Air Display 'C*ck Ups'
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Reds crash at Brighton
I used to work at the AFCO in Brighton in 2005, and one day this guy from the RAFA club came in and said he had half of the wing from that ac in his attic! Turns out it was washed up on the beach about 2 years after the crash and some helpful member of the public thought the best place for it was the RAFA club!
He wanted to cut it up and sell it on E Bay to raise money for the club. Made a couple of phone calls to the Reds publicity people who advised against it but said they would send the club loads of stuff for them to raffle!
He wanted to cut it up and sell it on E Bay to raise money for the club. Made a couple of phone calls to the Reds publicity people who advised against it but said they would send the club loads of stuff for them to raffle!
Couldonlyaffordafiver
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His name is Steve Johnson, but you were close. The Reds were operating from Biggin and Steve returned there later the same day apparently none the worse for wear. Mind you, he may have had a bad head the following morning!
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Hello to all! Apologies If I'm 'bending' the thread a bit.
1. Mention was made earlier (Pulse1, pge5), of the crash at Farnborough of the French Atlantique maritime a/c. The resulting report pointed to the fact that the a/c was demonstrating single engine performance at the time and was executing a turn back towards the airfield when the accident occurred. There was a suggestion that he had turned into the dead engine? As a 'groundhog' - was that the big no no? Do you turn into or away from a dead engine - something I have always wondered since.
2. Contrib. More a 'by the grace of....' At many shows commercial traffic continues during breaks in the routines etc. I was at a RAF St Mawgan Show, some yrs ago, handling British Eagle 1-11 ops for the day. All went well 'till the last flight - full pax to BHX I think. The Show was over, evryone clearing up, display a/c departing etc.
1-11 takes off and climbs straight out to the South. An enormous 'Whoomph' as departing F-100 beats the field up and power climbs away -portside of 1-11's path and then - inexplicably - turns STB and across the nose of the 1-11. How close? I've seen one two things over the yrs; I turned away. A Nr Miss was duly recorded!
A great thread and forum BTW!
1. Mention was made earlier (Pulse1, pge5), of the crash at Farnborough of the French Atlantique maritime a/c. The resulting report pointed to the fact that the a/c was demonstrating single engine performance at the time and was executing a turn back towards the airfield when the accident occurred. There was a suggestion that he had turned into the dead engine? As a 'groundhog' - was that the big no no? Do you turn into or away from a dead engine - something I have always wondered since.
2. Contrib. More a 'by the grace of....' At many shows commercial traffic continues during breaks in the routines etc. I was at a RAF St Mawgan Show, some yrs ago, handling British Eagle 1-11 ops for the day. All went well 'till the last flight - full pax to BHX I think. The Show was over, evryone clearing up, display a/c departing etc.
1-11 takes off and climbs straight out to the South. An enormous 'Whoomph' as departing F-100 beats the field up and power climbs away -portside of 1-11's path and then - inexplicably - turns STB and across the nose of the 1-11. How close? I've seen one two things over the yrs; I turned away. A Nr Miss was duly recorded!
A great thread and forum BTW!
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Biggin Hill
I heard I rumour that a Tornado F3 went to Biggin Hill and its nosewheel sunk into the tarmac overnight and had to be pulled out by a tractor the next day. Whilst not an airborne c*ck up, must certainly count as a c*ck up (if it's true). How do avoid such an embarrassment? 
Similar incident to that mentioned by GasFitter occured at RIAT a few years back.....German (I think) Tonka parked on non-load bearing shoulder sank in up to the drop tanks and a way had to found to lift it out before the public came in to see it next morning ......think a mobile crane was found and brought in from another station at v. short notice 
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Wasnt it 2 years ago that the 28 Sqn Merlin Display Team re-routed to a model aircraft flying club from Waddingtons show (Sat afternoon) and dug the nosewheel in during the display. I seem to remember it was one of the Sqn execs dads model flying club near WSM, no engineering support and they flew back to Waddington having dropped the said Exec back off at Oxfords SH Base.
The video did the rounds and prompted the HFOR
..............priceless.
The video did the rounds and prompted the HFOR
..............priceless.
Not amusing in any way, but about 10 or 12 years ago I had the unfortunate experience of watching a chipmunk high speed stall into the ground, killing the pilot. The guy got 95% around a loop and just ran out of height. Just goes to show how unforgiving aviation is - the only difference between this crash and the Typhoon and Rafale videos is about 20'.
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Biggin Hill 1996
As we were surrounded by dozens of ice-cream lickers & anoraks we launched (helo) vertically in a positive fashion to loiter behind the crowd line and pre-position for our display slot.
As I started to pitched nose down to depart (approx 80 agl) my seat collapsed and slid fully to the rear.
Strapped in, I could not reach the any of the controls.
A few very un-Officer like comments had the crewman scurring forward to the cockpit as I unstrapped at the rush.
Although the crewmans agricultural but life saving pull on the other cyclic levelled us just below treetop level we found ourselves (by pure luck) in an area cleared for development.
I can still see the faces of a family, enjoying brunch, as we passed, uncontrolled & descending, only 20-30ft from their balcony.
Ironically we were showered with praise for our dynamic & punchy departure.
As I started to pitched nose down to depart (approx 80 agl) my seat collapsed and slid fully to the rear.
Strapped in, I could not reach the any of the controls.
A few very un-Officer like comments had the crewman scurring forward to the cockpit as I unstrapped at the rush.
