Shocking example of low flying

[STANDTO]

Behaviour such as this does nothing to promote the cause. Whoever the pilot is - you should be ashamed of yourself


http://publish.hometown.aol.co.uk/derekflintone/images/lowfly.jpg

[solotk]

I know, disgraceful

It made me puke into the bushes just behind it, back in 1996. Or that might have just been the amazing quantity of alcohol I had consumed the night previously, then been through that full motion simulator thingy.

It's the X-wing on the pole outside the FMS at EuroDisney...

[Wycombe]

Doh, what a let down....was expecting to see that photo of a bloke jumping off the top of a container with Albert looming large in the background :D

If someone has it, please post it

[STANDTO]

Oh well, must get a better photo editing suite! Just got back. Bizarrely, the most relaxing holiday I've ever had. Thoroughly recommended. Stayed at the MyTravel Explorer which has just opened. v. pleasant.

However, back to the point. There are of course some cracking low level shots. The works of Snapshot spring to mind (whatever happened to him?) and of course the Kemble Gnat.

Does anyone remember the Peugeot 205 ad that was on at the cinemas, where the Albert seemed to bounce off its roof?

What have you got, boys and girls?
:ok: :)

[Vere de fakawee]

Wycombe, wasnt that the same guy who lost his head, so to speak, at South Cerney?

[flt_lt_w_mitty]

It ain't low flying if you can take a photo from below................

[BEagle]

......and if anyone has got a copy of the photo taken from the top of 12 Sqn's hangar at Honington on 17 June 1978 of a certain Vulcan flypast between the hangar and the tower at 80 ft on the rad alt err...allegedly, could I have a copy please?

[Hilico]

Riding motorcycle out of Ipswich to the south, late eighties. Mid-Autumn or early Spring day, can't remember, about 1630, still daylight but getting dim. Wx - VRB05KT 1000 OVC004 08/07, one of those damp, dewy days with lots of mist. Coming up the hill to the junction with the A14 I thought I would enter cloud.

Halfway up the hill, thunderous noise from the left. Tornado suddenly appears in plan view banking hard right, passes over roundabout in front of me, wings swept, right wingtip about sixty feet from ground, vanishes back into cloud.

Don't know how he missed the pylons that in those days reached right across the Orwell river. Don't know what he was even doing at that height when he could've just pulled up.

But it was the best low-flying show I've ever had. More please!

[Vere de fakawee]

Wasn't you by any chance was it Beags? (Allegedly)

[BEagle]

ICATQ!!









.

[jimgriff]

Circa 1980 heading east from Talyllyn (up the pass) when I spied a Phantom F4 come through the "gap" at the top of the pass. I was sat on my Honda VF 750 at traffic lights half way up the pass.
Why, I do not know, but I flashed my headlights at it.
As it passed below the level of the road (measured 50' AGL) I looked straight at it and as it passed the Nav gave me the "V"'s with a white gloved hand.
Magic!!

[Captain Kirk]

I once saw a lot of photos being taken of a pair of Buccs taking off from the Finningley airshow circa 1992 (give or take a year) - never saw the result. I would REALLY like to get hold of a copy;-)

[STANDTO]

The year was 1989, having left IOTC after beiong temporarily crippled. I went selling Photocopiers, and was asked to deliver one to Three Sisters Race Circuit near Wigan.

I stepped out of the office whilst the bloke there took a phone call, to see a Sea Harrier doing circuits. V. Odd thing to see in the middle of Wigan.

Anyway, this went on for a few minutes. The Harrier disappeared behind the hill at the far end of the track, popped up and zapped over the top of us at not very high off the ground.

After picking ourselves out of the dirt, someone pipes up, "AH, I know who that will have been"

Apparently, the day before, some geezer turns up in a battered mark one escort and says he wants to have a go at Kart racing. He has a lesson, and by the end of the day he has imporved so much they put him in a race, in which he does alright. In the general conversation, he says," I am a Sea Harrier pilot." as you can imagine, it was the old " Yeah right you are" routine, but as a parting comment he says that he is on his way back to meet the ship tomorrow and he'lll "pop in "

Now THAT, was style.

[sarboy w****r]

Or for video footage of low level, try the clip of the two-ship F4 flypast over Sovereign's parade graduation at RAFC Cranwell.

No 2 passed over parade ground below height of College Hall before correcting to 250' smack over parade. NCOs and CWO running about in aftermath trying to recover hats, Standard etc. Magic!

Clip is used in Flt Authoriser's Cse at RAF BP, so must be available somewhere. Anyone? Anyone?

[BEagle]

It was subsequently assessed as 72 ft a.g.l.......

Which wasn't as low as a video I once saw featuring an F4 and a very close encounter with a Malvinas mountain radar site!:E

Then there was 'Blockoff' practice at Akrotiri. You were allowed to make an approach on the southern taxiway....as long as you didn't touch the wheels, you could go reasonably low. Like about 1 ft if you were careful.....then went past waving at the folks in the ATC tower. Probably banned nowadays though:ugh:

[Fuctifino]

Back in the mid-80s when I was a pongo pilot flying a Gazelle in Belize, I was doing range control for a pair of Harriers from 1417 Flight (GR3s back then).

