Question: Pilots in Crashing Aircraft Avoiding People on the Ground
I never understood how the posthumous awards given to the pilots were not the same.
Normally when things go well it's the captain who gets the gong, and the rest of the crew receive the lesser award, which I've always thought fair enough, as when it goes wrong it's the captain's neck on the block. In this case the same principle seems to have been applied, but as they were both killed (all others on board survived) I would have thought that it would have been a nice touch for both to have received the posthumous AFC. Not that it would make any difference to them, of course, but might have been nice for Steve Belcher's family.
Well, RFK was my co-pilot for many years on the VC10K and also an FI colleague a little later. It's what he told me....
A bit too late to query though, poor old RFK popped his clogs a while ago now.
RIP, mate!
A bit too late to query though, poor old RFK popped his clogs a while ago now.
RIP, mate!
My son was at RAFC [in the road!] for the 9 ship today at 1515...... says there were lots of long lenses about. The weather was decidedly iffy, with patches of fairly low stratus associated with bursts of rain, and poorish vis to boot. What a pity it could not have been yesterday.
Well done Marham.
Well done Marham.
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I was crewed with RFK in 1986 before I moved across to TTF in Jan 87. He certainly claimed, several times in my experience, to have aimed his Lightning at Dublin when he ejected. How much of this was real life, or banter, is impossible to know. Never trust a silver-tongued Irishman.
I was crewed with RFK in 1986 before I moved across to TTF in Jan 87. He certainly claimed, several times in my experience, to have aimed his Lightning at Dublin when he ejected. How much of this was real life, or banter, is impossible to know. Never trust a silver-tongued Irishman.
Much mirth!
In India in 1963 during exercise Shiksha a Javelin overcooked it and went into superstall and then an unrecoverable spin. The navigator ejected with the result that the recoil of the seat pushed the nose down and cleaned up the airflow.
The member of the two winged masterace then flew around his navigator waving to him on his parachute.
The member of the two winged masterace then flew around his navigator waving to him on his parachute.
Quite true but it happened in Germany. Major bird strike at low level, engine surged and wouldn't relight. Ejection appears to have cleared surge and the jet flew around for 32 minutes avoiding F104 sent to shoot it down. Eventually did a passable landing in a field.
Much mirth!
. I didn't doubt the person telling me, but for some reason Norway stuck in mind
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As a child, an aircraft taking part in the Kings cup air race crashed in the field I was watching from.
I can remember seeing the pilot clearly ( It was a Bolkow Monsun with a big canopy) but even from close range I'd be struggling to say if he was fighting for control, looking to land or desperately avoiding something. (Sadly he didn't manage the last, fatally striking power lines.)
I can remember seeing the pilot clearly ( It was a Bolkow Monsun with a big canopy) but even from close range I'd be struggling to say if he was fighting for control, looking to land or desperately avoiding something. (Sadly he didn't manage the last, fatally striking power lines.)
