Military Aircraft Horsing around.

[nomorecatering]

Theres many videos of Military aircraft, including mostly fast jets doing low flybys with soldiers on a runway, but theres the odd chopper and even a 707. A few Airforces are featured but the French Airforce seems to dominate. These events seem pre planned, at kleast well enough to have cammeras.

Its seems to be mostly of deployments to Africa or the Middle East.

I though all military ops were tightly scripted and programmed, so how do crews seem to be able to muck around at will with $40 million + assets.

[ZH875]

You think they are real?!!!!


Have you never heard of Photoshop? :E

[charliegolf]

Isn't it only chinooks that do the horsey thing? Allegedly.

CG

[Wholigan]

*** Pours large Highland Park, cooks some popcorn and sits back in comfy chair to watch *** :E

[Old-Duffer]

NMC,

The answer to your question is well illustrated in the accident to Puma ZA934 on 8 August 2007 and the fatal injuries caused to a soldier at South Cerney some years before, when he was hit by a Hercules, whilst standing on the cab roof of a lorry. A less serious illustration is the Phantom flypast at Cranwell.

It's to see how far the boundaries can be pushed and what one can get away with. However, in these days when a simple mobile phone can record it all for posterity and send it round the world in an instant, it becomes more difficult to keep quiet. When it all goes wrong things are really serious.

Old Duffer

[Wensleydale]

The Lancaster Bomber crews in WW2 used to play chicken with other aircraft. They would take turns in shutting down an engine to see who could maintain height on fewer engines. (I have seen photographs of a B17 on 2 engines taken from a Lanc, both props feathered on the wing shown in the photo. Apparantly, the Lanc won). During a war when chances of survival were extremely low anyway, such things didn't seem to matter! Boys 0f 20 will be boys of 20, no matter what the era.

[Door Slider]

If you were to ask if there is a systematic culture of 'horsing around' among British military crews these days I think the answer would be no.

People will always conduct low level flypasts but I'm fairly certain they don't go out to intentionally break their auth or do something reckless.

[nomorecatering]

Craziest Low Pass Ever ! MUST SEE !! [French Mirage F1] - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLXhPoxytsM&feature=related)

VERY low Harrier ("I won't flinch..") - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRfDsSnLtE4&feature=related)

KC-135 Very Low Fly-By !!!! - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WmhAa_CJYY)

Do I need to show more?

[Winco]

Yes Please! Thanks

[FantomZorbin]

The best is still Rah Hannah's with Alain Whatshisname!!

[TEEEJ]

Nomorecatering,

The Harrier in Afghanistan "I won't flinch" incident resulted in an RAF Board of Inquiry.

Vox, Chapter 13: Expedition Benthic Orchid 2, Leaving the RAF, Carol Kitson, Project Ocean Vision and Elysium Strand. Ken Courtnage and Jeane Kitson. (http://www.projectoceanvision.com/vox-13.htm#boi)

[TEEEJ]

Argentine Air Force. The aircraft is an FMA Pampa

7ZxecONPNWY

FMA IA 63 Pampa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FMA_IA_63_Pampa)

Cockpit view

xDDxU5sB-SI

FMA Pucara

md3isBtLqv4

[A A Gruntpuddock]

This looks almost as low as the famous Spitfire takeoff

P-51 Low Pass - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Dm9K95nEMCQ)

and then there is this -

RAF Very Low Level Flight - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljofhhdDGPo&list=FLBaFregkYr4qP7PfwY233sg&index=9&feature=plpp_video)

[NutLoose]

I believe this is the lowest fly by :E

Pilot pulls up landing gear while on runway - YouTube (http://youtu.be/-Cunaek9W24)


Don't forget the Gnat....

RAF Very Low Level Flight - YouTube (http://youtu.be/ljofhhdDGPo)

[NutLoose]

L-39 ONE METRE HIGH FLIGHT - YouTube (http://youtu.be/S19Zz6IUkgU)

[monkeymanagement]

OK, where's the infamous Cranwell Grad flyby?

[ianp]

trouble is you can only ever equal the record for low flying......

[OafOrfUxAche]

I though all military ops were tightly scripted and programmed


Brilliant, keep 'em coming!:ok:

[ktk]

OK, where's the infamous Cranwell Grad flyby?

Mike knows!!

[TEEEJ]

Old Peugeot advert. Low flying Hercules.

F4yOLH9IpTE

[coldbuffer]

That would be the Tristars transporting all the King's horses :p

[DX Wombat]

I rather enjoy watching Tactical Manoeuvres Practice. :E :ok:

[ShyTorque]

OK, where's the infamous Cranwell Grad flyby?
Mike knows!!

