How many aircraft have flown under the Harbour bridge
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How many aircraft have flown under the Harbour bridge
I was talking with, of all people, my soon to be 12 year old daughter, about low flying and she asked "have you flown under the Harbour bridge?" To which I replied "no" and then she asked "has anyone?" It got me thinking. So I know the Lancaster has, Dick Smith in VH-DIK and I have seen a photo of a tigermoth out at Luskintyre flying under the bridge (don't know the story). I seem to recall it was a fairly regular occurrence in WWII but if anyone has a definitive list it would allow me to look very knowledgeable in front of my daughter who loves flying!!!
Any help appreciated.
Cheers
CB
Any help appreciated.
Cheers
CB
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Oh yeah, heaps.
Many such flights don't appear in official records, despite having been witnessed by many people.
The best that I know of was a flight of 24 Wirraways. A Sunderland flying boat has also done it.
I witnessed a flight of RAN Wessex helicopters do it in formation some years back.
The list goes on and on..
There's 49 metres of clearance under the deck of the bridge at high tide.
.
Many such flights don't appear in official records, despite having been witnessed by many people.
The best that I know of was a flight of 24 Wirraways. A Sunderland flying boat has also done it.
I witnessed a flight of RAN Wessex helicopters do it in formation some years back.
The list goes on and on..
There's 49 metres of clearance under the deck of the bridge at high tide.
.
Last edited by Stanwell; 9th Nov 2015 at 09:08.
Man Bilong Balus long PNG
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Unsure of the time, aircraft type or even veracity of the story, but once heard from an old RAAF type that someone once flew under it at speed, pulled up and completed a loop, the bottom of which was flown again, under the Bridge!
Seem to remember it being said that it may have been a Beaufighter.
Which wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.
Seem to remember it being said that it may have been a Beaufighter.
Which wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.
The most recent unlawful event that I am aware of occurred in May 1975, a pilot flew his Tiger Moth under The Bridge as a tribute to the passing of Sid Marshall. Sid was an Australian pioneer of aviation, the pilot who flew the Tiger is still operating a successful aviation business at Bankstown. To the best of my knowledge the guy still owns and flys the Tiger, having had his licence suspended for a period of time after performing his misdemeanour.
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Pilot flies under a bridge too far - BreakingNews - http://www.smh.com.au
From back in 2004. From memory there's a pprune thread about it somewhere as well.
From back in 2004. From memory there's a pprune thread about it somewhere as well.
On 14 May 1942 three KNILM aircraft flew under the Bridge once in each direction. The "Bridge" formation was led by Captain Frans Van Breemen in DC-2 PK-AFK followed by Capt Peter Deenik in DC-3 PK-ALW and Captain Dirk Rab (with John Gyzemyter as Flight Engineer) in DC-5 PK-ADC.
The pilots were as skilled as any you would find but they were reprimanded as it was feared that their feat would inspire less skilled pilots to attempt it, as indeed several did during the war.
DC-3 PK-ALW is now preserved at the Queensland Air Museum as VH-ANR. I used to enjoy reassuring John Gyzemyter that his record of having flown under the Sydney Harbour Bridge twice in a DC-5 would never be broken.
Rgds
The pilots were as skilled as any you would find but they were reprimanded as it was feared that their feat would inspire less skilled pilots to attempt it, as indeed several did during the war.
DC-3 PK-ALW is now preserved at the Queensland Air Museum as VH-ANR. I used to enjoy reassuring John Gyzemyter that his record of having flown under the Sydney Harbour Bridge twice in a DC-5 would never be broken.
Rgds
The most recent documented occurrence was the Skyfox Gazelle as noted above.
Must have seemed like a good idea at the time.
Those in the know suggest if you are going to do it, do it on April 1st so that when Joe Public calls 000, they might not believe him.
Must have seemed like a good idea at the time.
Those in the know suggest if you are going to do it, do it on April 1st so that when Joe Public calls 000, they might not believe him.
Down under..
the bridge.
We now need a C 17 to do a pass under... videoed for the news, to help educate people in Brisbane and elsewhere that large low flying aircraft do not constitute a hazard to tall buildings, knock wings off and fall into the water !!
We now need a C 17 to do a pass under... videoed for the news, to help educate people in Brisbane and elsewhere that large low flying aircraft do not constitute a hazard to tall buildings, knock wings off and fall into the water !!
I have done it, and all I was worried about was somebody dropping something onto my rotor disc.
It was when I was flying for the police, and we were looking for a "floater" off a ferry. Passed under the bridge several times, a weird feeling to have an object over the top of a rotor disc.
And Pinky - I have heard that the famous ah...ah...ah..stuttering pilot Chris Braund did exactly that in his Mustang. He wanted to over fly KSA, but Tower told him to "Make an orbit at the Harbour Bridge", but his orbit was vertical, not horizontal.
It was when I was flying for the police, and we were looking for a "floater" off a ferry. Passed under the bridge several times, a weird feeling to have an object over the top of a rotor disc.
And Pinky - I have heard that the famous ah...ah...ah..stuttering pilot Chris Braund did exactly that in his Mustang. He wanted to over fly KSA, but Tower told him to "Make an orbit at the Harbour Bridge", but his orbit was vertical, not horizontal.
With the opening of the Opera House we (military) did a formation flypast under the bridge. Can't recall the number of aircraft in the formation, other than to say "quite a few".
Either my google skills are deteriorating, or pilots were uncharacteristically quiet about their plans - there seem to be remarkably few photos of the feat in public circulation.
Man Bilong Balus long PNG
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the famous ah...ah...ah..stuttering pilot Chris Braund did exactly that in his Mustang. He wanted to over fly KSA, but Tower told him to "Make an orbit at the Harbour Bridge", but his orbit was vertical, not horizontal.
Now remember hearing or reading of the same incident.If it is not a true story, well it should've been!!
Presumably* in an amphibian, you could legally line up for an approach to land and then do a go-around...
*I don't know much about this subject - can you tell...?
*I don't know much about this subject - can you tell...?
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i have a picture somewhere of my grandfather flying a tiger moth between the growing arches of the harbour bridge, long before they were completed into a full arch. just need to find it again.
A little history
Under the Bridge | airscape magazine
20 Oct 1973 Us heading for under the bridge at 2:20. Not particularly good video, and doesn't show all the aircraft.
Under the Bridge | airscape magazine
20 Oct 1973 Us heading for under the bridge at 2:20. Not particularly good video, and doesn't show all the aircraft.
