Amazing Sights???
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Canada
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Many moons ago, I was instructing a student in the art of low level navigation at 100 feet.
Whilst passing over a large reservoir at said height, we were underflown by a Hunter [of the Fleet Air Arm ] doing about 400 kts.
Made my heart flutter a little. I intended to file an airprox on return to base until I discovered it was being flown rather exuberantly by an old mate of mine!!!
Whilst passing over a large reservoir at said height, we were underflown by a Hunter [of the Fleet Air Arm ] doing about 400 kts.
Made my heart flutter a little. I intended to file an airprox on return to base until I discovered it was being flown rather exuberantly by an old mate of mine!!!
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Chilliwack, BC Canada
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SlowRotor, I've also seen that phenomonon once. It turned the southern Canadian Rockies into something that resembled Monument Valley Utah, It was unbelieveable !
Other notable occurrences...
..got buzzed in a deep mountain valley ( 500' AGL ) by 3 - F-18's..one went by my (206B) nose at 1/4 mile eye level, second went over me, the third veered off behind me. So fast and sleek..
...similar mountain valley, 500 AGL with a 2,000 OVC layer, saw a white object just ahead of the 206B, fluttering down from above like a falling leaf...initially thought it looked like a part of an aircraft, maybe a DC-10 cargo door
? closer observation showed that it was a Swan, with a Bald Eagle on top...the Eagles talons dug into each "shoulder blade". The Eagle, about 1/2 the size of the Swan, was steering it down to the rivers edge below. I circled wide a few times, and watched them land. Then departed as the Eagle started a great meal.
Flying a game count one winter, saw an Elk running down the road at full speed, right on it's tail was one Wolf. Not sure if Mr Wolf would have succeeded in the hunt or not, as we "intervened" in the situation. Sorry Wolfman, perhaps next time..
Other notable occurrences...
..got buzzed in a deep mountain valley ( 500' AGL ) by 3 - F-18's..one went by my (206B) nose at 1/4 mile eye level, second went over me, the third veered off behind me. So fast and sleek..
...similar mountain valley, 500 AGL with a 2,000 OVC layer, saw a white object just ahead of the 206B, fluttering down from above like a falling leaf...initially thought it looked like a part of an aircraft, maybe a DC-10 cargo door
? closer observation showed that it was a Swan, with a Bald Eagle on top...the Eagles talons dug into each "shoulder blade". The Eagle, about 1/2 the size of the Swan, was steering it down to the rivers edge below. I circled wide a few times, and watched them land. Then departed as the Eagle started a great meal.Flying a game count one winter, saw an Elk running down the road at full speed, right on it's tail was one Wolf. Not sure if Mr Wolf would have succeeded in the hunt or not, as we "intervened" in the situation. Sorry Wolfman, perhaps next time..
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Australia
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When just a new Army pilot, I was tasked with transporting a Brigadier and ADC down the east coast of OZ. Thought to stay well inland of the Evans Head gunnery range. 1500', 60 kts, and out my left window, approaching rapidly at the same level was a giant orange cylinder...from memory about 30m long and 6m diameter...with no visible means of propulsion. Slammed the collective down to see the "UFO" pass over the rotor head with maybe 50' to spare.
While trying to handle the overspeed, calm one very unimpressed Brigadier, and avoid having to change underwear, I saw a flash off a wing 2 miles away going in the opposite direction out to sea. Turned out the "UFO" was a target being towed by a Mustang 1500' above and at least 1 1/2 miles ahead. The Mustang was heading east when the target went over me heading west.
Turned out the day before he had taken out two rural power lines by getting too low!
Imagine if I had cyclic climbed instead of dropping the collective.
While trying to handle the overspeed, calm one very unimpressed Brigadier, and avoid having to change underwear, I saw a flash off a wing 2 miles away going in the opposite direction out to sea. Turned out the "UFO" was a target being towed by a Mustang 1500' above and at least 1 1/2 miles ahead. The Mustang was heading east when the target went over me heading west.
Turned out the day before he had taken out two rural power lines by getting too low!
Imagine if I had cyclic climbed instead of dropping the collective.
Flew a 5 ship IMC GCA in Gazelles at 1 rotor span, formating on the tail anticol
Ripped the tail wheel off an S61 manouvering it with bear trap on a Canadian frigate at -35 degrees.
Flamed out an engine on deck when the frigate rolled in bad weather and a wave washed completely over the whole a/c.
Got hit by a Cb at night with a 4000'/min ROC and full power applied. Descended from 3000 to 1000' in 'passenger mode'!
