Not rotor, not VTOL, not shabby,
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Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Not rotor, not VTOL, not shabby,
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
From: London
Some years back I saw footage of a Pilatus Porter take off with a 10" ground roll. (The porter is the aircraft in 'Air America' that does the uphill landing.)
The pilot put chocks under the main wheels and stood on the brakes. With the engine throttled up he lifted the tail with propwash alone then released the brakes. The aircraft jumped up the chocks and stayed airborne. Quite awesome.
LM
The pilot put chocks under the main wheels and stood on the brakes. With the engine throttled up he lifted the tail with propwash alone then released the brakes. The aircraft jumped up the chocks and stayed airborne. Quite awesome.
LM
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
From: London
Years ago I was doing some filming at a Skydive meeting in Spain.
One of the jump ships was a Porter being flown by a Dutch guy who is now a Captain with KLM.
As we were climbing to altitude the clouds obscured the view of the jump from the ground. (It was a large formation attempt from three aircraft).
As we left the aircraft, the pilot did a wing over and put the prop into beta mode (reverse thrust).
On the way down, in freefall, I looked across the formation and I watched this aircraft pointing straight at the ground, keeping perfect station with us. It was surreal.
When we landed I found out that the aircraft air to ground frequency was being patched through loudspeakers on the ground and the pilot was giving a running commentary of the jump during the whole freefall phase.
Sometimes in life you just meet some really cool people.
LM
One of the jump ships was a Porter being flown by a Dutch guy who is now a Captain with KLM.
As we were climbing to altitude the clouds obscured the view of the jump from the ground. (It was a large formation attempt from three aircraft).
As we left the aircraft, the pilot did a wing over and put the prop into beta mode (reverse thrust).
On the way down, in freefall, I looked across the formation and I watched this aircraft pointing straight at the ground, keeping perfect station with us. It was surreal.
When we landed I found out that the aircraft air to ground frequency was being patched through loudspeakers on the ground and the pilot was giving a running commentary of the jump during the whole freefall phase.
Sometimes in life you just meet some really cool people.
LM
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