After all the flashes and bangs they went off for a spot of 1v1 while I headed on back to APC. A few minutes later while trundling along at about 100 ft agl, the pair of them passed underneath me at about 450 kts.

Class.

[Woff1965]

When I was 7 or 8 we were going to Bristol Zoo on a day trip (this must have been at least 30-31 years ago) I saw a Vulcan fly UNDER the severn Bridge!

Very impressive it was too. The bridge seemed to shake - it was heading down the Bristol Channel at a fair clip.

[Chimbu chuckles]

First try at a vid link:E


not low but bloody fast (http://www.funvids.net/showpage.asp?PageID=/videoclips/videodetail.asp&Video_ID=78)

Chuck

[terryJones]

Chimbu chuckles
Was it just me, or is there a marked pitch change during that little clip?

[Chimbu chuckles]

No I saw it too:ok:

Chuck..

[Pancake]

Many years ago a PPL buddy & I were doing a leisurely (& almost certainly illegal) practice approach to the disused Gaydon airfield in the UK Midlands in a PA28 . At approx 200 feet AGL we were just about to break off the approach and turn away when two Harriers in line astern passed under us doing a great deal more knots than we were making. They were following the ex-V bomber base runway heading en route to the Welsh valleys. We drove home without saying a word to each other & never went near Gaydon again.

I've often wondered whether they had actually seen us...

- P. :ooh:

[Fox3snapshot]

Hoooooold On a Minute! This isn't even a real beat-up, George Lucas hasn't signed over the rights for this to be remotely considered a good poop flypast......so until someone sticks a real beat-up pic on the post I officially declare this link null and void till we get a no Sh*@t beat up pic where the groundies have to run back into the hanger after knock-off when one of the lads smokes the joint.........!

:E

[SALAD DODGER]

Sorry guys not sure if able to get this link working, but surely the true meaning to 'Beat Up' and just what fox 3 ordered!! Please enjoy

http://www.55srwa.org/0106/06081104.html

Hope it works.http://www.55srwa.org/0106/06081104.html

[SALAD DODGER]

Wow it worked!

Anderw Brooks site is well worth a look if you want to hunt down some old gems. Follow the link to the Buccaneer page if that is what floats your boat.

Not quite as low as my last post but its well worth a look for a selection of LL Jets, I love the one looking into the Jag cockpit!
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/andrewbrooks1/display_dd.htm


Also check outhttp://www.warplane.co.uk
About the only place you are going to see a Herc J flying low level!

A bit of a spotters heaven, low level photos and vid clips of everything from tutors to helos.

[T_richard]

Please everyone keep posting the pics, I won't get any work done, but so what. For those of you who fly and still love it imagine what its like to love something that is a complete mystery to you. One of these days... there is a PPL in my future:D :D

[Fox3snapshot]

I first saw one of the originals from that set back in NZ. One of the controllers in NZ was based in southern Oman on UK loan service and was on the tarmac the day the boys beat the living Cr*p out of the place (one of the many days I believe, the early 80's seemed pretty wild down there!). There is a series of them and some video too.

Nice One

:ok:

[Cardinal Puff]

While doing some para training near Bloemfontein a certain DC3 crew used to do the odd shoot up of the packing and gathering area we used near the airfield. On one occasion the came in between two military ten man tents and as well as flattening tents and occupants with their wash they upset a couple of packers who had canopies laid out for packing. After that there was always one packer keeping a weather eye out for the Dak and if they could hear it but not see it they got pretty antsy and lay down on the partially packed 'chutes.

Unfortunately the Dak was damaged on the last day of the course when the beast nosed over while doing engine run ups. It left two gouges in the runway and had to be carted away on a low bed trailer and we finished up jumping an assortment of helos and converters. (For a definition of converters see the thread regarding flying a Kudu on the African Aviation forum.)

[tony draper]

See, them yanks can do it, click on that f15. :rolleyes:

http://www.scramble.nl/photogallery.htm

[Ex Douglas Driver]

A 50' pass (was our legal low flying minimum) at the HE range in the central North Island of NZ.

I'll start by saying that this clip is shown by the RAAF flight safety office as an example of supposed dangerous low flying! What a load of cr@p - they (I mean we!) get excited by by flying at 150' through the "mountains" (read: low hills), and don't know any better.

Ahh the memories! :{

Coming at ya (http://www.gibstuff.net/a4_alley/videos/Coming_at_Ya.mpg) or;

Coming at ya #2 (http://www.gibstuff.net/a4_alley/videos/Coming_at_Ya_2.mpg) or;

Coming at ya #3 (http://www.gibstuff.net/a4_alley/videos/Coming_at_Ya_3.mpg) .

This one had the Thai tower controllers diving for cover as we departed Korat for Kuantan. Flypast Korat (http://www.gibstuff.net/a4_alley/videos/Low_pass_Korat.mpg)

Fox 3, you were privvy to a few choice "arrivals". Don't you have any piccies of the mighty Douglas to post here??

ExDD :=

I'm still a fan of this one... I'm pretty sure that the pilot here is now flying with the RAF. :ok:

http://www.gibstuff.net/a4_alley/images4/lowpas_RN_Carrier.jpg

[Fox3snapshot]

What can I say.....bloody legends! I will dig out some of my old footage and get it into net form.....I guess as the Douglas is almost an icon of the RNZAF past now (pending the sale) we can get away with throwing around some pix and footage of the good old days!

