You go left, I’ll go right....

[ORAC]

Alert 5 » Two USAF F-15s made emergency landings opposite each other on same runway - Military Aviation News (http://alert5.com/2019/01/16/two-usaf-f-15s-made-emergency-landings-opposite-each-other-on-same-runway/)

Two USAF F-15s made emergency landings opposite each other on same runway

Two U.S. Air Force F-15s were forced to make emergency landings at Kadena Air Base, Japan on Jan. 15. Both jets were forced to land on the same runway but from opposite directions, just five minutes apart. The two jets had to rely on the BAK-12 arresting gear to stop. The first jet landed at 10:26 a.m. and was still on the runway with other emergency vehicles when the second F-15 came in from the opposite end at 10:31 a.m.

According to NOTAMS, runway 05L/23R is closed for repairs and the arresting gears on that runway were unserviceable.

[Mogwi]

I had to land on 06 at Farnborough in the 80's when the Dash8 had stumphed in on the threshold of 24.

Same display; coordinated display between Hawk (flown by outstanding Irish pilot!) and SHAR. As soon as he had landed on 24, I took off in opposition on 06 - both driving on the left in true Brit fashion. Crossing speed c 250 kts, what could possibly go wrong?

Also witnessed Varsity v Jet Provost 180 out at Leeming in 69. JP stude though he was landing at Dishforth; very impressive opposition go-around!

Mog

[Cows getting bigger]

ISTR a couple of Lightnings doing something similar at Gutersloh.

[Pontius Navigator]

At our air show at Coningsby in '87 we had an F2 on the RHAG on 26 with display aircraft departing on 08.

Of course at Kadena it would have been, you go left and so will I. 😀

[NutLoose]

ISTR a couple of Lightnings doing something similar at Gutersloh.

Gut had us doing Jag engine ground runs on and to the side of the runway, while stuff was getting airborne from the other end.

[nipva]

'ISTR a couple of Lightnings doing something similar at Gutersloh' I recall that this also happened at Leuchars in 1969. QRA was scrambled and, as per SOPs, launched off down 09. However the in-use R/W was 27 and he met a colleague on his landing run whereupon he made the classic call. Fortunately our landing friend had a cooler head and went left too.

[langleybaston]

Gut had us doing Jag engine ground runs on and to the side of the runway, while stuff was getting airborne from the other end.

Were the Jags visitors? No Jags on either of my sojourns, just stacks of Hunters, lLghtnings and then Harriers, and some RW. And trooping of sorts.

[gums]

Salute!

Pontius has it right, errrr...... correct. You both go left if RAF and "right" if a colonial Viper or Eagle or Raptor.
Same as our air-to-air ROE for training - right to right, left to left, nose high stays high, etc.

Gums sends...

[pettinger93]

Seem to remember that in the memoirs of one of the ww2 ATA ladies, she described as delivering new 2 spitfires to an operational base with a colleague. Weather was poor, and they proceeded independently, mostly in cloud. On arrival over the base, cloud was almost down to the ground. She landed on the only bit of runway she could see, and , unknown to her, her colleague was landing at the same time, from the opposite direction. They only saw each other when they passed mid runway.

[NutLoose]

Were the Jags visitors? No Jags on either of my sojourns, just stacks of Hunters, lLghtnings and then Harriers, and some RW. And trooping of sorts.

Yes, it diverted in with an engine change, as did the Pembroke medivac next to us in the shed that spat a cylinder off on take off, much to the patients horror. most of the oil was still there, all down the side lol.
Saw the Jag off clean and you could hear it in reheat for ages, picked up the ladder and chocks, drove into the hangar and called Bruggen to tell them he was on his way back to be informed he was taxying in... :)

[chevvron]

At RAE Bedford, it was SOP to use 'both ends' simultaneously.
On a visit there one day from Farnborough, I was treated to the sight of a Hunter doing 1 in 1s to runway 08 with a Boeing 720 of Monarch crew training doing visual circuits, a Comet doing ILS approaches and an Andover doing 5.5 deg MLS approaches all on runway 26, all aircraft being told to 'go around and break left' at their respective threshold.

