F4 extreme Low pass..

[scudpilot]

Hi All,
Aplogies for dropping in on the forum, and if the post should be in spectators, please feel free to move.
I am a huge fan of the F4, and obviously do not get to seem the very often, in fact,I think the last F4 I saw flying was a Luftwaffe example that escorted a German Typhoon in for the Farnborough Airshow in 2000?.. Anyway, I heard a story some years ago of an (I think ) RAF pilot who did an extreme low pass netween 2 hangars and I recall seeing a picture of it also, anyway... does anyone on here know the story behind this, and is the picture still online anywhere? :ok:

[im from uranus]

This one?

The Home of the Phantomeers (http://www.phantomreunion.talktalk.net/lowfly.htm)

Traditionally, on leaving overhaul at Saint Athan, aircraft would do a fly-by for the benefit of the groundcrew who had worked on it. The pilot of this particular Phantom FG1, a retiring Wing Commander, was chatting to a member of the ground crew the day before the departure flight. He said he was going to fly between the hangars and that the guy should be ready with a camera to record the event. It was due to be his last flight, so he was going to do something 'special'. The groundcrew weren't too convinced of the pilot's claim, but stood around as usual anyway watching as the F4 took off, destination Leuchars. As the photo shows, the pilot was not joking, you can see the afterburner diamonds quite clearly in front of the hangar. You can also see personnel standing underneath it. The recently tuned Speys allegedly shook a man working in the roof of one of the hangars enough for him to fall and break his leg. These hangars are set east to west, about 75 yards apart, and you can estimate the height from the length of the Phantom. Immediately after the event, the pilot was contacted by the tower and was instructed in no uncertain terms to 'return and land immediately'. As I am told, he did so and was given a severe rollicking. I don't know what action was taken, but it was his last flight in any case. What a way to go out, I wonder if it ranks as one of the shortest logged emergency-free Phantom flights?
This story is not exaggerated - I don't know the original photographer, but the picture was taken on an ordinary instamatic camera, and then a blow-up was made. The original is, as a favour, temporarily in the possession of the current Station Commander at St Athan who is an ex-F4 jockey. From the enlargement I have made the Phantom as XV575. The aircraft was scrapped in September 1991, but its legacy has to be this photograph.

:=:D

[scudpilot]

Thats the one... cheers ! :ok:

[MadsDad]

I think this is the picture you're thinking of.....

http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu195/Mads_Dad/lowflyf4the-shop.jpg

[sycamore]

Then of course there`s `Tommys` formation F4 flypast at the College which blew a few hats off, if anyone has the picture.?

[Wader2]

When I looked at the phot I thought I was going to see some low flying :(

I remember a pair of Lightnings departing Upavon. No 1 was so fast that we only had time to see where he had come from as he disappeared in the corner of our vision. This meant we were looking at the spot where No 2 emerged. No 2 of course was line astern and lower - about half the hangar height. They were doing IIRC 0.9 or thereabouts.

One I didn't see, except for the evidence, was the aerial that Ron Dick took out at Ohakea in a Vulcan. It was strung between hangars just like at Saints. The tail took it out.

[Northern Circuit]

Any truth in the rumour that a lightning (probably Q on its way back south) did a flyby of benbecula and found himself being charged with landing fees in the process?

[Load Toad]

A bit off thread but... before the first gulf war I worked at a ceramics type factory out side Stoke - on - Trent - the plan of the factory (which was in a v.slight valley) would have shown a long road running to and through the factory (right next to a railway line) and two large chimney stacks. Prior to the invasion of Kuwait it wasn't unusual to see RAF jets going past hundreds of feet above.
But just before the war kicked off the frequency of RAF Tornado and USAF A-10's that were in the area increased considerably. I'm not qualified in any way military but it seemed the Tornado's were flying down the factory - between the chimneys, straight down the road running through the factory whilst the A-10 were practising something coming in from the side of the factory - sort of down the shallow valley before turning away.
The Tornados were certainly a lot lower than in 'peacetime' - one day carrying lab samples I looked up as a Tornado passed over nearly upside down - the crew clearly visible - the sound nearly causing me to soil my samples - f' ace.

