The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) back in September of last year released 360-degree footage recorded from inside a F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter plane.
Viewers can rotate the footage to get a full 360-degree view by using the buttons provided by YouTube, and those with virtual reality headsets can experience the video in an even more realistic way.
People recorded their own videos of Super Hornets as they navigated over and through the city of Brisbane.
The footage shows just how close the fighter jets came to some of the city’s tallest buildings, demonstrating the remarkable ability of these fighter pilots to navigate at high speed and with great precision.
This isn’t the first time that the planes have weaved their way through the city, with previous videos in recent years quickly going viral after their release.
Rehearsals for Riverfire
Riverfire is one of Australia’s most popular international arts festivals.
Held every September, the festival brings together some of the world’s top dancers, opera singers, artists, and other cultural trendsetters.
One of the most anticipated parts of the festival for visitors is its famous fireworks display, which this year was accompanied by a flyover organized by the RAAF.
In an official statement from the Queensland government, the event was described as a “showcase of Queensland artists and arts organisations, great performances, bold new works and a blaze of fireworks, celebrating our great Queensland lifestyle.”
“Brisbane Festival also provides important employment for artists and arts workers, with more than 1,100 Queensland artists featured in this year’s festival, including more than 160 First Nations artists,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said in the press release, adding that this year’s festival had more than 580 performances, 230 free presentations, and 22 new works.
F/A-18F Super Hornet
The F/A-18F Super Hornet may be recognizable to more people this year after it appeared in the latest Top Gun movie.
The original Top Gun film, produced in the 1980s, featured the plane’s predecessor, the F-14 Tomcat.
The Super Hornet is technically slower than the original F-14, capable of reaching Mach-1.8, while the F-14 could reach a top speed of Mach-2.34.
However, the newer model is more agile and modernized.
221227-N-DU622-1227 PHILIPPINE SEA (Dec. 27, 2022) An F/A-18F Super Hornet from the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22 prepares to launch from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Nimitz is in 7th fleet conducting routine operations. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with 35 maritime nations in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin McTaggart)
MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Aug. 24, 2022) An F/A-18E Super Hornet attached to the “Fighting Checkmates” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 211 prepares to launch from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), Aug. 24, 2022. The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. 6th Fleet to defend U.S., allied and partner interests. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jack Hoppe).
F/A-18 Hornet. Image taken at National Air and Space Museum on October 1, 2022. Image by 19FortyFive.
F/A-18 Hornet. Image taken at National Air and Space Museum on October 1, 2022. Image by 19FortyFive.
A twin-engine, multirole fighter aircraft, the Super Hornet was introduced in 1999 and is used by the RAAF, the Kuwait Air Force, and the U.S. Navy.
“Ever wanted to find out what it’s like flying a F/A-18F Super Hornet?” the RAAF writes on YouTube.
“Experience our flying display rehearsals for Riverfire over the weekend in this 360-degree video.”
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
