How high have you been?
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: The edge
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EPAF F-16 MLU slightly (!) delayed landing caused by blacked runway at secret airbase east of Suez Dec 2002 landed after 12 hrs 05 mins flight time. I witnessed him throw 5 full pee bags in the bin!
A Flt Cdr of mine many, many years ago had spent his formative years on the Lightning at Leconfield and told the following story:-When the U2s first came into the country, they claimed they flew so high nothing could get them---a challenge that had to be accepted. Initially they were coming in highish and were not happy to see the Lightnings sail past nor to be shown the the B-Scope film of the Mx shot. The U2s went higher and higher until eventually, my man claimed he went past the target, above 70,000 ft, supersonic, stalled and with a double fame out---just hope he had the pressure jerkin and helmet on!
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Greeley CO USA
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High-Fast
We were returning to home base after playing 'MiG' for some U2 protective gear tests. We had our full p-suits (fairly comfortable) so elected to go home hi-fast. I got to lead and at top of climb called 'Level FL730" to Miami Center who came right back with "And you weren't lying about your true airspeed, either!' We'd filled 1150 KTAS. F104As cruising in 3/4 AB at 100 lbs and 20 mi/min.
ZipperBear
ZipperBear
yeah, but we had the doors open..
All you pansies who have to keep your doors shut!
17,000 ft in an Iroquois, tossing parachutists out, AND a crewy playing bagpipes at the time! We were going to claim a Guinness altitude record for bagpipe playing, and were told that some dude in a Vulcan claimed that one. But he didn't have his doors open.
The crewy was running a bit short of puff at that height, too!
17,000 ft in an Iroquois, tossing parachutists out, AND a crewy playing bagpipes at the time! We were going to claim a Guinness altitude record for bagpipe playing, and were told that some dude in a Vulcan claimed that one. But he didn't have his doors open.
The crewy was running a bit short of puff at that height, too!
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Deepest Oxfordshire
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FL440, approaching Cardigan Bay on Hawk flight test. Next task on the schedule was a timed slam acceleration from flight idle to stabilised max RPM.
Slammed throttle as briefed. A couple of seconds later, heard very unpleasant sound from behind like herd of angry elephants in full stampede. Closed throttle sharpish - elephants just as quickly placated.
Now turned back towards base (seemed like good idea at the time). At insistence of very experienced back-seater, tried slam acceleration again. Elephants clearly not amused. Less experienced front-seater (but still sharp enough to realise that this was a surge and that we only had one donk) by now even less amused and distinctly unimpressed with slam acceleration testing as a means of earning a crust.
Found out that an 'Awk will glide half-way across the country from FL440 with enough height in hand to do a standard PFL on arrival - it just seemed to take a bloody long time...
Slammed throttle as briefed. A couple of seconds later, heard very unpleasant sound from behind like herd of angry elephants in full stampede. Closed throttle sharpish - elephants just as quickly placated.
Now turned back towards base (seemed like good idea at the time). At insistence of very experienced back-seater, tried slam acceleration again. Elephants clearly not amused. Less experienced front-seater (but still sharp enough to realise that this was a surge and that we only had one donk) by now even less amused and distinctly unimpressed with slam acceleration testing as a means of earning a crust.
Found out that an 'Awk will glide half-way across the country from FL440 with enough height in hand to do a standard PFL on arrival - it just seemed to take a bloody long time...
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: UK
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Shortest flights? Must be a couple of those Lightning rotations that didn't quite work. You remember - full A/B, brakes off, rotate too promptly, tail strikes ground, a/c lands on ventral tank, runway in flames. Shall we say 2 seconds?
40,400 feet.....
in a Lama SA 315 helicopter
The a/c weight was reduced as much as possible, the battery and starter were removed, centre fairing horizontal stabiliser, second seat, tail skid, too!!.
All non essential instruments were removed and the oil cooling system. Total weight of finished a/c: 950kg
Min temp experienced: -62 degrees.
At max alt, the engine flamed out and the helo commenced the highest, longest descent ever, on record. The flight entered cloud at 36000 feet and the pilot had to glide blind using the halo of the sun through the cloud to maintain wings level
At 21000 feet he broke cloud and saw the Istres airfield which was just within auto range.
Jean Boulet / Gerard Boutin, 19.6.1972.
in a Lama SA 315 helicopter
The a/c weight was reduced as much as possible, the battery and starter were removed, centre fairing horizontal stabiliser, second seat, tail skid, too!!.
All non essential instruments were removed and the oil cooling system. Total weight of finished a/c: 950kg
Min temp experienced: -62 degrees.
At max alt, the engine flamed out and the helo commenced the highest, longest descent ever, on record. The flight entered cloud at 36000 feet and the pilot had to glide blind using the halo of the sun through the cloud to maintain wings level
At 21000 feet he broke cloud and saw the Istres airfield which was just within auto range.
Jean Boulet / Gerard Boutin, 19.6.1972.
Join Date: Dec 2002
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Following on from Zoom's comments re: Lightning take offs, anyone else study the Red Arrows take off spectacular at Auth School? Red# gets airborne, pops airbrake, said airbrake impacts ground, aircraft collapses back on runway. Pilot ejects. I know the rules said you had to land said jet, but this was most amusing (for all but Red #)