[chevvron]

I had to land on 06 at Farnborough in the 80's when the Dash8 had stumphed in on the threshold of 24.
Mog

Correction: for 'Dash 8' read 'Buffalo'; officially described as a 'heavy landing'. (NB it was still 07/25 in those days; I didn't change it due to variation change until late 2001)
The Dash 7 and Dash 8 both finished their display ('the show must go on') and diverted to Odiham.
And I had just finished writing the flying programme for the display next day so I had to start all over again as soon as I found out whether or not we would actually have a runway as the Buffalo fuel and brief fire had damaged the surface right on the threshold.

[SASless]

In a place far from home many years ago flying Chinooks very close to the Cambodian border where there were lots of folks who objected to our presence....I had a chance encounter with another Chinook flown by the guy who shared my room.

Weather was typical Monsoon style for early morning....fog beginning to lift to almost as high as the tall rubber trees in the plantations and we were carrying internal loads as underslung work just wasn't possible.

All the dirt roads in the area had been Rome Plow'ed and all the trees and sizable brush had been cleared for a hundred. meters or so on each side of the roads as an anti-ambush precaution.

As I went roaring around a curve in the road....at max chat....in a. nearly vertical bank to the left....completely unannounced from the opposite direction comes my buddy doing exactly the same thing going the opposite direction.

He pulled a bit tighter....I slacked off a bit....and as we passed by and when I I could finally get my voice to work again.....I asked him what I had done that he would not wave to me as he passed by.

His reply was such it would violate the rules of the forum....as he failed to see my sense of humor being very funny at the time.

I understand now the wisdom of the Red Ball Express concept of one way roads!

That was one of my Nine Lives gone!

[MPN11]

In my case it was same-way, same-day at Stanley. Everyone a bit tense on fuel and the Airbridge C-130 was inbound.

1. C-130 lands and goes to the far end of 27 and holds in the little turning space.
2. F-4 takes approach end cable, having been advised to the C-130 at the far end,. (Well, we did have 5 cables!
3. Islander cleared to land over the top the F-4, after assurances all switches safe.

Islander taxies in, followed by C-130, then the un-hooked F-4 ... in time for the Airbridge to arrive with a clear runway.

I'm sure it was quasi-legal, but my fg off Watch Supervisor came roaring up the stairs to Local to ask SATCO WTF he was doing! :)

[Beancountercymru]

Back in the day RAF Manston would have commercial traffic on the main, surfaced runway, AEF Chipmunks on the grass strip at an angle to it and VGS gliders on what was known as the Northern Grass.

[retreating blade]

During my middle years military flying on Puma HC1 in the NATO environment, it was widely understood that to fly in the NOE exercise scenario, the RIGHT HAND RULE was paramount. In most cases the procedure ensured that we avoided each other during circular troop lift flights in the narrow Norwegian valleys. That is until one worthy flew left hand around a blind corner, pulled hard away from the head-on conflicting traffic and flicked toward the cliff. Luckily, he survived together with his troops.

[Mogwi]

Correction: for 'Dash 8' read 'Buffalo'; officially described as a 'heavy landing'. (NB it was still 07/25 in those days; I didn't change it due to variation change until late 2001)
The Dash 7 and Dash 8 both finished their display ('the show must go on') and diverted to Odiham.
And I had just finished writing the flying programme for the display next day so I had to start all over again as soon as I found out whether or not we would actually have a runway as the Buffalo fuel and brief fire had damaged the surface right on the threshold.


Sorry Chev, the years have dimmed the memory somewhat! Good show though, funny bit was the Japanese delegation who stood up and returned my bow!!

[Krystal n chips]

It can be equally interesting to be soaring with xx other gliders, all turning left, when you are joined by somebody who decides to turn.....right.

Detmold, mid 70's, RAFG Gliding Comps.......some "non standard r/t " ensued as did a "discussion " with the pilot later that evening.

