It was 1997.
I live in Belgium. We are 1997 and the West and East European countries are coming closer together so we arrange a squadron exchange with a new “ex-East” country.
We flew SF-260 at the time and they flew Yak-52.
At arrival we get a tour of the airfield and notice that there are no fences in the runway axis but guards with guns. (Other fences around the base are about 5 meters tall).
My first flight in a Yak-52.
Got a pilot who came to the aircraft shook hands silently and probably knew English was a language. OK, we are gonna have fun here. LOL
Got strapped in, and got a very good cockpit brief in fluent English by a very friendly ground crew chap.
First remark: All our dials are in ft and knot, theirs are in km/h and meters.Pilot does not say a word, starts-up, taxi to runway, and takes off.
After lift off, he retracts the gear, levels off, then descends back to about 2 meters above the runway.
End of runway comes and goes, still at 2 meters, we continue onwards in the “fields” for the next 10 minutes or so.
Next comes a leg. No water vortex at 2 meters, so we descend till our little vortex ripples the water.Still not a word from the front seat.
After the leg is a forest and he climbs to “guestimate” around 5 meters above treetop level and starts turning.
“Crack” says the intercom.
“Pilot”; We fly military in week and crop dusting in W-Ends.
“Me”; Ah, OK now I understand the “altitude”.
“Pilot” ; You fly?
“Me” : Yes, in the military and I also have a PPL.
“Pilot”; (Remember, we are still barely above treetop) => “You have it”.
And promptly releases the stick.
My luck; Front view lets me see his haircut and earphones, but spherical vision is rather good.
He must have felt that I was rather “uneasy” and came back with:
“Pilot” : You can climb to 50 meters. (That is 150ft including taxes) => I will NEVER forget those simple words. NEVER. => “You can climb to 50 meters.”
I try to get a feel of the airplane and hammer on.
“Pilot” : You aero?
“Me” : Yes, but not in a strange aircraft at this altitude.
He grabs the stick and yanks the thing upwards to 3,000meters.
Oef, I could breath. Never though breathing could feel so safe. LOL.
He does some loops, roll, snaps, mostly to the right for engine torque.
“Pilot” : => Your turn!
I do some loops, snaps, rolls a cuban8, most to the left, because that what's we do most, but get away with it and I start to relax and have some fun.
A thumb comes up in the front seat => pointing to the left.
“Pilot” => Airfield.Ok, I start turning left gently.
“Pilot” ; You => “dfjghjdfghjdfhgjkdf” => lower.
I start to descend to -what in my mind was rather safe- about 300 meters. (1,000 ft agl)
“Pilot”; lower.
Next five minutes are followed by a thumb left then right and about every 30seconds the word “lower”.
We scream by a church tower at second floor level. Below a crane arm, but he let me lift to get over the mall. Oef.
“Pilot” ; Base turn.I feel him playing throttle, lowering gear, but I still have the stick.
“Pilot” ; flare high, gear high”.
“Pilot”; I have taxi.
Shut down is a simple as turning off the fuel, mags, and the big radial bangs to a halt.
We get out and still on the wing he turns towards me ; “You good Yak driver”.
Jumps off the wing to never be seen again during our 2 weeks stay.
Normally the story would end here, but unfortunately it does not.
After me, I got permission the have one of my best mechanics have a backseat flight. Really a very good mechanic who also was co-pilot on most of our air-tests.=> They got back to the field with a missing vertical tail. It was dangling from some 6 meters high electric wires next to a road about 15 miles from base. I still have the pictures in my archives.
Breifing, did I hear something about a briefing?
LOL.
Tja , it was 1997. They did not have VOR, ADF, some 12 channel radio, and a stick like a crow-bar in those Yaks.
Lessons learned?
Best thing I did? => I put on my own parachute and not the one they offered me.
Worst thing I did? => That I did not grab the stick at take off. Safety wise? I should have.
Last edited by Vilters; 3rd Apr 2019 at 20:42.