Originally Posted by Aerostar6
So, Red Bull, can you tell us how much experience you have to comment on the P-51 pilot's actions after losing his canopy?
Hi Aerostar,
I´m a litte surprised about the question - and by the way, it´s Flying Bull (none of the Red Bull Team - my nick is another story)
Well, I learned flying with the Royal Navy - although as a paying guest.
I have experience on fixed wings, although I´m a rotorhead at the moment.
Flying day and night, IFR, NVG, tactical low level and so on.
Just by common sense - thinking three seconds, after being sure, the aircraft is flying save at the moment - what would you do, after loosing your canopy over a city?
Have a look, where it went down to make sure, nobody is hurt?
Land relatively close to the scene, to make sure, nothing else on your plane was damaged?
Inform ATC, so that SAR won´t be scrambeld by whitnesses, who have seen pieces of an aircraft falling from the sky?
Is all that so far fetched for you?
I was involved to search for the possible downed A/C, that´s why I ask the questions!
Originally Posted by Aerostar6
I know the pilot in question well, and as a fellow display pilot I can tell you that he is one of the most experienced and professional warbird pilots in the UK. I also know that he spends a great deal of time in the winter months tuning his aircraft to an extremely high engineering standard for the summer display season.
As you have absolutely no idea why the canopy came loose and the circumstances that he found himself after it had, you are in no position to pass judgement irrespective of your experience.
Well, he might be a great pilot and a good maintainer - I don´t know.
I question his common sense and his airmanship, flying another 200 nm before landing without telling anybody (if the fault wasn´t within ATC passing information)
Originally Posted by Aerostar6
Thank you for bringing our attention to the incident on the forum, but please keep your opinions to yourself until the facts are known.
It´s a rumor network - I was missing facts, like what happend to the A/C, which parts fell down over a crowed city, covering 300 square meters - and I like to hear from different points of view - but just saying, he´s a great pilot, doesn´t mean, that he couldn´t have done a mistake ever!
Greetings Flying Bull