:E

[scroggs]

Wycombe,

I'm afraid the C130 piccy you mention is a spoof. It's a montage constructed by my loadie and the station photog at RAF Stanley in early 1986. They had great fun getting the Medical Centre staff to pose for the 'diving out of the way' bit! No-one seemed to question why the SMO was on top of the SMC ISO container. The piccy of the Herc used in the montage was taken of an aircraft on short finals by a very brave chap who sat in the undershoot.

Great days - and there was some very serious (and usually unrecorded) low flying there. The F4 wearing the farm's HF aerial was during this period.....

Scroggs

[Samuel]

I have an excellent shot of a Skyhawk on the very last flypast, but I can't seem to post an attachment:confused: :*

I bet you haven't seen it DD!

[Ex Douglas Driver]

True, I was airborne on the last day but in the A4 formation, so had a different perspective.
We had left the singleton to it, and were giving one of the lad's parents farm a quick serve up.

Amazingly, we never did put any of their stock through a fence in the many years that we were over their house. Puts pay to a lot of the cockies stories about the "prize bull" doing a runner over cliffs etc.

Conversly, we did manage to clean up a few ostrichs in Aussie during a 4v2 bounced interdiction trip. The tap happened right over one of those hobby farms, and went on a bit longer than the 2x 360 reaction rules.

I will take the honour of flying the last sortie by 75 Sqn in an A4 to deliver NZ6213 to Woodbourne on 18 Dec 2001.

[Samuel]

The last fly-by: Ohakea, 13th December 2001, by the CO 2 Sqn?

I could e-mail it to someone who can post it:( I don't seem to have the brouse facility necessary for attachments!

It's an unusual aspect!

[John Eacott]

Samuel,

Check your pm's .

[BlueWolf]

Gentlemen, I fear we may have seen the last of the mighty A-4K; but I promise you this:

While there is breath in my body, those lost Squadrons, 75, 14, and 2, will live again.

They do but sleep.



So mote it be.

[Samuel]

Thank you ex-DD.

Watch this space folks! The view is an A4 seen passing the Contol Tower which is 80' high, and people on the roof of the Crash Bay next door, a single storey building, are looking straight at him!

http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/photos/pprune/Flypast.jpg

[Wycombe]

Ah well, it had me (and obviously a lot of others) fooled...having witnessed some Albert antics in other places, it didn't seem too far-fetched!

Heard the story about the F4 WIW in the FI a couple of years ago - nice to know that not everything is myth & legend!

Now, supersonic run & breaks, is that apochryphal aswell?

[lamer]

http://www.aviationpics.de/preview/herc1.jpg

[John Eacott]

A certain F4K managed quite nicely to wake all us on Ark with a supersonic run at <100ft, one sleepy afternoon. After much sweating and discussion with lots of senior officers, the pilot was (eventually) exonerated when the Machmeter was tested and found U/S.

Quite what speed he thought he was doing was carefully avoided ;)

[Ignition Override]

Ok, but watching the German F-104 Starfighter streak low through the small valley in Blaubeuren (a bit west of Ulm) in '77, I barely glimpsed the "missile with a man in it" before it quickly turned invisible.:oh:

[scroggs]

Wycombe,

much as I tried, I never quite got Albert supersonic, either on the break or any other time! Most I managed was Vne @ 250ft (ish) - about 330kts, I think.

Albert was the subject of a supersonic break, however - witness an IFS poster of late 1993.....!

[Zoom]

lamer, how did you post that photo? I have had nothing but unhelpful referrals to FAQ when I asked the the Pprune Adminers how to do it.

[lamer]

easy:

step 1 -> find picture you want to post on net somewhere
step 2 -> copy down link to picture
step 3 -> hit reply to post
step 4 -> hit the IMG thingy
step 5 -> type in link to picture
step 5.1 -> add blabla (optional)
step 6 -> hit submit reply

done.

if nobody has the pic you'll need your own webspace.


regards

[jethro15]

http://www.jethros.i12.com/FUN/FunImages/flypast.jpg

Just trying out the above instructions.

jethro

[lamer]

interview with pilot of above (http://www.simhq.com/simhq3/sims/interviews/snodgrass/)

[SALAD DODGER]

http://www.warplane.co.uk/LowFlying/lfgall_grob.jpg

FEEL THE RAW POWER!

[T_richard]

Thankss guys
From a civi, I really enjoy the photos, although the one of the TomCat passing the carrier had me wondering if a leg was being pulled. Then I read the interview, seemed pretty really to me, especially the link to the air battle with the Libyans. I could make out enough. Please keep em coming.

[Capt Hollywood]

Drapes,

Just had a close look at the F15 on the page you put a link to (see below). Very impressive..........even more impressive when you realise there is another aircraft beside it, banking away in the opposite direction!!!!!