[treadigraph]

Interesting, my brief flirtation with gliding (must get back to it if I can) I can only remember thermaling to the right - I kind of assumed it was convention... or do we thermal to the right the UK, and those on the continent to the left? :)

I was a passenger in a C172 landing into wind at some small quiet airfield in Maryland, my pilot having announced our positions in the pattern including "final at XXX" on Unicom. We were about a quarter of a mile out, a C421 lined up at the other end announcing his intention to depart immediately. A squawk of protest from us and ready to go round, the C421 replied "no sweat son, I'll just wait here till ya clear..."

[longer ron]

The normal convention for gliding is that if you join a thermal then you must turn in the same direction as any gliders already in that thermal or close by,left or right is ok.Ridge soaring has its own hard and fast rules for turning/overtaking/passing.

[ShyTorque]

My student and I were taking off in poor visibility from our short runway at an RAF airfield and were just rotating when a glider appeared directly overhead and landed right in front of us. The next few seconds were a bit hectic but we missed him. However, our right wing tip passed over his left with us both on the ground, us on our left wheel. The glider pilot tried to blame us for not giving way. ATC disagreed. It would have been helpful if he had bothered to use his radio and announced his presence and intentions instead of breaking unannounced into a military circuit pattern containing five other aircraft and landing on a runway with one landing and one lining up.

[99 Change Hands]

Marham, early 80s, maxeval, silent procedures. 617 Sqn GR1 lines-up rwy 24, green from caravan, rolls, nav looks back over his shoulder and sees what looks like a red, screams Abort! Pilot aborts and rolls to a halt as 27 Sqn GR1 emerges from over the 'bump' getting airborne on rwy 06. They would have rotated into each other.

Junior pilot from 27 Sqn was late for a departed 4-ship and had been given the brief that the ultimate cut-short in "wartime conditions" was to get airborne off the nearest runway. He was posted to Germany as combat ready, "oh no you're not" said R**** G******. He went to C130s as I recall.

I never did find out why ATC didn't break radio silence.

[Pontius Navigator]

Brings to mind the F3 on and GR1 determined to land and all on video at CGY.

[BEagle]

Brings to mind the F3 on and GR1 determined to land and all on video at CGY.

https://youtu.be/ICpuzNW7syk

:ooh:

[weemonkey]

Hmmm...always wondered about the authenticity of that clip

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/589x431/near_miss_97953e377f825a5167a436bbeceb4fcfb6d238ed.jpg

[Timelord]

It’s real.

[chevvron]

The normal convention for gliding is that if you join a thermal then you must turn in the same direction as any gliders already in that thermal or close by,left or right is ok.Ridge soaring has its own hard and fast rules for turning/overtaking/passing.
You often find one wing will lift first as you fly through a thermal and you turn in to that wing unless, as has been said, some bugger has got there first!

[HugoFirst]

A couple of years ago at Shoreham, flying as a civvie. The runway orientation is 02/20 so lots of scope for confusion. I heard a French pilot on frequency having difficulty locating the airfield and joining the circuit for runway 20.

I called: “G-xx final 20” and heard “F-zz final 02”. I looked toward the far end of the (short,narrow) runway to see another single-engined piston heading straight towards me. I started a rather steep turn to the right and heard the tower calling: “G-xx IMMEDIATE right turn! My reply: “I’m already doing it, mate.”

Maybe not as dramatic as some examples on here but enough for me.

[Krystal n chips]

You often find one wing will lift first as you fly through a thermal and you turn in to that wing unless, as has been said, some bugger has got there first!

There were actually quite a few who had "got there first ", this was a comp remember so more than the usual number flying in close proximity ........ and our hero didn't join the gaggle at the bottom...he just happily came barrelling in with several gliders above and below him.

[Just This Once...]

Hmmm...always wondered about the authenticity of that clip



I'm not sure JP believed it either as he yanked control from the chap in the front seat.

