Here is another example of good airmanship taken from USAF Aerospace Safety magazine for November 1968. Just imagine yourself being in the following predicament. No QRH or ECAM to tell you what to do.
Quote: On 4 June 1967 Major Spaeth led a flight of two A-1E Skyraiders that had been diverted to provide emergency close air support for a United States Army Special forces team that was surrounded by a large force of North Vietnamese Army Regulars. He led several bomb and napalm passes on enemy gun positions, encountering intense ground fire. Three gun emplacements were destroyed and Major Spaeth's aircraft sustained at least four damaging hits. His wingman informed him that there were two large holes in the belly tank and fuel was streaming overboard.
At this time the wingman's aircraft, which had taken a hit from 37mm ground fire, lurched violently into Major Spaeth's aircraft, went into an inverted spin and crashed. The collision jerked the control stick from Major Spaeth's hand and caused his Skyraider to roll violently to the right and pitch nose down in an inverted attitude. Engine RPM deteriorated rapidly.
Reacting instinctively, Major Spaeth was able to regain control of the aircraft approximately 300 feet above the ground. The wingman's vertical stabiliser had ripped through the right aileron, bending a large portion of the aileron up to a 45 degree angle. The lower portion of the vertical stabiliser became embedded in a napalm tank hung under the right wing, crushing the tank up into the release rack. The impact turned the wingman's aircraft 90 degrees to Major Spaeth's Skyraider and the propeller cut two large gashes, two feet in length, through the leading edge, severing the pitot tubing.
After jettisoning his ordnance, Major Spaeth discovered that the crushed napalm tank would not release. Napalm jelly flowed over the wing, the engine was surging and he had no airspeed indication. At cruise power, engine operation appeared normal, but full left aileron and left rudder were required to maintain control, and the aircraft still flew with a pronounced right yaw. He elected not to attempt a forced landing for fear that the ignitor plug in the crushed napalm tank would activate. Unable to control the aircraft at what appeared to be normal approach speeds, he seriously considered bailout.
However, he decided to attempt a "hot" landing by establishing a long, flat approach at an estimated 15-20 knots above normal. At a point where almost full control pressures were reuired and the right wing began to drop, Major Spaeth touched down on the right gear, straightened the landing roll and stopped the aircraft safely at the far end of the runway. WELL DONE. Unquote.
For Pprune readers the Skyraider was a single engine tail wheel fighter bomber used for both land and aircraft carrier operations. Google it for pictures.