Cheers,

Hollywood. :cool:

www.scramble.nl/photogallery.htm (http://www.scramble.nl/photogallery.htm)

[witchdoctor]

Cheers SALAD DODGER,

Always knew NUAS rocked! But REAL power comes from the mighty Bulldog!:p

[Ex Douglas Driver]

Keep this thread going.....:eek:
http://www.gibstuff.net/a4_alley/images4/Flypast2.jpg

[FEBA]

Bet you cant get lower than this! Note the Vulcan cabriolet version.
RAF Grass Cutting Display team RAF St Athan .
http://www.rob.clubkawasaki.com/jas1634.jpg

[Beeayeate]

OK, so this pic posting thing is not working for me at all this time (did it all by the numbers too!).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That was then, this is now (grateful thanks to DrSyn for the assist. Can't understand why my stuff doesn't work, worked OK in the past. Maybe it's the tilde? Always have been worried about the tilde!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, onwards, have a shufti at this Cranberry coming off the range at Idris.

A lot of extremely gratuitous low flying happened at Idris - anybody else have an pics from there?


http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~lesb/lo-can01.jpg

There you go Dipole, corrected orientation. Thanks again for noticing.
:ok:

[Fox3snapshot]

Staunch shot mate, the cut and paste worked....good effort!

:8

[DrSyn]

Beeayeate, glad to help. Your original link contained characters (probably the brackets) that won't work on a hot-link. . . . . or, of course the tilde !

Just going back a while to SALAD DODGER's post of 22nd April 2003 16:11, the text in the link might imply to the uninitiated something to do with Saudi. Those pics are of a Sultan of Oman's Air Force (then, now RAFO) Jaguar, and the aftermath of another which I reproduce here with fond memories of 4 years with SOAF in the early '80s.

The pilot posing by his standard issue SOAF Corolla is "Wiz", who was the duty pilot on the range at Thumrait that day and was returning to base when he was bounced (literally in this case) by a pair of Jags led by Dick Manning. It was Dick's wingman who rearranged the Toyota into a more trendy flat-top model.

http://ourworld.compuserve.co.uk/DrSynHst/images/Wiz.jpg

Being a good fighter pilot, Wiz was indeed watching his 6 and saw them coming. He also warned the preceding car to beware. The Nº2 Jag pulled up a split-second too soon and caught his stern on the Corolla's roof. Fortunately, Wiz had already ducked below the level of his dashboard.

Although I never saw it myself, I was reliably informed by mates at Thumrait that, on RTB, the Jag's jet pipes were slighly oval and the ventral strakes were inclined towards the horizontal.

Both Wiz and the wingman went on sucessfully to pursue more sedate careers in civil aviation :)

[SALAD DODGER]

Thanks for putting things right Doc, what an amazing story. You must have had quite a time out with the SOAF. I dread to think how low the Jag was if he had to pull UP to get over the car!

The only thing I dont understand is why 'Wiz' was driving a Corolla, all the Omani fighter jocks that I have bumped into seem to be loaded, and wouldnt be seen dead in one!

[witchdoctor]

Perhaps that is the answer - knew the boys were going to clown about, knew his car was an obvious target, couldn't risk the embarrasment of dying in a Corolla, monitored six and lived to tell the tale. However, has to live with the legacy of being caught in public in aforementioned Corolla.

[Beeayeate]

Sussed it! Thanks for the insight DrSyn - the brackets . . . couldn't see for looking!

Anyway, another happy camper at Tarhuna Range, Idris. Mind you, the B(I)8 was well "in role" doing this sort of stuff - nice though.

http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~lesb/lo-can02.jpg

By the way, the pics are not mine (although the kites are from my old sqd), they are from a very nice nav - Mike Richards - who probably never reads this board anyway!

[T_richard]

Beeayeate

I kust saw you recemt picture. How far off the deck is that plane? I'm guessing 50 feet. Is that possible?

Someone please tell me the story about the Corrola and the Jag is a joke! It didn't really happen did it?

Isn't there some sort of ground effect from the air turbulence created when the plane moves through the air?

How do I get reborn so I can come back as a pilot?;)

[Thud_and_Blunder]

Re the people concerned about Wiz's cred while driving Toyota's finest - the numberplate gives the game away. Why risk trashing your own wheels when His Maj used to let you have one for free? (Well, one Corolla per 2 Naqeebs/Captains - if you reached the exalted rank of Raaid/Maj then you were invested with your own Corona. Talk about perqs, eh?)

Anyone got any pics of the Salalah Stunt Drivers Association in action? Preferably with a police Land Cruiser in hot pursuit...

[Beeayeate]

T-richard

It's a bit deceptive as the ground slopes away a bit there but the pilot would have been down around 30-50 ft on that part of his run. A Canberra had a wing span of 64 ft, maybe that will give you some sort of clue.

[tony draper]

What about Andy Green?, 763 mph at zero, feet and he didn't even lift his wheels off.
:rolleyes:

[lamer]

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Andy_Graves/Shock.jpg

[Beeayeate]

It's no wonder he didn't get off Drapes, his landing lights are fitted back to front.

:hmm: :hmm:

[DrSyn]

Beeayeate pleased to help. Disregard later email - as my fix was right!

In answer to various points, T&B has it right. We all had a free Corolla and free petrol (N.Am: gas). Wouldn't want to waste one's pride and joy in that environment ------ after all, you never knew who might drop in :O . Actually, most of us in the north had one each, but I won't go down that route now!

