Originally Posted by
43Inches
If you read the pre-lim report then you would have seen the actual pictures of the contact. Viper 1 was still in the inverted position when contact occured, there was no 'panicked' roll evident. The report states Viper 2 climbed and rolled from under Viper 1and contact was made. There would have been mention of any notable flight path changes made by Viper 1 as they have video evidence of the whole sequence.
Assuming the plan was for Viper 1 to get B-Roll footage of Viper 2 (from above moving against the sea), inverted flight is certainly an unconventional way to do it. I can only imagine how difficult it would be to operate a stabilised pro camera above your head upside down! Everyone else I know would get a CASA dispensation to temporarily fit a camera beneath the aircraft - for safety reasons, if nothing else - and fly upright.
Perhaps their budget didn't stretch far enough to cover a dedicated camera aircraft? Or was it just an overload of FIGJAM?? The risk assessment for this flight would make interesting reading - although I doubt it would take very long.
