Slightly Low Level Phantom..

[Maczz]

I saw this picture of a phantom at very low level, at, or close to the speed of sound.

I have some experience of very low level flight, Not in the fast stuff sadly.

My question is (with regard to the picture, low level and speed involved) what ticked boxes are required to fly this low at speed without becoming cat 1 in the process.

Naturally I assume that lack of wind, turbulence, and stable introvert character all play a major part of the decision making process.

Thanks in advance.

http://www.militaryaircraft.de/aviexpics11/f4-phantom.jpg

[Pontius Navigator]

That's low level?

That's medium level stuff compared with what the F105 did in trials. Years ago the USAF experimented with trying to kill people - on the ground - with ultra low level flight.

They concluded that an F105 at 6 feet would do the trick. I think the question remained was it the bang or the Thud that killed them?

[Champagne Anyone?]

Thats not low!! You could fly a Jaguar underneath if you look at the Thummers video!!

Nice pikkie though!:ok:

[Zoom]

Getting really low in an F-4 was difficult because of the rather bulbous nose and, in the UK versions, its extra sensitivity in pitch. The E-model was a lot easier because it had a narrower nose. I always maintained that we were going some if we found ourselves lower than a Buccaneer.

[maxburner]

In fact, it's the stable EXtrovert the recruiters go for. As for low level, I take my hat off to the Bucc mates, and I'm ex-F4 (and Tornado).

[Canary Boy]

Laarbruch – early 70’s. ‘Sleepy’ Fred (if memory serves) was the Labour Def Min and had come with a party of VIPs to gaze in awe at the new Rapier in action. The batteries were sited by the taxiway adjacent to the tower, MEZCO was in Local and all awaited the airfield attack from the Buccs. I guess the only peeps who knew what would happen next were those directly involved with the attack planning! They appeared from everywhere (or so it seemed to me at the time). The tree line was pretty close to the manoeuvring area and the sneaky bu**ers used that to mask their approach. Needless to say, MEZCO and various execs had a purple fit as the Rapier guys got nowhere near achieving a lock! Only other almost comparable sights – ‘Fiery Cross’ and the last Lightning mass display at Wattisham with combined 111 and (Colts’) 65 in formation. Caused a bit of a rumpous when they flew at the crowd line (line abreast IIRC) and then pulled-up with burners lit.

Now that's what I call LL!

Ahhhhh happy days indeed! :D

[CAC Runaway]

Getting really low in an F-4 was difficult because of the rather bulbous nose and, in the UK versions, its extra sensitivity in pitch. The E-model was a lot easier because it had a narrower nose. I always maintained that we were going some if we found ourselves lower than a Buccaneer.

In a top gun voice.....

Not if you're inverted it aint!

:D

[jindabyne]

Zoom

I always looked up to you Phantom chaps -----------

[Langball]

If you think that's low then see:

http://www.zeeb.at/oops/F14-flyby.jpg

[Pontius Navigator]

Abingdon in the 60s I believe, Lightning departure at about .98 appeared stage left lower than the hangar roof. By the time I got my eyes caged and saw the hangar he'd gone. Then No 2 departed l o w e r

[Jobza Guddun]

Would still love to see the infamous F4 beatup of the grad at Cranwell, from mid-80's?

Somebody must have something somewhere!!

[Maczz]

Champagne,

Check the pic link. Seems to be the evidence required to show that the Jag mates could indeed underfly....

http://braden.buzzword.com/military/LowFlyingAircraft

[OBNO]

Just remember you can only ever equal the World Record!

[allan907]

Place - Honington - early 80s

Occasion - Buccs departing for the frozen north in deference to the (then) new Tornado

Situation - top of SHQ roof waiting for the 4 ship flypast.

They appeared behind the trees from the Ixworth direction, seemed to come around SHQ (two either side) and below the top storey and proceeded to thread themselves through the gaps between the hangars lower than the roof line. Then buggered off in the direction of Thetford.

Bloody marvellous:ok:

Anyone here in that formation?

[Canary Boy]

Same place but in the 70's. Didn't see it myself (must have been off shift) but the story goes that a certain OCU mate took one of the Hunters through (between) the stadium lights on the ASP!

[Tomcat51]

Standing on the LSO platform on the USS Saratoga in 1977 or 78 and watched two Buccaneers from the Ark Royal come in below flight deck level (60ft). They rolled inverted over the ship and went back below flight deck level before rolling back upright!
Impressive!

