Air Display 'C*ck Ups'
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Interesting video of the Bell 206 display. My instructor on my my first turbine (Huey) conversion killed himself and two backseaters doing just that. Tore the skids off, lost control and the AC then went over a 300 foot cliff into the water.
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Having done a season's display flying on the Herc, (all that strutting and posing around the Display Stands in our green growbags - lovely!), I can honestly agree with the old adage; "The better it looks on the outside, the worse it probably is on the inside!!!".
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I remember an incident at the Leuchars Air Show, possibly in 1992. The cloudbase was very low and the Vulcan's normal display of steep climbing turns had to be changed to a very flat display to keep below the cloudbase which was maybe 1500-2000 feet. IIRC there was a moderate cross-wind towards the crowd. The Vulcan did a low pass along the display line then a tight 270(ish) degree turn to the left to bring it back towards the crowd. As it crossed the airfield boundary, it tried to turn right to fly along the display line but either the crosswind component was too high or the turning point was misjudged - maybe both. As I was watching, I thought; there's no way they'll make that turn without stalling. Sure enough, the turn was abandoned and the Vulcan straightened up and flew over the crowd at a low but safe altitude and what sounded like full power. I was directly underneath and it was a sight and sound I'll never forget. 
Last edited by Porrohman; 29th Sep 2007 at 20:43.
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I remember an incident at the Leuchars Air Show, possibly in 1992. The cloudbase was very low and the Vulcan's normal display of steep climbing turns had to be changed to a very flat display to keep below the cloudbase which was maybe 1500-2000 feet. IIRC there was a moderate cross-wind towards the crowd. The Vulcan did a low pass along the display line then a tight 270(ish) degree turn to the left to bring it back towards the crowd. As it crossed the airfield boundary, it tried to turn right to fly along the display line but either the crosswind component was too high or the turning point was misjudged - maybe both. As I was watching, I thought; there's now way they'll make that turn without stalling. Sure enough, the turn was abandoned and the Vulcan straightened up and flew over the crowd at a low but safe altitude and what sounded like full power. I was directly underneath and it was a sight and sound I'll never forget.
Great to see this thread bumped back up - one of my favourites along with the Robert Prest inspired "Hairy Flypasts" thread!
Cheers
Gareth
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The biggest Air Show C*ck up I ever experienced, or ever will I'm sure, was perfectly executed by...
...wait for it....
Boots the Chemist... Wnakers!!!!
RAF Waddington in the early 80 and II Sqn RAF Regt. had just finished the first conversion to CVRT, (crappy tanks), so, for reasons unknown to men of intelligence, every man and his dog wanted to see them. Myself and a dozen or more Rocks were sent down there for the week and, because we were part of the Air Show we got to walk around the hangers etc.
In flies the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in all it's splendor and me and my mate, being cheeky bastiges, managed to wangle a look around. I had my little pocket camera with me and had my picture taken standing next to, on the wings of the Spitfire and Hurricane and climbing in the Lancaster and in the cockpits of all three aircraft... This was absolute magic...
Until I went to pick up the pictures...
Boots had lost the bloody film and, of course, the BoBMF had already gone and I never got the same opportunity again...
I hate Boots!!!!!
...wait for it....
Boots the Chemist... Wnakers!!!!
RAF Waddington in the early 80 and II Sqn RAF Regt. had just finished the first conversion to CVRT, (crappy tanks), so, for reasons unknown to men of intelligence, every man and his dog wanted to see them. Myself and a dozen or more Rocks were sent down there for the week and, because we were part of the Air Show we got to walk around the hangers etc.
In flies the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in all it's splendor and me and my mate, being cheeky bastiges, managed to wangle a look around. I had my little pocket camera with me and had my picture taken standing next to, on the wings of the Spitfire and Hurricane and climbing in the Lancaster and in the cockpits of all three aircraft... This was absolute magic...
Until I went to pick up the pictures...
Boots had lost the bloody film and, of course, the BoBMF had already gone and I never got the same opportunity again...
I hate Boots!!!!!
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Lowestoft air show 2002. There I was glad-handing with the corporate purple and Flt Lt Cann bangs out of his Harrier infront of an admiring crowd of 100,000.
If anyone knows Tony Cann, hope he's well, it was a marvellous performance!
If anyone knows Tony Cann, hope he's well, it was a marvellous performance!
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Night jump from a DC3. Brilliant shots of aircraft and rest of stick lit up from below by strobes as I went out first, dark background and full moon in the distance.
No film in the camera.....
No film in the camera.....
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FYI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffers...nsion_Memorial
Stunts
No fewer than eleven light aircraft have been successfully piloted beneath the arch, the first on 22 June 1966, when the arch had been completed for less than a year.[1]
In 1980 Kenneth Swyers tried to parachute onto the span of the Gateway Arch, planning to jump back off to land on the ground below. Instead, he slid all the way down one leg to his death. The pilot, Richard Skurat, had his pilot certificate suspended for 90 days.[2]
In 1984, David Adcock of Houston, Texas, began to scale the arch by means of suction cups on his hands and feet, but he was talked out of continuing after having climbed only 20 feet. The next day he successfully scaled the nearby 21-story Equitable Building in downtown St. Louis.
