Who was the best display pilot you ever saw?
The Reverend
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I have many happy hours in my logbook flying with Ray Hanna.A thorough gentleman and a superb pilot. His son (RIP) acquired his great skills mainly due to his father. Regrettably, my time with Ray was in nothing more exciting than CV880s and B707s.
Join Date: Aug 2000
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In the 50s it had to be Dizzy Addicott flying the Scottish Aviation Single Pioneer. At Farnborough, V strong wind down the runway. T/O roll about 20 (twenty) feet , rose vertically and proceeded to fly backwards. With the huge LE slats and massive flap area, stalling speed was ridiculously low - keeping the aircraft at just above the stall speed, he managed a negative groundspeed!
I'll mak siccar
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It is a long time since I did one, Henry, but my recollection is the same as yours, and a smooth Derry turn from steep turn left to steep turn right at constant altitude is a whole lot more difficult than a rollover break.
Interested to read FJJP's post re. Dizzy Addicott - I believe he was also very much into motor racing in the sixties, competing with the likes of Innes Ireland, Jim Clark, Graham Hill etc. I can recall meeting Dizzy at Farnborough, many moons ago - quite a character!
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Keith Hartley deserves a mention...
...Albeit I never saw him at an airshow, or doing a 'formal' display (except from the confines of the telemetry room).
He may not have been the best, but he was very, very good.
One of the best EF Typhoon displays I actually saw (escaping telemetry monitoring duites for once) was to some visiting Singaporean dignitaries. Costly, but very good.
Craig Penrice was no slouch either, I saw Craig put in some Typhoontastic displays too.
He may not have been the best, but he was very, very good.
One of the best EF Typhoon displays I actually saw (escaping telemetry monitoring duites for once) was to some visiting Singaporean dignitaries. Costly, but very good.
Craig Penrice was no slouch either, I saw Craig put in some Typhoontastic displays too.
Prince Cantucuzene is his Jungmeister is the most spectacular display pilot I have ever seen. His flick rolls just off the ground were breathtaking, including one just after take-off. Against all odds, he died in his bed. Roumania's top-scoring fighter pilot, mainly on the Eastern Front, then exiled to Spain. Also pre-war record holder. He richly deserves a biography but details are sparse.
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Atcham Tower: You took the words out of my mouth.
I only saw him perform once and that left a memory which is still vivid for all the reasons you mention.
He did one low inverted run with the top of the fin about 20ft of the ground, and came on the PA afterwards to apologise for not coming lower, but the wind was a bit gusty.
I only saw him perform once and that left a memory which is still vivid for all the reasons you mention.
He did one low inverted run with the top of the fin about 20ft of the ground, and came on the PA afterwards to apologise for not coming lower, but the wind was a bit gusty.
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Andy Sephton displaying OWs Sea Hurricane. He flies this aircraft with such grace, displaying similar empathy with his machine as a conductor has with a piece of music. Pure poetry in motion.
Re the pic: is this Pete Shepard? Agree with above posts, stunning displays.
Edited to resize. Remember folks, 800 by 600 is the largest size pic for PPRuNe posting.
Re the pic: is this Pete Shepard? Agree with above posts, stunning displays.
Edited to resize. Remember folks, 800 by 600 is the largest size pic for PPRuNe posting.
Last edited by Evileyes; 6th Mar 2006 at 16:42.
Silly Old Git
But the real stand out has to be the Red Arrows doing their Darwin show off Mindil Beach a couple of years back. The kids were mightily impressed to be standing on the 120 ft high point at the end of the beach looking down as the Hawks went by.
I was down on the little beach beside the casino with the kids.I reckon the Paspaley family would have been down on their knees praying at some of the inverted passes over their house.
And to think it was an impromptu practise !
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It must have been the summer of 1952 that I saw Prince Cantucuzene in his Jungmeister displaying at Baginton Airport.
At the conclusion of a stunning display he landed and then immediately performed a flick roll and re-landed and taxied off.
I have never seen the likes since.
Incidentally at the same Air Display John Cunningham displayed an early model DH Comet Jetliner and during a sweep over Coventry the main engine cover panel from one under wing departed the aircraft.
He continued his display apparently unaware of the lost panel which must have been approximately 8feet square.
One wonders what the maintenance crew thought when he returned the aircraft to Hatfield.
At the conclusion of a stunning display he landed and then immediately performed a flick roll and re-landed and taxied off.
I have never seen the likes since.
Incidentally at the same Air Display John Cunningham displayed an early model DH Comet Jetliner and during a sweep over Coventry the main engine cover panel from one under wing departed the aircraft.
He continued his display apparently unaware of the lost panel which must have been approximately 8feet square.
One wonders what the maintenance crew thought when he returned the aircraft to Hatfield.
Last edited by HectorusRex; 8th Mar 2006 at 08:54.
Per Ardua ad Astraeus
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One (two?) of the best for me were the 'synchro pair' of gliders around Germany in the 70'/80's. Following a double aero-tow they performed synchronised aeros down to 'not much height' followed, IIRC, by an inverted high-speed run into a wingover to land from opposite ends and drop wings together alongside the pick-up truck.
The 'maddest' was possibly the 'mad major' from the same era in his BAF F104 with the reheat 'supported' aileron roll at about 50' after a touch-and-go.
The 'maddest' was possibly the 'mad major' from the same era in his BAF F104 with the reheat 'supported' aileron roll at about 50' after a touch-and-go.
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In the USA:
Jimmy Franklin for pure showmanship
Leo Loudeslager for daring precision
In the UK:
Brian Lecomber in his Stampe.
Peter Phillips in whatever he was flying.
John Harper in the Stampe or Extra 230.
I would go a long way to watch Peter Kynsey in his Cosmic Wind.
KZ8
Jimmy Franklin for pure showmanship
Leo Loudeslager for daring precision
In the UK:
Brian Lecomber in his Stampe.
Peter Phillips in whatever he was flying.
John Harper in the Stampe or Extra 230.
I would go a long way to watch Peter Kynsey in his Cosmic Wind.
KZ8
Russ Pengelly - Lightning F1A in the 70's.
Flying one of Wattishams TFF aircraft. Almost unbelievable what that man could do with a Lightning! Sadly lost over th Irish Sea when flying a Tornado as a TP for Bae.
Flying one of Wattishams TFF aircraft. Almost unbelievable what that man could do with a Lightning! Sadly lost over th Irish Sea when flying a Tornado as a TP for Bae.
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Really envious of all you blokes in the UK. Some great warbird displays in Aus, but nothing like the pics we see in this forum.
On a different note, Bob Hoover's 'energy conservation' routine in the Shrike was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING !
Spec.
On a different note, Bob Hoover's 'energy conservation' routine in the Shrike was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING !
Spec.
Gnome de PPRuNe
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And from me - saw his last Reno display in 1999, awesome. Wish I could have seen him fly the Mustang.
BOAC, I remember those German gliders (LO-somethings) at Biggin a couple of times... superb!
Pete Kynsey's Tigercat displays are brilliant as well - I was having a good look at it on Sunday night, it's a heck of a big machine!
BOAC, I remember those German gliders (LO-somethings) at Biggin a couple of times... superb!
Pete Kynsey's Tigercat displays are brilliant as well - I was having a good look at it on Sunday night, it's a heck of a big machine!