[John Eacott]

Tomcat,

A few photos of Bucc low passes here (http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/gallery/buccaneer/gallery-buccaneer.htm). I foolishly "lent" the photo of one going under the angle to the pilot: 30 years later, still waiting to get it back :rolleyes:

[SASless]

Who has the photograph of a B-52 passing by a US Aircraft carrier below deck height.....that probably is the cake taker! It was posted here some time in the past as I recall.

[Lindstrim]

Wasnt there a RNZAF Skyhawk that did a pass below the deck of a RN Carrier? I saw a photo of it with the deck hands looking down on it.

[jonesy1275]

Here's a couple of my photos of the RAF's frontliners doing what they do best...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v464/jonesy1275/898_9801.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v464/jonesy1275/898_9808.jpg

[Tourist]

Hate to tell you this jonesy, but the second one aint no front liner.

[jonesy1275]

I know that. I was just generalising the theme.

[PT6ER]

Years ago I was doing some engineering work for the BBMF at Conningsby when a not to be named Squadron Leader showed me a picture of him in a Spitfire, common enough I suppose except it was taken from the tower at Duxford (memory poor on this detail) LOOKING DOWN on the Spit. The shadow of the airframe was the same size as the airplane itself so it was VERY low indeed. He smiled, shrugged his shoulders and went of to fly an F4 around the countryside.

I was sworn to secrecy at the time but I figure he is either retired or so far up the tree that no one will be able to "spank" him for the misdemeanour ;)

[CBA_caption]

Ah! The last GR1 in service, although I'll bet the cockpit is anything but. Saw some pretty cool picces once...

CBA

[Thud_and_Blunder]

Lindstrim,
Wasnt there a RNZAF Skyhawk that did a pass below the deck of a RN Carrier?
..this one?:

http://www.gibstuff.net/a4_alley/images4/lowpas_RN_Carrier.jpg

Plenty more top pics and videos on his site:

Gibstuff (http://www.gibstuff.net/a4_alley/a4s_flight.html)

[FJJP]

What was the final outcome of the Jag mate incident at Akrotiri last year when the mate clipped the light tower and dented the wingtip?

Anyone know?

[airborne_artist]

T + B - I know it's not yours, but that pic.looks faked!

[soddim]

PT6ER,

Bet he was wearing a white helmet?

[Flap62]

Airborne_artist

If you look between the two groups of men on deck, you can see the wake the A4 is leaving on the sea. Looks real enough to me!

[totalwar]

Thats the downwash from a SHAR....the flightdeck crew are looking too far F'ward...and not at the aircraft

[Last call for Mr..]

Not black catting or anything but there was a Hawk Jock a few years ago who bounced off the sea near Gibraltar and lived to tell the tale..now that WAS low.

[BootFlap]

Thats the downwash from a SHAR....

totalwar - I would disagree with your comment, unless of course the SHAR was approaching from 10 degress to port, at extrememly low level, and from the bow to stern (or pointy end to arse end to put it another way). If that was the case, why remove a SHAR and insert A4 in the picture. And before you suggest he was in the hover, I can assure you that the jetwash during a hover does not leave a wake as shown in the picture. It would appear as a form of disk and there would be significantly more spray. And yes, I have been cleared for the odd 'low slot port!' Regards always,

Bootflap

[Last call for Mr..]

The SHAR is behind the guy with the White and Black surcoat (Badger?)

[LXGB]

Re Gib Hawk prang,
74 Sqn detachment IIRC, misty day, not much of a horizon. Hit the water at a high rate of knots and bounced off again! Subsequent approach and landing at Gib was interesting to say the least :uhoh:

LXGB

[BootFlap]

Last call for Mr.

Yeah right! Mini-me joins the FAA.............

:p

[Gainesy]

Totalwar,
Flight deck crew would be properly dressed for Harrier ops, not sunbathing.

[Pontius Navigator]

Ah, if you are talking of soft low levels, how about the Shack in the Med.

Very experience QFI - "In these conditions of poor visibility and calm sea if is very difficult to judge your height."

"Captain - Radar, the radar has gone off."

"Captain - Tail yes it just fell away and I'm soaked."


Or words to that effect as they knocked the scanner off.

[Maczz]

LXGB,

Did the hawk ingest lots of the "big blue wobbly thing?" Or did it do a non rotating Barnes Wallace impression.

Bet prospective U- Boat commander had some imaginative explaining to do..

" Well sir I was patrolling at periscope depth when I suddenly and unexpectedly became airborne"

ARF ARF.

Maczz

[LXGB]

Hi Maczz,
It happened shortly after I left Gib for Blighty. But from what Gib mates said at the time, it skimmed like a pebble. Not sure if it got a salty comp-wash on the way. The control surfaces were quite badly damaged though. I think it went home in a crate courtesy of Albert. CAT5? Anybody else got any gen on this?

Cheers,
LXGB

[Synthetic]

Place - Honington - early 80s

I was there then. The one I remember was (I think 9) Tornados flying a loft attack profile along the runway one after the other. I was sat on the simulator roof. First was very impressive, all of them put together was litterally stunning.

[jindabyne]

And then there was my mate Fatty who did a touch-and-go in his Hunter, at night, on a ridge 3-4 miles from GCA touchdown at El Adem (wrong QFE I think) ----

[ImageGear]

Did you take the Landy out with the opso next morning ?

ImageGear

[jindabyne]

IG

Not me - I was at Khormaksar, Raynham or Chiv at the time - memory dim!

[Dave Allen]

On a bit of a tangent, has anyone heard the wav of the pilot who has just suffered a 'major bowel movement' and is on the radio to his XO requesting permission to abort his mission? His nav can be heard crying with laughter in the background....funniest thing I've heard, but I've managed to lose the clip. Anyone got it or knows where I can get it?

[foldingwings]

Then there was the RN guy who bounced a Bucc off the sea during a snow storm but managed to bang out with his looker before it subsequently nose-dived and sank! He was airborne again in a Hunter that afternoon but subsequently failed on 736. Transferred to the RAF and flew many hours in the back of Buccs as a Nav! Probably the only guy to have flown the Bucc qualified both as a pilot and as a nav!

[Tomcat51]

Some other good flybys from my deployments:

A-3 below flight deck with a crewmember standing with upper torso out of the overhead hatch and holding a US flag.

Russian TU-95 Bear flying opposite landing traffic downwind during the recovery. Planes scattered everywhere.

E-2 low flyby followed by pull-up and aileron roll/dome over.

Any RA-5C supersonic flyby. There was a reason it was designed with cover plates over the tailhook and I think it even had a retractable anit-collision light.

F-4 low enough over water would leave a good roostertail. A bit lower and the centerline would get scrapped off.

I remember Catania tower asking me for a flyby (we had a det at Sigonella) and asked him how high. His reply - "No higher than 500' and a-a-n-n-y-y airspeed."

[ehwatezedoing]

Speaking about aircrafts bouncing into water, look at this little video (www.fromtheflightdeck.com/videos/videos/planetakesoffintoawave.WMV) of a Tracker living the deck and making it through a foam's wave.

Close call I would say :ooh:

[wg13_dummy]

Holy shoite! ref Tracker vid!!!

[Tourist]

From what I remember the pilot telling me, the Hawk was a Fradu one doing its ship attacking thing. Goldfish bowl type day, so flying a little bit higher than normal in company with playmate. Didnt notice very, very gentle rate of descent and first incking of something wrong when banking for gentle turn (nasty day, so being careful) and wing hits water at 500ish kts. Bounced up, striped metal off and iirc caused some flap, aileron restriction problems. Low speed handling check and home. he told me about it in the Datum some days later and still looked a bit pale.

[LXGB]

Hi Tourist,
That makes more sense. The Navy Hawks and FR Falcons were, indeed still are, regular visitors to Gib for PWO courses. Went out with them once on a sortie. Great fun :ok:

Cheers,
LXGB

[steamchicken]

What is an RA-5C? Never heard of it!

[BEagle]

North American RA-5C Vigilante. One of the biggest a/c ever to operate from USN decks!

Try http://www.vectorsite.net/ava5.html

[LXGB]

RA-5 Vigilante...

http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/systems/ra-5.htm

http://www.military.cz/usa/air/post_war/a5/ra_5c_land.jpg


LXGB

[Razor61]

Surprised that landing gear could take a trap with the weight of that aircraft. Looks very puny compared to most.

The F-14 supersonic flyby video of a Carrier shows good wake/shock on the water. Think it was on Big-Boys.com.

[steamchicken]

...so now I know. Looks, ah, horns-out.

[SALAD DODGER]

All these boat and aircraft pics have reminded me of this one. Its very low, slow and probably the most stupid thing on these pages!

Enjoy:


Sinking feeling! (http://zeeb.at/oops/HeloTowJob.wmv)

[Razor61]

http://www.panzer.shamino.net/bilder/SKIDRO-lowflyf4.jpg

Where was this taken, Wildenrath?

[LXGB]

St Athan, Full story here...

http://www.ffour.force9.co.uk/Oldstuff/wow/wow.htm

LXGB

[Razor61]

LXGB

Many thanks for that. Very cool.

[Maczz]

LXGB,

I saw that photo about 2 years ago and have never been able to find it since. It's a Beut, and additionally proves that " SPEED DOESN'T KILL"

Thanks

Maczz

[LXGB]

Glad to be of service :)

Cheers,
LXGB

[WytonPJS]

Happened to chance up this topic and would beg to differ over the pilot of this F4 - I was one of the Flt Cdrs on 4 (Eng) Sqn in 76 Hangar (backdrop of pic) doing Majors on Phantoms. The pilot in question was the UTP who, as a measure of his confidence in our work, would bring the aircraft on its departure flight between the hangars. NEVER ON A TEST FLIGHT (and we had a few hairy ones of those). He also never did it in a GR1 - was does that say? (It also helped that he was OC Flying and ran ATC!). Great RESPECT to the 'Guy' who justifiably gave me a hard time over some of our work but was always to be found in the hangar between flights talking to the troops, finding out about the problems and always ready to learn from the great team I had. I still have pics of his flypasts on the wall (sorry but cannot post attachments). Few, I believe, got to fly the FGR2 this clean (no tanks, ballast Sparrows, etc, although some ex-Scampton 100FI jets were collected by Sqn crews (another story when I was a SEngO and Phil W called a MAYDAY en-route to that Scottish stn at some RIDICULOUS height where the sky's a very different colour - Stn Cdr & Boss were waiting for him on the pan when he safely taxied in!). Last heard of the UTP in the Sim at Cottesmore when it was still GR1. TOTAL RESPECT and a pleasure to have worked with him.

[lineslime]

How much truth is there in the story of a herc doing a low level flypast and belting the noggin of some poor unfortunate 47ad chappie, or is it just myth?

[BEagle]

A soldier was indeed decapitated by a low flying C-130 a few years ago when he was, I understand, struck by the ramp.


RIP

[ORAC]

I recall the F-104 on an exchange visit at Coltishall. It was the 2 seater on an trip with an engineering SNCO in the back. Dipped and banked to go under a helo and lost a wing tip tank in the oggin. The total wingspan of a F104 being under 22ft....

[Wappy Tupper]

''with the alt reading
minus 75. All very exciting until it goes
wrong...''

Meaningless drivel - the altimeter could have been on QFE, QNH, QFF, QNE or whatever. If you are not aircrew - probably the majority of the people reading this - it could be taken the wrong way, so stop trying to look clever.

[Tarnished]

Never mind an altimeter that is at least set to something useful. Lightning (yawn WIWOL) pressure error corrections were in the order of 1800 ft at 600 kts ! Which meant (in peacetime at night) to chase a fast target down the big altimeter was reading minus 300ft (when you were at 1500 ft against a 1000ft target)and the little atlimeter (radalt) was OK, but went off at greater than 60 degrees of bank. Now all this was at the end of its life when caution had won over realism. In the old days targets had been allowed down to 250 ft at night -- no wonder a lot of Lightnings were lost "inexplicably"

In the inky black night over the middle of the North Sea (albeit not too far from Grimsby) to make the altimeter read below zero whilst flashing along at warp snot was ballsy to say the least. If you didn't keep the height down you were going to loose him out of the bottom of the radar coverage!!

All very off subject I know for what was essentially a day VFR beat up thread - soz.

T

[BEagle]

I remember flying as pax in a C130 from Patrick AFB to Gander on a gin clear day. But after we got airborne, the a/c started bouncing areound all over the place which surprised me as the wind was flat calm. Then, through one of the portholes in the back of the thing, I saw a hotel go past....

It seems that the ill-disciplined rabble had decided to beat up Cocoa Beach to 'say goodbye' to the bar girls they'd also taken flying on a previous trip - and we were down at around 50 ft.

The whole episode, including their behaviour at Gander and the trip the next day, was a somewhat alarming expereience.

I undersatnd the captain was infamous for unauthorised low flying and was subsequently deeply in the cack for beating up Wootty B at a silly height.

[Zoom]

Forget the altimeter in the Hunter - you knew you were low when vibration from the standing air waves over the sea felt as if you were riding a bike on a cobbled street.

[BEagle]

Riding a bike on a cobbled street?

One of the joys of visiting Holland a few years ago was watching young ladies doing precisely that - whilst wearing skimpy little blouses with nothing underneath. Ooooo, that was nice - particularly when they hit resonance!

:E

[grobace]

I think your memory must be playing you tricks, Tarnished old son. None of the Lightnings I ever flew had a radalt fitted. And you had to go supersonic to get the 1800' altimeter error. However, Tony Doyle coud tell you of the time he calibrated his altimeter against Mendlesham mast prior to a low-level aeros display. Only problem was he forgot to take the height of the ground under the mast into consideration!

[soddim]

Concur as a WIWOL without radalt - and the lowest authorised night was 500ft over the sea. Still higher than a few mates RIP.

[Tarnished]

Soddim and Grobace

My memory plays no tricks chaps. Truth is we had it easy in the latter days of the mighty vertical twin jet. Their airships finally found a few pennies to spare and spent them on installing a radalt (just in the single seaters). Truth is it was about the size of a penny (pre-decimalisation) and had the old log scale readout. But at least it had a low alt bug and a big red light to go along with it (no nice audio or voice prompts). Trouble was when you were thrunging around at the speed of heat in the dark trying to get a FS or RT off against a target below you the radalt would off-lock at 60 degrees AOB and the red light would scare the sh!t out of you.

Progress eh!

Tarnished

[soddim]

Tarnished,

I stand corrected - long after I left the jet is my excuse!

Have you seen either of Stewart Scott's excellent Lightning books, Vol 1 and 2?

Full details here: http://aviationbooksbygms.com/

[Tarnished]

soddim,

Bu&&er! You have just reminded me I had promised him an input, but I've lost the contact details in my move over to FW.

Anyone got them? PM me if you do please.

T

[soddim]

Tarnished,

Check your PMs.

[grobace]

Tarnished,

I did wonder when I wrote that response whether that was the case. Like Soddim I had moved onto other less exclusive flying clubs by then!

GB

[chinny]

got some nice picc'ies of low flyers-but I'm too dull to be able to work out how to get them on the screen for you-soz.:hmm:

[A good headin]

Nice to see the pics of the old RAF F4 low level passes.

Can anyone remember the low level incident in Belgium in the mid 70's when an RAF (Wildenrath) F4 chased a Harrier down a valley in the Ardennes? The nasty little budgie did some of the 'viffing' crap and the poor old F4 could not get out of valley in time:ouch:

Did the budgie pilot get reprimanded?

[Cyclone733]

Vid of Jag at low level

www.flightlevel350.com/public_viewer.php?cat=19&pic=156

[BEagle]

I guess that's yet another example of the high standards of disciplined professionalism exhibited by the SOAF?

[Chris Kebab]

Or more accurately RAF secondees within the SOAF. Makes me wince when I watch those clips. Maybe i'm getting old.

[Salzinger_FOO]

Bucc, low level...

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/799055/L/

Cheers

RS

[Tarnished]

Here's a thought???

I wonder if anyone can say with any authority just how many low level beat ups, wazz ex's, fly pasts etc have actually ended up in an accident?

Disregard any air displays or excessive manoeuvring, such as the horrible video of the B-52 crash on the air display practice.

I'm talking about those times where Joe Bloggs has gone for an essentially straight and level whoosh past as low as he/she(?) can get.

The times I did such things were always with such heightened awareness and a combination of not wanting to fcuk-up or get caught that I was pretty sharp (opens self up for much abuse).

My theory is that if you are trying to fly as low as you can then you are pretty safe, the danger comes when you start adding either a crowd or more 3-D manoeuvring ?

Discuss

Tarnished

PS Three particular incidents spring to my mind:

F-4 very low and very slow over the hangars at Binbrook during the 30th anniversary of the Lightning weekend.

Silver Lightning at the same event

Flt Cdr in Lightning escorting Danish F104s as they left after NATO exchange

Oh and a fourth, Clatchy's funeral

And of course a "friend" of mine at North Weald

[Onan the Clumsy]

Funnily enough, I just read an NTSB report where someone borrowed his mate's 152 He stopped by his mate's house to see if the teenage daughter wanted to come with him, but she was too tired to get up. Anyway, he gets airborne and then comes to do a fly past of the house as his mate's having breakfast. They all wave at each other and he flies it into a telephone pole and kills himself.

I always wondered what it'd be like missing the flight that went down.

[BEagle]

50-100ft along a runway, fair enough.

But some of the stupidly low beat ups shown on here are just criminally dangerous.

The unbriefed, unauthorised fly by flown by the unchosen display pilot frequently ends in death....

I watched a Jaguar nearly wipe out at Halifax, several JPs, a Phantom, a F-111 to name just a few 'very near' events...

[jindabyne]

Salz

As in Buccaneer take-off

[Gainesy]

wazz ex's, fly pasts etc have actually ended up in an accident?

Yesterday's prang of a SAAF Alouette III, alledgedly.

On a longish transit. Stop at a roadside Wimpy just outside Harrismith (!!), collect burgers then do fly-by/wazz-ex. Rotor hits parked car, crunch. All four got out with minor injuries.

Bet the de-brief was interesting.:uhoh:

[Chris Kebab]

jinda - completely agree.

That Bucc has just cleaned up post t/o and is departing in a typically leisurely Bucc style.

[foldingwings]

Bucc on take-off

For all those spotters out there! It's the tailskid just retracting that gives it away!

Nice to see you back on line jinda!

[Safeware]

Not sure of the truth in this, but in 88-89 when I was in Gib, I heard that a Bucc had to climb to get over the runway!

sw

[Roghead]

Tarnished, spoken like a good air defender. However, we all have skeletons in the cupboard, and some things are best left buried in history. That being said, I think your premise.......

"My theory is that if you are trying to fly as low as you can then you are pretty safe, the danger comes when you start adding either a crowd or more 3-D manoeuvring ?".......

is absolutely spot on.

Many of the LL exploits in SOAF whilst "impressive" (occasionally finishing the desert careers of the ex-pat pilot), invariably belong in your former category. The fatalities usually came in the latter, and at least two of them were in a bounce set-up.

"Final flights" usually come in the solo, is that low enough, category as well; ie. Frightening at Warton, before hero departs to Big Airways, and the Phantom on this thread.....amongst many others.

Then there's one of my lucky moments which I'm happy to reproduce from the LL Bucc Thread. Although it ended OK it definately belongs in your second category.

208Sqn, pre the first Red Flag,culminated their training at Goose Bay with a firm dedication to fly fast and low.The plan was simple and required a 4 ship to fly a very wide battle, often as 2 pairs and even 4 singletons but to make a simulated attack at 3 or 4 targets at pre-determined times.Given the avionic fit at the time-none-it meant that the fablon covered,chinagraphed enhanced map,and the stop watch was the only help the nav had,but we were very cocky and confident. So, when Ramjet and I"lost" the others there was no panic and we flew the pre planned route listening out as usual and were surprised to hear the other three doing a "fly past" at one of the many strips in the Tundra."Can we do that and make the next target" asked Ramjet and of course we could I assured him.We called for our flypast, were approved and did the normal dust stirring bucc thing,high pull up, wing over and rush back to earth for even better reverse fly past. As we descended,I called the High Pylon and it was confirmed visual....as we got even closer I called it again- and again it was called visual(plus "don't panic!").Stiff upper lip prevented me from saying J as the starboard wing all but grazed the very solid pylon and we completed what the amazed Canadians called the most exciting fly past ever!. As we pulled away to join our mates for the final co-ordinated attack,feeling very smug,I happened to mention that we might need a touch of paint on our starboard wing and was met by silence.Very slowly Ramjet said "you mean port wing don't you" followed by "It was well clear,in fact I slid a little to the right just to make sure"

Great thing that offset nav seat.

So, we both saw IT, but neither of us saw THEM. We survived and can tell the tale. Great fun, great days but always something to learn.

[4Greens]

You know you are low flying when you have a negative reading on the radio altimeter.

[BEagle]

Gosh......really?

:rolleyes:

[Tarnished]

You know you are low flying when you have a negative reading on the radio altimeter

Nope, that just means you have is tuned to the wrong frequency, much like setting the incorrect mbar (inHg) datum :bored: :ok:

[Zoom]

BEagle
I think I overheard those same Dutch girls (2 pages ago) talking to each other:
'Have you come this way before?'
'No.'
'Nor me - must be the cobbles.'
:\ :\ :\

[soddim]

The encouragement given to pilots to outdo each other in producing the most spectacular flyby should really merit examination in court as in accessory before the fact.

I think back as far as Douglas Bader's onset of legless life and onwards to the day when we in the RAF at Stanley banned BA from departure flypasts after seeing a 747 wingtip just 6 feet or so clear of the tin strip. Can you imagine how we would have felt if 3 or 400 service personnel en-route home after a Falklands tour had lost their lives?

In both these cases the pilots were egged on by the boys, all of whom were de facto accessories before the fact.

It's a man's world (sorry girls) out there so grow up and help others to live longer.

[Irish Steve]

You know you are low flying when you have a negative reading on the radio altimeter

You know you are low flying when you have to climb to put the gear down:p

[Razor61]

Yesterday's prang of a SAAF Alouette III, alledgedly.

By Irene Kuppan and Sapa

A South African Air Force helicopter crashed outside Harrismith beside the N3 freeway between Johannesburg and Durban on Friday morning, sending a rotor flying into an animal pen next to a children's playground.

Two of the four crew suffered minor injuries, Harrismith fire chief Mohlahoana Mokwena said. They were taken to a nearby hospital. There were no injuries among about 60 children at the playground.

The Alouette III helicopter (due for replacement under the government's controversial multi-billion-rand arms deal) had just stopped at the Bergview refreshment stop, where the crew bought Wimpy take-aways before taking off.

Minutes later, it made what the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) called a "forced landing", and landed upside down on the other side of the freeway from Bergview.

The helicopter was apparently giving a flight display to spectators when it crashed, a witness said.

"The chopper took a drive around and went sideways... it just missed some trees then it turned around and went to the ground... and went up suddenly again but lost power," said Jean Smith, maintenance manager at Bergview. "I think they tried to show off," he said.

The helicopter then crashed around 100m from the complex, on the other side of the N3. Smith said one of the crew complained of a sore back while the others were walking.

"A board of inquiry has been convened," SANDF spokesperson Louis Kirstein said.

[allan907]

Not military but.....a few years ago at the company that I fly for there developed a "beat up for the boys in the hangar" mentality when returning from any kind of trip. The routine would be a relatively low pass over the hangar to announce one's arrival and then wheel it round to do the beat up. I refused to join in the games and was regarded as a wimp.

Anyway, the company aircraft (182RG) was due back, arrival was announced and we all went out to watch the inevitable. I had my camera with me. The aircraft appeared over the trees at the end of the ASP, dropped down over the ASP to fly 25 metre gap between the hangar and a row of parked aircraft and climbed out over the trees at the other end. Very impressive, very low.

I processed the film and started to do the measurements. And from the known wingspan and the shadow on the ground (almost directly under - mid summer at 32 south) I measured it to 8 feet under the fuselage with the aircraft in a slight starboard bank.

After the initial "ooh's and aah's" I think that we all then realised that it really was a mugs game which was likely to end up in a tangled heap of metal.

[rolandpull]

Checked up 'low-level' in the Thesauras, comes up with the word Buccaneer...

[Canary Boy]

Stating the blindingly obvious mode on\

It goes to show there's a hell of a difference in flying low (unauthorised) and possibly losing your life and flying low in order to try and preserve your life

Stating the blindingly obvious mode off\

[Razor61]

I'm sure most of you have seen Andrew Brookes' excellent low level photographs of the Buccaneer, if not Go

Here (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/andrewbrooks1/themight.HTM)

and for other aircraft such as the Lightning, Tornado, Jag, Harrier etc, go
here (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/andrewbrooks1/display_gallery_top.htm)

Razor

[Dak Mechanic]

In the summer of 1992, I was upstairs at home on the outskirts of Norwich. The view was normally of open countryside.

I heard the noise of an aircraft and looked out of the window, to see a Phantom. To be more precise it was the underside, at eye level as it turned hard away from the house.

Anyone here care to own up? :D A last beat up? I'm not complaining - it's still one of the coolest things I've ever seen!

