"I'VE LOST MY RIO" by Lt. Geoff Vickers
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"I'VE LOST MY RIO" by Lt. Geoff Vickers
http://www.idahoexaminer.com/columns...ve-lost-my-rio
Description: "Here's the story by F-14D pilot Lt. Geoff Vickers on how he lost his rear passenger during a familiarization flight on board Tomcat BuNo. 164341 over Nevada in 2002.
The rear-seater was the captain of a cruiser in charge of the battlegroup air defenses and Vickers job that day was to demonstrate Tomcat's performance and tactical capabilities."
Morale of the story: "Warn the captain where his hands can and cannot be..."
Description: "Here's the story by F-14D pilot Lt. Geoff Vickers on how he lost his rear passenger during a familiarization flight on board Tomcat BuNo. 164341 over Nevada in 2002.
The rear-seater was the captain of a cruiser in charge of the battlegroup air defenses and Vickers job that day was to demonstrate Tomcat's performance and tactical capabilities."
Morale of the story: "Warn the captain where his hands can and cannot be..."
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Back before I escaped from ADGE to Satcom, I remember the Fighter Controllers recounting how one of their brethren had done something similar from the back of a Hawk during the mid-80s. The analysis wasn't as forgiving as the one in this article!
Any update on Tornado F3 ZE962 which went into the North Sea shortly after taking off from Leuchars on 14-10-05? Stories doing the rounds at the time put the cause down to the non-aircrew back seater getting the jitters!
Any update on Tornado F3 ZE962 which went into the North Sea shortly after taking off from Leuchars on 14-10-05?
SB
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Whoops there goes another backseater...
I seem to remember a Phantom Nav having a similar experience during the late 80's in Germany during some DACT with a Canberra. Pilot then went on to give Bruggen and Wildenrath a celebratory fly-by.
Classic quote from a mate on the ground at the time "What's that big pole sticking up from behind the cockpit then"?
Classic quote from a mate on the ground at the time "What's that big pole sticking up from behind the cockpit then"?
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There is a good story in the book 'Fly Navy' from the era of Phantoms. There was a fairly new pilot flying with a crusty old observer in the trunk on a night sortie. As they were coming into land and dropped the flaps there was some kind of huge c of g problem, or something of the like, which caused a massive nose down pitch. The pilot could not control it so called for ejection, the observer wasting no time in getting out. However, the act of the observer ejecting solved the forementioned problem and the pilot was able to regain control and land safely. The observer in the meantime landed in some old dear's garden and was none too pleased!! Lots of other good dits in the book and I recommend it as a good read.
Mr Fish wrote
The Phoenix went out of service with the U.S. Navy during September 2004. You'll still see them on Iranian F-14s now and again on exercise footage.
TJ
still the best looking aircraft from the 60s-70s,(with or without GIB); by the way, what happened to the phoenix missiles???
TJ
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Back before I escaped from ADGE to Satcom, I remember the Fighter Controllers recounting how one of their brethren had done something similar from the back of a Hawk during the mid-80s. The analysis wasn't as forgiving as the one in this article!
Also told a story about a Middle Eastern visitor who banged out, got a taxi home and sat reading a paper in the mess saying "Me? No. I haven't been flying today....and no, that's not my signature."
I've heard that one about the Middle Eastern chap from a BFT QFI. Apparently it was a JP student somewhere when various nations were trained at Linton/Fenton/Cranwell. I can't remember if it was meant to be at the start or the end of a sortie, but he was found in the ante room denying all knowledge.
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It was at Linton way back. The solo stude ran off the end of the runway. When the crash crews arrived, there was no sign of the stude. A search was organised and he was found in the crew room reading a newspaper (that was upside down). He denied all knowledge of being in an aircraft at all that day!!!
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Slight thread drift but that reminds me of a story of a foriegn stude who landed his JP at Dishforth but then pulled the wheels up. Once it had stopped (on the runway) he calmly got out, to see people running towards the wreck. Thinking he was about to undergo some close quarter interview techniques he legged it the other way, straight across the A1 without being hit and was halfway to Ripon before some racing snake eventually caught the terrified bloke.
Linton lore
Stories abound re ME students at Linton. "Allah has control" during aerobatics springs to mind. Also the gent doing PFOs in a Vampire was taking an age to rotate and eventually didn't! Investigation revealed that he had actually been shutting down said donk!! 