---
title: "This is why Marines say flying a Harrier is like ‘riding a dragon’"
date: "2018-06-25"
modified: "2020-10-22"
authors:
  - name: "Tim Kirkpatrick"
    link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/tkirkpatrick/"
url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/why-marines-say-flying-a-harrier-is-like-riding-a-dragon/"
categories:
  - "Aircraft"
  - "Tactical"
---

# This is why Marines say flying a Harrier is like ‘riding a dragon’

![](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/wp-content/uploads/legacy/assets.rbl.ms/17308774/origin.png>)

With the capability to carry a variety of weapons such as air-to-air missiles, precision guided bombs, and a 25mm machine gun that can fire up to 3,600 rounds per minute, the [Harrier is the Marine Corps'](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-tactical/the-haters-guide-to-the-harrier/>) top choice when they need close air support where airfields are hard to come by.

---

"On my first flight, my instructor told me it was going to be like riding a dragon," says Marine Capt. Brady Cummins during an interview. "He was definitely telling the truth."

The AV-8B Harrier II was the first Marine tactical aircraft to arrive in the Persian Gulf for Operation Desert Storm in the early '90s.

### Related: [How the Sea Harrier defeated more superior fighters during the Falklands War](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/sea-harrier-falklands-war/>)

According to Boeing, the U.S. took 86 Harriers, flew 3,380 combat sorties and totaled 4,112 hours of combat flight time during the 42-day war.

![](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/wp-content/uploads/legacy/assets.rbl.ms/17281306/origin.jpg>)

The Harrier II jet demonstrated it's effectiveness during Operation Desert Storm. (Source: Naval Technology"

These aerial marvels are known for their fixed-wing vertical short takeoff and landing — also known as "V/STOL" — which makes the Harrier one of the most maneuverable in service. The Harrier's engines produce 23,000 pounds of thrust, allowing the aircraft to hover like a helicopter or launch forward at near-supersonic speeds.

At only 47 feet long and weighing 15,000 pounds when empty, this combat jet is approximately half the size of other modern fighter jets.

### Also Read: [The Marine Corps' love-hate relationship with the AV-8 Harrier](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-tactical/the-marine-corps-love-hate-relationship-with-the-av-8-harrier/>)

Check out the [Smithsonian Channel](<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWqPRUsJlZaDp-PVbqEch9g>)'s video to see the Marine piloted Harrier soar like a medieval dragon for yourself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9xsKRTPCAI

([Smithsonian Channel](<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWqPRUsJlZaDp-PVbqEch9g>), YouTube)

## Author
Tim Kirkpatrick entered the Navy in 2007 as a Hospital Corpsman and deployed to Sangin, Afghanistan with 3rd Battalion 5th Marines in the fall of 2010. Tim now has degrees in both Film Production and Screenwriting. tim.kirkpatrick@wearethemighty.com