Air Display 'C*ck Ups'
 

I heard a story of a Harrier pilot who completely fouled up his display and nearly crashed his jet. Upon landing, was ready to 'cough' to his errors, but instead won the 'best display' award - although his 'mishap' didn't escape his Bosses who tore him off a strip.
Is this just urban myth - or did it really happen?
Are there any other stories of 'air show gaffes'?
http://z.about.com/f/wiki/e/en/thumb...arp.600pix.jpg

Its not all about having thrust, it's knowing when to use it :D

http://www.lindenhillimports.com/ima...0715%20600.jpg

I believe the driver admitted to the speed bleeding off a little too much before the vector roll, but hey, I couldn't figure out how to open the canopy on one of these things, never mind fly the beast. (I know my place :( ).

Video:

http://www.flightlevel350.com/Aircra...ideo-5332.html

Links to vids of T-Birds F16 (previous post)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=481K61tdSVc (External view)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSEcXNwxBsk (Cockpit view)

(Link to official T-Bird PR vid: http://www.thunderbirds.acc.af.mil/06showtime.htm
"Stop it Mav, you're giving me a hard-on")

I heard of a Tornado that was due to dispaly at Duxford. He ran in and did his display perfectly but apparently he wondered why there were no cars parked around the airfield as normal.

Turned out he had done his whole display over Cambridge Airfield instead of Duxford.

Couple of years ago at Farnborough, was in the crowd waiting to see the B52 from Fairford do a pass, was much surprised when despite the commentators patter about looking to the left etc etc, no sign of said B52, however my surprise was nothing compared with that of the people at Blackbushe, when unannounced a bloody great big eight engined bomber sailed over at a few hundred feet.

Yonks ago an F111 did a [very] highspeed Low Level [below the Tower] pass at Manchester International Airport, and very nice too :ok:
Umfortunately eh shold have been at WOODFORD, 3 1/2 miles away :E
watp,iktch

Air Display 'C*ck Ups'
 

Found a pair of knickers in the back of my Lynx after a Wallop airshow one year, so I suppose there must have been some sort of c**k up there! :}

Did a show in a Nimrod in malta yonks ago - v2 climb out, lost my hamburger down the back during the rapid rotate (we was very light) - never did find it, but did put in a loose article report.....

doing a flypast along the runway at 'x' feet in a Nimrod at Fairford with QNH set instead of QFE gave quite a punchy arrival! and a peculiar feeling afterwards.......

When they opened the Gateway Arch in St Louis

http://www.slfp.com/030106/Arch_0752.jpg

part of the celebration was to have a skydiving demonstration, probably to fly through it. Well for some reason he landed on the top of it which was ok until a gust of wind took the canopy and blew him off into what became a fatal fall. Unfortunately his family was in the crowd watching.

:(

And of course there is the Harrier pilot who did completely foul up his display and crash his jet by moving the wrong lever!! :uhoh:

At least he got to the display! Where as the RIAT Harrier this year didn't :oh:

Must go, think my mobile is ringing...:}

A sobering one to read about was from 'Notes for Display Pilots', that fine compilation of good gen from the UK, about the Tornado pilot who extended at the top of some looping manoueuvre for positioning but kept the power in, therefore accelerating whilst level inverted and pulling down at a greater speed than he otherwise would have, and sadly not making it around at the bottom.

F4 - RAF Abingdon

Notes for Display Pilots

I do remember being at Farnborough in 1984 when the Buffalo crashed. They were demonstrating a short landing and landed, shall we say, a little firmly. The undercarriage/wing structure did exactly as designed and crumpled to absorb the impact, leaving the aircraft sat on the end of the runway as the crew sheepishly crawled out.

Which reminds me of the story, well before my time and it may be false, of the story of a Gannet crash.

IIRC the story went that they used to shut down half the Mamba and feather one prop to show how they could fly on one. They then tried to restart the other during a low pass and unfeathered the second prop, the engine did not start and the additional drag caused the aircraft to sink and touch the ground where it slid along till coming to a stop with the engine still roaring away. The crew then shut down, exited the aircraft and gave a wave and a bow to the crowd, before retiring in a dignified manner back to the squadron.....

Farnborough 1960s, when the Sunday show went out live on BBC
SAAB 105 does immaculate display, lands wheels up and slides to a halt, canopy opens, big Swede gets out, removes helmet and drop kicks it into the outfield. Raymond Baxter:"Oh dear, he looks a bit upset".:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLuF1BK4GtA

I recall on a 'proon' thread at the time somebody remarking that had the display been over land the driver would have wound up in the middle of a burning pile of scrap metal. (As it was I believe he suffered a broken ankle :uhoh:)

I believe the immediate first 'on ground meeting' of the pilots involved in the 2 x Mig 29's incident at RIAT was a tad entertaining....:E

B of B day at Wattisham in the mid 50's.

In preparation for the crazy flying display by a Chippy, the commentator built up a story about a prisoner who had escaped from a nearby jail, and was believed to be heading this way

Sure enough, at the right moment, a denimed figure burst from the crowd and leapt into the Chippy parked in front of the public enclosure. The guy who had been crouching in the other seat out of sight to the crowd, promptly fired the cartridge and away they went.

It lurched around a no more than 200ft for a while the commentator kept saying "oh dear he cannot fly" etc etc.

They then did a horrible flat skidding turn in front of the officers enclosure while the commentator said " oh, he's going to stall", and they did, "Oh, he's going to crash", and he did.

It hit the ground in a more or less level attitude, the undercarriage spronged off, the wings sagged, and a distinct kink appeared in the fuselage just behind the canopy.

As the dust settled the two guys got out and walked off, closely followed by the Groupie who did not look very happy.

The one time an Italian officer needs reverse gear and hasn't got one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDfW5ub_yos RIAT 2002.

Not so much of a c*ck up, more like structural failure. Crew of 2 and 29?spectators died.

This thread has the potential to amuse but I think we should try to avoid the fatalities if possible.

Yes agreed and apologies. I certainly had no intention of demeaning the accident. I was there as a child and actually remember the incident but was not aware it was a catastophic failure.
JC