the alternative is spending your last few moments in a metal coffin streaking towards the ground like a comet.

I guess that's why that ejection system design wasn't used in subsequent aircraft.

@@Dennis-vh8tz Actually they still do. Just that they're improved from the 60s

Here's a little calibration for your terrified mind: A skydiver falling from the same height would have taken that _same_ 2 minutes. _NOW_ can you "imagine" the terrifying speed and pressure?

5:13

GE is one of those companies that don't pay taxes.

shoulda just said the heck with all the flying n done the photo shoot on the ground. not worth it.

I too caught the mis-labeled Talon. Still a great video of a tragic "photoshoot".

@@Doones51 you're talking about the biggest jet engine manufacturer that is also subsidized by the U.S. Government

No one’s perfect

I did the same thing a couple years ago while driving my car. Planes are far less forgiving.

@@JasonFlorida ikr? I was driving at about 20mph in traffic in town the other day, accelerating into another lane to turn right, and so I was looking at that lane. I don't know what made me glance back at the car in front of me which had also been accelerating forwards but he had stopped dead, and I narrowly avoided hitting him. I managed to clear his rear bumper by inches. Not a particularly exciting story as I was moving relatively slowly, but I was still surprised at how quickly the situation changed when I wasn't playing attention. If that's what it's like at 25 -30 mph, god help these guys.

Wonder if he was a best, planes are bigger than cars and lanes are further.... He knew that giant plane was next too him.

@@marcleblanc3602 It was finger trouble, pure and simple -- and, though I'm a bit sad it had to be me -- someone ought say so. A government employee in a pilot costume took a perfectly fine aircraft and drove it into another perfectly fine aircraft and, thus, destroyed them both.

@Gage 2k6: I've seen this video countless times but it's the first time that I've heard about the involvement of the B-58..

Sonic booms cracked the plaster inside my folks old house during training runs on the radar sight in Bay Shore,Michigan. You’d be playing outside and it scared the crap out of you.

Gage 2k5 - I was in ADC during the time of F-102s and 106s. Delta wings are pretty cool!

@@vondumozze738 I remember this incident like it was yesterday. I worked at WPAFB for five years and have seen the remaining aircraft many times. This was the first time I had heard of the B-58 being "involved." I always wondered how Walker could have made such an egregious error. F-104's didn't have the best cockpit visibility.

Hello from Gulfport! (DHS at SSC)

I'm gonna be that guy Technically two of the three pilots involved were unable to eject. The 104s pilot had no chance, the 70s pilots both probably had a chance early on, but, well we do be human after all.

Is the xb70 on display anywhere or was it scrapped?

@@glenpierce777 Wright-Patterson AFB

Well, since you're a fan of The White Maiden, then I suggest you go out, and try to find the Warbird Tech book about her, and also get the excellent book from Specialty Press that goes into a really deep look at her, as well.

I wondered that too.

Not a stupid comment at all. The only plane which could properly watch the situation was the civil Learjet.....maybe it could not communicate with military aircraft??

The YF-4A was on Walkers’ 5 or 6 o’clock…certainly he could see everything developing and should have alerted Walker one thinks.

man, i was reading another story about this crash. in this video the 'blame' is on Walker, but on the website the 'blame' was on this photoshoot program. they also included radio dialogues. according to the website they told Walker to get closer and closer to be a good spot for picture, while Walker being uncomfortable by these requests but eventually he followed them and got too close to the xb70 monster

@@alacubalena78 Sounds very realistic to me. To get that shot, people died.

Not sure why it stood so tall.

Yeah, sounds like a typical episode of "the Six Million Dollar Man"...as long as "the plane" (3 planes used) is SILVER no one will notice! Or "scramble the Hornets" and you see F-15 Eagles instead because they also have two vertical stabilizers, but not slanted!

wrong, its way more than 1000 and way morw than 1 thing to go wrong

There are more airplanes in the ocean than submarines in the sky.

@@EazyDuz18 oops what was I thinking!..my bad! Ok here you go; To fly, a million things have to go right" but to crash only seven hundred and forty two things have to go wrong. There...better now!

@@monadking2761 for the win !

@@blakjack3053 still incorrect

Celebrating what? How planes that cost billions can kill?

@@rossbrown6641 What an odd response.

yeah like the 6 blue angel pilots who augered into the desert north of vegas all following the lead pilot who drove them straight into the ground

@@dethray1000 that was the thunderbirds

Right. I only watch it on my 50 inch TV. The visual effects are wonderful.

timtrfny timtrfny me toooo!! 🚀 😁

Everyone makes mistakes. If you want to be a pilot you must realize that.

The tv show, Mayday, could help too.

Air Crash Investigation and May Day help us too.

@@keaton7636 I have watched the whole series of air crash investigation

@@sairams8879 yikes! Same me bro and i love about airplane too and research about all Air Crash. Btw keep it up bro and hope ur ambition comes true 😁

M O T I V E S I O N

@Stephen Beck-von-Peccoz And 300 mph is dangerously slow for a 104.