[weemonkey]

Excellent head positioning in that case. :D

[Warmtoast]

Correction: for 'Dash 8' read 'Buffalo'; officially described as a 'heavy landing'. (NB it was still 07/25 in those days; I didn't change it due to variation change until late 2001)
The Dash 7 and Dash 8 both finished their display ('the show must go on') and diverted to Odiham.
And I had just finished writing the flying programme for the display next day so I had to start all over again as soon as I found out whether or not we would actually have a runway as the Buffalo fuel and brief fire had damaged the surface right on the threshold.

Very nasty and caught on camera here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E__fWwEAWQ

[Fitter2]

It can be equally interesting to be soaring with xx other gliders, all turning left, when you are joined by somebody who decides to turn.....right.

The International friendly gliding competition in France, Les Huit Jours d'Angers (known by the English as the '8 days of danger') used to very poular with the Brits. In the 1980s an intrepid ex-FAA Swordfish pilot, known among other things for his very ineffective hearing aids, entered.

At briefing half way through the comp, the Director announced, in French but then translated into fluent English, that a new verb 'dimoquer' had entered the language, meaning to enter a crowded thermal turning in the opposite direction to all the other gliders.

[MPN11]

[QUOTE=Warmtoast;10364119]Very nasty and caught on camera here ... [QUOTE]
Very unfortunate ... but a classic Hoskins.

[SASless]

Well....the British are known to rather eccentric at times....and they do drive on the wrong side of the road to boot.

I once observed an Air Force OV-10 FAC do just that....joined the queue over a bad place with all sorts of Army Helicopters stacked up and turning left....to be met with the OV-10 turning right.

Result....a Mid-Air between a Huey Cobra Gunship and the Bronco.

Two dead Helicopter Pilots and a sudden need for.a SAR Rescue of the OV-10 Pilot and Observer.

[MightyGem]

Very nasty and caught on camera here
Hmmm...need to work more on your roundout, Bloggs.

[chevvron]

Hmmm...need to work more on your roundout, Bloggs.
Watch carefully and you'll notice the threshold markings tending to 'move'; in the 'long' shots from final they've used video from 2002 or later when the threshold was displaced to its present position whereas when the Buffalo actually 'lands' the threshold markings are in the older position. (Can't call it 'original' because the threshold was moved several times between '74 when I arrived and 2002 when it was last re-painted)

[megan]

always wondered about the authenticity of that clipIt has happened, with tragic results.

3SQN's "Last Sacrifice" - Mirage Pilot Perry Kelly,1976. (http://www.3squadron.org.au/subpages/Last_Sacrifice.htm)

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

And 'allegedly' there was the 4-ship of Hawks recovering from a week in Gibraltar, around the turn on the millennium, who found that the weather at Valley had clagged in and the PAR failed at the moment critique...the first one went round from an SRA and diverted to Liverpool, No 2 got in off the SRA, 3 and 4 tried the SRA but couldn't get in and also diverted to Liverpool now seriously short of fuel. 3 flew the full pattern to 27 and touched down on the vapours, to be confronted by 4 on short finals for 09 having found a break in the clouds. Cue very expeditious vacating of runway by 3...and Liverpool refusing to be Valley's div for many years subsequently!

[Pontius Navigator]

Hmmm...always wondered about the authenticity of that clip

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/589x431/near_miss_97953e377f825a5167a436bbeceb4fcfb6d238ed.jpg
My boss was in the F3, my Flt Planning Cpl was in the caravan. He refused caravan duties after that.

[ICM]

I wonder how many such incidents occurred with returning bombers in WW2. I know of one instance at Woodbridge when a badly damaged Halifax making an emergency landing at Woodbridge met a Lancaster landing in the opposite direction. The Lanc was being flown by the Air Bomber as the pilot had been killed.

[Sts121]

I remember as a young air cadet doing AEF back in the mid 90’s we were In chipmunks (pretty sure it wasn’t bulldogs) flying round coltishall and using the grass runway at the side in between the Jags who were in the circuit doing touch and go’s.