Low or what???
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Englandshire, mostly.
Originally Posted by k3k3
A bit unfair on the crew in the lower compartment with their downward firing ejection seats.
IMHO, it's nothing more than a foolish display putting some of the crew in a very dodgy position!
Joined: May 1999
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
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From: Quite near 'An aerodrome somewhere in England'
Below the flight deck level of one of those floating leviathans of the US Navy is hardly a challenge; below the deck level of one the the RN's little armoured rowing boats certainly would be though!
But this flypast was too risky to the guys in the downward firing seats, in my view. Although we did similarly stupid things many years ago with guys downstairs who didn't even have bang seats. 350 KIAS at 50ft across a certain East Anglian aerodrome's ASP springs to mind......in a Vulcan.
The Fairchild accident was the sad culmination of a pilot's career of known rule-breaking:
http://www.simradar.com/Feature/2317...child_AFB.html
But this flypast was too risky to the guys in the downward firing seats, in my view. Although we did similarly stupid things many years ago with guys downstairs who didn't even have bang seats. 350 KIAS at 50ft across a certain East Anglian aerodrome's ASP springs to mind......in a Vulcan.
The Fairchild accident was the sad culmination of a pilot's career of known rule-breaking:
http://www.simradar.com/Feature/2317...child_AFB.html
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: uk
I'm not really sure about the points made about bang seats. Any aircraft, with or without, would only be a "twitch" away from disaster. I've seen B52s at very low level on Red Flag (although this one is the winner). If you absolutely have to penetrate a WEZ with little or no support, then this is the way to go. I must confess to being bemused that pictures of Jags and Buccs doing something similar inspire awe, but this does not. Well, I'm impressed
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From: Englandshire, mostly.
Originally Posted by SASless
Low level in a Jag over the desert is impressive eh? Low level in a B-52 below flight deck level is impressive!
Joined: Feb 2006
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From: UK
With all the concern about the rear crew and downward firing bang seats at ultra low level I'd be curious to know what the drills were for a critical failure (if you can have such a thing with 8 engines) during the take off or final approach. Was it just a case of "5hit happens, it was an emergency"? Any Buff drivers out there who can comment?
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From: Southern Turkey
Seems to me it's not a question of 'how low can you go?' - any idiot can do that until contact is eventually made. It's more a question of 'how low can you operate?'. We all know that Buccaneers operated very effectively at ultra low level. On the other hand, I well remember competing against SAC B52s with Vulcans. The Buffs were not allowed to fly below 1000ft agl as their 'normal' low level operating height and this, surprise surprise, gave them a considerable edge with radar bombing. At least they didn't bomb blue forces that way.
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Englandshire, mostly.
Originally Posted by SASless
Bronx,
Bomber, Carrier, and American...reckon the Green Eyed Monster is scurrying around a bit here?
Bomber, Carrier, and American...reckon the Green Eyed Monster is scurrying around a bit here?
Balls of steel though...
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Joined: Jul 2000
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From: Peripatetic
Not the first or last time either, same Sqn from Minot on another trip....Riding the Boeing B-52
........"When we got back to Hickam, Pete and I exchanged notes. At the time, I had thought that OUR low-level fly bys were exciting; Pete's crew apparently had no problem "getting down in the weeds" and had flown their "BUF" past the carrier at or below FLIGHT DECK LEVEL. Pete told me that when he looked out the window, he had to look UP in order to see the island and the masts! P-3 operating procedures only allowed us to fly at a minimum of 200-300 feet, but apparently the Air Force guys had no such minimum altitude limitations.........
........"When we got back to Hickam, Pete and I exchanged notes. At the time, I had thought that OUR low-level fly bys were exciting; Pete's crew apparently had no problem "getting down in the weeds" and had flown their "BUF" past the carrier at or below FLIGHT DECK LEVEL. Pete told me that when he looked out the window, he had to look UP in order to see the island and the masts! P-3 operating procedures only allowed us to fly at a minimum of 200-300 feet, but apparently the Air Force guys had no such minimum altitude limitations.........