Although the crewmans agricultural but life saving pull on the other cyclic levelled us just below treetop level we found ourselves (by pure luck) in an area cleared for development.
I can still see the faces of a family, enjoying brunch, as we passed, uncontrolled & descending, only 20-30ft from their balcony.
Ironically we were showered with praise for our dynamic & punchy departure.
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I was involved in air display flying for much of my flying career. Regrettably, the majority of the foul ups I saw resulted in fatalities. One of the reasons I gave it up was that I knew I was no better a pilot than they and concluded that, one day, it would be me. I thought wife and family had put up with enough for 40 years or so and it was time to be considerate.
I do, however, remember an air show (The Daily Express Air Rally I seem to recall) which was held at a little grass airfield just south of Redhill called Gatwick. The Yanks were doing a flypast in their magnificent B36 I think it was. It was HUGE, and it had to be as it was doing it at Redhill and was difficult to see! Plus ca change, plus ca meme chose. At this same show was an American lady called Betty Skelton doing some barnstorming type flying in a little biplane designed and made for her by her boy friend. His name was Pitts and the aircfaft was called "Little Stinker". It was developed into the Pitts Special I believe.
I do, however, remember an air show (The Daily Express Air Rally I seem to recall) which was held at a little grass airfield just south of Redhill called Gatwick. The Yanks were doing a flypast in their magnificent B36 I think it was. It was HUGE, and it had to be as it was doing it at Redhill and was difficult to see! Plus ca change, plus ca meme chose. At this same show was an American lady called Betty Skelton doing some barnstorming type flying in a little biplane designed and made for her by her boy friend. His name was Pitts and the aircfaft was called "Little Stinker". It was developed into the Pitts Special I believe.
Princess Roll
Ironically we were showered with praise for our dynamic & punchy departure.
There is a famous photograph which I was unable to find of the Princess in an almost vertical bank.
According to Geoff Tyson, the test pilot, the roll was uncommanded and he came very close to crashing.
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Blackpool Prom 2004? ,display Hawk,Spitfire,Hunter etc , then the best ever a Harrier , now we know what they do best , they hover and it did right over the water spraying water, kids were coming out of the sea running up the beach , the harrier just got lower and closer , this it kept repeating untill it was absolutely ear splitting chest thumpingly close , it was then that i noticed the donkeys were on the rampage, harrier promplty bowed again and dissapeared up into the sky, i looked round on a scene of devastation , kids crying , donkeys still rampaging , people led on the beach waiting for ambulances having been involved in a donkey stampede, try telling that to your boss , err can't come in today I was walking along the beach and a plane appeared and i got run over by a herd of donkeys!!
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Pulse1, this is the one: I'll not leave it here for too long...
I recall from either Wood or Gunston (probably the latter... Aeroplane Monthly in the 1970s?) that the Princess was in an airspeed and altitude regime where the servos (and artificial feel?) had almost locked solid. "Seconds away from the most spectacular crash in history" was the phrase I remember.
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Battle of Britain flypast at Jandakot airport (Western Australia) around 1995 (I think) by 4 PC9’s.
4-ship flies overhead the airfield at the appointed time and lands. Crews are treated to a lovely breakfast in one of the hangars.
Low level aeros matey gets airborne about an hour later for his routine. The routine is quite a good one with a “dirty barrel” in the middle (a “dirty barrel” is a barrel roll flown with gear down).
However………out hero forgets to raise the gear after completion of the dirty barrel, and not only that continues with the rest of the routine!
Que one annoyed and embarrassed OC. CFI rushes to one of the PC9s and turns on the radio to advise our hero that he has managed to over speed and over stress (a lot!) the gear in front of several hundred people, most of whom have some sort of piloting qualification!
Our now slightly humbled hero limps back to Pearce (about a 20NM transit) at low speed with the gear down awaiting an airborne inspection!
Funny coz it didn't happen to me
4-ship flies overhead the airfield at the appointed time and lands. Crews are treated to a lovely breakfast in one of the hangars.
Low level aeros matey gets airborne about an hour later for his routine. The routine is quite a good one with a “dirty barrel” in the middle (a “dirty barrel” is a barrel roll flown with gear down).
However………out hero forgets to raise the gear after completion of the dirty barrel, and not only that continues with the rest of the routine!
Que one annoyed and embarrassed OC. CFI rushes to one of the PC9s and turns on the radio to advise our hero that he has managed to over speed and over stress (a lot!) the gear in front of several hundred people, most of whom have some sort of piloting qualification!
Our now slightly humbled hero limps back to Pearce (about a 20NM transit) at low speed with the gear down awaiting an airborne inspection!
Funny coz it didn't happen to me
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Wasnt it 2 years ago that the 28 Sqn Merlin Display Team re-routed to a model aircraft flying club from Waddingtons show (Sat afternoon) and dug the nosewheel in during the display. I seem to remember it was one of the Sqn execs dads model flying club near WSM, no engineering support and they flew back to Waddington having dropped the said Exec back off at Oxfords SH Base.
The video did the rounds and prompted the HFOR ..............priceless.
The video did the rounds and prompted the HFOR
..............priceless. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsJAXb_jA3Q
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Coningsby Families Day 2006 - Provost pilot waves goodbye to the base of the seat next to him after failing to secure it properly.
Smashed the cockpit and some gubbins fell all the way to terra firma.
Display over.
Smashed the cockpit and some gubbins fell all the way to terra firma.
Display over.