52°56'56.26"N
2° 2'1.46"W

[ShyTorque]

Then of course there`s `Tommys` formation F4 flypast at the College which blew a few hats off, if anyone has the picture.?

The RAF Flight Safety organisation had a video, which they used as an example of how not to do it, for officers on the Flying Supervisors' course.

I thought the bit where the parade SNCO was gathering up the Graduating Officers' best SD hats was the best.

Then I had the pleasure of being given a posting to work for Tommy himself; well that was different, wasn't it? :hmm:

[Strobin Purple]

Wader2

Hang on Upavon's only got a grass strip, were they specially equipped Lightnings with knobbly tyres?

SP

[Fed-Up]

I remember visiting Saunders Island in the early 1990's for R&R, and having a look at Biffo's photo album. One photo shows her house with what looked like a Phantom tail behind it. Biffo said that it was strange as the phone to the shearing shed across the paddock stopped working for a while, as the telegraph wire had been broken at this time.

Rumour has it that at this time the Phantom landed with wire traing from the aircraft, and that the plods could never work out how it happened.

A coincidence ??

[Cows getting bigger]

Fed-up, I remember seeing exactly the same photo early '89. I wish there was a copy kicking around. Not sure about whether the aircraft had a wire in tow though.:ok:

[Green Flash]

Cows

Thread drift, but that reminds me of a story my Dad told me of a trip he had in a Beverley between Boscombe and Farnbrough in 2000 +RADZ OVC001 and landing with miles of phone wire around the legs and some very angry Post Office engineers at the front gates!

[Aur]

This greek F-4 low level pass always gets me
YouTube - Greek F-4 Phantom ( HAF ), extremely low flight over the Aegean sea! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PF8A11AWTY)

[FlightTester]

I remember visiting Saunders Island in the early 1990's for R&R, and having a look at Biffo's photo album. One photo shows her house with what looked like a Phantom tail behind it. Biffo said that it was strange as the phone to the shearing shed across the paddock stopped working for a while, as the telegraph wire had been broken at this time.

Rumour has it that at this time the Phantom landed with wire traing from the aircraft, and that the plods could never work out how it happened.


If I recall the subsequent BOI correctly there was some mention of "There I was at 2000ft when the master caution illuminated, I looked down to the CWP to see what had caused it, and when I went heads out again I was at 25ft going across Saunders Island"

Hmmm:D:ok:

[pr00ne]

Wader2.

No Lightning EVER 'departed Upavon....................'

[Double Zero]

I was once told in all seriousness by a Naval Gunnery Officer ( 1960's service I should think ) how a couple of Buccaneers had landed on a senior officers' long gravel drive for a weekend stay...must have been an impressive place !

[AR1]

The wire capture Phantom incident was reported in 'Air Clues' at the time. If I remember correctly there was copper wire found on the tanks or similar. The route of the A/C was traced and the offending broken telephone wire was discovered. My mind says there was a picture with the article (of the damaged A/C) - but time may be playing tricks with me.

[ORAC]

Two words, "measles rock".

[Wader2]

Apologies about saying it was Upavon. Having always served north of the Watford Gap they all look and sound the same. May I say Abingdon or Andover then or conceivably Benson and plead anno dominii? I would check my log books but I can't remember why we were there.

I don't think it was with the Vulcan, more likely with the Lancaster.

[FNU_SNU]

I heard a rumour that a RAF pilot flew a Hawk through the belly of a transport aircraft (Antinov?), can anyone shed any light on this?

[charliegolf]

.... and the tower guy was heard to call, "The plane Boss, the plane".

