Photo Chase F-86 Sabre and a Rocket Launch

Doug Matthews and his crew at Classic Fighters of America recently completed a years-long restoration of an F-86 Sabre fighter jet in Central FL, one of the most iconic military aircraft in history. The aircraft served in the U.S. Air Force initially, before being reconditioned for service in Argentina. It joined the Argentine Air Force as ‘C-119’ in November, 1960, and flew with that nation until being withdrawn from use in 1986. Around 1989 it was re-imported back to the USA, passing through a number of owners before being acquired by Matthews in 2013.
Being an aviation aerial photographer, we decided to time our shoot for the window of a rocket launch on March 1, 2022, as a ULA Atlas V rocket was slated to launch NOAA's latest weather satellite GOES-T from Cape Canaveral. With mostly clear skies and an all GO forecast given 30 minutes before launch, we hopped in the jets & took off, hoping the launch wouldn't delay since we only had gas for about 45 minutes.
The launch went off at the opening of its window, with us at the edge of the restricted air space flying 11,000 ft at 250 knots.
A huge thanks to Doug Matthews and my friend and pilot Scott Farnsworth, aerial aviation photography is a true team effort, everyone needs to do their part or the whole thing falls apart.
Follow my work on social media:
- / mikekillianphotography
- / mikekillianphotography
Follow my pilot Scott on Instagram -
- / goflythem
More information on Doug Matthews
- classicfighter...
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[@stevenkutschat]

Scott Manley sent me over to watch this bad ass video!

[@SirDrifto]

This video deserves so many more views. Amazing captures my friend.

[@donjones4719]

Thank you to all who put blood, sweat, and tears into this restoration (not to mention money!). The F-86 is my absolutely favorite airplane, I fell in love with it as a little kid in the mid-60s. I must have seen some great illustrations in a book. It was in the exact same livery. First impressions get imprinted so deeply. I know I read of its Korea exploits at that time. Also an avid follower of the space program from that time. Flying in conjunction with a rocket launch was pure genius.

[@Blitz9H]

Beautiful aircraft, the F-86. Awesome shots, especially with the launch! Thank you for sharing!

[@cinnamontoast9999]

Absolutely incredible shots!

[@sundownerstudios4614]

Friggin' incredible!

[@sammasic5849]

Awesome stuff! Thank you for this great footage.

[@klmponds]

Great stuff Mike! Thank you for sharing this amazing flight.

[@donjones4719]

My favorite fact about the F-86: It could exceed Mach. I don't care if it took a shallow dive to do it, the airframe could withstand going thru the sound barrier, the first practical airplane that could. Yes, the X-1 was first, but only by a few months, and it wasn't a practical airplane; needed air launch to do it and had the flight duration of a lawn dart. The F-86 could do it and fight in combat. Cold do it while Orville Wright was still alive. It really tickles me that the development of flight was so rapid at the time that a fighter jet program overtook a very specialized high priority program. Even though the F-86 didn't break the sound barrier before the X-1, it was flying and *capable* of doing it before the date the X-1 did.

[@williamowens1342]

Thanks for sharing your experience with us!Great video!

[@joaomattos4424]

Fantastic.

[@MarkGreenmantle]

So glad you got to merge your warbird and space flight passions for this amazing shoot. It's just so good. Well done mate. (also, how good was that Marchetti canopy glass?! So clear and clean!)

[@DannoFZ1]

I'd really like to hear the comms between aircraft during the shoot. Preflight brief would also be very interesting. Nice work!

[@MikeKillian]

Will do for future videos, I fly shoots all the time, thanks! Filming a detailed walkaround with the Sabre tomorrow & will discuss the rocket shoot a bit

[@DannoFZ1]

@@MikeKillian Fantastic. Thank you!

[@drummerdonniedotcom]

Very kewl.

[@sithuwiliproductionfunny]

Nice

[@Marie579]

Ok I’m officially lost now… why has the photographer got a iPhone on top of the camera or is it a better viewing screen? gorgeous shots though.

[@MikeKillian]

Because it’s shooting video as I’m shooting photos

[@warren88tv]

👍 good

[@kindlin]

The sound of the jet was nauseating for me :/ After turning the volume _really_ low I could enjoy it, tho!