T_richard, no tricks. That was the genuine plot. As an innocent bystander it wouldn't be right to detail the complete story, that's someone else's perogative. I only started out to clarify the location from SD's earlier link, but my keyboard started running away! Actually, (here it goes again - I hate it when it does that) he didn't have to pull up to get over the car. They'd just passed the preceding one. Unfortunately, stick back=tail down, before climb. It was the stern that hit the car. A second later probably would have avoided contact.

As witchdoctor surmises, it was standard practice to target the DP's car on the way back to base - indeed something of a ritual, I recall.

Fighter Affil with these guys was a splendid challenge for us "truckies" and I used to liken it to a gentlemen's grouse-shooting weekend. The Commander's principle was that he "didn't want us to start practising for war the day after it had started." Someone has emailed me a superb bunch of SOAF Jag shots. It includes one of my personal favourites - the one "that came off the range with more bits attached than when it started." I am just waiting to hear whether he wants me to post them, or use my host site as a link for his own posts. Watch this space.

Meanwhile, to show that the big boys (wingspan 132' 6" - for those unfamilliar) partook with equal vigour, here's one of my flypasts for a Para Regt graduation parade. Alas, poor qual, taken from video. Sedate 270 kts, of course - none of Scroggs's Vne hooliganism :rolleyes: . Sadly, the shot of a pair of Hunters overtaking below the Herc, at another location, is not available.

http://ourworld.compuserve.co.uk/DrSynHst/Rostaq-fby.JPG
Obviously had to keep it high to avoid blowing the pongos over - off-screen, left :hmm:

[Dipole]

Someone is clever at editing photographs!
The two canberra shots are fake! (But keep up the good work)

Look carefully at the cockpit canopies. Both have the "fighter" style canopy (not the "bubble") which should be offset to the left (or port) side of the fuselage.

The second photo has the canopy on the correct side, the first has the canopy on the right (starboard) side.

The two aircraft are mirror images!

I've been faking photo's for years, it's a great hobby and has been an amazing way to break the ice at meetings.

By the way, has anyone seen the footage of the Bucc doing a low pass between a line of hangars? It's something that has stuck in my mind since I were a lad. Also I'd like to see some GENUINE photos of low flying vulcans.

[SirPeterHardingsLovechild]

Hello DrSyn

The full set of Omani Jag pics are on the 'Low Level Omani Jags' thread. Feel free to post them here again. This one's my favourite.

http://www.artistic.flyer.co.uk/Jag7.jpg

[SALAD DODGER]

http://www.theaviationzone.com/images/other/phantom/BlackBunny_1.jpg

[BlueWolf]

Brilliant pic SD, but now I'm curious, and maybe someone can help out; is the shockwave off the trailing edge bigger because the trailing edge itself is bigger, or because the trailing edge went supersonic first?
If so, is this due to airframe stretch?
Or can it be explained by the change in the speed of sound brought about by the reduction in air density over the upper surface of the airfoil?
I'm genuinely curious.

[Beeayeate]

Dipole

You are absolutely right! Not about the pics being fakes, but about the orientation of the Can heading at the tents - it was printed out reversed!

I scanned these, and others on my Coolscan thingy, from slides supplied by the nav concerned. It shames me to admit that I never noticed that one had been "mirrored" - have to be more carefull in future. But the pics are not fakes, I used the original slides, and anyway, getting the shadow(s) right is not easy and is generally a clue to the "fakedness" or otherwise of a pic.

The Cans are, however, two separate flights but on the same day.

Thanks for noticing Dipole. Me! Making a mistook over B(I)8s - such humiliation!

:* :* :* :*

[layman]

Can't find it among my 'treasures' at the moment but the A4 piccie posted by Ex-DD is (I think) part of a short video of an A4 rather low over a group of walkers (spotters) - came up the valley and shaved the tops of the grass as he disappeared overhead. It looks lower when the hill / people are in the frame.
If I find the video I'll try to post

[Just an other number]

The dutch Scramble website has a Buccaneer at Fairford -
here (http://dutch3.digitalus.nl/~admin108/photos/photogallery/79.htm)

[FEBA]

Have a look at this video (if you can)http://www.airextreme.de/FS14ss_.mpeg

[DrSyn]

Most SirPHL's photos are indeed on this thread (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=81053), including the Range Tower incident, so I'm not going to repost them. I don't know about the Cranberry shots, but definitely no need to fake any of the SOAF ones!

[Gainesy]

Nah, the Bucc is taking off. The nose gear door is still half open.

[ZH875]

If only the reviewing officer could see behind him...
http://ourworld.compuserve.co.uk/DrSynHst/Flyby.JPG


and just for interest when 44(R) Sqn disbanded, they flew around like this
http://ourworld.compuserve.co.uk/DrSynHst/4ship.JPG

[mutleyfour]

had to chuck this one in!!!!

http://www.flightonline.mcmail.com/pitts.jpg

[Beeayeate]

Hi Dipole (again)

You also asked about a Buc flying between hangars. Could you be referring to an incident at RAF St Athan when a Phant was flown out between the hangars - on reheat!

I don't know where this pic came from but I believe there's a story to it involving a hi-ranker.

http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~lesb/lo-f4.jpg

If this is not what you meant, well, maybe someone else knows the detail of the event and can post the story.

