The timing of the parade flypast
 

I've always been impressed by the precision timing of parade flypasts. The boss goes up the steps, turns around, then at the exact moment of 'Present arms' the plane/s fly overhead.


Do they set an exact time in advance? What if the boss is two minutes late?

Do the plane/s loiter nearby to be called in by radio? Does the parade commander have to visually spot the plane/s in order to give the 'Present arms' command at exactly the right instant?


Has there ever been an embarrassing cockup?


Any answers would be greatly appreciated.

Some good sea stories of display flying snafu's in this earlier thread:

https://www.pprune.org/military-avia...-c-ck-ups.html

I was always given a time to which aircrew and parade commander/musical director worked. If events dictated a change this would be relayed by ATC but we could only take changes up to a certain time pre-flypast.

Laarbruch, early 90s, junior ATC Fg Off lurking at annual reception with a STORNO. We repeatedly check with ATC but he hasn’t said a word, fly through on planned time. We arrive later to join the party, everyone very impressed with our timing, ask the Fg Off how it went only to be told that the band had been running 2 minutes late. So why didn’t he tell us? He was like a rabbit in the headlights because the timing was so far out and he didn’t know how to tell us. Approach the band leader, was he really that far out? Oh yes. How did you correct? Oh, the usual, gave the lads a hand signal and changed the time signature. Very impressed with that.

This was the same event where the new Stn Cdr got his timing wrong, mounted the dais one tune too early, and gave an immaculate salute as the band struck up with Copacabana by Barry Manilow. Doing the flypast from behind the crowd with the burners in got a few comments too.

Sometimes you have to hold on to your hats.

There was the famous F4 flypast at Cranwell where it nearly all went wrong! I led the four ship flypast for 20 Squadron being declared operational as a Jaguar Squadron at Bruggen! Still have the thank you letter from their Boss! On time and lower than briefed!!

Couple of times doing it as #1, we just set up and timed a racetrack so you had anything from 2 to 8 minutes run in time, depending on where you were. Worked with the parade WO to pick at least a good 5 minute and 2 minute warning points, man off to the side on a radio to pass on the check points. Of course, it's all a little more civilized and gentlemanly at 100Kts rather than 350kts.

FED, the parade in your video is an edited version of the one where the infamous F4 flypast took place. The "offending" pass is not shown. I was shown it when I attended the RAF flying supervisors' course and it was very low, followed by an abrupt rotation, which did the damage, due to the strong downwash caused.

As those in the know would agree, you'd have to be a "deaf dumb and blind kid" to fly like that in front of a very senior officer on such an occasion.

There was another video where an F4 went between the hangers. I don't know whether that was a flypast or a general 'handling exercise'.

What were those?

Shy,

I can assure you that the pilot, a JW, was neither deaf, dumb nor blind.

And as with a certain Mr Pollock mentioned elsewhere he was far from 'unprofessional'. He was immensely capable, and you would want him to be very much on your side. Please understand.

JW aren't the initials of the pilot in question.

FP usually from behind the review officer. Our passing out parade was a white Victor, first I had seen. I suddenly appeared from behind the barrack block. We had had no warning.

Shy,

I must be mistaken - sorry. But my remarks about the Scotsman pilot, JW, stand. He held the high altitude bagpipe playing record for many years!

Halton flypasts are at a specified direction to avoid infringing the TVAA (Thames Valley Avoidance Area, only yards to the South over the Chiltern Hundreds), turning North after passing.

What height pray?

Don Dale and Ginge Knight were both high altitude players.

jindabyne,

Knew the pilot, JW, very well and remember the bagpipe playing episode! A good mate and very good pilot (although I never told him that in those days!).

Bill

Very impressive PN. Bet you were gutted when you got posted to tin triangles ;)

My OCTU passing out parade was in a hangar on account of some pretty thick Norfolk fog. I doubt if even Pollock would have managed a flypast, even if they had left the doors open!

Did the NEAF disbandment parade flypast in 1976 - Nimrod, Canberra & Whirlwind past the dais at the same time was a bit of a challenge. Held over a sonobuoy in formation with the 13 Sqn Canberra - the Whirlwind called the shots really as they had the most flexible speed ...

I'm fairly certain MH's 50 Sqn crew set a new record out of Ohakea in 1973 - a RNZAF flying officer (Graham somebody) was the "musician" involved.

At a RAAF Academy graduation on Dec 1968, there was a flypast as the parade marched past the dais to depart the parade ground.

There were 4 Mirages, there was no notice of a flypast on the program, and they "appeared" from behind the review stand with an amazing burst of noise that caused the marching cadets to jump a meter sideways, the reviewing officer (Lord Casey, the G-G) fumbled his hat, and Lady Casey reversed menopause.

“I can’t explain” ... ;) ... it fully but as I remember it the deaf dumb and blind tag and other gems all resulted from a bit of word association football post the wash up to the Cranwell event........I can confirm that as Shy has said JW were not the pilot’s initials...