It happened on the other FI.:ok:

CG

[Tim McLelland]

I heard a rumour that a RAF pilot flew a Hawk through the belly of a transport aircraft (Antinov?), can anyone shed any light on this?

That's the funniest thing I've read in a long time:D

Going back to 575 I was fortunate enough to get a joyride in that very aircraft after it had returned to Leuchars - courtesy of Archie Liggot. Happy days! If anyone spots any other shots of the aircraft I'd love to see 'em.

[ZH875]

It's not just Phantoms and Buccaneers that fly low....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/ZH875/Flypast1.jpg

[trex450]

more than a rumour, it happened, a guy who shared his name with a, now dead, famous british comedien with first name Kenny. He was very lucky to get the a/c back to MPA

[Exmil]

I was down south around the time of the alleged low flying incident and visited Biffo - great photo! The investigation revealed copper wire splatter on the engine blades that might have matched the wire that was missing, which was somewhere around 20ft AGL apparently. Rumour has it that when the BOI arrived demanding access and wire samples they were told to "get orf my land".

There are numerous alleged examples of F4 (and other) low flying - if only there was a way of sharing stories without incriminating oneself or others...

[Lightning Mate]

The Harrier TP was a mate called Steve Brown who had passed his hearing test for years watching the girl push the button.

Right now I am sitting at my desk opposite the very man.

[Pontius Navigator]

It was never the same after she stopped twiddling in my ear with her finger and whispering.

I guess as I didn't get my face slapped my hearing was OK.

[trex450]

Sadly the amusing myth about flying low over penguins still goes on, the one about going along the beach each way while they watch and then how they fall over when you go over the top. They simply scatter causing huge destruction to eggs and allowing predators in to attack the chicks. Low flying is fun but as with all forms of flying thought should be applied as well.

[Megamoto]

St Athan early '80s. I remember looking down on an F4 heading north. I was on the first floor in Flight Planning.

[Speedpig]

When I were a lad ......
I used to live in Gloucestershire and when mowing grass on my tractor on the side of a valley would often be looking down on Harriers, Tornados, Jags etc as they flew west towards the "alleged" radar on Bredon Hill... is it really there?..... thanks to the FJ pilot who screamed over a hedge missing my cab by what felt like just a few feet giving me the scare of my life... I bet you had a lock on too..
Also remember seeing the Hercs turning at around 300 feet at Wormington Grange Lake which one pilot told me was a well known turning point.
We were privileged to live on quite a busy military flight path which brought B52s out of Fairford and even the odd Vulcan and F4 hurtling past.
I especially remember the Vulcan test bed for the Concorde Olympus engines coming by. What a sight, what a noise! No one ever complained, just craned their necks upward in wonder:D

[Lima Juliet]

Short of crashing, surely this beats them all ???
http://www.techspot.com/gallery/data/500/Suchoi_Su-27_-_Low.jpg

[sunshine band]

Don't worry about how low the SU-27 is... With his AAR probe out, think how low the tanker must be...

SB

[Fitter2]

At RAF Middleton St George (now Tyne-Tees International) in '62, outside the old electronics centre (the prefeb shack, replaced as usual by a superb gin palace 18 months before they closed down) there was a WW2 air raid shelter, the old grass covered mound type about 10ft above ground level at the highest point, and a suitable grandstand for air display observation.

When the Blue Diamonds (92 sqdn. Hunters) were doing a BoB day practice, from the top of the shelter I looked down on the solo machine departing at the end of his routine, less than 100ft away (my hearing hasn't been the same since, although in fairness close proximity to assorted Lightnings hasn't helped).

I found out later the culprit was one Douggie Bridson, who was supposed to be so mad even his fellow fighter pilots noticed.

There was also the Vulcan at Boscombe doing the calibrated ASI run so low the flight was no use because of the ground effect on the static ports (the photo is in the 'Boscombe - the Cold War Years' book.)

