Cruise Video/BALL Questions

I'll jump to the point here, why does the Air Force not have deployment (or widespread videos at least) videos, but the Navy does. The closest thing I can find for the Air Force is the various F-16 B Course Videos, but just a few operational videos. The Navy also has the various BALL videos which are quite awesome, anyone know the history behind that (someone did make a 2017 Viper Ball Video though...)

Another thing I always wonder is why is the Navy so much more relaxed when it comes to recording footage in the cockpit (particularly HUD footage), while the Air Force is very strict about the footage being released online. For instance in how many F-16 videos do you see the camera facing forwards when compared to the Hornet/Rhino/Growler Videos

*Viper Ball 2017 looks like it was made by an enthusiast rather than any aviators

https://vimeo.com/199128993

It's just tradition, started before the advent of GoPros. The Ball videos are made to be shown at a literal ball... a traditional Navy "dining-out" event. Rules about recording footage are slowly closing in, so you may see less videos in the future. Here's hoping that's not the case, since the videos serve as an excellent recruiting tool.

USAF security is just a lot tighter... Have some unclassified videos on my computer but at the beginning have statements "DO NOT POST ONLINE, MEANT FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY VIEWING ONLY." IDK why it can be unclassified and you can show it to people you know but not upload on the internet to show how awesome USAF fighters are to the world. I'm not going to be the one to break the rules though...

USAF security is just a lot tighter... Have some unclassified videos on my computer but at the beginning have statements "DO NOT POST ONLINE, MEANT FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY VIEWING ONLY." IDK why it can be unclassified and you can show it to people you know but not upload on the internet to show how awesome USAF fighters are to the world. I'm not going to be the one to break the rules though...

Maybe you can see some faces or name tags in the videos ?

In current world it can make them "targets" :(

It's funny you mentioned that, as I was literally going to post the same thing. It is rather strange. There is a handful of F-16 B-Course and F-15 Raytheon Trophy videos that are good, but nothing compared to the naval aviation community. It's not just F/A-18 squadrons that have great videos, but even T-45, E-2, EA-6B and P-8 squadrons of all things. I keep hearing the "security" excuse thrown out a lot, but if that is the case, then why do you see so many videos with people's faces, nametags and unit patches?

 

 

 

 

It isn't security of people's faces and names, it is security of what is displayed in the cockpit. Policy wide, it changes not only between services but also between airframes. You can find F-16 B-course videos all around but no F-15E B-course videos. Not that one is more or less classified than the other, just the communities have their own security procedures in place.

F-22 does have one good b-course video though.

Anyone have any ideas about that MiG-29 fly over from 3:13-3:15? Can confirm it is an Indian Navy MiG-29 but thats it

Also this video has probably the best inflight hud footage I have personally seen, so awesome.

As someone who works in aviation media, I can tell you that the Navy is better at, and better understands PR than does the USAF...