The RAF used to show it as an example of incompetence during the Flying Auth's course.

[Ron Cake]

Don't keep us in suspense - what was the infamous Cranwell flyby?
Account please.

[sitigeltfel]

This may a still of the flyby...

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee201/sitigeltfel/VulcanCranwell.jpg

[MadsDad]

Nah, the Cranwell fly-past referred to involved a pair of F4s and much lower levels.

At MadsLads graduation parade one of the others in the parade was a returnee to the RAF who had been at the parade referred to for his first passing-out and who explained all over lunch. Sounded interesting.

[obnoxio f*ckwit]

sitigeltfel, was that sometime in 1991?

[skwinty]

A bit of googling found this.

Top Ten Low Fly Pasts - Page 6 (http://www.arrse.co.uk/aviation/131692-top-ten-low-fly-pasts-6.html)


The very young Mushroom had just started at Cranwell at the time and saw the infamous flypast (albeit from a distance) in question which took place in Dec 86 for the graduation of 97 IOTC. It involved 2 x F-4, one of which went either side of the clock tower. The one who went over the parade was pulling stupid amounts of alpha (especially in an F-4) in full blower and did indeed blow several graduating cadets over with numerous others losing caps. I thought the idiot was going to stoof into the East Wing of College Hall Officers' Mess. The rear jet had a last minute sensible caption and went higher.

Upon landing at Coningsby, the pilot of the lower jet was met by his Stn Cdr and subsequently lost an already notified promotion. I've heard he also got a 2 year punishment tour in the Falklands.

The flypast was edited out of the official graduation video but is used on flt safety courses. Sadly, I've never seen it.

Regarding the B-52 pilot (who was the wing STANEVAL), this is also now used as a case history on Flying Supervisor courses. The guy was an arrogant idiot who felt he was above the law (as indeed his supervisory chain had allowed him to become). Even his wife had stated that her husband could 'do what he wants and nobody can stop him' to other wives.

The incident followed several years of progressively more irresponsible flying in progressively more public scenarios. On the course, I was shown another video of said pilot clearing a ridge on an Hawaian bombing range by 6 ft.

His arrogance - and the failure of his supervisory chain - is moot testement to Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection. It's just a shame he took several others with him.

The C-135FR low flying video is probably just about the next most idiotic thing I've seen on video.

Regards,
MM

[mlc]

It's not just military pilots who have rushes of blood to the head:
TAP Airbus A310 Low Pass Turn - Portugal Airshow 2007, Evora (Uncut HD Version) - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=26H-WzIe858)

[MightyGem]

Here's a photo of the Cranwell flypast:

http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/TPC/Funny_Pictures/0001-1000/0001-0100/0090/lowflyf4the-shop.jpg

[Jobza Guddun]

Nope. That's from St Athan, post-major servicing. I believe that the Cranwell episode has never been posted on the internet.

[skwinty]

This story says St Athan and was the prearranged last flight of a retiring wingco.


Top Ten Low Fly Pasts - Page 6 (http://www.arrse.co.uk/aviation/131692-top-ten-low-fly-pasts-6.html#post3186823)

[Fishtailed]

What about Colin Rae's last Lightning flight!

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f280/fishtailed/th_Lightning.jpg (http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f280/fishtailed/?action=view&current=Lightning.mp4)

[just another jocky]

It's not big...




...and it's not clever. :=




But it's bl00dy good fun! :E




Not me Sir, never. Nope. Uh uh. :}

[BEagle]

Having seen the video of the RAFC flypast when I attended the Flying Supervisor's Course, I confirm that the lower F-4 (which appeared from behind Whittle Hall pulling and sinking) looked very close to losing it....

The noise was...significant. The final shots of some poor sods having to collect graduating officers' SD caps from the College Hall Parade Ground was rather amusing though.

I'm told that various parents wrote to the Commandant praising the 'most impressive flypast'!

Flashback to my 'crowing' days in RAFC's SBL in 1968-9. A brand new F-4M arrived across the aerodrome at warp lots, went into full AB and pulled to the vertical, disappearing upwards in a blast of noise in a series of vertical rolls....:ok: Well, that motivated us more than somewhat!

[APG63]

This one was quite famous at the time...

Vox, Chapter 6 - Ascension Island. (http://www.projectoceanvision.com/vox-06.htm#asi-low-pass)

[Mach Two]

Oh, yes. I remember that well. It was bl**dy close and I think it was the Jengo that caught it on film. QWIN was not happy. It was only ever refered to as "The Photograph" to keep it away from the Boss.

The ATC team used to wind everyone up by saying things on the RT like "What y'all gonna do now?" and "Can't you guys go supersonic?"

