Latest news with #F-18s
India Today
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Watch: Fighter jet performs evasive move to avoid clash with birds at Spanish air show
At a busy air show in Spain, a fighter jet made "evasive manoeuvre" to avoid hitting a flock of birds. The quick action by the pilot amazed the crowd watching the the Gijon Air Festival, held over the weekend, an F-18 jet from the Spanish Air and Space Force was flying low near the shore when it suddenly spotted a flock of birds in its path. The pilot quickly reacted by twisting the plane and dropping altitude, then swiftly climbing back up. This fast move helped the jet avoid a shared by people on social media showed the jet making a nearly somersault-like turn around the birds, thrilling the audience with the pilot's skill and Air Force says its F-18 jet made an evasive maneuver after detecting a flock of birds during the Gijn pilot followed standard safety protocol, reacted instantly, and avoided any danger without disrupting the show. Clash Report (@clashreport) July 28, 2025 The festival is a popular event in Spain and has been held every year since 2006. It features multiple category of planes, including military, civilian, and institutional aircraft. This year, about a dozen planes took part in the three-day AIR FORCE PRAISES PILOT'S RESPONSEAfter many questions from the public about the sudden move, the Spanish Air and Space Force shared a message on social media explaining what said, "As you can see, one of our F-18s carried out an evasive maneuver upon detecting a flock of birds in its trajectory. This action was part of a standard protocol that preserved the integrity of the pilot just as it did the safety of the public."The Air Force also highlighted how their pilots train to react in just milliseconds to unexpected events like this. They praised the pilot for showing "exemplary speed and professionalism" by avoiding the birds without stopping the rest of the show."Safety is and will continue to be our highest priority in each and every aerial demonstration. Thanks to all attendees for their enthusiasm and trust," the agency added. "Let's keep flying together."- Ends
USA Today
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Watch jet dive to narrowly avoid a flock of birds at Spanish air show
A Spanish aircraft narrowly avoided contact with a flock of birds by performing an "evasive maneuver" in the middle of an air show. Onlookers were in awe at the sight of an F-18 whizzing past, almost somersaulting its way around a flock of birds during the Gijon Air Festival over the weekend. The aircraft, piloted by a member of the Spanish Air and Space Force, was one of a dozen airplanes participating in the three-day event that's been held annually in Gijon, Spain, since 2006. According to the event website, it is "currently the most representative air festival in Spain" and the lineup includes "civilian, military and institutional" aircraft. Footage captured by an attendee shows the F-18 rotating slightly, quickly dropping altitude and approaching the shore before swooping back up skyborne. Watch Spanish jet avoid bird-on-plane casualty at air show The Spanish Air and Space Force addressed the incident on social media, after a flurry of questions from the public about what prompted the pilot to take such dramatic action. "As you can see, one of our F-18s carried out an evasive maneuver upon detecting a flock of birds in its trajectory," the agency wrote in a July 28 post. "This action was part of a standard protocol that preserved the integrity of the pilot just as it did the safety of the public." The agency noted that its pilots, including the one seen flying in the clip, are trained to react to any unforeseen event in a matter of milliseconds. The Spanish Air and Space Force applauded its pilot, who it said showed "exemplary speed and professionalism" by avoiding a possible collision without compromising the rest of the show. "Safety is and will continue to be our highest priority in each and every aerial demonstration. Thanks to all attendees for their enthusiasm and trust," the agency said. "Let's keep flying together."
Fox News
24-07-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
NASCAR Ponders Unique Elements Of New Course On Naval Base
CORONADO, Calif. — As Ben Kennedy described the roughly three-mile course where NASCAR Cup Series cars will weave through Naval Base Coronado next year, he mentioned elements that don't sound typical of a NASCAR course. There will be a turn by the aircraft carrier. Maybe some by helicopters and F-18s. Another turn onto the tarmac of the naval base, a tarmac area that could include a chicane or some esses (quick, multiple turns). Kennedy, NASCAR's chief venue officer, doesn't have the course finalized yet. He's having drivers work through a variety of elements on iRacing, the racing game simulator that has helped NASCAR work on designs for street courses and other track reconfigurations. The June 19-21 race weekend next year will be NASCAR's first on a military base and will coincide with the 250th anniversary celebration of the U.S. Navy. "You have the tarmac, which is as wide as you want to make it," Kennedy said while standing near the top of the base's control tower. "And then a lot of the roads and streets that we drove in this morning, they're five or six lanes wide. So this is going to create for some really good passing zones." Kennedy says there will probably be 10 to 15 turns on what will be a relatively flat course, with a slight decline on the frontstretch and a slight incline when they get to the road by the bay. "I don't know all the challenges they're going to face with the location," said seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, who will possibly compete in the event, as he grew up in the San Diego area. "I'm highly confident we're going to have an incredible venue, incredible backdrop and great racing." Drivers who visited the base on Wednesday didn't seem too concerned about the design of the track. "I have heard a rumor that on one of the straightaways, we will be going by a couple aircraft carriers, so that's going to be hard not to pay attention to going by those on the sea," said 2023 Cup champion Ryan Blaney. "I don't have any expectations. I know it's going to be a great layout and a great course and just a special place to be able to go run here at such a famous base. "I'm honestly really honored that