[Lightning Mate]

Or this...

http://s636.photobucket.com/albums/uu82/Lightning_29/th_Lightninglow.jpg

That's the taxyway by the way.

Help! All my pics at 800x600 in Photobucket always come up at this size on here.

[Aeromole]

Slightly different tack.....

Landaway from Linton to Lossie in a JP5.....mid-80s. Low flying across Scotland....landed to be greeted by OC Ops or someone to say that they had had a low flying complaint against us. Lady somehwere in mid-Scotsland said we were flying so low that we had '...sucked her kitten off the kitchen windowledge!'. Hmmmmm! :)

[Lightning Mate]

You did what to her kitten?

...or did you mean to say pussy?

[Farmer 1]

Pay attention, Mate. He says quite clearly we had '...sucked her kitten off

[Lightning Mate]

Oh, all right then.

[Gainesy]

That just outside the tower at AKR LM?

NB Airbrakes. Practice Op Block off I'd guess.:)

[Lightning Mate]

That just outside the tower at AKR LM?

Yes, well spotted. Photo taken from tower.

NB Airbrakes. Practice Op Block off I'd guess.

No. Hooligan pass. Airbrakes out to improve speed stability and engine response time I suspect. Was not a take-off.

LM

[AndoniP]

LM

here you go

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu82/Lightning_29/Lightninglow.jpg

[Lightning Mate]

Thanks Buddy.

May I ask you to PM me and explain how you did it?

LM

[ivor toolbox]

Believe it or not that F4 was not even close to the lowest one I saw. Guy put one between the fire section and tower with 90 AOB.

ahhh....I remember that one...we'd just seen him off from the ramp, and he'd asked why no-one was outside to see ; it was mentioned it was lunchtime and nearly everyone had gone to the mess..

I do wonder what happened to the photos' that were taken from the 76 hangar roof

ttfn

[tantalite]

For my sins I took grandstands from Cranwell to Locking for the Radio School Anniversary, think 50 years. Was the SWOs best mate for a week and all passed well save for a storm causing bother the night before.

Red Arrows performed, Gnats obviosly and wheels were touched on the Parade Square as well as evasive action to avoid a barrack block and a water tower, I have no pictures but some must exist?

[Madbob]

At the risk of thread drift as this is not about an F4, the most memorable solo display I have ever seen was of Ray Hannah in a Spitfire whilst a "stude" at Linton in 1979. He flew over the grass beteen the pan and the runway with about half a prop diameter's clearance ( 4-5 feet?) and I know that there's a photo to proove it! Not mine I'm afraid but I shall try and get a copy and post it here..... Ian A have you still got it?

At the time I didn't know who Ray Hannah was, but the instructors all did and thankfully got us all out of the 2 Sqn crew room to watch. Happy days indeed. :ok:

MB

[Visitation]

I borrowed the original negative from the SATCO who took the photo from the balcony of the Tower and I have a poster sized copy of the photo of which I kept for myself and I had one other made that graces the wall of a crewroom at Shawbury .

The pilot of the Lightning was a Kiwi and it was his end of detachment 'low pass' to say farewell. If I remember correctly, there were four photos on the negative showing the Lightning getting lower and lower as it came along the taxiway and the final one is where he's just passing in front of the Fire Section.

I regret to say I never had the negative copied and sadly I believe it was subsequently lost.

Visitation

[MAINJAFAD]

Two words, "measles rock".

F-4's were long gone by the time I got to the southern radar site (Though got to see a Flicker knife over measles rock and between the Radome and the FITS tower, wing tip no more than 15 ft above the deck. Also saw some good F-4 measles at the better radar site down south 10 years before). However, I have seen a video taken on measles rock from the late 1980's of a F-4 coming over the rock, everything down, very slow and very low. So low in fact that it was only full burner and a massive cloud of peat that resulted, that stopped the Phantom sinking into the deck. Rumour has it that the Nav nearly banged out, as he thought the aircraft was a goner, and that he also decked the pilot when they got back on the ground at MPA. One other thing I remember on the video was a voice on it as the phantom sank out of view behind the rock's before the increase in jet noise and peat blast.....

