I've wrestled with this one for a while. When the Firefly went in, I was doing solo touch and goes in the Cambridge circuit, with a beautiful - if distant - view of warbirds cavorting around in their natural element.
Still haven't quite come to terms with the fact that they died a few short miles from where I was happily doing my thing. Two far more experienced aviators than I will ever be. It's not right.
But every time I saw the footage - and god knows it was shown incessantly that night - I thought it was an avoidable accident. The extent of the coverage was disgusting, the timing of the footage ill-judged, but I still got the same feeling every time it was shown. Too low, too slow, too indicisive.
A crying shame, and for anyone who feels my words are harsh, believe me, I HAVE shed tears over this.
The only thing I wanted to add to the discussion was a comment to Neil Porter.
Quote.
"I saw the whole thing happen from the road near the village on the hill, was busy filming the Firefly coming towards me when i suddenely realised as soon as the Firefly went inverted & saw the nose coming down & pointing more or less in the area where i was standing, I ran like hell.
I remember glancing up quickly whilst running to see if i was going to die or may have a chance of surviving, for it to pass very low & slightly to one side of me & crash approx 200ft / 250ft behind me into the cornfield!
Very very scary, definetly a close call & it took me a day to realise just how lucky i was."
If you'd have been taken out by the Firefly, you would have been the first public airshow casualty in the UK since 1952. Purely through your own bloody stupid actions in standing under the display area. Thereby resulting in media calls for airshows to be banned, and the very aircraft you purport to adore being grounded. Think about it, muppet.
