Flying them young
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 1999
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From: Oop North, UK
Flying them young
Perhaps after her comments on the dH Moth crash Mary M might like to comment on this story!.
BBC News - Wing-walking schoolgirls fly over Gloucestershire for record
BBC News - Wing-walking schoolgirls fly over Gloucestershire for record
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,546
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From: Oxford, UK
The difference is that these children are family. A family of generations of wing walkers. So puts me in mind of the Flying Wallendas, a circus family dating back to the 18th century, and most known for performing highwire acts without a safety net.
The parents and grandparents know the risks. The grandfather is a well known professional stunt performer.
What upsets me is that OTHER PEOPLE'S CHILDREN whose parents do NOT understand the risk are blithely flown by relatively inexperienced pilots who have an exaggerated idea of their own competence. And in the tragedies two years ago at least one of the ATC instructors was unfit to fly, let alone do aerobatics with other people's children. The competence of the two instructors who had the previous midair over Wales is not certain.
Come on, guys. Be realistic about your abilities. Compare your hours of experience flying aircraft with your hours of experience driving a car. When you are a qualified instructor with a current medical as certified by an AME, then you can fly with consenting adults. Taking other people's children up for a jolly because you've got a PPL and 200 hours ..... and then not resisting the impulse to show off is absolutely horrifying.
But I'm just an old granny glider pilot, retired instructor with 1,800 hours in gliders, 3 diamonds, and 1,400 hours in light aircraft, IR, etc., and 18 grandchildren. I took my own grandchildren for a ride, and being up in the air was quite sufficient for their delight.
The parents and grandparents know the risks. The grandfather is a well known professional stunt performer.
What upsets me is that OTHER PEOPLE'S CHILDREN whose parents do NOT understand the risk are blithely flown by relatively inexperienced pilots who have an exaggerated idea of their own competence. And in the tragedies two years ago at least one of the ATC instructors was unfit to fly, let alone do aerobatics with other people's children. The competence of the two instructors who had the previous midair over Wales is not certain.
Come on, guys. Be realistic about your abilities. Compare your hours of experience flying aircraft with your hours of experience driving a car. When you are a qualified instructor with a current medical as certified by an AME, then you can fly with consenting adults. Taking other people's children up for a jolly because you've got a PPL and 200 hours ..... and then not resisting the impulse to show off is absolutely horrifying.
But I'm just an old granny glider pilot, retired instructor with 1,800 hours in gliders, 3 diamonds, and 1,400 hours in light aircraft, IR, etc., and 18 grandchildren. I took my own grandchildren for a ride, and being up in the air was quite sufficient for their delight.
Joined: Feb 2007
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
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From: England
Slight diversion, but it's a bit of a stretch to call those girls 'wing walkers'.
They were securely strapped into seats fixed above the wings. It seems they couldn't even reach the wing with their feet, let alone walk on it.
They were securely strapped into seats fixed above the wings. It seems they couldn't even reach the wing with their feet, let alone walk on it.
Joined: Sep 2000
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From: South of England
Splittin' hairs a bit ...
2 s
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,546
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From: Oxford, UK
Can anybody dig up a still from that film Flying Down to Rio or whatever it was called, with all the lovelies sitting on the wings of a DC3?
And also, that advert showing where you had to sit (on the wing) if you wanted to smoke in flight.....
And also, that advert showing where you had to sit (on the wing) if you wanted to smoke in flight.....
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 101
Likes: 28
From: UK
Come on, guys. Be realistic about your abilities. Compare your hours of experience flying aircraft with your hours of experience driving a car. When you are a qualified instructor with a current medical as certified by an AME, then you can fly with consenting adults. Taking other people's children up for a jolly because you've got a PPL and 200 hours ..... and then not resisting the impulse to show off is absolutely horrifying.
But I'm just an old granny glider pilot, retired instructor with 1,800 hours in gliders, 3 diamonds, and 1,400 hours in light aircraft, IR, etc., and 18 grandchildren. I took my own grandchildren for a ride, and being up in the air was quite sufficient for their delight.
But I'm just an old granny glider pilot, retired instructor with 1,800 hours in gliders, 3 diamonds, and 1,400 hours in light aircraft, IR, etc., and 18 grandchildren. I took my own grandchildren for a ride, and being up in the air was quite sufficient for their delight.
As a former glider pilot a frequent gripe I heard was the lack of a formal licence made it unclear whether you had the "right" to take somebody for a ride. Our club had its own passenger carrying rating (I had one) but I get the impression you would consider that to be woefully inadequate.
Equally is somebody with an ATPL and thousands of hours in 747s but only minimal hours in a Cessna really any safer taking their friend's kid for a joyride from the local farm strip?
Joined: Feb 2005
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From: UK
still from that film Flying Down to Rio
edited to say, sorry for that in this forum but I am used to Jetblast where such subjects are paramount.
Last edited by funfly; 22nd August 2013 at 21:48.
