Gnarly Hind Vid at Low Level

[ShyTorque]

In W. Germany (Cold War) our air control orders for most exercises (rotary wing) was not above 150 feet agl. We were allowed to fly down to 100 feet agl almost anywhere in the country in transit and down to 50 feet agl in an exercise area or anywhere else on detachment when the local commander deemed that crews were familiar with the local terrain. We regularly got "bounced" by the fast jet pilots who were normally authorised not below 250 feet agl. Good fun but it could be bloody dangerous exciting at times, especially when wearing that goddam awful AR5 respirator connected to the "hissing handbag" ventilator.

[Two's in]

One of our AAC pilots was tasked to fly a reporter for a monthly Defence rag around the Soltau Training Area in Northern Germany, the reporter was duly authorized Gazelle front left seat, duals out, so he could get some good pictures of the Armoured Divisional Exercise. Well, about 3 months later, when the article came out, there's the picture from the Gazelle cockpit, aircraft barrelling down a fire break with the ASI clearly showing 120 Knots and the RadAlt flickering at about 20 feet. That was long time ago but it seems the lesson about not capturing your misdemeanors on camera has not aged very well. The CO certainly had a view about the reputational damage!

P.S. The rule of thumb for low flying was height AGL in feet should never be lower than speed in Knots. Is that still used?

[Fareastdriver]

We threw that out when flying training on de Havilland Vampires in 1961.

[Mogwi]

First attack on Stanley airfield, 1st May 82 - HUD film showed 480 kts with rad alt flicking between 5 and 15 ft over the sand dunes. Climbing to 150' for the weapon release seemed stratospheric!

Swing the lamp.

Mog

[chevvron]

Originally Posted by WB627

I once saw a Puma in LFA1 a bit lower than this. I was on the Bluebell railway and looking out of the window, I was looking down on the rota disc . Disappointed that I have never seen this again, although I was seriously cut up by one on the A26 just north of Nutley driving home one night .

When I did a detachment at the old RAE site (OP3) at Larkhill, I was told to be careful at a certain dip in the road because at the bottom was a tank crossing and the tanks didn't give way, so going home one evening, I stopped and looked down to see two Pumas pass below me. On exiting the dip, I heard a strange noise from my car but decided to keep going to Bustard Gate before stopping to see what it was. I didn't need to stop because as I turned left to go through the gate, the Scout which had been about 2 feet above me came into view!!