On 14 September 1992 it was rumored that John C. Vincent of New Orleans successfully scaled the outside of the Arch with suction cups during the night, and performed a BASE jump from the top with a parachute at 7 a.m. No evidence surfaced to support his claim, and it was speculated by Rangers at the Arch that Vincent was lowered from a helicopter onto the top of the Arch, from which he parachuted off. He spent three months in jail for the stunt.[3]
No fewer than eleven light aircraft have been successfully piloted beneath the arch, the first on 22 June 1966, when the arch had been completed for less than a year.[1]
In 1980 Kenneth Swyers tried to parachute onto the span of the Gateway Arch, planning to jump back off to land on the ground below. Instead, he slid all the way down one leg to his death. The pilot, Richard Skurat, had his pilot certificate suspended for 90 days.[2]
In 1984, David Adcock of Houston, Texas, began to scale the arch by means of suction cups on his hands and feet, but he was talked out of continuing after having climbed only 20 feet. The next day he successfully scaled the nearby 21-story Equitable Building in downtown St. Louis.
On 14 September 1992 it was rumored that John C. Vincent of New Orleans successfully scaled the outside of the Arch with suction cups during the night, and performed a BASE jump from the top with a parachute at 7 a.m. No evidence surfaced to support his claim, and it was speculated by Rangers at the Arch that Vincent was lowered from a helicopter onto the top of the Arch, from which he parachuted off. He spent three months in jail for the stunt.[3]
400th anniversary of the Canberra about Jan 1982/1 - Westward TV send Gus Honeybun to do an OB on the venerable 7 Sqn bird, which goes tits up, so they have to settle for a fast taxi..the venerable bird goes tits up again and runs off the taxi way and descends into the grass up to its belly.
Anyway thats how it was told to me..
Anyway thats how it was told to me..
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AR1,
Thanks for the memory jog!!
The TT18 only went off the end of the runway by about 20 or 30 yards on to the grass. It sank into the ground for 6 or 7 inches, as I recall, and after being towed back to the line and a change of brake units was flying a few days later.
The (experienced) pilot had a temporary mental glitch about EMBS which earned him b******ings from the Stn Cdr and the AOC and put a severe dent in his pride!
How do I know this?
I am the half-wit who took the Canberra on the half-hearted ploughing expedition and learned about flying and TV cameras from that!!
Thanks for the memory jog!!
The TT18 only went off the end of the runway by about 20 or 30 yards on to the grass. It sank into the ground for 6 or 7 inches, as I recall, and after being towed back to the line and a change of brake units was flying a few days later.
The (experienced) pilot had a temporary mental glitch about EMBS which earned him b******ings from the Stn Cdr and the AOC and put a severe dent in his pride!
How do I know this?
I am the half-wit who took the Canberra on the half-hearted ploughing expedition and learned about flying and TV cameras from that!!
XT661 - wonderful. - The old bird gave some great performances, this was one of them.. "went off the end of the runway by about 20 or 30 yards on to the grass. It sank into the ground for 6 or 7 inches"
About 100 yards and 6ft in from my view..
My memory wasn't too far off the mark. I 'think' I was posted out whilst it was still in the grass... I recall it lodged there during my Eval commute.
Factually it couldn't possibly have been Gus Honeybun doing the OB as he was westward and thinking about it, the franchise had gone to TSW in '81 and Kerry Swain was the presenter. (Short Skirts) I did at some point during '80 meet a rather less bulky and rather georgeous Fern Britton on the gate once when she was doing some stuff on 42. - Top drawer.
About 100 yards and 6ft in from my view..
My memory wasn't too far off the mark. I 'think' I was posted out whilst it was still in the grass... I recall it lodged there during my Eval commute.
Factually it couldn't possibly have been Gus Honeybun doing the OB as he was westward and thinking about it, the franchise had gone to TSW in '81 and Kerry Swain was the presenter. (Short Skirts) I did at some point during '80 meet a rather less bulky and rather georgeous Fern Britton on the gate once when she was doing some stuff on 42. - Top drawer.
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Gannet AEW3
Sometime in late 1960's, RNAS Lossiemouth Air day , an AEW3 does a low pass in front of the tower with 1 engine shutdown .....ostensibly to demonstrate flying on 1 engine while starting #2....but instead shuts down #1 ....and proceeds along the short runway, in front of the crowd., on its APS20 radome.....oops....I didn't see it but it was related to me on my return from deployment on Hermes -801......so it must have been 1968'ish. 
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Just watched the merlin display vid....ooops
Mark B. used to be an instructor at Weston super Mud ATC gliding school(621)
When he was displaying the Chinook, he came and gave us a private display on his way back from a display at St. Athan.
We didn't need the radio really as we could hear him coming almost as soon as he was finished with his official display
He did his full show(over WSM, which was very much a Westlands town!) over the airfield, landed and climbed out grinning. He then took a few of the cadets up for a wazz round.
What amazed me at the time was his 'company' Mini Metro and pushbike strapped down in the back for the entire display
Bloody brilliant
Mark B. used to be an instructor at Weston super Mud ATC gliding school(621)
When he was displaying the Chinook, he came and gave us a private display on his way back from a display at St. Athan.
We didn't need the radio really as we could hear him coming almost as soon as he was finished with his official display
He did his full show(over WSM, which was very much a Westlands town!) over the airfield, landed and climbed out grinning. He then took a few of the cadets up for a wazz round.
What amazed me at the time was his 'company' Mini Metro and pushbike strapped down in the back for the entire display
Bloody brilliant
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Just seen that Will Curtis inverted limbo run at Fairford for the first time on video.
How close does that tail come to the runway as he disappears stage right?????? No wonder he has never performed the same stunt again...............
How close does that tail come to the runway as he disappears stage right?????? No wonder he has never performed the same stunt again...............