[tony draper]

That picture of the F4 and the expanation of same appears early in this thread, still a great shot though. ;)
I have a very nice picky of a F4 smoking very low up a river bed in what looks like Canadian scenery,and another of a F4 banking grass height over a corn field, I suspect the later might be a fake as the aircraft looks a bit pixalated, don't have a site I can host them on though.
:(

[Beeayeate]

Drapes

I've looked back through the thread and didn't see any mention, or pic, of the St Athan F-4 I posted - has that post been deleted?

:confused:

[tony draper]

Err sorry Mr Beeyeate, I have seen that picture and the details about it on a thread in the last few days, I assumed it was this thread, I shall seek it out and see if its on another website I surf.
:confused:

[Ex Douglas Driver]

Layman - the links to that video (and others) are on page 2 of this thread.

It's great to see a few more piccies being added to this thread.

[layman]

Ex-DD
thanks - must have gone straight to the piccie missing the links to the video clips. 1 I have ... but can't get 2 or 3 to talk to my machine (damn)

[Benzimra]

Does anyone have the definitive story on how Bill Houldsworth came to take the scanner off a Shackleton? The scanner, housed in a telescopic mounting, was down at the attack position which I believe was 14 feet, and was removed when it hit the sea.

[STANDTO]

Blimey, I've started something here, 84 posts and 13k hits - all from a badly doctored holiday snap!

Some terrific stuff chaps, esp the vid clips of the A4's - awesome. The F4 betwixt the hangars is too. Back in 88, whilst holding at St Ath, OC Fg was prone to this regularly - out from hangar level, on its tail, 23000 ft, level out, off to Germany.

I can't remember your name, but you certainly left your mark on me!

[Fox3snapshot]

I will have some more A4 beatups on-line.....just for you EDD.

:E

[Fox3snapshot]

Here ae some of my vids of "The Douglas" from NZ.

Enjoy!

PS Turn your sound on.....

:}

Douglas 1 (http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/photos/pprune/A4beatup1a.WMV)

Douglas 2 (http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/photos/pprune/A4beatup2a.WMV)

Douglas 3 (http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/photos/pprune/A4beatup3a.WMV)

Douglas 4 (http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/photos/pprune/A4beatup4a.WMV)

Special thanks to John Eacott for allowing me to use his webspace.

:ok:

For more good Low Flying sequences I have also posted on the "Low Level Omani Jags" string in this forum.

[T_richard]

You guys are gonna laugh at this civilian, but I'm loving these videos. I have saved a few to my video playlist Hope you don't mind. I just love the sound, the speed, and the way these planes fly. AS I said a long while back, there is a summer airshow here in Rhode Island, right over the water. We sit in our boats while these jets fly overhead at about 100 feet (my guess but I cn see pilots) it is awesome. Thanks guys keep em coming please

[DrSyn]

Don't shoot me down for raising the mission to FL240 :) Back in March '77, 41 Sqn did a Farewell Phantom tour of the Med, prior to converting to Jags. Our Albert was homeward-bound, and the previous night in the bar we'd all agreed to a spot of embellish on our way out the next day - as one does.

We were duly bounced by, I think, a trio and I managed to get a few shots (with my cam, that is), as it was the last time we were likely to see the F4s bearing the crux vera. I believe this shot was of the Boss's jet and was taken for me by the Co (SS-S). At one point the Tooms were in so close we held up a tray of sandwiches to the window and enquired whether they'd like some. They declined as they were returning to base for lunch!

http://ourworld.compuserve.co.uk/DrSynHst/F4-41S.jpg

I always thought it was such a nice pic, so I am sharing it with you! Any ex-41 PPRuNers out there take part?

[Fox3snapshot]

Its all good stuff mate, and this is what these forums are all about. Lets hope that some more from the archives get there way onto this site, whether they be High.....Low...or off the planet ! I am sure there are a lot of old photos gathering dust around the traps that would be well received here. Dust em off, scan em in and send em in....

:8

[Dipole]

Beeayeate

Ta for the photo. Brilliant!!!!

The film I remember was show to me/us mmmmm years ago during training at a certain RAF establishment. Someone , somewhere must remember it or have a copy!

I'd love to see more low flying pics of v-bombers. Anyone got any?

[bonajet]

When I was in RAFG during the seventies, there was a, maybe apocryphal, story of a bridge on the north German plain, under which the Canberra strike mates used to fly. It was so popular that a cafe had set up business alongside with a sign advertising the spectator sport of watching them. It was curtailed after C-in-C RAFG passed by on holiday and didn't have long to wait before the boys arrived. Does anyone from those days know of this to verify the story and are there any good under bridge photos gathering dust?

[solotk]

Canadian Spit IX gun camera image of an airfield attack "Somewhere in France"

http://1000aircraftphotos.com/401Squadron/984.jpg

Link here http://1000aircraftphotos.com/401Squadron/984.jpg

[skua]

Bonajet

may be you could confirm a story I heard from my UAS QFI (Steve Fisher, top bloke, where are you now?). He told how on year when he was in Canberras in RAFG, the AOC arrived one year to open the RAFG ski championships at Garmisch or somewhere. As he was travelling up to the top on a chairlift with his ADC, there was a whoosh as one of my QFI's mates came up the piste below the level of the lifts. Unsurprisingly he was not wearing blue for much longer. Any body else heard that one?

