Driverless Ford F-150 soars through the air, slamming down into the dirt during one final, glorious stunt.
While jumping your Ford F-150 over small hills might be fun, getting real air time with something other than a purpose-built trophy truck is sure to destroy your pickup. Fortunately, the crewfrom the Mark Freeman #408 YouTube channel got ahold of a 10th generation F-150 that was headed to the junkyard, but before it was delivered to its final resting place, it took to the skies for an epic flight. Wisely, this jump was made without a driver in the truck, as the impact would have at least left someone battered and bruised.
The Flying F-150
There aren’t many details on this Ford F-150, but we can tell from the exterior styling that it is from the 10th generation of the F-Series, running from 1997 through 2003. We know that it is an XLT model and we know that it has non-functioning four-wheel-drive, but we don’t know what is under the hood. It sounds like a V8, but all we know is that it has enough power to launch itself way up into the air.
The crew also did a big burnout with this truck, but for whatever reason, they mentioned the tire-slaying action without including any footage. Fortunately, the jump is well worth the price of admission.
Taking to the Skies
The video begins with the old Ford F-150 sitting near the top of a hill, covered with foliage and divided by a dirt path that leads to a fairly large jump. As the truck begins to move, we can see someone in a helmet standing in the open driver’s door, but as soon as the F-150 is moving at speed, that person jumps clear of the pickup.
From there, the truck speeds up as it continues down the hill and when it hits the jump, the tired, old F-150 soars through the sky. At its peak, it has to be close to 20 feet in the air, but after the short flight, the half-ton Ford slams down to the ground next to another vehicle that made the big leap.
The video ends with a second video of the F-150 blasting through the air from the other side of the jump and both are great, so crank up your speakers and enjoy!
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
