external checklist interrupted....!
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external checklist interrupted....!
I was carrying out external checks on the humble flight school PA38 this afternoon (1600 hrs) on the apron at swansea when a couple of grey speks caught my eye.
I figured out what was going on and had less than a second to get my fingers in my ears - the grey speks quickly turned into two tornadoes (sp?) in formation, wing swept, buzzing the airport at about 200 ft above the ground. amazing
it got me thinking though - what are the rules regarding military aircraft overflying a non-military airfield? and at that speed - subsonic but pretty damn quick - how could the pilots be sure that they wouldn't collect some poor sod in a tomohawk?
I figured out what was going on and had less than a second to get my fingers in my ears - the grey speks quickly turned into two tornadoes (sp?) in formation, wing swept, buzzing the airport at about 200 ft above the ground. amazing
it got me thinking though - what are the rules regarding military aircraft overflying a non-military airfield? and at that speed - subsonic but pretty damn quick - how could the pilots be sure that they wouldn't collect some poor sod in a tomohawk?
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Subject to the appropriate clearance from ATC, all aircraft (civil and military) are allowed to fly as low as they like over all airfields (civil and military) - otherwise it's difficult to land.
Normal overland supersonic rules apply.
Except when they don't.
I'll get me coat.
STH
Normal overland supersonic rules apply.
Except when they don't.
I'll get me coat.
STH
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I was grateful too - I've never seen a tornado up close, let alone in flight. set my lesson off nicely and It's something to tell the boys about in work tomorrow 
BUT.........
......... the most important thing is what did you do and what is your normal SOP if your checklist is interupted?
There have been many prangs/close calls 'cause somebody was distracted and an item in the checklist was missed.
O-D
There have been many prangs/close calls 'cause somebody was distracted and an item in the checklist was missed.
O-D
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If these were the same Tornado's that went overhead Padstow, Cornwall at appx 500' at some lick at around 1500 ish, then a huge Thank You fella's, you absolutely made my Brother-in-Laws 60th Birthday Party!! Everyone was admiring the view over the Camel estuary and making pleasant comments about how it looked so perfect and could not be more pretty when wham, through the overhead came 3 x Tornado's, wings swept, and I begged to differ that the view had indeed just been improved!
Fly Safe.
Fly Safe.
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........ the most important thing is what did you do and what is your normal SOP if your checklist is interupted?
There have been many prangs/close calls 'cause somebody was distracted and an item in the checklist was missed.
O-D
There have been many prangs/close calls 'cause somebody was distracted and an item in the checklist was missed.
O-D
Well done CJM2010 The amount of people that would try and remember where they were 
In all my time, I've never refused a fly-through, low break etc etc. Any chance of doing one at Medmenham? Oh well, you can;t blame a chap for trying...
The amount of people that would try and remember where they were In all my time, I've never refused a fly-through, low break etc etc. Any chance of doing one at Medmenham? Oh well, you can;t blame a chap for trying...
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The ATC at Swansea are always obliging and very grateful for the odd flypast.
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TorqueOfTheDevil, I was the hindmost of four aircraft on the downwind leg of a very crowded circuit at Scone in the summer of 1972 when two Phantoms went straight across the 150 in front of mine at precisely the circuit height of 1000'. Air Traffic had no warning of it whatsoever - I asked them upon landing. I can still see a freeze-frame image of it as I sit here almost forty years later. A schoolfriend of mine was a Phantom backseater at Leuchars at the time; his comment was that they shouldn't have been there but that they probably didn't even notice.
Well.............
.............. in '73, the stash at Coningsby hit a crop sprayer and Aug '91 OC 41 & OC Ops at Colt clobbered a guy taking photos in mid Wales and then there was a repeat in '99 - only this time it was a Tornado and a photo taker.
That there sky is plenty crowded
That there sky is plenty crowded
More bang for your buck
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RAE Bedford, BOAC 707 on an ILS on a dark night,
ATC "unknown traffic right to left, should pass about a mile in front of you"
707 "roger looking........ah yes, landing lights going on .....now...they're a pair of Phantoms"
ATC "unknown traffic right to left, should pass about a mile in front of you"
707 "roger looking........ah yes, landing lights going on .....now...they're a pair of Phantoms"
I do recall an incident in the late '80's at Sibson airfield where one of the regular jumpers at the parachute centre happened also to be a Tornado pilot. One quiet Wednesday afternoon, said Flt Lt (G**** M********) did an unannounced (to us) v fast, low pass over the clubhouse. Whilst frozen into a considerable state of shock myself, I observed the drop zone dog, an indifferent three-legged animal called Friday, evacuate his bowel's onto the foot of his owner.
Halcyon days....
Halcyon days....
Mid-air incidents
Re the incidents mentioned by Old Duffer. If I recall the Jaguar incident correctly, wasn't the Cessna flying low level, taking pictures when the Jaguar ran down a low level route, with tragic results?
What made it all the more poignant was that one of the Jaguar crew had recently had a heart (?) transplant, and was just getting back up to full flying status again.
Can't comment on the others I'm afaid.
Any one else out there have more to add, or is my memory fading again?
What made it all the more poignant was that one of the Jaguar crew had recently had a heart (?) transplant, and was just getting back up to full flying status again.
Can't comment on the others I'm afaid.
Any one else out there have more to add, or is my memory fading again?
Cameronian,
I'm not surprised you can still remember it clearly! One hopes that your incident is the exception which proves the rule, and that the Phantom crews were made aware of their c*ck-up...
Old Duffer,
While your last point is well made, did any of the examples you provide happen right over an airfield? I don't know about the Coningsby staish event (would be interested to head details) but I'm fairly sure the other two were not over or near airfields.
I'm not surprised you can still remember it clearly! One hopes that your incident is the exception which proves the rule, and that the Phantom crews were made aware of their c*ck-up...
Old Duffer,
While your last point is well made, did any of the examples you provide happen right over an airfield? I don't know about the Coningsby staish event (would be interested to head details) but I'm fairly sure the other two were not over or near airfields.
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In the 1980s there was a pilot of a light aeroplane killed at Norwich Airport when a pair of USAF A10s went through the circuit without permission and collided with him.