the best/most amazing flyby (official or otherwise)?

[OldBonaMate]

I was on 1(F) Squadron at the time and recall a couple of additional features of Al's memorable event.. .After 'doing' Tower Bridge he flew through the circuits of many of the East Anglian airfields inverted at about 200 ft on his way back to West Raynham where he ran in and broke from, guess what(?), 200ft inverted. I had just cleared the runway and when I got back to the pan I was met by a rather senior entourage who thought that I had been the perpetrator of the Tower Bridge affair and/or the ensuing inverted beat-ups. The hierarchy's interrogation of me gave Al the time he needed to quietly park his aircraft and disappear, temporarily, to make a few necessary 'phone calls like "Hello, dear, I may not be home for supper tonight". A 54 Sqn pilot who had taxied in just before me had been subjected to a similar interrogation.. .As an interesting foot-note to the whole affair, numerous people wrote to the squadron about Al's flight and the congratilatory letters out numbered the outraged by about 10:1 I believe.

If you should read this, Al, all the best.

[OnTheStep]

i must admit, it wasn't the most impressive fly by in history but it is the one i shall most definately remember for the rest of my life. last friday, one of our flight instructors passed awaw after suffering a brain anurisym and made plans for a fly-by at his funeral on the following monday. the day of, the wx was intermittent at best, 500ft at times, obscured with heavy snow at others. when the service was just about over and the requisite apologies were made about not having the fly-by because of the weather and the safety of the pilots, we heard a low droning slowly get louder and finally five 172s slipped over the treeline at about 100' and executed a missing man break overhead.

not really the reheat blazing, barrier breaking flyby on par with the others in this thread but i can tell you, there was not a dry eye in the place after they passed over.

[BEagle]

During a Lightning mate's wedding at the Binbrook village church, we heard the unmistakable sound of an F6 being scrambled (it was a Saturday..). Apparently a practice Q scramble had been 'arranged'. Some minutes later, just as we'd finished a hymn, in the couple of seconds between the 'Amen' and the god-botherer starting his bit there was an almighty roar as the Q mate returned overhead v.low indeed at the speed of heat - the whole place shook, the vicar chuckled - and no doubt those 6 ft under in the graveyard with wings forever folded smiled as well.

Somehow I don't think that the timing was purely down to luck?

[ 24 January 2002: Message edited by: BEagle ]</p>

[Wycombe]

I've seen a picture at a large Wiltshire Airbase of a guy diving off the top of an ISO Container. .with a Albert approaching at *very* low-level behind him.

Curious as to where this happened...perhaps I shouldn't ask...but it does seem that many similar incidents have been discussed here!!

[Zlin526]

I wonder if its the same picture where approximately 5 seconds later, said Fat Albert neatly removed the said persons head and upper torso with the tail ramp? If so, it was at South Cerney. As in most things, there is a limit to just how low you can get, and still remain impressive!

[Zlin526]

Talking of which, I've got a great video clip of a French AF (I think) Mirage doing an inverted flypast somewhere. Looked bloody impressive until the fin touched the runway and the said Mirage ended up at the end of the runway in a pile of burning metal. Now that *was* impressive!

[Wycombe]

Thanks Zlin,

Must admit hadn't thought that it *could* be a photo of *that* incident....best left there I guess

Back to the subject, the double rolls of the "Bone" at RIAT 2001 were pretty bloody impressive....guess there are many here who witnessed that (unlike some of the more "unofficial" occurences recounted here!)

Cheers. .EGTB

[BUMPFF]

1954: Flt Sgt (no, they weren't all officers then) George Matejski's single-engined flyby in a Lincoln, feathering 4-3-2 in sequence as he made the approach.

2001: Coffee shop at the Arizona Crater, deserted except for yours truly. Distinctive rumble of a 14-cylinder P&W followed by the arrival of a magnificent F4U in USMC blue livery, which executed a low, wide, lazy turn before departing. Just for me!

[ImageGear]

Top thread

Beautiful sounds, blue notes, 1 ? Sqn Hunters at El Adem '69 for the range. Sitting out on my veranda every day, 200 ft from the centreline, watching them hold it down until well over the sand followed by a break right round the aerial farm. Rolling to near 60 degrees and seeing the wingtip vortices lifting the sand into huge spiral tunnels. (Now thats low) followed by all the windows rattling as they disappeared towards the ridge. Watched them come back for the stream landing. I can't believe it went on for so long and it was free. Heavenly days but some wally swiped my 8mm films

Imagegear

[LowNSlow]

It was one of the last airshows at West Malling. I was standing in the cockpit of the Sally B B-17 watching the Vulcan lead the Reds down the runway at 100'which was an absolutely fantastic sight. My girlfriend started screaming as she was standing in the bombay and the Fort was vibrating so much from the noise that she thought they were starting the engines

Another fantastic flyby was watching the BBMF beat up Dartmouth College.

Best of all was the B1 at Mildenhall 8 or so years ago. Everbody was watching the current display but I spotted the B1 in the distance firing up his afterburners and sweeping the wings back. He went down the runway just short of Mach 1, setting off every car alarm in the place, there were kids crying and filling nappies while grown ups with their backs to the runway choked on their burgers and split their beer!