@Stephen Beck-von-Peccoz Okay.

@Stephen Beck-von-Peccoz A real Navy airmen would never comment with such disrespect …you are no representation of this countries military.

The reason for the flight was so GE could get photos of their engines. The day prior to the flight the ops Sgt stated to 2 Col.'s that Walker was not signed off for his place in the formation. The Col.'s said put him up there anyways. Moments before the crash Walker stated on the radio for the record that his aircraft was unstable and he did not feel safe, probably from the vector of the XB70 If this is true the AF did a cover up to safe the 2 col.'s asses.

That's how it appears, but, really he probably thought he had enough distance to the XB, but the invisible vortex sucked him in.

@@zorro70066 The classic "dog and pony show".

@dražen g lovely story, it's a wonderful place. Also saw a B52 there, what an enormous aircraft. 👍

@dražen g I think your right there was a prototype of Concorde. Your bicycle story made me smile. 😃

@dražen g that’s story made me chuckle 😂

What was the music towards the end?

It was very touchy to fly, i read that many times, instability was a serious problem and many pilots died in training; different generation of engineers. They sacrificed stability for speed then, without the technology today in the F-35 and F-22.

Here's two more nicknames for the 104: Hooter; which is what the RNLAF called it because the sound generated by the exhaust nozzle shifting positions, and Zipper; a name given to it by USAF F-4 crews flying HVCAP for the EC-121's orbiting just off the coast of Vietnam, because the F-104's flew escort for the 'Connies, but due the very short legs of the 104, F-4Cs in turn had escort those fighters. This second nickname was given to that fighter, since it could climb so fast, but run low on gas afterword.

Was thinking the same thing. No mention of it in the report. Just tragic!!

The crash would probably still have happened anyway. The pilot of the Starfighter was incompetent.

@@golden.lights.twinkle2329 Thanx for your professional insight, Troll! Go play on the freeway ... FkWad! ^v^

@@golden.lights.twinkle2329 Your expertise is ?

@@taproom113 The Twinkle guy is a prat but vulgar putdowns are not a cool way to answer him. The sad fact is that Jo Walker made a fatal mistake...... we don't know why..... and that should be recognized. As well as why the Valkyrie pilots were not aware of all the planes positionings, and why the photo plane didn't intercede..... and undocumented tales of an encroaching B 52, smacks of making up excuses ( or was it undocumented to save the B52's blushes?)

The real problem here was the person deciding they should fly in formation like that in the first place.

hence being nicknamed "the Widowmaker." I can never remember its actual name, but I always remember the Widowmaker. its reputation precedes it. Canada retired their Widowma- I mean, Starfighter fleet decades ago, but the plane still has an odd legacy here. there's one on display at the National Aviation Museum in Ottawa (the same museum housing the remaining pieces of the Avro Arrow), and many (ok, 2 that I'm aware of) have been gutted & erected as monuments, including one out front of the Aviation Museum in Hamilton

@@ideitbawxproductions1880 However, this has nothing to do with this accident, because the F 104 was pulled over it by the wake turbulence of the B 70 in a strong suction. This was underestimated by the pilot of the F 104. Today, large passenger aircraft are therefore required to maintain a distance of at least 5000 feet from the jet flying in front.

@@hansstopfer878 I never said the nickname had anything to do with this accident. OP was talking about the F-104 causing accidents in general, and I simply acknowledged that fact. I didn't even mention the XB-70 once. your comment is making me confused

@@ideitbawxproductions1880 In this accident, the F 104 was even less sensitive to air turbulence and had a more stable flight attitude than other types of aircraft because it had a smaller wing area. During its introduction, the F 104 was a very complex weapon system that did not forgive any mistakes. After a longer period of flight experience, the number of accidents was comparable, or even lower, than that of other jets.

@@hansstopfer878 cool beans 👍 didn't stop the nickname, though

Uh, no. He was the only CIVILIAN pilot to do so.

I was thinking the same thing. Also, no mention as to why the “other” aircraft was flying in the area to begin with.

I know right, what a sad way to go after living through testing the most dangerous planes ever built. Thank God for computer design and development. They sure made some odd planes back then

@@RJ-luci Exactly you would have thought that since this scheduled photo shoot would have been in the books for weeks, why was that other military plane in that exact area, it certainly didn't need to be unless there was an emergency which I doubt there was. Interesting that walker was one of the few at the time to actually enter the edge of "space" makes me wonder...

I was thinking the same thing, though I don't really think there's anything fishy about this story. But if you're flying in formation and the other aircraft in the formation spot the other plane, then why is it so necessary for you to spot it too? Especially since it's at a higher altitude and therefore presumably not on a collision course?

How did Walker fly safely in formation for half an hour before the accident if his position made it impossible to determine his distance to the Valkyrie? To me it read like they were trying hard to avoid saying Walker fixated on something unimportant (seeing the B-58) and, while thus distracted, made a fatal mistake.