Low level flying

[OvertHawk]

Many years ago low level over water on an empty sector we were called as traffic to a fixed wing:

"Traffic is a VFR helicopter three miles in your 12-oclock Mode c indicates... Ummmm... minus 100 feet"

"G-XX - confirm your altitude"

"Periscope depth"

[lsh]

Reading the radalt from the centre seat of the Puma:
"15 feet.......higher pitch........10 feet............higher again...........FIVE FEET............there's no more!"
The gear was up - the radalt was calibrated for zero with gear down.
It was not a comfortable experience at all!

lsh

[sycamore]

Long ago and far away, the beaches of W Sarawak were pretty well unspoilt,shallow gradient,firm sand at the waters edge,and so it was a`game ` to run the nosewheels of the Whirlwind along the sandy shore at 90 kts; to clean the sand/mud off the wheels,we move to running along the `shallows`(no significant surf or breaking waves) or maybe a bit further out....anyone sitting in the cabin doorway got wet....
Then ,one would wait for an opportune night sortie,preferably with a full moon,and use the landing light....until the `grown-ups` heard about someone wrapping the front wheels in a fishing net ......
Advice..don`t do it on a river,,a floating branch could be still attached to a log,or a`log` could just be a croc......!!

[nickp]

Water skiing

There used to be a classic pic of a biplane water-skiing that always appeared in these discussions. Can anyone link to it?

[sycamore]

Try u-tube....

[Thud_and_Blunder]

Not quite biplanes, but you get the general idea...

[BSweeper]

Hi Mog

I was a nav on 29 Sqn (F4s) when we down to Stanley in October 1982. I remember talking to a Harrier "mate" on arrival and, on asking him what bombing Stanley was like, he replied that the flak was so intense he actually stuck his head right down in the cockpit and flew lower and lower until it was going over his head. He then realised that at 30 feet, his bombs were never going to fuse properly but at that point he didn't care. You and he (and it may well have been you) were truly brave people.

the sweep

Originally Posted by Mogwi

Ah yes, that is why we flew with the brakes off.

Lowest ever REAL low flying I have done was on 1st May 82, when the HUD camera recorded the radalt flicking between 5 and 15 ft at 480 kts on the run-in to deliver CBUs on Stanley. Seemed safer down there somehow with all the flak flying around!

Swing the lamp!

Mog

[Mogwi]

Originally Posted by BSweeper

Hi Mog

I was a nav on 29 Sqn (F4s) when we down to Stanley in October 1982. I remember talking to a Harrier "mate" on arrival and, on asking him what bombing Stanley was like, he replied that the flak was so intense he actually stuck his head right down in the cockpit and flew lower and lower until it was going over his head. He then realised that at 30 feet, his bombs were never going to fuse properly but at that point he didn't care. You and he (and it may well have been you) were truly brave people.

the sweep

Aye, the climb to min release ht over the sand dunes (140ft if my recall is correct) seemed positively suicidal. That is when I copped a 20mm HE through the fin before ducking down again to pass ATC level with the windows, in thick smoke. Only discovered later that it was only a 2-storey building!

Kids today; they wouldn't believe it!

Mog