Bandaranaike MiG splash

[Kato747]

tried to respond to BoraBora on other thread... no luck

Arab Times – 21 Aug 01 (Reuters)

“Stunt Brought Down Jet”: A Ukranian pilot whose jet fighter crashed last week near Sri Lanka’s only international airport had been performing aerobatics to celebrate his country’s Aviation Day, air force officials said on Monday.
Captain L. Valeri was killed when his Sri Lanka air force MiG-27 hit a row of houses outside the Bandaranaike International Airport on Saturday, injuring seven people on the ground.
“Afterwards they began some aerobatics, doing loops and barrel rolls with special permission to mark Ukranian Aviation Day which fell on Saturday,” said the official.

This didn't hit local news in Colombo til Sunday.......?

I have no idea how this guy could have started doing aerobatics "afterwards" Maybe Reuters can answer that?
:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[ 22 August 2001: Message edited by: Kato747 ]

[ 22 August 2001: Message edited by: Kato747 ]

[Onan the Clumsy]

Maybe he hit the house at high speed, straight and level and THEN the loops and rolls began.

[sprucemoose]

I didn't know Sri Lanka had MiG-27s. Still, no point crashing one into what remained of Bandaranaike International Airport after the Tigers got at it!

[gravity victim]

British pilot goes in at airshow - long, sympathetic threads on pprune about the tragedy, RIP, chunks of 'High Flight' quoted etc. All very understandable.

Foreign pilot goes in at airshow - cue for jokes.

Food for thought here? I guess he had friends and family too, and this is a globally-read site. :(

[Gainesy]

GV,
Well said.
Gainesy

[Jump Johnny Jump !]

Gv,
Good call
Rest In Peace
:(