F18 cockpit footage makes you want to be a fighter pilot

I wanted to be a pilot

It’s something 99% of us will never experience, and at the same time anyone getting the opportunity will probably find every roller-coaster boring afterwards. But through the use of a GoPro camera, we can all get a better idea of what it’s like to sit inside an F-18 during take-off and in flight.

The speed of such a craft can’t really be imagined unless you’ve been in something similar on the ground, such as in a very fast car on a track day. Even then, you won’t get the sense of maneuverability as can be seen when the other F-18 pulls a left turn during the video and just disappears. I also like the way those droplets of water disappear from the canopy when both engines kick in for take-off.

In an age that sees us need to replace our computers every few years, and where we change our cars on a similar schedule, it’s incredible to think the F-18 Super Hornet has been flying since 1995. The smaller Hornet model has been flying since 1978. The supersonic jet can reach Mach 1.8 (1,190mph) and carries bombs, missiles, and a Vulcan nose-mounted gatling gun firing 20mm rounds. The range of the Super Hornet is 2,346km.

I’m not sure what the exact GoPro model used was to capture this footage, but it doesn’t do the brand any harm to see it inside a jet. The footage is excellent, with no noticeable loss of quality even when capturing the rolls and loops the F-18 is performing.

So, who wants to be a fighter pilot?

K@run@