Air Display 'C*ck Ups'
Avoid imitations
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During an air display in the good old days, back before the troubles in NI, a British Army Bell 47 lands near to crowd line, pilot gets out and begins a conversation with some spectators.
A little old lady, complete with umbrella, sneaks into cockpit and takes off. Crazy flying ensues, to the highly entertaining extent that tail rotor hits the ground and breaks. After a few pirouettes, the helicopter lands "after a fashion". All concerned somewhat embarrassed.
Group flying order book rapidly gets new order, on first page: "crazy flying is prohibited" - probably still there!
"Little old lady" later gets promoted and even becomes a squadron commander of a well known helicopter training school!
Same "LOL" is now a CAA Ops Inspector..... but "her" name is protected because I might have a check ride with "her" one day
A little old lady, complete with umbrella, sneaks into cockpit and takes off. Crazy flying ensues, to the highly entertaining extent that tail rotor hits the ground and breaks. After a few pirouettes, the helicopter lands "after a fashion". All concerned somewhat embarrassed.
Group flying order book rapidly gets new order, on first page: "crazy flying is prohibited" - probably still there!
"Little old lady" later gets promoted and even becomes a squadron commander of a well known helicopter training school!
Same "LOL" is now a CAA Ops Inspector..... but "her" name is protected because I might have a check ride with "her" one day
Clophill (Bedfordshire) village fete and airshow in the early eighties (I think) - F-4 pilot misread the minimum height of 250 ft as 50ft, resulting pass at very high speed caused all sorts of consternation among assembled folk
. A couple of years later, the USAF European F-16 display pilot succeeded in doing his entire display over a village about four miles away, in sight of, but frustratingly distant from, the viewers (who had to make do with the BBMF, Red Arrows, etc., etc).
GG
. A couple of years later, the USAF European F-16 display pilot succeeded in doing his entire display over a village about four miles away, in sight of, but frustratingly distant from, the viewers (who had to make do with the BBMF, Red Arrows, etc., etc).GG
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The world of parachute displays has produced many a splendid c*ck-up especially in the days of round canopies, which were far less steerable. One classic involved a young lady (later to be UK womens champion) jumping in silly winds, who missed the DZ and went straight through a bungalow's bathroom window. The owner, on hearing a loud crashing noise, went to investigate. Just as he was absorbing the sight of a stunned female lying in his bathtub with a collection of strings leading out of the window, the canopy, which was draped over the roof, sudenly reinflated and she exited as quickly as she arrived...
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The parachute test team at Boscombe Down (all serving RAF PJIs and ex members of the RAF Falcons) were asked to to a display jump at a Boscombe Down's Families day.
To a man they missed their DZ on the establishment's sportsfield and landed on a school one half a mile away.
To a man they missed their DZ on the establishment's sportsfield and landed on a school one half a mile away.
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I remember the Phantom that burst a tyre on landing after a display and veers toward runway edge. Nav instantly elects on a Martin Baker letdown (they were always pretty nervous types) whilst pilot plugs in reheat, gets airborne again, and calmly takes it round the circuit for an unaventful landing. Crowd cheers pilot. Crowd jeers Nav.
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Another Irish airshow, Baldonnel aerodrome, '89 or '90 I think. New-looking Swiss AF F/A-18 does a nice display. Later in the show came the turn of the Spanish AF Hornet! Did a hair-raising series of manoeuvres finishing in four or five UNSCHEDULED touch-and-goes. I know they were unscheduled because the tower announcer sounded well annoyed and kept announcing each one as the last one, only to have the Hornet blast off into the sky again!
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Not at an air show but funny anyway. Crusader '80 at 4 Sqn, 4 site families BBQ, 3F Sqn 'boner' jets hoofs in at low level comes back hovers, goes backwards, forwards, sideways then attempts to land wheels up. Just as the gun pods are about to touch the mexipad, Harrier mate realises hes a bit lower than norm, throttles up lifts 50', wheels come down and he lands to rapturous applause from everyone except...... the Harrier Force Commander (Gut Staish) whos heard to say 'send that pilot to me as soon as he gets out'. Message gets passed to pilot by a group of willing bystanders. Red faced pilot walks through crowd of families to meet the HFC for a walk and natter amongst the trees. priceless!!
Last edited by AvTech; 10th Nov 2006 at 13:50.
