The exhibition of a Finnish pilot doing almost impossible maneuvers with an F/A-18C fighter

@DefAviation ES 7·22·2023 · 21:36 0

In the world of combat aircraft there are some models that are exceptional, and one of them is the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet.

The numbers of land, air and naval resources that Finland incorporates into NATO
The formidable video of the Finnish Armed Forces in which they boast of allies

This year marks four decades since the entry into service of this fighter, acquired by the United States, Canada, Spain, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia and Switzerland. Significantly, all these countries keep it active despite the passage of time (with the exception of American aircraft that have been replaced by more modern variants). The excellence of the F/A-18 is verified when the person at the controls is a great pilot.

Last weekend, at The Royal International Air Tattoo airshow, held at RAF Fairford airbase, England, Captain Henri Toppari, of the Finnish Air Force, put on an incredible display with one of the 62 F/A-18s in service in that country, specifically the F/A-18C HN411. You wouldn't believe that you can do such tight maneuvers with a Hornet if in 2019 you hadn't seen another Finnish pilot, Captain Lauri Mäkinen , doing something similar, with an exhibition for which he won the Sir Douglas Bader Trophy. Of course, it is clear that in Finland they train very good fighter pilots. It is an honor to know that we now have them in NATO.

Yesterday, the Finnish Defense Forces released a video showing Captain Toppari's display seen from his cockpit. Here we can see the physical effort that these maneuvers entail for the pilot:

Aviator teddy bear Ted Coningsby has also posted a nice 4K video of this demonstration, seen from the ground:

Finally, here is another 4K video from Tonkatsu298, showing the exhibit up close: