So I live out in the sticks near Corryong in north eastern Victoria, and I find what appeared to be an AP-3C Orion or maybe even a Hercules overflying not 100 yards from me at an insanely low level not 50 feet above the mountains. The mystery aircraft held a huge angle of bank over the mountain ridges and it looked as if it had clipped it's wingtip on one. This thing was hooking in and I honestly thought it was going to crash.
I'm just putting it down as a training flight but jeez....
Location: Middle East (thankfully less now). Oops - hang on a second... no..yes..
Posts: 926
As a witness your version sounds unbelievable.
You can't tell if it was a Hercules or an Orion, it was supposedly only 100 metres away, it held a HUGE angle of bank, and you thought it was going to crash?
Are you sure you aren't a sensationalist reporter preparing your next front page article?
Big Aircraft do look impressive at low level, and that doesn't mean it's unsafe or unauthorised. If you only got a fleeting glance at this aircraft then I doubt your judgement of it's height is believable either.
Yes. My description is as radical as the maneuver was.
As Runaway Gun has said, big aircraft DO look impressive at low level, however, they look even more impressive (and sound) when they sneak up over a mountain ridge behind you holding a very impressive angle of bank whilst screaming in faster than a pack of dogs on a 3 legged cat.
hhhmmm interesting, about a fortnight ago I saw what appeared to be a Hurcules, flying extremely low near the township of Wellington, inland NSW. When I asked one of the locals about the plane they said that an ad appeared in the local rag warning that a low flying plane would be surveying around the area for a gold mining company.
Don't know if that was the plane surveying, but it was LOW!!
God I just watched those videos, my adrenaline is pumping, thanks guys.
We clipped a sand dune, (albeit a large one) at night in a Herc during the Gulf conflict...oops! Collected a few aerials and ripped off the piss tubes, but otherwise, (after symetry checks on the ground), she was good as new! Tough old bird the Herc!
Sorry DH but my experience with eye witness claims is that they are normally hugely over blown. A captain of a large military aircraft would quickly find himself OIC NDB Woomera if he broke authorization and flew in a dangerous fashion. Google Bud Holland if want to understand why. Have heard of claims of 50' flypasts being proved to be above 450' when tapes were pulled.
Agree with BombsGone here. Large aircraft at low level are deceptive if you haven't seen the perspective before. If it was a C130H the FENG would be applying a large maglite to the back of the captains head for failing to correct following his radalt call. If a C130J the computers would v.quickly let you know.
Day limits are 250ft and 60deg AOB, roughly equivalent to 2g sustained. Ngt slightly higher and overwater can be lower. Speed around 200-250kts, faster is possible to 300kts but the idea is to deliver troops able to fight rather than puking their guts out.
Makes for a fun ride for the Nav with the maps standing up, especially with 20-30 kts across the hills with associated mechanical turb. I know, I've busted 2 helmets from roof impacts due turb or pilot induced bunts.
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