I do hope the report of injuries was false, not so smart really....

Without detracting from the Kiwi's abilities, the barrel roll while refuelling was first done by Fred's Five in Sea Vixens, sometime mid 1960's at Farnborough :ok:

Wasn't the pilot referred to in post 117 that a certain Wg Cdr GB - an ex lightning mate IIRC?

I recall seeing some markings on the window frame in the tower at MPA with respective aircraft types alongside recording aircraft level in respect to the eye level of the ATCO, unfortunately there were not any photos as well.

My old man saw the last two Lightnings to do weapons work at RAF Valley leave in spectacular fashion. Take off, remain low level, as soon as they get over Rhosneiger, they stick it on their arse and put a hole in the clouds.

Windows smashed, car alarms blaring, OAPs on Zimmermans disgruntled. Station Commanders words were to the effect of "I'd like them in my office for an interview without coffee 5 minutes ago".

Nimrod departing Valley from an airshow a fair old while back went damned near vertical over "Death Rock" at the end of the runway, leaving a few spectators temporarily deaf....

The RAAF F111 at Ohakea was not involved in a fly-past, hairy or otherwise, but taking -off in full AB on a very wet runway and both engines flamed out. With no overshoot to speak of, they quite correctly decide to eject. The capsule landed very near to the burning wreckage, so close in fact that one crash vehicle placed itself between the capsule and the aircraft, losing a coat of paint in the process. The crew were totally unhurt.


http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e3...111Capsule.jpg

I recall G.S. (The Stinge) doing a beat up in a Tornado at his local gliding club causing some guys to drop the wings they were carrying to rig a glider and breaking lots of other plastic bits laying about. Anyone know what happened to him? Last I heard he was at Virgin doing his best for the cabin crew's morale

Thanks for the photos (and the link from Hit'emwiththeWagner). Time flies, did not seem it was like 1979 when this happened. Wasn't sure that the RAAF recruitment display was this capsule or the one that ditched in the Gulf, when I last saw it, the caption read it was from the Ohakea crash. The Ohakea capsule actually came down through the flames initially then a gust of wind blew it sideways. I was there when they extracted the crew. From memory the plane was fully armed and fueled en-route to Fiji? When the wreckage was being recovered, there was still fuel left in it and it had to be defueled first. There is a sequence of photos taken of the flame out and aqua-planning the length of the strip and then the cart wheel off the end. I last saw this sequence on the wall of an RNZAF Engineer at Defence HQ so it might still be under wraps.