[@tigrito4321]

Wat I see roket never left earth

[@Tekwyzard]

Here from Scott Manley, what a stunning flight and photoshoot. That bird flies beautifully. I can't believe the composure of the photographer; tracking shots, and composing gorgeous frames, while banking, inverted, and whatever else. I'd probably be far too busy with a sick bag to get anything useable, apart from maybe a few accidental photos of my feet.

[@leahgomez3710]

This footage is incredibly beautiful! Thanks to the talented pilot, Doug and Mike's breathtaking photography! How were you able to fly this close to the launch since airspace is restricted?

[@MikeKillian]

Thanks! Kudos to my pilot Scott Farnsworth too, air to air is a true team effort. We were just outside of the restricted airspace. The airspace extends out to sea with the rocket trajectory, so flying just to west of the launch site is all good

[@leahgomez3710]

@@MikeKillian Thanks for replying! We always enjoy your videos! Blue skies!

[@DuboisWyomingAirportConstructi]

Watching that was fantastic, Congrats and Thank you!

[@powwow1218]

Heck yeah man! I'm finally seeing this. Nice work. That's a good looking fella there in the cockpit at the beginning as well.

[@kenjisakaie6028]

The future we imagined, and it's here!

[@alphabravo3566]

We?

[@trespire]

As an ex-IAF airframe technician, I have to compliment whoever renovated and maintain that F-86. The bare aluminium/aluminum looks very clean and precise. Amazing job.

[@powwow1218]

I'm one of those guys, Thanks a lot. It's amazing to have the opportunity to be a part of this beautiful aircrafts journey back to life.

[@MikeKillian]

@@powwow1218 We made the cover of the current issue of FlyPast Mag, you can get a copy at Barnes & Noble now! Nice way to end the year 😂

[@brett728]

Excellent work!!

[@alphabravo3566]

Yup. It looks flat.

[@thatguy7085]

You can fly any of these in DCS, digital combat simulator, for about $50 each. In VR it feels very real.

[@thatguy7085]

Very cool rocket shot with the F86

[@AmericaSpace]

Amazing great job

[@Getawaymoments]

Great to see this in raw format. So hard to shoot air to air in confined space. Thanks for posting. Congrats on your win!

[@MikeKillian]

Thank you!

[@ShmuelAharonKam]

That was awesome. Thank you. I'm boggled that you have that jet flying, never mind someone being willing to fly it.

[@213kiid]

“The only thing they sent out to space, was your imagination”

[@DRako-nr4rj]

Bro give me that jet!

[@FloorItDuh]

This is so damn cool.

[@topfuelfan]

🚀 Nice work, LOVE ❤ IT ! Woo 👍

[@mikebrodhurst7744]

now that’s photography

[@pilotpug]

Where are the high res versions of these? Couldn't see them on your website. They are beautiful! Very early cold war vibe.

[@MikeKillian]

Thanks! I haven’t uploaded them yet, waiting for the magazine stories to publish with them first. Hi-res of anything are never available on my site or social medias anyway. I’ve uploaded a few shots to my Instagram and Facebook.

[@pilotpug]

@@MikeKillian cool thanks

[@davido1953]

wow wow wow

[@Lamarhuffstutler]

Awesome!

[@johnthomson83]

Stunning.

[@chrisolsen5280]

Hmmm, Seems I was already subbed to this channel. Thanks for the heads up there was a "Full" version of this!

[@foxecho727]

You guys ROCK! I was working in Cocoa and didn't hear you guys fly over....sorry I missed it!

[@MikeKillian]

We forgive you, we never flew over Cocoa so you’d have never heard or seen us anyway

[@tigrito4321]

Rokets cant go out of earth

[@bandido5936]

I wonder what altitude you guys were at because that rocket came down pretty damn fast.

[@robertmiley3551]

Who's paying for this shit?

[@AmericaSpace]

Your mom

[@donjones4719]

NOT the taxpayers. Well, the taxpayers were paying for the rocket launch. But certainly not for the F-86 or this photo flight.

[@zoehry]

Global elite