DISPLAY FLYING A PERSONAL VIEW
The best advice I was ever given on display flyng was from my late father, who had received it from one of his instructors.
"The aim is to impress, not astonish."
"The aim is to impress, not astonish."
Years ago i was asked to do a cropspraying demo at some airshow. I said no. Why? I responded with these words: "the occupation is hazardous enough. When I screw up (which we will all do if we do it long enough) i don't want it to be in front of thousands of people. There is no dignity in that".
That was my full time job then, not part time. Nuf said.
That was my full time job then, not part time. Nuf said.
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: RNAS Yeovilton
Age: 43
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think most of the points made by LOONRAT and LOMCEVAK are fairly well known and understood amongst the UK display flying community. However, I am interested to know what the feeling of US display pilots and display pilots from other countries are towards these points. I have not attended or participated in an airshow outside the UK but judging by a number of videos I have seen on YouTube and other SM over the years, there are some spectacular and highly skilled displays flown but I do wonder how much margin of error they have because a lot of it looks like its on the absolutely limit of what the aircraft and pilot can do.
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: The Home of the Gnomes
Posts: 412
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes
on
2 Posts
Ive been to one or two in the US as a part of the audience.
While it is quite impressive to see someone recovering from a vertical manoeuvre down in the weeds, firstly its only the people at the front who can see it. Secondly, its not so bad someone easing it down to that height when the recovery is sorted somewhat earlier. However, I wince when I see someone doing it with a hard pull. Ive seen it several times.
While it is quite impressive to see someone recovering from a vertical manoeuvre down in the weeds, firstly its only the people at the front who can see it. Secondly, its not so bad someone easing it down to that height when the recovery is sorted somewhat earlier. However, I wince when I see someone doing it with a hard pull. Ive seen it several times.
Interesting question
Why do you ask? Going to put in a claim against the Reds for some stained bed sheets, that were obviously out drying whilst they conducted a nearby display.
Smoke can produce a rather toxic-smelling mist with an on-crowd wind but not aware of any staining problems. Did cause a few stains to nether garments after lifting the beer tent with my along-crowd arrival at San Nicole some years ago but that is another story.
A wise man once said to me that you should only display because you enjoy it. If you start to fly for the crowd, turn downwind and land. I managed to display aircraft as diverse as Wessex, Sea Harrier, Yak 50 and Tiger Moth for some 45 years without doing any damage to myself or the crowd (apart from said beer tent). I acknowledge that my reactions may not be quite a sharp as they were in the 70’s, so no longer indulge in low-level aeros.
Still love the flying though!
Mog
A wise man once said to me that you should only display because you enjoy it. If you start to fly for the crowd, turn downwind and land. I managed to display aircraft as diverse as Wessex, Sea Harrier, Yak 50 and Tiger Moth for some 45 years without doing any damage to myself or the crowd (apart from said beer tent). I acknowledge that my reactions may not be quite a sharp as they were in the 70’s, so no longer indulge in low-level aeros.
Still love the flying though!
Mog
Not strictly speaking an air display, but a 'display' tac landing in a Wessex in front of Royal party at Aldergrove, who were downwind of LS. Unfortunately troops threw a load of red smoke grenades out whilst disembarking (to capture something or other!). Station Commander not happy as his (and everybody else's) uniform turned a more reddish colour; Royal's outfit started as pastel blueish but finished a much streakier red. I was 'disinvited' to the subsequent lunch!
Competition - it isn't one
I was on detachment at a coastal Airfield/Airport many years ago - the reds were operating out of VASS - when they taxy'ed out the jet efflux was going to be sweeping the professional spectators (erks) stood standing there.
I did a quick Risk Assessment (even before they had been invented
) and went inside the building - closed the windows and watched the multi coloured jet efflux taxy out billowing across all the unwise people outside in the multi coloured summer sunshine 
I did a quick Risk Assessment (even before they had been invented
) and went inside the building - closed the windows and watched the multi coloured jet efflux taxy out billowing across all the unwise people outside in the multi coloured summer sunshine Gnome de PPRuNe
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,620
Received 294 Likes
on
162 Posts
A certain biplane formation team with outstanding passengers was sponsored for a while by a cosmetics company. The airshow smoke was produced by injecting baby oil rather than diesel into the exhaust, which enveloped the crowd at one well known event with copious amounts of sweetly scented instant fog as the birds on biplanes cavorted overhead. I don't know about anyone else but I had the threepenny bits big time the next day and I blame that bloody smoke! Just like castor oil...
COEF at Farnborough was in the tower watching the Reds depart in their usual '5 plus 4' groups.
The leading 5 started smoking as they rolled and COEF remarked loudly 'I just hope one of the leading 5 doesn't abandon takeoff before the other 4 get airborne'.
The leading 5 started smoking as they rolled and COEF remarked loudly 'I just hope one of the leading 5 doesn't abandon takeoff before the other 4 get airborne'.
I think most of the points made by LOONRAT and LOMCEVAK are fairly well known and understood amongst the UK display flying community. However, I am interested to know what the feeling of US display pilots and display pilots from other countries are towards these points. I have not attended or participated in an airshow outside the UK but judging by a number of videos I have seen on YouTube and other SM over the years, there are some spectacular and highly skilled displays flown but I do wonder how much margin of error they have because a lot of it looks like its on the absolutely limit of what the aircraft and pilot can do.
I live in Scampton Village, yes, I was here before the Reds, and if it is a calm, humid day the diesel fumes hang around for ages and the washing can end up pink or sky blue. If they don't manage to get to Cyprus or Greece for their Spring work up, it can be 2 -3 times a day.
Most piston-engine display aircraft now use 'smoke oil' rather than diesel, as it is cleaner all round and environmentally friendlier. It is commonly referred to as Ondina, which is a bit like calling all vacuum cleaners 'Hoovers', and the commentators do like to say it is just like baby oil. I don't think there was any connection between Guinot and smoke oil however. For those jets which still use diesel, it is pretty smelly, but I'd be more concerned about the dye. They don't 'spray' it over the crowd, as they don't generally fly over the crowd, but it will drift a long way downwind.
There have been Hawk dye incidents with smoke valves open on the ground. At Valley in the early 90s a number of cars behind VASF were dyed red and were professionally valeted at public expense very quickly and with no questions asked it seemed, which naturally gave rise to conspiracy theories. Clothes on washing lines on the patch were lightly covered in red dust.
There have been Hawk dye incidents with smoke valves open on the ground. At Valley in the early 90s a number of cars behind VASF were dyed red and were professionally valeted at public expense very quickly and with no questions asked it seemed, which naturally gave rise to conspiracy theories. Clothes on washing lines on the patch were lightly covered in red dust.