Skua

[I. M. Esperto]

VERY low flying was legal in the 1950's in many cases. I was in a F2H-3 (Banshee) Squadron, VF-152. We had just become Special Weapons squadron, and we were madse to do long trips at very low level, TO and return to NAS Moffett.

I recall flying just above the tops of wheat stalks in one of those huge farms in The Valley. Looking in my rear view mirrors, I could see a real "wake" in the wheat. RA was reading 25'.

I recall another time flying wing on a lead who returned with a flying fish impaled on his pitot tube. I flew stepped up on him after that.

At the loft bombing range in NV used by us at NAAS Fallon, we flew RA 15' over the desert floor to the IP or the target itself.

[Beeayeate]

Bonajet

When I was in RAFG during the seventies, there was a, maybe apocryphal, story of a bridge on the north German plain, under which the Canberra strike mates used to fly.

Talked recently to some Cranberry drivers who hotly deny any such activity. Especially denied is any knowledge of any girder bridge over a canal on the low-flying route in the north towards the Danish border.

[Fox3snapshot]

More Jag and Herc beat ups on the "Low Flying Omani Jags" thread.....

:ok:

[BOAC]

There's a 'story' that either 1 or 54 Hunters at West Raynham were tasked with an exercise to fly a low level route for an hour in a stream and to have the height measured by theodolite as they crossed the 'finishing line' in order to see what practical levels could be achieved over a significant time. Someone went past the theodolite below the level of the lens.:eek:

[solotk]

http://clstunt.com/htdocs/dcforum/User_files/3ed04bce02666869.jpg

http://www.zianet.com/tmorris/b17pickup3-web.jpg

Interesting site too, about life at Dharan, long before GW1.

http://www.zianet.com/tmorris/dhahran.html

[I. M. Esperto]

Solo - Great shots!

Thanks

[treadigraph]

You beat me to it Solotk! They are cracking photos... :ok:

And thanks for all the other pics folks, this is a great thread - so is the Omani one!

I'm keeping my head down!

[Zlin526]

Great Pics Solotk,

The B&W picture was taken during the filming of 'The War Lover' in the 1960's. John Crewdson did most of the flying, and in the picture, is seen beating up Bovingdon at low level.

They dont make 'em like that anymore!

[ex-knuck]

Please keep this thread & the Jag's in Oman going, it's been the best read and view on pprune for a long time.

[artyhug]

Mind the penguins...


http://ourworld.compuserve.co.uk/DrSynHst/pics/LL01.jpg



:}

[GLOC]

I think this is what Fox3 was talking about, worth bringing back to the top of the list for the "Is This You" thread.

:ok:

[John Purdey]

Skua,
Been away, only just saw your May posting. I think you will find it was a 14 Sqn Canberra out of Wildenrath, and it was SASO who not only saw the a/c below him on the slopes, but was able to read its number on the upper mainplane! John Purdey

[Beeayeate]

John Purdy wrote . . .

I think you will find it was a 14 Sqn Canberra out of Wildenrath, and it was SASO who not only saw the a/c below him on the slopes, but was able to read its number on the upper mainplane!


If it was 14 Sqn that would have been a B(I)8.

But . . .ooops! :\ The 8s, nor any Cranberries, had numbers on the upper mainplane. Must have been on the fus. :ok:

[kitwe]

The ski-slope story of the Canberra is partly correct. I was on PR7s in RAFG at the time (1968 ish) and the "offender" was a 14 Sqn B(I) 8 mate- not a QFI. Apparently he had been authorized for "low flying 4 ATAF, photographing castles and skiers!" Not sure who the senior was but it was either the CinC or his deputy. The major "crime" of which he was accused was that he had penetrated what was then the ADIZ just north of the Austrian border. I seem to remember that he got away with that one but he was indeed booted out for, I think, getting airborne with some gear locks still in. Apparently this was the last straw.

I also had heard the one about the bridge (on the Kiel Canal) and that the locals had solved the problem by hanging chains from the bridge. How true this story was, I don't know, for it was way before my time. It may even have pre-dated the Canberras. Sounds just the sort of thing the Venom/Hunter/Swift mopb might have got up to!

[kokpit]

Lots of good pics and vids. Even more have been offered, but yet to be posted, come on guys ;)

Crap, was going to post an incredible, (seriously) low pass video, but the link has gone down. I have it on my HD, it's 2 Mb, can anyone host it?

If so, pm me please.

[John Purdey]

Beeayeate, You are quite right, memory plays strange tricks! I was confusing the fact that because so many LF Canberras had their numbers taken by complaining observers on the ground, HQ RAFG decided to delete the (large) numbers on the underside of the M/Ps. Of course, SASO (and I am pretty certain that it was he) must have read the fuselage numbers. JP:ok:

[scroggs]

Solotk

The second of your B17 photos shows the aircraft doing what we of the UK C130 fleet used to call the 'snatch' - a mail pick-up using a hook on an aircraft-mounted winch to snare a suspended wire or rope attached to the mail package, which can be seen on the ground. The technique was revived by the C130 fleet at the end of the Falklands war to facilitate the delivery of important mail back to UK while the Stanley runway was out of commission. I have a number of photos of the technique being practised on Salisbury plain in the summer of '82 - I'll see if any of them are worth posting here!

