Top Gear - Citabria crash
A little less conversation,
a little more aviation...
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Hence my earlier comment - the producers etc are not the complete bunch of dim wits some might imagine, and they cant afford to be these days. They will complete endless H and S checklists and would be most unlikely to fall foul of something as simple as putting May in charge of the flight.
It really is a case of waking up and smelling the coffee - it is TV, there is an army of consultants and safety guys at work behind the scenes, the whole thing is stage managed and designed to cause a little controversy and be a bit of fun.
and before anyone says, yes I know things do go wrong as was the case with the Hamsters crash, which only goes to prove the best made plans etc. Just think Captain Slow and Captain Captain could have had an engine failure and ended up with a less than ideal forced landing (yes, single engines do fail, and yes, it is inevitable, when they do the aircraft must land).
and on that Bomb Shell
It really is a case of waking up and smelling the coffee - it is TV, there is an army of consultants and safety guys at work behind the scenes, the whole thing is stage managed and designed to cause a little controversy and be a bit of fun.
and before anyone says, yes I know things do go wrong as was the case with the Hamsters crash, which only goes to prove the best made plans etc. Just think Captain Slow and Captain Captain could have had an engine failure and ended up with a less than ideal forced landing (yes, single engines do fail, and yes, it is inevitable, when they do the aircraft must land).
and on that Bomb Shell
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I echo the sentiments of others that it's just an entertainment show, and I find it entertaining. As a PPL holder I especially enjoy it when they involve aviation in some way, and I expect many/most viewers appreciate it too despite not holding one. The "crash" last Sunday was funny, and when my GF said "is that really a crash" I said I thought it just looked like a ground loop into a snowdrift. The landing we saw wasn't on any runway that they'd prepared, anyway.
James May holds a PPL and was a student when they did the Veyron thing. I think I read in a book by one of the presenters that Hammond now has a PPL(H) too.
It's just a bit of fun!
James May holds a PPL and was a student when they did the Veyron thing. I think I read in a book by one of the presenters that Hammond now has a PPL(H) too.
It's just a bit of fun!
10540
I disagree with Jambone. We are all ambassadors for our activity
Get over youself!
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I thought it was a Maule not a Citabria??...also if that reg was correct its not the first time the reg has come to grief!!! ASN Aircraft accident 99-FEB-1954 Piper L-4J Cub LN-RAR
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Just watched the 'crash' again.
Looks to me that the Citabria landed on the centre of the lake on which there was little or no snow. The a/c then climbed up a rough slope towards the camera with the poorly pushed around loose snow in view..
The prop was spinning quickly indicating power to climb the slope and maintain speed. The last part was with either the mags off or mix pulled. There's loud crack but nothing breaks and a bit of rudder just before yawing left.
In conclusion M'lud - Fake.
Sir George Cayley
Looks to me that the Citabria landed on the centre of the lake on which there was little or no snow. The a/c then climbed up a rough slope towards the camera with the poorly pushed around loose snow in view..
The prop was spinning quickly indicating power to climb the slope and maintain speed. The last part was with either the mags off or mix pulled. There's loud crack but nothing breaks and a bit of rudder just before yawing left.
In conclusion M'lud - Fake.
Sir George Cayley
Those complaining about failing senses of humour might be unaware of the amount of people that take _anything_ shown on telly as absolute truth. We pilots are of course able to see the fake, and take it lightly and even enjoy it as a comedy; but we should not forget we are of a high order of human intelligence. Well, most of us, anyway.
Being particularly high on said intelligence scale, I don't even have a telly box so I haven't seen the story - will hear what the people in the office have to say about it tomorrow.
Being particularly high on said intelligence scale, I don't even have a telly box so I haven't seen the story - will hear what the people in the office have to say about it tomorrow.
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James May had a half share in a Luscombe with motoring journalist Colin Goodwin. James now owns and flies a Citabria Decathlon and also owns a very nice Ferrari.
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Those complaining about failing senses of humour might be unaware of the amount of people that take _anything_ shown on telly as absolute truth.
Who cares.....
I don't believe for a moment that the TARDIS is bigger on the inside than the outside nor that wearing my underpants on the outside will allow me to leap tall buildings in a single bound.
TV is entertainment and believe me Joe public will not have paid a second thought to that scene in TG.
People on here are way to full of their own self importance. Listen up, you operate a machine, it does not make you special and no one is an ambassador of anything. Get a sense of humour................
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Low Lifes
"The American authorities subsequently deemed that the show was not a documentary - but entertainment - and that the visas and permits had been incorrectly/disingenuously obtained."
Nah they just behaved badly, upseting people, deliberately being disrespectful. The visa refusal was the tip of an iceberg. They are not the fastest payers for goods recieved either. Best keep well clear if they ask you to provide something.
The Brit humour culture does not travel well. They were lucky while they were there, but the local troopers had other things to do
Nah they just behaved badly, upseting people, deliberately being disrespectful. The visa refusal was the tip of an iceberg. They are not the fastest payers for goods recieved either. Best keep well clear if they ask you to provide something.
The Brit humour culture does not travel well. They were lucky while they were there, but the local troopers had other things to do
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People on here are way to full of their own self importance. Listen up, you operate a machine, it does not make you special and no one is an ambassador of anything. Get a sense of humour................
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FL180
Obviously we are quickly losing our senses of humour
Chaps, a TV programme, I get upset when they diss my Merc, cause I think it is the best in the world
Admittedly that Hamster was getting on my nerves when he kept dissing the aircraft
Chaps, a TV programme, I get upset when they diss my Merc, cause I think it is the best in the world
Admittedly that Hamster was getting on my nerves when he kept dissing the aircraft
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Shall I post a link to one of your pompous "that if you fly like a pro you are treated like a pro" pieces, IFR at FL180 with a Garmin 496 on top of the dash?
And of course you are renowned for your lack of sense of humour.....
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Anyway enough of all the b*tching, how about Jezza's snow depth test! 
That man is ridiculous/genius and should be made PM at once, with Amber Heard as Deputy
That man is ridiculous/genius and should be made PM at once, with Amber Heard as Deputy
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The whole thing was brilliant (flamethrower on Dominator completely ineffecutal though!) and hilarious. Especially the snow depth test as previously stated.
But I'm not so certain that it was staged - the bumpy landing and mini-groundloop looked sort of plausible, and, having been involved with them on a similar but unrelated aviation film project, I reckon the TG lot would manage to balls something up to the required extent for it to happen. That said, I am somewhat gullible
But I'm not so certain that it was staged - the bumpy landing and mini-groundloop looked sort of plausible, and, having been involved with them on a similar but unrelated aviation film project, I reckon the TG lot would manage to balls something up to the required extent for it to happen. That said, I am somewhat gullible