The Pilot Ejected. The Jet Flew Itself Home. | The Cornfield Bomber (1970)

On the 2nd of February 1970, a United States Air Force supersonic interceptor belly-landed in a snow-covered wheat field in Montana. The engine was still running. The radar was still sweeping. The pilot was three miles away in the mountains, waiting for rescue on a snowmobile. The aircraft had landed itself. This is the full story of the Cornfield Bomber — Convair F-106A Delta Dart, tail number 58-0787. How it entered a flat spin that its own manual described as unrecoverable. How its pilot, 1st Lieutenant Gary Foust, did everything correctly and ejected. And how the act of ejecting — the weight shift, the trim he'd set, the throttle he'd left at idle — accidentally gave the aircraft everything it needed to recover itself and glide fifty miles to a near-perfect belly landing. The Air Force found it in the field with the engine still running. They fixed it. They gave it avionics upgrades. They flew it for sixteen more years. In 1979, Gary Foust flew it again. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 — Cold open 0:55 — The Ultimate Interceptor — what the F-106 was built for 2:30 — The training flight and the flat spin 4:30 — The aircraft that flew itself — the physics explained 7:00 — The scene in the field 9:00 — Recovery, return to service, and reunion 10:30 — Reflection There are aircraft that change history. And there are aircraft that change the way you think about what machines are capable of. The Cornfield Bomber is the second kind. Join Tally Zero as we explore the untold stories of military aviation — the jets that vanished before the world could see them, the missions that stayed classified for decades, and the decisions made in rooms nobody talks about that shaped the skies we fly in today. A note on footage: authentic images and film of certain events and aircraft simply don't exist, or remain classified. Where that's the case, Tally Zero uses the closest available historical imagery and footage for visual context, and original soundtracks to carry the weight of the story. We take accuracy seriously and will always tell you when we're doing this. Every video on this channel is researched and produced with care. We're enthusiasts first — deeply passionate about this history, but not infallible. If you know something we got wrong, have a source we should see, or have a story you think deserves to be told, get in touch. Tally Zero — pilot speak for nothing in sight. There's always something out there. VIDEO IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. FAIR USE & FAIR DEALING DISCLAIMER This video is intended for educational and informational purposes. Under Section 31 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, and the provisions of Fair Dealing under UK copyright law, the use of copyrighted material for the purposes of criticism, review, news reporting, and education is permitted without the consent of the copyright holder, provided the use is fair and the source is acknowledged. Where applicable, this video also draws on the principles of fair use under Section 107 of the United States Copyright Act 1976, which permits the use of copyrighted material for purposes including criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. All third-party material used in this video is believed to be used in accordance with these provisions. No copyright infringement is intended. If you are a rights holder and have a concern regarding content featured in this video, please contact us directly before filing a claim and we will address it promptly. Archival footage courtesy of San Diego Air and Space Museum Archives Historical photographs via Wikimedia Commons #CornfieldBomber #F106DeltaDart #MilitaryAviation #TallyZero #ColdWarAviation #USAF #AviationHistory #MilitaryHistory #FighterJets #AviationDocumentary