Fast jet-bird strike
Correct me if I am wrong, but I think the one eyed Hunter pilot became a navigator. At the time of me losing the sight of one eye (1983) there were no pilots with one eye. I was the first at that date & then only able to fly 'as or with co-pilot'. Later, having flown royalty & heads of state as captain I persuaded their airships to let me fly solo & as a full FI. Sadly I never flew the VC10 solo. 
Here is what happens when a little dicky bird hits you. Sorry the photos are so big, not sure how to get them smaller. Still, you do get a gory view
http://pittenweem.co.uk/weeimg032.jpg
http://pittenweem.co.uk/weeimg033.jpg
http://pittenweem.co.uk/weeimg032.jpg
http://pittenweem.co.uk/weeimg033.jpg
Last edited by sharpend; 24th Aug 2011 at 17:09.
Injuries
List of injuries:
Factured skull
Fractured cheek bone
Loss of one eye
Loss of vision in 'good' eye
Broken nose
etc etc
so the moral is: keep your visor down & don't fly at 450 kts!
Factured skull
Fractured cheek bone
Loss of one eye
Loss of vision in 'good' eye
Broken nose
etc etc
so the moral is: keep your visor down & don't fly at 450 kts!
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Wow Sharpend! Some blokes will go to any lengths to pull the birds!
I tried evening up the score in the late 60s when we were young and soldiering was still fun. When things were quiet, which was fairly often, my Flt Comd and I would fly out onto the remote moors, land, take off the RH door, and go duck hunting. I flew while he hung out of the door with his 12 bore. The ducks and we had about the same VNE and G limits, so we were evenly matched.
It was completely outrageous, huge fun and excellent low level aircraft handling practice. Despite a considerable expenditure of powder, I don’t actually remember that we managed to smoke one of the little blighters though.
I tried evening up the score in the late 60s when we were young and soldiering was still fun. When things were quiet, which was fairly often, my Flt Comd and I would fly out onto the remote moors, land, take off the RH door, and go duck hunting. I flew while he hung out of the door with his 12 bore. The ducks and we had about the same VNE and G limits, so we were evenly matched.
It was completely outrageous, huge fun and excellent low level aircraft handling practice. Despite a considerable expenditure of powder, I don’t actually remember that we managed to smoke one of the little blighters though.
Sharpend
Please don't think for one second that I am criticising you, as a non-pilot I am in no position to do so. I am just curious as to what led you to the decision to stay with the aircraft rather than eject.
I have been thinking about it and, with my admittedly limited knowledge, I have come up with what I think are some pros and cons to ejecting in that situation.
Pros:-
You said that the engine had surged once and, although you had carried out a successful relight, it could have happened again at a critical stage of the approach.
There may have been other structural damage that you were unaware of.
Your injuries may have been worse than you thought, leading to a loss of consciousness. Does the Hawk have a command ejection system from the rear seat?
Cons:-
As you had lost your visor I assume that an ejection would have worsened your facial injuries, not something anyone would voluntarily do. Not to mention the regular ejection injuries for both yourself and your navigator.
As with any ejection there would be the possibility of casualties on the ground if the aircraft came down in the wrong place.
The airframe may be saved. And in this case I assume the fact that the damage to the windscreen could be examined, helped in the process of the subsequent re-design.
Obviously one of the big benefits was that you could get immediate medical attention after landing, and as serious as your injuries were, I am glad that they were no worse.
I wonder if you would care to comment, I'm sure my pros and cons are in no way exhaustive, and I was sitting down comfortably thinking about it. Not with a face full of duck, blind, in pain and in a very perilous situation!
Please don't think for one second that I am criticising you, as a non-pilot I am in no position to do so. I am just curious as to what led you to the decision to stay with the aircraft rather than eject.
I have been thinking about it and, with my admittedly limited knowledge, I have come up with what I think are some pros and cons to ejecting in that situation.
Pros:-
You said that the engine had surged once and, although you had carried out a successful relight, it could have happened again at a critical stage of the approach.
There may have been other structural damage that you were unaware of.
