Around 1968 the RAAF had HS748's at the School of Air Navigation (SAN) based at RAAF Base East Sale and used for training navigators. At each graduation parade, a formation fly-past by HS 748's would take place. In those days it was common (but often unexplainable) for some RAAF aircraft to enter the circuit in formation at high speed on what was termed "the initial". Over the aerodrome, each aircraft in turn would then break left with a rapid 90 degree turn followed by a second rapid 90 degree turn on to the downwind leg. Aircraft would space themselves behind the aircraft in front to achieve separation on touch down.
Now all this was taught at RAAF Flying training schools as part of basic formation flying which would usually culminate into a "Buzz and break" manoeuvre as it was known. It was in turn (no pun intended) based upon WW2 fighter squadrons coming back from operational missions where there was no guarantee that enemy intruder aircraft were not waiting in the area to shoot down aircraft who were in the landing configuration with no speed to manoeuvre to avoid enemy fire.
Thus the idea was to keep landing aircraft at a high speed for as long as possible before configuring gear and flaps down. Rapid speed loss was attained by high G turns in the circuit. This was a fighter manoeuvre and never designed for heavier types which normally had a lower "G" limit than a fighter.
But because this "buzz and break"was taught to trainee pilots on Elementary and Basic Pilots Course, it led to pilots doing this when they flew other types and was considered good fun although quite unnecessary operationally. In my day we did buzz and breaks on four engine bombers as well as in DC3's if in formation. We did it on Tiger Moths and Wirraways, too. It was a good excuse for a bit of "hack - flick -zooming" and we probably all indulged in this aerial hooning at some time in our career from the lowest rank to Air Vice Marshal. Fine for fighter jocks but not really meant for other types.
Yet it goes on to this day with civilian pilots flying war birds like Harvards and even CT4's at air shows such as RAAF Point Cook, Victoria. To those of us long in the tooth, we see these fancy buzz and breaks at air shows as a bit of a wank by the pilots concerned pretending to be WW2 fighter pilots.
Thread drift finis. Back to the opening paragraph re the RAAF SAN HS 748 graduation fly pasts. Maybe they still do them on King Airs at East Sale?
Anyway, on one of the HS 748 formation fly pasts at RAAF East Sale, the formation leader (?) was going like the clappers on his initial run-in with other 748's trying to keep up. At the point where the first aircraft passed over the runway and made its 90 degree left (very) steep turn and using full control wheel deflection to get the turn going, the aircraft likely exceeded its Va and one aileron clean broke off. Fortunately the other aileron held and the 748 landed safely. One reason never to exceed Va..
