Flying under Bridges

[mary meagher]

On another thread (how high do you fly?) this topic was raised (or lowered!)

Can't help thinking it needs its own thread. Most who mention flying under bridges have done so in a simulator.

I can think of three occasions when an aircraft was REALLY flown under a bridge. I shall mention only one. And that appeared in the 2012 Olympics, when H.M. the Queen herself, and her corgis, greeted "James Bond" and presumably accompanied him to the helicopter, which with Royal impunity actually flew UNDER TOWER BRIDGE. Delightful. Wonder how they managed to arrange that scene? it had to be real.

[David Thompson]

Ray Hanna flying under Winston Bridge near Darlington in County Durham as seen in 'A Piece Of Cake' ;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf3UtmHLKUU

[Sleeve Wing]

Major Chris Draper (Auster 1953) and Flt.Lt.Al Pollock.RAF. (Hunter 1968?) through Tower Bridge come to mind. Try Googling the names.

[Stanwell]

While Sydney's Harbour Bridge is, admittedly, a bit bigger than the Tower Bridge, how about...
A Lancaster
A Sunderland
A flight of 24 Wirraways
A Mustang actually looping it
and so the list goes on.

I'm not going to mention rotary wings, 'cos they don't count - even if they do it in formations of a dozen or so.

[Pilot DAR]

Does flying under wires count? 'Done it twice!



In British Columbia, and also a Norwegian fjord.

[n5296s]

Since you say "aircraft"... I've done it myself, quite legally, in an R44 under the Golden Gate Bridge. It's not really difficult since the deck is 200 feet above the water.

[abgd]

Wikipedia reckons the Humber bridge is 155 metres high (508 feet) and has 1400 feet span. Does that mean that at low tide you could fly under it legally?

There are a few other bridges (e.g. the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark) which would give you 500 feet of clearance all round.

[Pace]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwaPrTmwGSg

This one looks totally illegal )) wonder who the chase plane was ?as the chase plane hit the road sign

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfiCBIv4AVk

Pace

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Some have (allegedly) flown under the M6 bridge at Thelwall. I once looped a 737 around Runcorn bridge and landed at Liverpool off the loop - doesn't say much for the realism of FS2000!

[pulse1]

I believe that the late Eric Winkle Brown looped a Spitfire under the Forth railway bridge. When the police came looking for the pilot they never thought of calling on the FAA because they didn't know that they flew Spitfires at that time.

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Winkle looped around each span of that bridge! He was returning from (successful) landing-on trials with the aeroplane and felt like letting off steam!

What I found surprising about that tale is that even in wartime there were plenty of jobsworths around to shop him!

[Pace]

Look at this colourful Guy Chris Draper who was going to fly under 7 London Bridges but only made 2 because of the weather. it was to raise his profile

If no one has done it should be quite a challenge and you would go down in History. I would recommend a few days before the EU vote to encourage an Out vote and preferably go at daylight before the City wakes Any volunteers

Can anyone lend me a Red bull racer Mary you and the Piper Cub would work a treat Fit a Go Pro film it, sell the film for a fortune, write a book have a film made. You would be Rich and an overnight celebrity invited to media chat shows, breakfast TV etc etc etc and all for an hours work ( of course before the trial afterwards ???) I wonder what the courts would do with you ?


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Draper

[DeltaV]

Some years ago three Spanish pilots flew their aircraft, one after the other, under the Ballachulish bridge. At least one person has flown under the Skye bridge and just last year there were reports of two light aircraft having flown under the Kessock bridge.

IMO none of these things would have been particularly hazardous, though illegal, and in the case of the Kessock bridge you could probably get a 737 through there had you a mind to.

I've been tempted but cameras are too ubiquitous these days so that the chances of getting away with it are probably quite minimal.

[foxmoth]

Of course there is this one:-
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_cw5OWK1Oxc

More than one bridge being flown under!

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Didn't an RAF pilot try to fly an early jet (Meteor?) under the Bristol suspension bridge over the Avon? He flew under OK but went into the side of the gorge further up from the bridge.

There's lots of things we used to do with aeroplanes () that you would be daft to do now, with everyone having a video camera facility on their phone.

[Pace]

Shaggy Sheep Driver

Ok I am persuaded I will do all the London
Bridges as long as you promise to bake the cake with a concealed file in it
And of course deliver it

But yes up for it

Pace

[Small Rodent Driver]

Originally Posted by Shaggy Sheep Driver

Some have (allegedly) flown under the M6 bridge at Thelwall. I once looped a 737 around Runcorn bridge and landed at Liverpool off the loop - doesn't say much for the realism of FS2000!

Thelwall has indeed been done. Allegedly.
A mate of mine who was working on the Thelwall refurb in the late 90,s told me he had seen a light aircraft fly under the bridge one morning whilst on his way to work at around 06.30. I questioned his previous evenings alcohol intake until the pilot fessed up one day.

[pulse1]

SSD,

I think that the Avon Gorge accident you are referring to was a Vampire from the local RAFAux squadron at Filton. It was the last day of operations by the Auxiliaries before they were scrapped. A sad day in more than one way.

ASN Aircraft accident 03-FEB-1957 de Havilland Vampire FB.Mk 9 WR260

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

That's the one!

I've also heard that Barton motorway bridge has been flown under. It's right by the airfield so it's difficult to see how you'd get away with that without being spotted. But not impossible by any means!

That Corinth Canal one... Engine failure?

[foxmoth]

That Corinth Canal one... Engine failure?

It was obviosly a planned stunt and I suspect RB had boats in the canal as backup - though the speed he was going he probably had the energy to pull up and dump it on the top!

TBH almost any bridge underfly has the (very low these days) chance of engine failure and if it happened you would be in the water!