they are having us and letting us do what we're going to do. And I think it's going to be a heck of a time. I'm incredibly excited about it." All three NASCAR national series will compete on the track, with the course finalized sometime this fall. "I have no clue," said 2021 Cup champion Kyle Larson. "I haven't seen any drawing or anything of anything yet. But I don't really care what the course is. I'm just happy that we're doing this. "It's going to be a fun event no matter what. It's a beautiful part of the country. You're racing on a Navy base. This is pretty surreal." Larson indicated that they won't know how the track will race until they race. "A lot of times, the weirder and crazier the tracks are, the better racing we have," Larson said. "When we think things aren't going to be right, it creates chaos and whatnot. ... We could build an oval right here. We can build a road course. I don't care. "I'm just glad that we're here racing on this base, and it should be fun." One thing that probably won't be possible (and won't be a goal) is to design a course that could limit the dominance of Shane van Gisbergen, who has won the last three road courses this year. The three-time Supercars champion has won at Mexico (where he battled stomach issues), the Chicago street course and Sonoma in the last couple of months. "Food poisoning still won't get the job done so we've just all got to get better," Blaney quipped. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
Fox Sports
24-07-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
NASCAR Ponders Unique Elements Of New Course On Naval Base
CORONADO, Calif. — As Ben Kennedy described the roughly three-mile course where NASCAR Cup Series cars will weave through Naval Base Coronado next year, he mentioned elements that don't sound typical of a NASCAR course. There will be a turn by the aircraft carrier. Maybe some by helicopters and F-18s. Another turn onto the tarmac of the naval base, a tarmac area that could include a chicane or some esses (quick, multiple turns). Kennedy, NASCAR's chief venue officer, doesn't have the course finalized yet. He's having drivers work through a variety of elements on iRacing, the racing game simulator that has helped NASCAR work on designs for street courses and other track reconfigurations. The June 19-21 race weekend next year will be NASCAR's first on a military base and will coincide with the 250th anniversary celebration of the U.S. Navy. "You have the tarmac, which is as wide as you want to make it," Kennedy said while standing near the top of the base's control tower. "And then a lot of the roads and streets that we drove in this morning, they're five or six lanes wide. So this is going to create for some really good passing zones." Kennedy says there will probably be 10 to 15 turns on what will be a relatively flat course, with a slight decline on the frontstretch and a slight incline when they get to the road by the bay. "I don't know all the challenges they're going to face with the location," said seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, who will possibly compete in the event, as he grew up in the San Diego area. "I'm highly confident we're going to have an incredible venue, incredible backdrop and great racing." Drivers who visited the base on Wednesday didn't seem too concerned about the design of the track. "I have heard a rumor that on one of the straightaways, we will be going by a couple aircraft carriers, so that's going to be hard not to pay attention to going by those on the sea," said 2023 Cup champion Ryan Blaney. "I don't have any expectations. I know it's going to be a great layout and a great course and just a special place to be able to go run here at such a famous base. "I'm honestly really honored that they are having us and letting us do what we're going to do. And I think it's going to be a heck of a time. I'm incredibly excited about it." All three NASCAR national series will compete on the track, with the course finalized sometime this fall. "I have no clue," said 2021 Cup champion Kyle Larson. "I haven't seen any drawing or anything of anything yet. But I don't really care what the course is. I'm just happy that we're doing this. "It's going to be a fun event no matter what. It's a beautiful part of the country. You're racing on a Navy base. This is pretty surreal." Larson indicated that they won't know how the track will race until they race. "A lot of times, the weirder and crazier the tracks are, the better racing we have," Larson said. "When we think things aren't going to be right, it creates chaos and whatnot. ... We could build an oval right here. We can build a road course. I don't care. "I'm just glad that we're here racing on this base, and it should be fun." One thing that probably won't be possible (and won't be a goal) is to design a course that could limit the dominance of Shane van Gisbergen, who has won the last three road courses this year. The three-time Supercars champion has won at Mexico (where he battled stomach issues), the Chicago street course and Sonoma in the last couple of months. "Food poisoning still won't get the job done so we've just all got to get better," Blaney quipped. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass. recommended Item 1 of 2 Get more from the NASCAR Cup Series Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
TimesLIVE
24-07-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Nascar to hold street race at San Diego naval base
Nascar announced on Wednesday it will hold events at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego next year, marking its first-ever racing events at an active military base. The street races will be held from June 19-21 2026, culminating with the Cup Series race. The races coincide with the 250th anniversary of the US Navy. 'It'll be a blend of traditional street racing in a way where we'll be winding our ways through some of the streets on the base,' said Nascar executive vice-president Ben Kennedy. 'They'll be going past [aircraft] carriers. They'll eventually go out onto the tarmac, probably by some military aircraft, maybe a couple of F-18s out there, and then back towards the entrance to the base.' The races will mark Nascar's return to Southern California for the first time since February 2024. The series ran the Clash at the Coliseum from 2022-24 in Los Angeles. Nascar held events at California Speedway in Fontana from 1997 until 2023.