....."F*** he's low!!!!!"

One other thing, boy's on 751 SU, called the F-4 Jock 'Mad Dog', for some unknown reason.;););)

[Gainesy]

Akrotiri again. Exactly the same place as the Lightning.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/Gainesy/19akrtakeoff.jpg

[johnfairr]

Got a date for that photo, Gainesy? Could well be my big bro when he was out there with 92.

[Gainesy]

No mate, sorry, not my picture.

[Take That]

I think it was taken during 19(F) Squadron's Armament Practice Camp, April - May 1984.

[taxydual]

The Missouri Mules (The Missouri Air National Guard) had a deployment to Leeming in the early '80's with their F4's.

Cracking bunch of guys.

A four-ship launched to do simulated airfield attacks against Leeming who were on exercise (usual Support Command caper, fully loaded pick-axe handles, JP5 at RS10 on QRA etc etc).

I emerged from my 'NBC shelter', (made from black polythene bin liners), to see four F4's wazz Leeming from N,S,E and W at zero feet, and I mean zero feet.

The weapons release consisted of two toilet rolls tucked behind the airbrakes. Pop the airbrakes at the right time and, voila, Leeming covered in Andrex snow.

Brilliant.

We, the Brits thought it ace. The Bird Colonel of the ANG had a fit (abusing our hosts' airfield etc etc) and made the attacking crews do the Fod Plod on their hands and knees.

Russ McGruder, where are you?

[Lima Juliet]

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a308/chriswr450/f4lowpass2.jpg

[Lima Juliet]

http://de.geocities.com/glupscherle/f4-flyby.jpg

[EGGP]

Leon

Many thanks for posting those pics; that last one was Looooow!:ok:

[escapee]

I too have seen the Tornado flown extremely low at Saints. Sometime in the mid eighties I was doing some AEF at Saints. A Tornado took off being delivered somewhere or other, we Spacies were told to go outside as the aircraft would do a low fly past. Stood outside chatting near the tower on West camp when I saw a Tornado come between the hangars on a wing tip, go past us, not too far away still on a wing tip before climbing away. Not sure how high it was but my abiding memory is seeing, as it passed us, the reflective strips on top of the pilot and navs helmet.
At the end of the eighties and early nineties I was a staff cadet on the VGS at Saints and witnessed quite a few low level beat ups but never the same as the first one.

[John Eacott]

Of course, the really low passes at sea were the ones where my camera was still in my cabin :rolleyes:

These two happened when the camera was actually switched on:

Firepower demo off Ark, 4 ship pass:

http://www.eacott.com.au/gallery/d/3104-2/F4K+4+ship+low+pass.jpg

and whilst not very good quality, this wasn't an unusual sight when we were either flogging along at a nosebleed 200ft, it also happened when we were in a more acceptable 40ft hover ;)

http://www.eacott.com.au/gallery/d/3107-2/F4K+low+level+from+SK+cockpit.jpg

[Monty77]

Erm, yes.

'Bigging up' people who fly ridiculously low to impress others reflects on those who do it, and those who can't, but are impressed by those who do.

Inevitably, there is a crash, with all the horrible consequences that go with it.

Do it on your own time, at the Grand Canyon, with a cheap motorcycle you have bought, with your own money, you sad, attention-seeking mong.

I'd buy a ticket to watch you weed yourself out.

Crack on.

[Tourist]

Monty

Don't be gay.

[Wander00]

Then there was the Lightning pilot who was authorised for a low pass at Neatishead for a Wg Cdr's (John ???) retirement (and a Branch Officer at that) in about '85, who called he was pulling up between the two big masts - which was a pity, as that was Bacton North Sea Gas Terminal, not Neaters!

Questions were asked....

Wander00