[Pontius Navigator]

Low flying limits and flight safety rules means that any authorised pilot flying within these limits should not kill either himself, his crew, or anyone on the ground. 'Any pilot' implies the newest sprog on the sqn to the oldest and most experienced.

Once old and experienced it is possibly to fly lower, faster, and outwith the rules.

Unfortunately there is no official assessment for the award of 'old and experienced' and too many pilots fail the ultimate test thus proving the adage that there are old pilots, bold pilots, but no old, bold pilots.

[ZH875]

One of my favourites:

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

[hum]

Re post #37 ... well done in later life! ;-)

Vox, Chapter 13: Expedition Benthic Orchid 2, Leaving the RAF, Carol Kitson, Project Ocean Vision and Elysium Strand. Ken Courtnage and Jeane Kitson. (http://www.projectoceanvision.com/vox-13.htm#boi)

[Airbrake]

I was on Support Sqn for the Grad Flypast and have never seen the video despite searching the net for it many times. If anybody has a link or even a still shot, it would be appreciated. I vividly remember the blast of hot air and grit sweeping across CHOM. That flypast got me through the last 6 weeks.

[Phil_R]

Are ceremonial flypasts a popular job among aircrew? Do people clamour to do it?

Usually there are four Tornados buzzing around Essex on the eleventh. I assume there'll be fewer this year as four Tornados probably represents every serviceable aircraft in the current RAF, but I doubt it's a terribly enlightening job.

Presumably if you don't get to do that on 11 November, though, you end up standing in a formation somewhere saluting things. No?

P

[Mach Two]

Are flypasts popular among aircrew? Yes, I would say so. I've always enjoyed doing them. Usually needs a reasonably experienced crew/pilot to lead the formation and a good opportunity to get some of the younger guys on the wing. Great pride in getting the timing spot-on and presenting a good formation to the public. I'm sure we could start a whole new thread on formations that went wrong!!!

As for Tornado flypasts on 11th November, I wonder who'll be flying with the current Mk10 ejection seat issue. At the moment, that includes the Hawk, Tucano and Tornado. We shall see.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Formations that went wrong?
Thanks for the reminder, not.
I'm going to have to call my trick cyclist and my spiritual advisor immediately now!
The experience went: :ok: :suspect: :confused: :uhoh: :mad: :eek: :\

[Duncan D'Sorderlee]

ZH875,

Where was teh Vulcan flypast? There is a bloke in the left of the picture with his fingers in his ears!

Duncs:ok:

[A A Gruntpuddock]

This one seemed pretty low at around the 1 minute mark

FA-18 Super Hornet very LOW Fly by! - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=jVPi3Baz8k4)

Don't know if this counts as I suspect it was unintentional

Plane Nearly Crashes During Air Show - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=xsNSjna8g7I)

[Truck2005]

The story on Arrse is a little off mark. This fly past happened on quite a few occasions, post Major, (I have been blown over on at least 2 occasions, along with an lady on a bike the other side of the fence that is out of shot to the right). The Bucaneer also did similar beatups but using its own unique talents, (ie flying between Aberthaw power station stacks and coming over the fence at stupid level). The same pilot did the flight tests and deliveries in those days.

[Poltergeist]

Brilliant thread :ok: thanks all

[jamesdevice]

so whats the difference between all these near crashes and the incident in the "Puma Crash Catterick 2007" thread?
In this thread everyone (or most) seem to be thinking these stunts are fun and something to be applauded. Whereas in the Puma thread the pilots are being criticised. Somewhat hypocritical perhaps? Or is it a case of horseplay isn't horseplay until it goes wrong?

[clareprop]

Or is it a case of horseplay isn't horseplay until it goes wrong?

Yep, I would think that sums it up nicely - like most things in life. Perhaps it's where the term "Hero to Zero" came from....

[Mach Two]

In my experience it is horseplay until it goes wrong or until you get caught.

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

so whats the difference...


The other difference is that all the incidents mentioned so far, apart from the Puma at Catterick, happened a long time ago. I'm not saying for a moment that there is no longer any horseplay, but the youthful (sometimes!) exuberance which led to incidents like those at Cranwell and St Athan has now been tempered by the spread of both litigation and portable recording devices. As a result, horseplay (or whatever you choose to call it) is less common, and usually less flagrant, than it was up to 10-15 years ago.

[jamesdevice]

"has now been tempered by the spread of both litigation and portable recording devices"
What I would like to believe is that it has been tempered by better training, better selection policies, and better leadership. But I don't believe any one of those for an instant. Otherwise you wouldn't get situations like pissed up prats making fools of themselves in Italy...

[phantomlurker]

Not sure if this counts as horsing around, but a couple of moments after 45 seconds are quite low!

