Walter, sorry, you missed the fundimental point I was making - MK1 EYEBALL is the be-all and end-all of low flying. Don't even think of introducing ground terrorist threats as a consideration of route. It just is not a factor. Emotive words like hugging the coast = terrain masking, which would be appropriate if there was a high threat. There is just no case to believe that there were any bad guys sitting around the Mull on the off-chance of having a go at a passing helio. My low flying experience in the UK, European and N American environment is extensive, spread over 38 years.
As for the 'perception' case, there is a thing called situational awareness. You don't reveal you experience in your profile, therefore it is difficult to judge whether or not you have the experience of flying in marginal conditions - believe me when I tell you that the senses sharpen up very rapidly and there is a high 'pucker' factor. That crew would have been well aware of their proximity to the hard place. Apart from everything else, they would have been well aware of the local geography, and would have had a mental picture of the shape and position of the Mull relative to the aircraft.
Also, forget any arguments about turning circles, speeds, performance et al; I used to fly round the Mull at 300 KIAS. OK, I'm used to flying at that speed and know what the performance of the aircraft is at that speed. Flying a Chipmunk at 90 KIAS frightens me f*artless, because I can stand it on its wingtip at 50 feet and do half a dozen tight turns in 30 secs. Each pilot knows his aircraft and its capabilities.
Oh, and by the way, my son is a Chinook pilot. 'Nuff said?
Last edited by FJJP; 4th May 2004 at 19:52.