WHY SO LONG BETWEEN INCIDENT AND GONG?
There was another extraordinary save by two F86 pilots during the same conflict.
They formated on one of their mates who had flameout a long way north of the 44th parallel, at altitude. By extreme skill and daring the first two came in close so as to be able with their wings to support and carry their mate back over the line and to a point not far from their base. Upon leaving the tight formation the ace in the first Sabre did a few 720s to set himself up for his deadstick, which he performed flawlessly.
The late Tony 'Havachat' Norman once told me about how the RFDS PC12 drivers practice a similar manoeuvre - all all alone, of course - should their PT6 donks ever pack up. He was one of them, based Meekatharra. Imagine. Pitch black night over the Gibson Dessert, for instance. Run out of noise. Punch 'nearest'. Go straight there hoping and praying for enough height and enough illumination from the headlights to put her down in one piece. MR item 1 - engine U/S. Item 2 - pilot seat cushion needs replacement due numerous divots.
Our man in need of a pardon, Slasher, understood the physiology of the anal sphincter if anyone did. (Unlike certain killjoys who banished the way out there bright bugger.)
Thank you wings, for the regurgitations. Arthur Lovell - a man who joined airlines off his family's potato farm in northern Tasmania - passed away only a few years ago. It was he who put a DC-4 back on the ground safely at Essendon following an after maintenance test flight on which he took off and immediately discovered aileron reversal due to a lapse on the part of one of the plumbers.
Though it may be argued that absence of body is preferable to presence of mind, men like Arthur survive due to superior training and superior reflexes.
It may be that he played a lot of squash and frequently practised the salutary old game of 'what if?'.
Whenever the cry of 'INCONCEIVABLE' goes up, the evil devious little man in 'The Princess Bride' comes to mind.
Footnote to Centaurus - please eschew 'airplane' as you eschew 'mom'.
For you are an Englishman . .. . . Englishman.
Last edited by Fantome; 2nd Jan 2014 at 15:51.