12,000 lb Tallboy Earthquake Bomb - YouTube

pl

[jamesdevice]

surely theres a difference between the calculated risk of a low level training flight, and unautrhorised ****ing about?

[ZH875]

ZH875,

Where was teh Vulcan flypast? There is a bloke in the left of the picture with his fingers in his ears!

Duncs:ok:

Not sure, I think there is the official stamp somewhere on the back, I will try find the photo and check.

[captainsmiffy]

Being 6 weeks to graduation, I watched the infamous phantom fly-by at Cranwell from "cardiac hill"; it gave me the required 'impetus' to finish the run and, indeed, the course - so hats off to whoever was flying it and would love to see the video to confirm that it really was as low as I think it was....!! (The parade was 'hats off' involuntarily, as i understand it!)

[LowObservable]

PL - Interesting video...

Hedge-hopping Stirlings versus V-2 bunkers? Don't think so! It would be interesting to see the whole Stirling video.

Most of the bomb video is from US trials with a B-29 and Grand Slam, see:

http://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/434134-question-about-tallboy-grand-slam-bombs-2.html#post6077195

Note that the B-29 ground clearance is not high enough for the bomb and loading dolly, so they had to rest the bomb on the ground, back the Superfort over it and winch it all the way in with cables. You can also see the cut-outs in the bomb-bay doors and the structure between the fore and aft bays.

[Wander00]

I've learned something new - did not realise the Americans had tried Grand Slam nor Tallboy. Interesting...

[MAINJAFAD]

Wander00. The USAF actually made limited use of a radio command guided version of Tallboy (The VB-13 TARZON) during the Korean War, Plus they did trial a Super Grand Slam (the T-12) that weighed in at over 43,000lbs.

nXCotDRYbZg

T-12 Cloudmaker (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-12_Cloudmaker)

[A A Gruntpuddock]

I think I may have found a shot of the Vulcan at the passing out parade -

http://www.pprune.org/Low%20flying%20a%20fascinating%20read%20and%20multitude%20of %20imageshttp://www.vintagewings.ca/Portals/0/Vintage_Stories/NewStories-C/Lower%20than%20a%20snake/Lowdown20.jpg

Seen in the "Low flying a fascinating read and multitude of images" post elsewhere in this section.

[ZH875]

I have just pulled the Low Level Vulcan from the Photo Album, there are no stamps on the back Officicial or Otherwise, so I cannot elaborate any further as to the Location.

My Swinderby Flypast was IIRC a pair of Jaguars above (or in cloud) invisible to the ground,:( but bang on time.:ok:

[jamesdevice]

http://www.vintagewings.ca/Portals/0/Vintage_Stories/NewStories-C/Lower%20than%20a%20snake/Lowdown20.jpg

just trying to make that link work

[ehwatezedoing]

The C-135FR low flying video is probably just about the next most idiotic thing I've seen on video.


Last I knew, this C-135F crew has been demoted/fired since.
And regarding all French air Force low flying with on board portable cameras that we can "admire" on various YouTube video, they were ban (the cameras) from cockpits.
Exception given to the jet fighters on alert for interceptions/identifications.



I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

[Wander00]

DJF - Many thanks - that would make someone's eyes water!

[Argonautical]

Don't know if it has been posted before, but the Israelis seem to jail their aircrew for "horsing around".

Israeli F-15 pilot jailed after performing dangerous maneuvers at Decimomannu « The Aviationist (http://theaviationist.com/2011/02/09/israeli-f-15-pilot-jailed/)

[BEagle]

Note the control surface positions:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/nw969/Vulcan.jpg

Someone was rather keen to enter a climb, it would appear!

If anyone has a photo of XL319 'saying goodbye' to RAF Honington static display on 17 June 1978, I would be intrigued to see it.

The Rad Alt showed 80ft, if I recall correctly:= We were doing 350KIAS at the time :ooh:

[Mach Two]

Re the F-15. http://cencio4.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/f15-sequence-low-rez.jpg


Something not quite right about the sequence of photographs. First, look at the positions of the control surfaces in each picture. Second, considerable pitch up as the Eagle goes through rolling inverted without associated stab movement. Third, aircraft is heading progressively further away from the camera, yet appears more head-on in the final picture that in the preceeding one, or indeed the first one.

The F-15 is inherantly departure-resistant (without the wing tanks), but low, slow, heavy aeros are a bit gamey.

[Mechta]

From the article about the Israeli chaps rolling after take off:

a pilot and a navigator of the 106 Sqn of the Israeli Air Force, based at Tel Nof, were sent to prison for 7 days and suspended from flight activities for one yearI thought a 'Tel Nof' was the usual sanction for such activities...:}