[Beeayeate]

Hi JohnP

The Canberras of the Strike Squadrons in Germany all retained large underwing serials. However, some sqds had large a/c serials in white on the fus aft of the roundel. 3 Sqd had this scheme as well as individual a/c squadron "fleet" letters on the fin. These identifiers stood out remarkably well against the grey/green camo and black undersides.

I guess the RAF wanted the russkies to know which individual aircraft had delivered instant sunshine to them, in case of any complaints you understand. :hmm:

[Miserable Old Git]

http://uk.photos.yahoo.com/max_mil2000

The Falkland’s finest. All 4 Flick-knives airborne at the same time, plus tanker and arriving Timmy.

Couldn’t get the Herc boys though, new shipment of pies had just arrived.

MOG

[kokpit]

OK lets try again..............

Turn up the volume, unless you are offended by strong language (which I doubt), they don't get any lower than this :ok:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nick.covey/Spitfire%20Low%20Pass.wmv

[Fg Off Max Stout]

kokpit - that's awesome :D

[Jobza Guddun]

Reaction says it all!!

Does anyone have any photos (or a link) of the infamous F4 beatup at the Cranwell Graduation mid-80's?

Quality thread...

[Runaway Gun]

Jobza,

Can you please tell me more about this supposed 'beat up to beat all beat ups' at the Grad parade? I've heard so many stories, and it's hard to find out the real facts... What exactly happened?

Cheers, RG.

[John Purdey]

Beeayeate, Thanks, very interesting about the Strike Sqns, but I am pretty sure (after all these years!) that my old dad said the underwing numbers on the Recce Sqn a/c were deleted. Am I right? JP

[Beeayeate]

Thanks, very interesting about the Strike Sqns, but I am pretty sure (after all these years!) that my old dad said the underwing numbers on the Recce Sqn a/c were deleted. Am I right?

Didn't have much to do with the "flying camera" mob John, but my rememberance is that it would be unusual for a Canberra not to have the serial under the wing.

Of course, as with all things in those days, local circumstances prevailed and there were always kites coming off majors, or other servicings, having been not fully re-painted, etc. Also, sqns, and ASFs, in Germany had the ability to apply paint-jobs as necessary. When the 8s changed from black undersides to silver there were many and various "intrim" schemes extant - even within a single sqn! (Plays merry he££ with modellers these days. :rolleyes: ) There is a very long "air-brake" panel along the underside of a Can's wing. If a new panel had to be fitted and a re-paint left out (and they were) the serial number could be seriously broken up so as to be virtually un-readable. So many variations that who's to say your dad is wrong. Don't recall if there was an actual order that serials had to be deleted underwing, but I doubt it.

[John Purdey]

Beeayeate,

I think your analysis is probably the right one. There was a great deal of variation in colours, switches, knobs, radios and other bits and bobs in the RAFG Canberras by the 1980s. Regards. John Purdey

[STANDTO]

Do I win five pounds, or some sort of medal for starting this thread?

Also, has anyone got the codec for the low flying spit file to hand. Mine won't play

[MajorMadMax]

STANDTO

Windows Media Player v. 7.0 did the trick for me!

Cheers! M2

[polyglory]

Low flying Spit (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nick.covey/)

Click on Spitfire low pass:cool:

[Beeayeate]

All very interesting. . .

But just to get back on-topic, here's a pic of a Bonanza flying under the Eiffel Tower. Out there on the web somewhere there is a short video clip of this incident, taken from the cockpit of the Bonanza.

http://www.canberra.plus.com/pics/eiffel.jpg

[Straight Up]

I've got the clip from the cockpit of the Bonanza, it appears to have com from airspacemag.com to start with.

If any one wants it I can email it, but don't have the facilities (or knowledge) to post it here.

[Ex Douglas Driver]

Air & Space Mag link (http://www.airspacemag.com/asm/web/site/QT/eiffel.html)

Video loads when the page opens

[tony draper]

Tried posting that link to the low flying Spit on another website where it would be greatly appreciated, but I keep getting the Page not found message.
Any chance of a different link??or any reason why this should be happening?

[kokpit]

Tony,

I posted the Spit link on the previous page, and it still works :confused:

Here it is again:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nick.c...0Low%20Pass.wmv

[Fox3snapshot]

Brought to the top for Aviatrade

[pig fist]

Echoing sentiments and all that - top thread. Somewhat surprised by the lack of Buccaneer phots and the hush-hush dits about the mighty fin, a big flat desert and a Winnebago. Or will I now burn in hell?

[Gainesy]

Only if yer don't tell us the dit mate.:)

[pig fist]

Gainsey old bean,

I'm not the man to ask - we need an F3 mate to 'fess up. I don't think the outcome was pretty though.

[blandford50]

Low flying- yes!

I was sat beside my car, parked off a lane near Woodhall Spa once, in the Eighties. One moment, there was I, enjoying the Spring sunshine, eating my sandwich, listening to the birds twittering, next moment, a Starfighter went over my head, followed some time later by its sound! (I didn't see or hear it coming). It does funny things to your salivation, I assure you.

Another time, more recently, I was driving west near Ross-on-Wye, just after the M50 becomes an 'A' dual. Off to my right, I saw not one, not two, but three Alberts weaving their way up the shallow valley heading NE (- SAS trip?). Very impressive!