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I saw this accident when I was a student. John Derry (of "Derry Turn" fame) had announced his arrival with a sonic boom before crossing the runway at a few hundred feet at high speed an pulling umpteen g. Just before crossing the runway the aircraft broke up. John Derry and his observer, still in their seats, hit the ground on the airfield. The two Avons followed a ballistic trajectory striking "the Hill" on which many spectators were gathered. Carnage. The display organisers, in order to distract the crowds and avoid panic, cleared Neville Duke, who was waiting to take off in his Hunter, to take off and do his thing. I think Duke and his Hunter held the air speed record at the time. He reappeared shortly afterwards in the lowest, fastest flypast I have seen either hitherto or since. Cool customer!
Analysis of amateur movies, frame by frame showed one of the wingtips to be the first bit to drop off the 110. All this was very much headline stuff in the era of the "battle with the sound barrier". A great tragedy - not a cock-up - although it was alleged that JD might have overstressed the DH110.
This accident was the origin of current air display rules governing distances and headings relative to the crowd line.
Another technical failure, but only amusing as no one hurt:
the Chinook at Abingdon losing a rear U/C leg whilst reverse hover-taxiing a few years ago.
Pictures on Airliners.net - search for ZA707
I was there for the F4 mentioned too - very sad. It was actually the day before the show, and the event was, obviously, cancelled.
To finish on a lighter note, again at Abingdon, the US Navy appeared one year. F14's and S3's. We, the techies, massed outside 'F' shed to watch them arrive. Now our hangar was around 2/3rds down the runway. S3 approaches from other end:
"he's a bit high"
"he's leaving it a bit late"
"he's a carrier plane, maybe he's taking the wire"
"nah - it's an oveshoot"
"oops" as said plane lands practically on the overshoot, continues across the grass, through a fence and stops on the Shippon road!
How he manages on a few hundred yards of pitching carrier when he can't land on a mile or so of runway escapes me!
the Chinook at Abingdon losing a rear U/C leg whilst reverse hover-taxiing a few years ago.
Pictures on Airliners.net - search for ZA707
I was there for the F4 mentioned too - very sad. It was actually the day before the show, and the event was, obviously, cancelled.
To finish on a lighter note, again at Abingdon, the US Navy appeared one year. F14's and S3's. We, the techies, massed outside 'F' shed to watch them arrive. Now our hangar was around 2/3rds down the runway. S3 approaches from other end:
"he's a bit high"
"he's leaving it a bit late"
"he's a carrier plane, maybe he's taking the wire"
"nah - it's an oveshoot"
"oops" as said plane lands practically on the overshoot, continues across the grass, through a fence and stops on the Shippon road!
How he manages on a few hundred yards of pitching carrier when he can't land on a mile or so of runway escapes me!
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Jagrigger
was also there to witness the Phantom in '88,and the S-3 Viking incident was earlier the same day....a local myth in these 'ere parts has it that the local constabulary slapped a parking ticket on the Viking as it sat across the Barrow Road awaiting recovery!!!!!!!!!!
Also saw the Chinook incident in 2005 when I was(and still am) part of the organising committee for the Abingdon Air & Country Show
Colin
was also there to witness the Phantom in '88,and the S-3 Viking incident was earlier the same day....a local myth in these 'ere parts has it that the local constabulary slapped a parking ticket on the Viking as it sat across the Barrow Road awaiting recovery!!!!!!!!!!
Also saw the Chinook incident in 2005 when I was(and still am) part of the organising committee for the Abingdon Air & Country Show
Colin
Think you'll find that this incident happened at Bournemouth.......
Not quite as described either, other than the nav did step out and the pilot then landed.....at Lyneham I recall. Must have been in the early 80s.
Not quite as described either, other than the nav did step out and the pilot then landed.....at Lyneham I recall. Must have been in the early 80s.
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Just slightly off thread, but came across it while looking at one of the earlier clips and thought it might be of interest. It's HUD film of an F16 landing without an engine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkBSXW_KqyE&NR
STH
I'll get me coat!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkBSXW_KqyE&NR
STH
I'll get me coat!
Last edited by SirToppamHat; 10th Nov 2006 at 20:42.
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AFM a few years ago now published a series of Pics of an GR5 Harrier display in Chile where the Harrier dispaly pilot came in for a touch and go and didn't select undercarriage down and slid up the runway in a shower of sparks very impressive
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I remember the video clip on BBC news. The pilot decided that it was better to get airborne again rather than departing the runway at 140kts. Nav decided to leave the pilot to it. Not sure if the lonely pilot took the aircraft somewhere else for a RHAG engagement but it did say the aircraft landed without further damage.
Red On, Green On
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MDK - perhaps the clever pilot, now knowing the problem, anticipated the effect a burst tyre would have and applied rudder/differential braking to counteract the increased drag of the burst wheel?