DM

[airsound]

The scene: the Mediterranean Oggin, just North of Cyprus, on a flat calm day, sometime mid 1960s - 64-ish? The participant: a 70 Sqn Hastings, stationed at Nicosia. (For those too young to remember, the Hastings was once described by a US friend as 'an ass-draggin, milk-suckin, 4-motored Goony Bird')

Anyway, the captain was just explaining to the new co-pilot how hard it was to judge altitude when low over a calm sea, when there was this loud bang, closely followed by the two inboard engines quitting. Turns out the propeller tips had hit the sea, The interesting thing was that the dihedral of the Hastings wing was such that the inboards were 4-inches (if memory serves) lower than the outboards, which mercifully kept going.

Next thing they discovered was that the Hasty-bird didn't go too well on 2 engines (didn't always go brilliantly on 4, come to that). They certainly couldn't get enough height to get back over the Kyrenia mountain range. So they had to nurse the old girl rather shamefacedly all round the panhandle and eventually back into Nicosia, where they landed safely.

Said captain was rapidly trundled in to see the Boss (taking his own carpet), where he was bollocked for being a pratt, and commended for getting back in one piece, give or take the odd propeller blade, and the odd shock-loaded Bristol Hercules.

Any old truckies around who remember that?

[Pontius Navigator]

The Hasting was just like the Shack story I posted earlier when it knocked its radar off.

One low and go that could never have been authorised was by Ron Dick, OC IX, at Ohakea in 1972 in a Vulcan. On departure he rolled the aircraft for a close fly-by of the tower and passed between the two hangars collecting the aerial strung between them.

I dont know where he landed. Back in NZ or onwards to Oz. We only heard about it the following year when the Kiwis asked us not to cut the aerial down again.

[normally right blank]

19/07 1968 (RDanishAF):
F-100D G-288 was tasked for an "individual" from Karup, attack Aalborg and overflying Tirstrup and Vandel. After 10 min. delay for the atttack on Aalborg, due to traffic, "288" proceded to Tirstrup. (In the meantime "homebase" was called from Aalborg to "re-call" said mission, due to the "nature" of the attack.) After requesting an "overflight of the parallel RWY at Tirstrup", the F-100 passed east to west at high speed. The aircraft was pulled up slightly, and rapidly rolled right. The aft section of the right droptank departed, took off the right stabilator, the aircraft flicked violently left, gyrated violently and hit the ground inside the airstation. The pilot did not eject and was killed. It was his last flight in the Danish air force. (He was to join a civilian company). For some time after (and still?) pilots leaving the Danish air force was/is only told: "That was your last flight!".
Best regards

[Samuel]

Far be it for me to correct Pontius, but I was out on the tarmac the day that Vulcan left, [ I believe it might have been the last Vulcan to visit NZ] and while the departure was one of those moments in aviation that you never forget, he most certainly wasn't low enough to take any aerials!

The take-off was on RW27, turning left [south west] immediately , then approaching the tower from the south and descending across the airfield in a direct line to the tower. I kid you not that I was looking directly down the intakes before he pulled up into a very steep climb and turn off to Oz. The anemometer on top of the tower was stationary but took off at high speed with the passing of the Vulcan directly overhead.

Stunning display! You had to be there!

[victor two]

Quick question for you fast jet pilots:

Having sat in a few fast jets on the ground, I am surprised at the fairly restricted view forward between the very solid front windscreen supports and the supports that hold up the HUD as well as any other gadgets and bits and pieces attached to the canopy rails or crammed into the space beside the HUD. When you are motoring along at low level, do you tend to use the forward view through the HUD with all its symbology to gauge height or do you use the front side views to eyeball the ground.

Considering some of you guys enjoy poking along at 50 or so feet, what's the safest way to view the contours of the ground while looking for uncharted wires, towers etc.

I assume jets like the F16 that have no rails must be a bit easier to look forward from.

cheers

Vic.

[propulike]

Been looking for the link to this one....

Low Flying Spitfire (http://www.alexisparkinn.com/photogallery/Videos/ohmygodSpitfire%20pass.wmv)

There is some colourful language at the end, so don't play if you have kiddies around!

[diginagain]

Outstanding! The first time I watched it, it wasn't until a nanosecond before the Spitfire passed the prat-on-the-mike that my brain realised it was there.

[Conan the Librarian]

It was certainly "Nap of the Earth" I watch it again and again - see how soon you can pick up the Spit. Still Worrying about the prop disc though.... Classic the way he very nearly avoided awkward questions from the coroner though.....

[diginagain]

Very fine line between getting away with it and not, although I guess that both the camera angle, and the reaction, might mislead.

Still a gem, though, and THAT engine noise had the hair on the back of my neck on the rise.