Your injuries may have been worse than you thought, leading to a loss of consciousness. Does the Hawk have a command ejection system from the rear seat?
Cons:-
As you had lost your visor I assume that an ejection would have worsened your facial injuries, not something anyone would voluntarily do. Not to mention the regular ejection injuries for both yourself and your navigator.
As with any ejection there would be the possibility of casualties on the ground if the aircraft came down in the wrong place.
The airframe may be saved. And in this case I assume the fact that the damage to the windscreen could be examined, helped in the process of the subsequent re-design.
Obviously one of the big benefits was that you could get immediate medical attention after landing, and as serious as your injuries were, I am glad that they were no worse.
I wonder if you would care to comment, I'm sure my pros and cons are in no way exhaustive, and I was sitting down comfortably thinking about it. Not with a face full of duck, blind, in pain and in a very perilous situation!
Last edited by Avionker; 24th Aug 2011 at 20:38.
Why not eject?
Firstly, the Hawk does have a command ejection system and the Nav in the back could have used it. But one always leaves an ejection as late as possible.
Why did I not eject? Very good question.
The blow from the duck rendered me unconcious for a period; not sure how long. When I came to I was bleeding so fast that if I had ejected I would have bled to death (I lost 4 pts). No helos in the area.
I also thought I could land the aeroplane off a GCA, despite very limited vision and no windscreen (try looking out of a car window at 200 mph). In the likely event of me screwing up I could also eject & then I would be close to the blood wagon.
In the event it all worked thanks to adrenaline. Left the aeroplane on the runway, engine running, ejector seat live. Naughty me!
Why did I not eject? Very good question.
The blow from the duck rendered me unconcious for a period; not sure how long. When I came to I was bleeding so fast that if I had ejected I would have bled to death (I lost 4 pts). No helos in the area.
I also thought I could land the aeroplane off a GCA, despite very limited vision and no windscreen (try looking out of a car window at 200 mph). In the likely event of me screwing up I could also eject & then I would be close to the blood wagon.
In the event it all worked thanks to adrenaline. Left the aeroplane on the runway, engine running, ejector seat live. Naughty me!
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Hello Sharpend,
Unless there was a similar event at Brawdy, It was your drouge pack at the SAAFA Airday at Aberporth in 84 or 85.
Either way the damage to the pack was incredible it was stoved in so badly there were tears in the aluminium. Even a lay man could see there was no way it would have worked after that.
So just as well you brought her down safely!
Unless there was a similar event at Brawdy, It was your drouge pack at the SAAFA Airday at Aberporth in 84 or 85.
Either way the damage to the pack was incredible it was stoved in so badly there were tears in the aluminium. Even a lay man could see there was no way it would have worked after that.
So just as well you brought her down safely!
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Precedent
At the Valiant/Victor OCU at Gaydon in the late '50s, one John Crampton, on the Valiant side, was also well known for his exploits racing Jaguars (4 wheels, piston engines) internationally, as well as only having sight in one eye.
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don't look...if you don't look you don't get scared!
Sharpend, check PMs
Last edited by airpolice; 24th Aug 2011 at 17:54. Reason: To add in photographs.
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sharpend: If you havn't read this story before it may be of interest to you. Drama in the skies - features - sunday-star-times | Stuff.co.nz
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Sharpend,
I'd like to say thank you for posting your story and photographs. Obviously I appreciate the event had a major impact on your RAF career and personal life and was a life changing event, which as you say nearly killed you. I found it, and the article in the London Gazette very interesting.
I'd like to say thank you for posting your story and photographs. Obviously I appreciate the event had a major impact on your RAF career and personal life and was a life changing event, which as you say nearly killed you. I found it, and the article in the London Gazette very interesting.
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Correct me if I am wrong, but I think the one eyed Hunter pilot became a navigator
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As well as Mr Sharpend, we had a second one-eyed VC10 driver at Brize - initials "JR" - who was one of the OCU instructors when Sharpend and I were on the OCU course together (I as just a VERY young Fg Off co-pilot at the time)