First on scene at the Air India 747 crash in atlantic - bomb on board. 300 souls.
Been shot at while evacuating civvies out of Haiti.
Tornado flew above me coming other way in a steep ravine...upside down... Pilot waved!!!
Attended >300 serious road traffic collisions.
Attended landslides/floods/fires.
Left the cooker on once ...went flying for an hour
[ooh by the way - well done Q for flying to the Pole in an R44 too
.....had to get that one in].
Ripped the tail wheel off an S61 manouvering it with bear trap on a Canadian frigate at -35 degrees.
Flamed out an engine on deck when the frigate rolled in bad weather and a wave washed completely over the whole a/c.
Got hit by a Cb at night with a 4000'/min ROC and full power applied. Descended from 3000 to 1000' in 'passenger mode'!
First on scene at the Air India 747 crash in atlantic - bomb on board. 300 souls.
Been shot at while evacuating civvies out of Haiti.
Tornado flew above me coming other way in a steep ravine...upside down... Pilot waved!!!
Attended >300 serious road traffic collisions.
Attended landslides/floods/fires.
Left the cooker on once ...went flying for an hour
[ooh by the way - well done Q for flying to the Pole in an R44 too
.....had to get that one in].
Join Date: Mar 2003
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I don't know if this comes under the heading of 'amazing sights' or not as my thoughts at the time was 'how stupid'.
There I was transiting from Bergen Hohne range to Gutersloh in my little Skeeter Mk12, passing through the Minden Gap with the statue of Wilhelm gazing upon me when I was passed on the starboard side by an F104, then one passed on the port side, again very close, BUT then one passed underneath and I was at 600 ft AGL.
Another brush with an F104 in Germany was so close that the I could see into the starboard engine intake and could clearly see all the rivits as the jet passed over me. It was in weather conditions that was bloody difficult for me (viz about 1 mile at best in haze) and I was low level. I had looked out forward and there was nothing there, looked right for a couple of seconds, looked forwards and there it was. I had about 1000 hours at this point. The weather was bad and I didn't expect F104's to be flying. For sure the F104 pilot did not see me. I was in a Sioux (Bell 473B1).
At RAF Ballykelly, parked outside Shackleton Hangar. Went off for military briefing. Came back and Shackleton was being prepared for ground runs. Got into Sioux and during preflight checks, Shackleton proceeded to start engines. I started up and during the run up found that I was being pushed along the concrete towards the hangar by the prop wash from the Shackleton. Frantic call to ATC and Shackleton crew throttled back and I was able to take-off. I was very close to the hangar at one stage.
I too have flown through the ring of a rainbow, it's amazing as you are in a tunnel with colours all around and outside the tunnel all is rather remote.
Was almost hit from below by a Wessex as it climbed out of a field in NI. Just spotted it's rotor blades between my feet, yanked back on cyclic and pulled up the lever and did some sort of aerobatic manoeuvre. Spoke to Wessex pilot later and he was totally unaware of that near accident as I was out of his vision behind his overhead panel.
During some very stormy weather flying up the Great Glen (southern end of Loch Ness) the wind was lifting huge amounts of water up off the surface of the loch. It was like a heavy squall going up rather than down. Turbulance was horrific and threw the AS355 in all directions.
Making a film for the BBC where it required that a Scout would formate on the port side with the camera man and maintain a safe distance during the manoeuvres involved as I flew the 'Star'in a Gazelle. At one point the blades of the Scout passed under the Gazelles blades. At debrief the camreaman liked the close up shot!! but would have prefered to have used a telephoto lens. Scout pilot lack of concentration almost was fatal.
There I was transiting from Bergen Hohne range to Gutersloh in my little Skeeter Mk12, passing through the Minden Gap with the statue of Wilhelm gazing upon me when I was passed on the starboard side by an F104, then one passed on the port side, again very close, BUT then one passed underneath and I was at 600 ft AGL.
Another brush with an F104 in Germany was so close that the I could see into the starboard engine intake and could clearly see all the rivits as the jet passed over me. It was in weather conditions that was bloody difficult for me (viz about 1 mile at best in haze) and I was low level. I had looked out forward and there was nothing there, looked right for a couple of seconds, looked forwards and there it was. I had about 1000 hours at this point. The weather was bad and I didn't expect F104's to be flying. For sure the F104 pilot did not see me. I was in a Sioux (Bell 473B1).
