Hero pilot 'back-flipped' his fighter jet at 250ft to avoid a crash!

[Blue Bottle]

RAF Tornado misses glider by a 'quarter of a second' thanks to lightning reflexes of fighter pilot | Mail Online

[Arm out the window]

Bunt into an outside half loop at 250 ft ... he must have not only been a hero but someone who could ignore the laws of physics! Well done that man.

[Wg Cdr Spry]

For the accurate details of this incident, please have a read of the UKAB findings found at http://www.airproxboard.org.uk/docs/....06Reports.pdf on page 72 of the document. I will let you make your own minds up about what transpired.

Yours aye

Spry

[Torque Tonight]

The Mail has really excelled itself on this one. One becomes accustomed to sensationalist drivel deviod of fact, but this article really takes it up a level. Special mention for the creator of the Mail Graphic which helpfully explains the event.

You get better journalism in Viz magazine.

[Ka6crpe]

-28G? Well not quite ignoring the laws of physics, but how did the jet pilot remain concious, and how come the aircraft didn't break up?

i would also be wondering what a glider would be doing at such a low altitude unless he was on finals to land.

[Stuff]

I particularly like the bit where it's the updraught from the outside loop that catapults the glider up 50ft.

[just another jocky]

Originally Posted by Ka6crpe

i would also be wondering what a glider would be doing at such a low altitude unless he was on finals to land.

Ridgesoaring?

Listed as a possible explanation in the UKAB summary linked to by Wg Cdr Spry above.

[Two's in]

You get better journalism in Viz magazine.

That's a very harsh comparison TT; after all, one is a puerile rag aimed a titillating the basest of instincts in morons with room temperature IQ's, and the other one is Viz magazine.

[AR1]

I've just waded through the comments in disbelief. I thought I was thick.

[dervish]

The Mail article is dross, but no worse than MoD's assertions that the Chinook can "glide" safely to earth in the event of a double engine failure.

[Agaricus bisporus]

but no worse than MoD's assertions that the Chinook can "glide" safely to earth

Er - I'm not getting this. Is there something wrong with that completely accurate statement? What a ludicrous post!

[Courtney Mil]

Originally Posted by AR1

I thought I was thick.

Never say that onPPRuNe, mate. You're clearly not, but if you offer it up for comment the kind folk here won't disagree with you.

Anyway, I have only three points. First, ALL hero fighter pilots have done exactly that numerous time without making any fuss about it. It's just part of the job. Civvi pilots just float around, completely unaware of their surroundings so it's up to the magnificently skilled, self-sacrificing mil pilots to be heroes in order to save them from themselves. This is a mil aircrew forum!

Second, it must have been a GR crew, therefore not a fighter pilot (Tornado F3 fighter - oh yeah, but the principle stands).

Finally, if he did indeed push through an inverted half loop (even from 250 feet agl), it's not a "back flip".

Other than that, brilliant reporting.

Hope this helps.

[smujsmith]

The reporting originally stated that the "heroic" pilot had spotted the glider with very little warning (suggesting the glider was hidden by the canopy arch). They originally reported that the pilot performed a bunt manoeuvre, which, it said, was a violent turn to avoid the glider. I did point out to them that a bunt was not a turn, but a push forward of the stick, possibly to avoid the glider by flying below it. They then completely changed the report, complete with graphic to show a half outside loop. Exactly as a bunt is described in several on line references. Like the rest of you, I'm trying to work out how our "hero" manages to carry out an inverted loop at the altitudes suggested. Love to see it incorporated into next years solo Tornado display.


I must stop reading comic rags. Anyone explain what a class B risk is ?

Smudge

[Rosevidney1]

Dervish is right. I remember in the late 1970 our tame US exchange officer saying in answer to the question "What is the Chinook like in autorotation?" "Real stable, man, all the way down to the crash site!"

[SomeGuyOnTheDeck]

An inverted half-loop at 250 ft and 500 mph? Is being a moron a prior requirement for becoming a Daily Mail reporter, or do they teach it on the job?

[racedo]

Pilot missed the school kids, orphange kids and hospital kids that were all in the Glider, Daily Mail had failed to mention them .

Has DM no shame

[dallas]

The daredevil's lightning reflexes...

Was it Evel Knieval crewing this one?

[Agaricus bisporus]

Rose, the Chinook actually floats like a butterfly in autorotation...OK, you need to run it on and it takes some space, but it autorotates beautifully, hence the surprise at the inaccurate and misleading statement.

[Tankertrashnav]

Pilot missed the school kids, orphange kids and hospital kids that were all in the Glider, Daily Mail had failed to mention them .

Yes and what about the witness on the ground who saw the pilot "grappling with the controls"? Those controls must have been well and truly grappled for the aircraft to have performed that manoeuvre!

[TomJoad]

You are all missing the point. Did the RAF come out well over this - it was an absolutely brilliant piece of reporting.

If you anorak pedants want the authoritative tale then read the article linked by Spry that is what it is there for. It is of course of no interest to the general public - they want to hear about hero pilots and rest safe in the knowledge that the RAF is an outstanding organisation. In that respect it is a freaking brilliant article.