Hawks Grounded (merged with Hawk Display Cancelled)

[Bob Viking]

Tom

I'm sure we all share in the collective outrage as mentioned on this forum, but do any of us here think that this article:
RAF air show pilot has wings clipped - Telegraph
would have appeared on the front of today's Telegraph if it hadn't been discussed so openly on here?!
Lazy journalism maybe but he could have done without the extra attention I think!
BV

[green granite]

Why do you think that was lazy journalism?

[Bob Viking]

Lazy journalism...

I would be willing to bet that their 'RAF source' may frequent this site and that many of their details may have originated from here as is often the case with stories like this.
Who remembers the RAF Kamikaze Pilot's thread from years ago? Where did the press get all their information from for that story?
BV

[TheWizard]

Originally Posted by green granite

Why do you think that was lazy journalism?

You mean apart from the picture of the Malaysian Hawk, the phrase 'stunt pilot', the RAF Auxiliary show (never heard of that one?!), never appeared at Sunderland.....should I go on??

[BEagle]

Surely the journos remember the sport of 'Donaldson baiting'?

An ex-RAF chap working as a journo for a major newspaper, Air Cdre Donaldson would frequent the RAF Club. Where he was always 'interested' in the latest news, particularly from those working at Adastral House. So, wise to this, in return for a few large G&Ts they would feed him with all manner of spoof stories, which would later appear in the rag as "An RAF source exclusively revealed....".

That's like 'spotter baiting'. A large chinagraph board with a few spurious details on an office wall at an airshow would attract attention from nosey spotters - who would dutifully reveal the 'Hunter Sidewinder modification programme' or whatever.

But the FAA were the experts. One fine day they hatched a plan and made a dummy missile out of old beer cans, added some wooden fins and painted it white. It was then attached to a Buccaneer parked on the flight deck as the ship sailed down the Suez Canal, attracting the attention of the duty Russian spies.....

....but the Russkies later got their own back by sailing a submarine on the surface through (I think) the Straits of Gibraltar - sporting a pair of Atoll look-alikes attached to the conning tower. I recall the flap which that caused when the photos subsequently appeared in the spy comics....

“He was a bit of a naughty boy who did things he should not have been doing, pulling too many Gs without telling anyone on the ground about it,” said an RAF source.

"He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"

[green granite]

I would be willing to bet that their 'RAF source' may frequent this site and that many of their details may have originated from here as is often the case with stories like this.

I can't find any mention of high energy manoeuvres in this thread.

TheWizard My comment really was, why should using this site for stories be lazy journalism? After all a news story is not a story until it's known about.

Playing devils advocate here by the way.

[TheWizard]

GG
Fair enough. Perhaps my comments should refer to 'crap journalism' rather than lazy! The rolling eyes were aimed at the article, not you by the way!!

[Bob Viking]

GG

You're right of course. I'm sure this story was borne out of the utmost of journalistic integrity. I bet their research was second-to-none and that they are hitherto unaware of this website (and the PM function!!).
BV

[green granite]

I think you're missing the point that I was making Mr Viking, why shouldn't anyone, journalist or otherwise, use anything that is in the public domain? Or are you suggesting threads like this shouldn't exist?

[Pontius Navigator]

Originally Posted by green granite

I think you're missing the point that I was making Mr Viking, why shouldn't anyone, journalist or otherwise, use anything that is in the public domain? Or are you suggesting threads like this shouldn't exist?

GG, there is a warning somewhere on PPrune that people may not be what they seem. There is no reason, as you suggest, why others should not use pprune but we should be aware that anything we do say may be taken down in evidence and used against us.

Now BEagle mentioned Donaldson baiting. A good story is always based on a firm fact, even if the fact is fiction , so how about a little baiting then.

In the 70's the knockers on 201 got a Name Tag in the name of Bas Heath. Bas then went to many places duly warning in to messes and hotels but never actually paid his mess bill. This went on for a long time with lots of irate correspondence threatening dire consequences winging there way to him at 201. Some he replied to, others he ignored.

The last I saw of Bas was at Castle Cornet Museum in Guernsey in the 201 Sqn display. Bas was there, resplendent in flying suit, and proudly wearing the latest two-colour sqn badge.

[Neptunus Rex]

What a shame. If all we are talking about is a little extra 'g' then the RAF Chief Poo Baahs are throwing away the baby with the bath water. Some years ago, after a display practice, I 'fessed up to the Group Captain that I had overstressed the aircraft. He simply said,
"Looked fine to me Neppie, just ease off a little next time."
Different Air Force, different attitude.

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

The just culture was designed to protect individuals who voluntarily owned up to honest mistakes, in the interests of lessons being learned by others rather than buried.

Noone ever claimed that the just culture was carte blanche for people to do anything they felt like and get away with it. If the powers that be decide that an event (and this is a general point, not aimed at this incident) was deliberate/premeditated/reckless, surely noone really expects them to ignore it?

[Bob Viking]

GG

I think perhaps you are also missing my original point.
I was merely highlighting the fact that since this thread highlighted the story the poor young bloke has had his name dragged through the mud in the national press and now on the local Welsh news!
I realise this was supposedly because folks on here were trying to stick up for him but I bet he would have prefered not to get his name in the papers for it!
Let's hope this dies a death soon and he can get on with his flying.
BV

[green granite]

BV perhaps I misinterpreted your original sentiments, I thought you were 'ranting' at people on here for discussing it, as now the papers had got hold of it, but wouldn't have done if we'd said nowt.

[FJJP]

Beags, I remember Donaldson baiting in the Club very well! Did a tour at Main building and the group of senior officers I fell in with (took a young fresh-faced Fg Off under their wings!) Paid 10 shillings into the kitty once a week. They then proceeded to tell the most outrageous stories in whispered fashion...

The one whose story was published collected the kitty (and then bought another round!)

[Rigger1]

I've read the guy's HFOR and sure, he made a mistake but who hasn't and he's owned up

There more to it than that. Edited by requst.

[PPRuNe Pop]

And so it goes on.

RAF airshow ace suspended as MoD probes mysterious manoeuvres | Mail Online

[rubberband2]

New aerobatic manoeuvres?

From The Times today –

He was chosen to compete for the display in September last year. After designing his own aerobatic routine, which included moves called the Headbanger, Helter Skelter, Slingshot, Tombstone and Stinger, he was selected by his commanding officer in April to be the solo pilot for the exhibitions. By then he had spent four months practising intensively.

Now in my days we had the Derry Turn & the Porteous Loop as new and fun manoeuvres. Today, I seem to be limited to the occasional but welcome Harvey Wallbanger.

So can someone please explain Headbanger, Helter Skelter, Slingshot, Tombstone and Stinger?

[airborne_artist]

Stinger is when our mighty display pilot pretends to have been hit by a Manpad

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

Deliverance,

Indeed so - let's just hope they get it right this time, for once!

TOTD