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Old 6th Nov 2009, 16:54
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BOAC
Per Ardua ad Astraeus
 
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There was an 'incident' on a certain aerobatic team a few decades back. Let's call the front 'X' and the rear 'Y'.

Following annual major overhaul, X took Gnat airframe up to airtest as per normal with 'backseater' Y. Following upper airwork, the plot was then to check the rigging etc by throwing it around, pulling to buffet to check for any 'nasty' tendency. So, a few thousand feet over Gloucestershire, X pulls hard at the top of a loop, well into buffet (as you do), whereupon 'nasty' airframe decides to try out a 'Porteous loop' all on its own. With his usual consumate skill and panache, X neatly recovers the airframe to a semblance of a normal loop, but is interrupted by a large blast of air as the canopy departs, and a bang from behind as Y decides it is time to go, 'cos Sir has obviously lost it and we are about to die. Oh how we larfed
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