SlashGear - Tech, Cars, Gaming, Science, & Reviews

What Is The 'Pickle' Button On Fighter Jets For?

staff@slashgear.com (Eli Shayotovich) — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 22:45:00 +0000

The word "pickle" has many different meanings in the English language as both a noun and verb. There are even a few uses specific to the United States military.

An F-16 Fighter Jet Made History With Air-To-Air Kill In Russia-Ukraine War

staff@slashgear.com (Jonathan H. Kantor) — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 16:45:00 +0000

The F-16 is as legendary as fighter planes come, but it's showing no signs of slowing down, adding another feather to its cap in the Russia-Ukraine War.

Iron Maiden Singer Bruce Dickinson Is A Licensed Pilot - And Even Hosted A Safety Training Video

staff@slashgear.com (Alex Hevesy) — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:45:00 +0000

Famous for his voice as Iron Maiden's frontman, Bruce Dickinson has over 7,500 hours as a pilot -- often injecting his passion for aviation into his music.

How Tall Is Too Tall To Fly A Fighter Jet? What The US Air Force Says

staff@slashgear.com (Tom Clark) — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 18:45:00 +0000

If you want to become a fighter pilot, there may be good news for you in the Air Force's revised height standards. But there are lots of other requirements.

Why Some US Military Stealth Fighter Jets Don't Have Internal Guns

staff@slashgear.com (Jonathan H. Kantor) — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 10:45:00 +0000

Fighter aircraft are usually stocked with guns and weapons to launch an attack or defend against one. However, not all of them are stocked with internal guns.

Has The Saab JAS 39 Gripen Fighter Jet Ever Seen Combat?

staff@slashgear.com (Stephen Fogel) — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 20:15:00 +0000

The Saab JAS 39 Gripen was originally developed for Sweden and has since been used by Hungary, the Czech Republic, South Africa, Brazil, and Thailand.

Updated US Decoy System Puts Non-Existent Fighter Jets On Enemy Radars

staff@slashgear.com (Jonathan H. Kantor) — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 21:15:00 +0000

Advances in aerial warfare have necessitated improvements to the decoys that keep pilots alive, too, as exemplified by this advanced decoy system.

US Pilots Were Flying Over The Soviet Union – Then Hit A Free-Fall At 83,000 Feet

staff@slashgear.com (Alex Hevesy) — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 19:45:00 +0000

What happens when the world's fastest spy plane loses power at 83,000 feet? Discover the classified Cold War rescue mission over enemy airspace.

Navy Investigating Viral Blue Angel Flyover That Sent Beach Chairs & Tents Flying

staff@slashgear.com (Shane O'Neill) — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 20:45:00 +0000

A Blue Angels flyover got a bit too close for comfort on a beach in Florida. No one was hurt, but the Navy is reportedly looking into the incident.

What Is The 1500-Hour Rule For Pilots?

staff@slashgear.com (Mark Cowley) — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 19:45:00 +0000

Being a pilot requires a significant amount of training, and there's a lot of rules to follow. One of those is the 1,500-hour rule. What does it mean?

Only One Man Got To Fly NASA's X-15 Rocket-Powered Plane & The Space Shuttle

staff@slashgear.com (Jonathan H. Kantor) — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 11:45:00 +0000

Flying either the rocket-powered X-15 or Space Shuttle would already be pretty impressive, but one man actually flew both. This is his story.

SR-71 Blackbird Crews Prepared For Flight Like Astronauts, Not Pilots

staff@slashgear.com (Jonathan H. Kantor) — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:15:00 +0000

The SR-71 Blackbird's capabilities are rightly the stuff of legend, but what might not be so well known is the preparation their crews had to go through.

'Not Ours': Navy TOPGUN Pilot Recalls Unexpected & 'Unsettling' UFO Encounter

staff@slashgear.com (Shane Schmid) — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 03:45:00 +0000

Two pilots witnessed an unidentified aerial phenomenon that remains unexplained to this day. Here's what the TOPGUN grad had to say about it.

America Could Save Millions On F-35 Engine Issues Using This $98 Solution

staff@slashgear.com (Bob Sharp) — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 08:30:00 +0000

A surprisingly simple innovation is helping tackle one of the F-35's most expensive risks, saving time, money, and preventing costly maintenance headaches.

Top Gun Pilot Names His Favorite Fighter Jet, And It's Not The F-35

staff@slashgear.com (Jonathan H. Kantor) — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 01:45:00 +0000

Top Gun pilots have flown their share of missions in a variety of aircraft, so you might be wondering which one is the best. This pilot has his preference.

What Is A 'Jellyfish' Drone Swarm, And Why Are They Considered So Dangerous?

staff@slashgear.com (Travis Butson) — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 11:45:00 +0000

Military drones continue to get more complex, and things can get very interesting when many of them work together in tandem, like an alleged Iranian swarm.

WWII Fighter Plane Goes On Machine Gun Run After 80 Years On The Sidelines

staff@slashgear.com (Alex Hevesy) — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 20:45:00 +0000

Fighter planes from World War II can be seen in various museums, but this model fired its machine guns for the first time in 80 years in a historic flight.

Why Do Airplanes Measure Distance In Nautical Miles?

staff@slashgear.com (Eli Shayotovich) — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 23:45:00 +0000

Most people know that ships use nautical miles to measure distance, as it is in the name. You might be surprised, however, to learn that airplanes do too.

A '60s-Era SR-71 Flew So Fast It Broke The Radar Screen Of A Jet Trying To Track It

staff@slashgear.com (Jonathan H. Kantor) — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 14:45:00 +0000

The SR-71 Blackbird can fly faster than just about anything - so fast, in fact, that it broke the radar system of a jet trying to observe it in the 1960s.

The Best Places To Catch The Blue Angels Before The Summer Ends

staff@slashgear.com (Bob Sharp) — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 16:45:00 +0000

The Blue Angels are flying around the U.S. this summer, and we've rounded up some of the best and most popular places to see the shows. Here's the list.