Elderly fast jet pilots
Hi Shy,
Still flying for a living here too, and although not fast jet our 'wing'-tips are occasionally transonic which might count for summat.
Did an OPC on one of our contract pilots t'other day (we'd been on the same QHI course in 1984); combined age in the cockpit was 129 and would've been 130 if we'd waited 'til mid-July.
Still flying for a living here too, and although not fast jet our 'wing'-tips are occasionally transonic which might count for summat.
Did an OPC on one of our contract pilots t'other day (we'd been on the same QHI course in 1984); combined age in the cockpit was 129 and would've been 130 if we'd waited 'til mid-July.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Ascend Charlie, our base commander at Akrotiri had the same idea. He flew the Vulcan, with a competent adult as safety, then the Lightning against the Vulcan. Then jumped in a Herc before jumpiy out into Limasol Bay, picked up by a Whirlwind which landed at Ladies Mile. The crew jumped out and made their own way home while he flew it back to dispersal.
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Ascend Charlie, our base commander at Akrotiri had the same idea. He flew the Vulcan, with a competent adult as safety, then the Lightning against the Vulcan. Then jumped in a Herc before jumpiy out into Limasol Bay, picked up by a Whirlwind which landed at Ladies Mile. The crew jumped out and made their own way home while he flew it back to dispersal.
The crew jumped out and made their own way home while he flew it back to dispersal.
The same OC called all the officers into the main briefing room, and said that everybody was wearing their hair too long, in contravention of Air Force Order Blah bluddy blah. If we broke THAT rule, then we probably would break the Flying Orders too, therefore, any officer with long hair was dangerous, and we were all grounded until we got a haircut.
Suddenly we were all safe again after a visit to the base barber. Jindabyne, this man was a d1ck. And he tried to be state governor after finishing with us.
Onceapilot,
Thanks for your kind support, I flew the F15 in younger days - a 9G machine - but age catches up on everyone.
Many other factors mitigate against flying too long in cutting edge machines including the distraction of other responsibility.
Thanks for your kind support, I flew the F15 in younger days - a 9G machine - but age catches up on everyone.
Many other factors mitigate against flying too long in cutting edge machines including the distraction of other responsibility.
Very many years ago I did subject work related to "g" tolerance (without trousers) in the human centrifuge at the then IAM at RAF Farnborough, incidentally home of the first RAF officers' mess.
My ego was somewhat dented when I found myself at first greying out (progressive loss of colour and peripheral vision) followed by blacking out (fully conscious initially but no vision) at about 3.1 to 3.5 "g".
The aviation doctors explained to me that they would have been concerned had I demonstrated a higher "g" threshold .
This higher "g"threshold could be expected from an older pilot who was developing arterial hardening ( thus no expansion of the blood vessels volume taking blood away from the brain) as a part of an an age related process.
My ego was somewhat dented when I found myself at first greying out (progressive loss of colour and peripheral vision) followed by blacking out (fully conscious initially but no vision) at about 3.1 to 3.5 "g".
The aviation doctors explained to me that they would have been concerned had I demonstrated a higher "g" threshold .
This higher "g"threshold could be expected from an older pilot who was developing arterial hardening ( thus no expansion of the blood vessels volume taking blood away from the brain) as a part of an an age related process.
Haraka,
Interesting point you make. The Brookes centrifuge in the USA allowed 8 G for 30 seconds without G suite. Those pilots who passed out usually did so on the downside when the G came off and they relaxed at the end of a very painful process.
Interesting point you make. The Brookes centrifuge in the USA allowed 8 G for 30 seconds without G suite. Those pilots who passed out usually did so on the downside when the G came off and they relaxed at the end of a very painful process.
Done my bit of FJ flying inc Hunter, Harrier (fast?) F16 etc and was displaying Yak 50 to +7 / -3 down to 50' until the current Mrs M made me sell it for a Tiger Moth when I turned 66. Last flew a Bona Jet at the age of 55 and found the only snag (after 10 years off) was that they had made all the instruments fuzzy!
Swing the lamp.
Swing the lamp.
Thread Starter
Most would regard the bona jet as fast I think Lt Cdr Morgan 
This arvo was watching the youtube video of you talking about the Falklands...
This arvo was watching the youtube video of you talking about the Falklands...
Last edited by tartare; 5th Jul 2017 at 09:34.
A lot of warbird pilots would be of the 'senior' variety? Although won't ever get to pull fast jet G levels you may get in ACM, then they will be pulling 2-3G fairly routinely?
What can you get up to when displaying a high performance warbird (Griffon engine Spitfire/ Bearcat/Fury/Sea Fury) for example-up to 5G?
What can you get up to when displaying a high performance warbird (Griffon engine Spitfire/ Bearcat/Fury/Sea Fury) for example-up to 5G?