At RAF Ballykelly, parked outside Shackleton Hangar. Went off for military briefing. Came back and Shackleton was being prepared for ground runs. Got into Sioux and during preflight checks, Shackleton proceeded to start engines. I started up and during the run up found that I was being pushed along the concrete towards the hangar by the prop wash from the Shackleton. Frantic call to ATC and Shackleton crew throttled back and I was able to take-off. I was very close to the hangar at one stage.
I too have flown through the ring of a rainbow, it's amazing as you are in a tunnel with colours all around and outside the tunnel all is rather remote.
Was almost hit from below by a Wessex as it climbed out of a field in NI. Just spotted it's rotor blades between my feet, yanked back on cyclic and pulled up the lever and did some sort of aerobatic manoeuvre. Spoke to Wessex pilot later and he was totally unaware of that near accident as I was out of his vision behind his overhead panel.
During some very stormy weather flying up the Great Glen (southern end of Loch Ness) the wind was lifting huge amounts of water up off the surface of the loch. It was like a heavy squall going up rather than down. Turbulance was horrific and threw the AS355 in all directions.
Making a film for the BBC where it required that a Scout would formate on the port side with the camera man and maintain a safe distance during the manoeuvres involved as I flew the 'Star'in a Gazelle. At one point the blades of the Scout passed under the Gazelles blades. At debrief the camreaman liked the close up shot!! but would have prefered to have used a telephoto lens. Scout pilot lack of concentration almost was fatal.
Join Date: Sep 2001
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I remember being 50 miles off the coast of Iceland during the UK's contretemps with the Icelanders over cod fishing rights. I was tootling around at 400 feet in my Wasp in lousy weather listening on the radio to an RAF Nimrod which was coming to deliver our mail by dropping a canister into the sea near my frigate. Unfortunately, the 'Wops' was a lousy target so he didn't have me on his radar and he was flying at 200 feet. The next thing I saw was a huge outline which nearly gave me a heart attack as he passed directly underneath me from back to front (or aft to forrard as our Naval bretheren always insisted 
). He never saw me, but when I called up was most apologetic, took some lovely photos of my little Wasp in front of the ship and dropped them off for us on his next mail run 
). He never saw me, but when I called up was most apologetic, took some lovely photos of my little Wasp in front of the ship and dropped them off for us on his next mail run
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soggyboxers
Our guys at the Icelandic Coast Guard kicked your b++t back then didn't they, with only the wire cutters and bean guns ? It must have been interesting times?
Once flying a plank on short final at Reykjavik Iceland, got to see the belly of my friends C-152 within a few inches from my windshield, a little to close for comfort! Happened as we were both on final, he on my tail, and he lost sight of me and overtook. Thats the only time I have ever felt that the C-152 was a big aeroplane!
One other amzing sight, my reflection in the mirror this morning!
Heli-Ice
Our guys at the Icelandic Coast Guard kicked your b++t back then didn't they, with only the wire cutters and bean guns ? It must have been interesting times?
Once flying a plank on short final at Reykjavik Iceland, got to see the belly of my friends C-152 within a few inches from my windshield, a little to close for comfort! Happened as we were both on final, he on my tail, and he lost sight of me and overtook. Thats the only time I have ever felt that the C-152 was a big aeroplane!
One other amzing sight, my reflection in the mirror this morning!
Heli-Ice
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seeing as i am not night vfr endorsed i can not compete with a full moon.
however, i do recall, quite clearly
about getting buzzed by some military fast mover tossers while i was trying to sling bags as a low timer in northern alberta. i may sound like a bit of a pansy but they were in CF-18's and i was in a 500D. i suppose i should have been used to it as my first revenue job was at Suffeild (british army(?) base) that had gazelles that used to chase me around and put laser firing solutions on me while i was trying to earn minimum wage.
it raised hackles but was interesting in the end.
fly safe
however, i do recall, quite clearly
about getting buzzed by some military fast mover tossers while i was trying to sling bags as a low timer in northern alberta. i may sound like a bit of a pansy but they were in CF-18's and i was in a 500D. i suppose i should have been used to it as my first revenue job was at Suffeild (british army(?) base) that had gazelles that used to chase me around and put laser firing solutions on me while i was trying to earn minimum wage.
it raised hackles but was interesting in the end.
fly safe
Thread Starter
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[email protected],
Yes he was told by Wattisham MATZ about the Tornadoes - they were just a bit quick - the controller hadnt finished the 'traffic information...' before they passed under,
Good stuff so far ... keep it comming
RHM
Yes he was told by Wattisham MATZ about the Tornadoes - they were just a bit quick - the controller hadnt finished the 'traffic information...' before they passed under,
Good stuff so far ... keep it comming
RHM