[steve757]

Zlin,Wycombe

I think I know the picture you refer to. It is 2 photos combined (by the RAF photo sect guys). It was taken at RAF Port Stanley in 1983, originally to hang in the truckie crewroom (the ISo in the pic)

[TwoDeadDogs]

hello all
Three from Baldonnel: "Trog" making a beeline for the gym, flashing past the Tower, in a Fouga, at about ten or so feet.I saw it from inside the white Casa. He pulled up and missed the airfield beacon by a gee-hair. Wonderful!
The then West German President is taking off in a VFW-614 (look it up). The pilot is fresh off Starfighters. He cranks it past the Tower at 90 degrees, right over the hangars! Puckered sphincters all round!
An Alpha Jet of the Luftwaffe was last to leave on the Monday after an Air Show. The Swedes had gone in their Drakens, a Yank in an A-10, A Frenchman in a Mirage 2002. All did a few rolls before heading off. Myself and a friend were seeing the German guy out, a very friendly Major. We implied that the previously-departed visitors were unworthy wusses, unfit for public consumption,etc. He told us to stand where we were and wait. He taxied out a few minutes later and took off. He threw that little jet about like a demented fly and finished off by diving directly at us pair and blasted over our heads at not much higher than our heads, going at full tilt. He cranked it around again, came back at a slightly more respectable height and waggled his wings at us. We waved and cheered like crazy men and wore huge grins for the rest of the day.Brilliant and etched on the memory.
regards
TDD

[fradu]

Tangmere in September 2003 for me, on the 50th anniversary of Neville Duke's air speed record.
The Old Flying Machine Company, with their Breitling Fighter quartet of 2 Spits, Corsair and P40, were participating at Goodwood. In a tribute to Neville, they did a short display over Tangmere.

At the end of the routine two Spits did a low, fast flypast - awesome.
Then Ray Hanna came over the old airfield site with the P40.

[Worf]

1978 - Indian Air Force firepower display at Tilpat Range near New Delhi. Felt the heat from a napalm attack demo from an HF-24 Marut 4 ship diamond and saw a Hunter section doing a front gun attack and ploughing up the earth on the range! (Funny how you see the smoke from the guns long seconds before you hear the loud rrrrrrrrr). Next - time for mock combat between a Sukhoi 7 and a Mig 21. I think there were ego issues between the pilots - they ended up doing scissors at a height were I felt I could reach up and touch them. Saw the Air Chief in his finery, twitching up and down in agitation next to the PM! The noise was UNBELIEVABLE - they both had afterburners on. When they put reheat on I jumped and lay flat on the ground!
Pictures of the very aircraft involved (not during the show) are here
Sukhoi 7 (32 Sqn) and Mig-21 Bis

Other sight I remember is my father bring back a Super Connie one of the pilots in his squadron had skidded off the runaway. He had taken off on 4 - feathered one and kept the undercarriage down all the way from Allahabad to Pune (about a 1000 miles!).
Came right over the house! Brought the entire married officers quarters population out to watch!

Ahhh memories
Worf

ps. I think the Mig-21 photo was taken during the show - this was taken without a telephoto I believe.

[wub]

How about this SOAF Jag?

http://www.flightlevel350.com/picwin...cat=19&pic=156

Incidentally, I remember some spectacular beat-ups when Chivenor closed in 1974/5? including an RN F-4 which came smoking over Heanton Hill at about 50' and flew across the runway even lower. I'll never forget the face of the radar tech who had just emerged from the GCA caravan with his back to the hill and didn't see the 'Toom coming towards him. I can still see his can of Coke spinning through the air in slow motion as the aircraft roared over head

When I were a lad I was in a small boat on Loch Sween in Scotland, fishing with my Dad. He suddenly stood up in this frail craft and shouted "Jesus Ch..." that was all he got out before an RN Buccaneer almost took our heads off. We were the only boat out there so they obviously used us as a target. I can remember the wake in the water and the heat as it passed over us.

[bolmas]

working on the aifield at binbrook in the early eighties, the C.O. was doing an airtest. we were asked to stay put and wait for further instructions. we watched the test from where we were, but knew a vertical climb was the last thing. he came straight down the runway extremely low and just as he passed us he stood it on its tail.it took 5 mins for my stomach to settle and my hearing to return and also a trip back to seco7 for a change of underwear.

[yakker]

Sat waiting to cross the main runway at RAE Bedford, Lightning was taking off. Lightning lifted off a foot or so, undercarraige up, stayed level, then a pull up to just past the vertical. Watched it climb on full reheat until I couldnt see him, NEVER crossed the airfield boundary. AWESOME.

Leaving test pilot flying the Spitfire, between the hangars, flew past level with our second floor window. Not that low you may say, but there was a single storey building underneath him!

And ofcourse the 4 Vulcan's when they scrambled.

[Captain Airclues]

CamelPilot

There is a picture of 'RM's' flyby in the bar at White Waltham to this day

I had lunch there today and I'm sorry to say that it is no longer there. It must have 'disappeared' during the refurbishment.

Airclues

[innuendo]

I'm surprised that the early B-707 being rolled,as a demo at Seattle has'nt been mentioned. It was on TV the other night in a documentary and it was pretty impressive to see. Must have given the Boeing execs a fit when they saw it.

[treadigraph]

I heard that the Boeing execs asked Tex Johnston "what the hell did he think he was doing" after that roll and he replied "selling aeroplanes".