Anyone have a link to the infamous Cranwell F4 flypast?
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I had the pleasure of flying many times with Tommy, after that incident while going through nav training at 6FTS. He always wanted to bounce his mates farm even though it was no where near my chosen route. After a few trips, i learnt to incorporate the farm into the first leg - he was happy and i got an easy time.
Using a very crude estimate;
Length of F4 fuse = 58 feet 3 inches.
Number of apparent fuselage lengths between underside of jet and ground (not taking into account viewing angle etc) seems to be approximately 3 to 4 Phantoms worth.
Therefore, altitude of number two at pull-up with burner on... between 175 and 233 feet?
Even two Phantom's worth is around 120 feet.
If so, still pretty low for such a big, loud jet...
Length of F4 fuse = 58 feet 3 inches.
Number of apparent fuselage lengths between underside of jet and ground (not taking into account viewing angle etc) seems to be approximately 3 to 4 Phantoms worth.
Therefore, altitude of number two at pull-up with burner on... between 175 and 233 feet?
Even two Phantom's worth is around 120 feet.
If so, still pretty low for such a big, loud jet...
Hunter/Tower Bridge
anybody know what the Hunter pilot - Flt Lt Alan Pollock - went on to do post-RAF following his "medical discharge"? If he's still with us he'd be about 80 today.
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker...ridge_incident
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker...ridge_incident
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Most pilots who flew cold war era fast jets will have found themselves at some point in heavy buffet and wing rock. If you were sensible it occurred at a height from which you could recover or if lacking situational awareness you were at low level pulling too hard somewhere over Labrador or a remote bit of Germany and tent pegged.
Cranwell and Shoreham very similar events, one a lucky escape the other not.
Cranwell and Shoreham very similar events, one a lucky escape the other not.
Agreed, Bigpants!
That link posted by Wensleydale isn't the version which was shown on the Flying Supervisors' course - which showed the jet rounding Whittle Hall in wing rock, descending with full AB and nearly buying the farm. It was calculated that he bottomed out at 72' agl before climbing away...
That link posted by Wensleydale isn't the version which was shown on the Flying Supervisors' course - which showed the jet rounding Whittle Hall in wing rock, descending with full AB and nearly buying the farm. It was calculated that he bottomed out at 72' agl before climbing away...
It was certainly a most interesting day to graduate. IIRC, it was the 3rd pass - the one Beagle describes above - which took most of the hats off & blew a couple of people (me included) out of line. Someone did say that one chap was blown off his feet but I didn't see that.
Our gallant Flight Sergeant had to invent a wonderful new dill move called "re-positioning the parade commander's (Mark someone?) hat on his head". He slammed it on so hard it covered said parade commander's eyes and I had to offer verbal commands of "left a bit, right a bit" to him as we slow-marched off so he could walk up the steps.
Everyone was in fits of laughter but I don't think Tommy was laughing when he landed. The Reviewing Officer (can't remember his name?) stormed off the parade ground and hit the phone - the story goes that the Conningsby Staish was waiting for Tommy when he landed and that - as they say - was the end of that! I got to Finningley a few months later and Tommy was OC LLTS. Jolly nice chap too - though the flypast was never-ever mentioned.
Our gallant Flight Sergeant had to invent a wonderful new dill move called "re-positioning the parade commander's (Mark someone?) hat on his head". He slammed it on so hard it covered said parade commander's eyes and I had to offer verbal commands of "left a bit, right a bit" to him as we slow-marched off so he could walk up the steps.
Everyone was in fits of laughter but I don't think Tommy was laughing when he landed. The Reviewing Officer (can't remember his name?) stormed off the parade ground and hit the phone - the story goes that the Conningsby Staish was waiting for Tommy when he landed and that - as they say - was the end of that! I got to Finningley a few months later and Tommy was OC LLTS. Jolly nice chap too - though the flypast was never-ever mentioned.
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I think it was recklessly irresponsible, we just didn't see it that way in the 80s.
How many pointless funerals back then? In my 23 years I stood looking at a coffin 18 times; 16 of those had been 'own goals' with the other 2 having been shot down.
How many pointless funerals back then? In my 23 years I stood looking at a coffin 18 times; 16 of those had been 'own goals' with the other 2 having been shot down.
I missed seeing the action on the day as I was clearing in Clothing Stores prior to posting on promotion as a fast-jet SEngO - but I could recognize the noise inside the East Camp building as coming from a fast-jet flying way too low above inhabited buildings.
I subsequently saw the video showing the more dangerous situation that BEagle referred to whilst attending the Flying Supervisors Course at MOD Inspectorate of Flight Safety (RAF) a few months later. When I joined the staff of MOD IFS (RAF) 3 years later, it was still being shown as an example of irresponsible behavior. Selection of full burner certainly seemed to make the difference between hitting CHOM / the Parade Square or not and it was an extremely close thing - sinking lower than the example in the video posted here.
Having been a JEngO in RAFG - and an OC Armament on a number of Akrotiri APCs - I had seen a number of Phantom last flight on sqn / last flight of career beat-ups over HAS sites / dispersals - all were executed in an exciting and competent manner !
I subsequently saw the video showing the more dangerous situation that BEagle referred to whilst attending the Flying Supervisors Course at MOD Inspectorate of Flight Safety (RAF) a few months later. When I joined the staff of MOD IFS (RAF) 3 years later, it was still being shown as an example of irresponsible behavior. Selection of full burner certainly seemed to make the difference between hitting CHOM / the Parade Square or not and it was an extremely close thing - sinking lower than the example in the video posted here.
Having been a JEngO in RAFG - and an OC Armament on a number of Akrotiri APCs - I had seen a number of Phantom last flight on sqn / last flight of career beat-ups over HAS sites / dispersals - all were executed in an exciting and competent manner !
I think it was part of a Board of / Unit Inquiry proceedings on a VHS tape - I don't know the origin of it. In almost 30 years I have never seen it outside of MOD IFS (RAF).