Video footage of TAP A310 in extreme low flying turn at airshow

[M.Mouse]

Some years ago I had a very good friend in the USA who owned and displayed many fine aircraft. He was an exceptional pilot. He always impressed people with his fine judgement and handling abilities in many types.

What wasn't so impressive was carrying out a fast flypast of another of his, slower, aeroplanes being piloted by somebody else. He flew so close that his tail flew through the propeller arc of the slower aircraft before diving almost vertically into the ground and killing himself and his passenger. The other aircraft managed to land safely.

He was an exceptional pilot with fine judgement. Sadly he is but one of many who believed in their own infallability.

I am sure the Airbus display pilot in the video also has exceptional piloting skills.

[Keg]

...so to make it interesting enough for the crowd they have shown what this plane does when provoked, but only enough to make the crowd go wow.

The crowd went 'wow' because they thought they were about to watch the thing auger in!

Even Bob Hoover's displays leave a lot more margin for error than this. Don't give me the crap about visible horizons and photographic errors and so on, it was very, very close to the ground.

RNZAF does similar things in their 757 and I've never been too comfortable watching that either!

[JanetFlight]

This Thread is the Perfect Reflection of all those who come here and "HAVE NO WINGS" at their Hearts...
Call me names, insult me, do what you want...but this is THE TRUE AVIATION SPIRIT!!!
FIVE STARS;COLOSSAL DISPLAY....
PS: And yes....Im Portuguese too...And by the way....Check it »»»

http://www.linhadafrente.net/modules...=100719#100719

[grumpyoldgeek]

In the world of flying there are two sorts of pilots: those who fly by the book and pursue a set of defined numbers to get the job done, and those for whom flying becomes an extension of their own selves and actually 'fly'. I'd be willing to wager my next month's pay that the pilot who was flying this manoeuvre was of the latter type.

Which one was Bud Holland?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_Holland

[ACMS]

There is only 1 word that comes to mind watching that video

IDIOT

[Fart Master]

Absolute lunatic, there is no way the PF could intentionally fly the wingtip that close to the ground

Old pilots and bold pilots etc...........

IDIOT

[boardpig]

I'm probably wrong here but the turn he makes doesn't seem very balanced from what I can see. It looks like he forgot to use the rudder (like many seem to these days), and it simply rolling the wings, rather lazy for low speed, low alt manovering
Looks impressive though but I'd wager he wasn't fully aware of the wing tip distance. If he does that manouver often enough to "know it" dunt say too much for his employer.

[nojwod]

Bud Holland

This relatively safe climbing turn that was quite benign in still air close to the ground and was only increased in angle once a positive climb was established cannot be compared to a cowboy who took an aircraft beyond its aerodynamic envelope. If you can't see the difference between the two circumstances then neither I nor anyone else will ever be able to help you see beyond your blind prejudices.

I wish to stress that I do not deny that there was an element of risk in the performance. There is an element of risk in everything to do with aviation, my point has been that although this LOOKED like a risky manoeuvre, in the hands of a good pilot, in the conditions prevailing on the day, the risk was relatively minimal. There will always be wowsers who demand that ALL risk be removed from all activities. There are also those amongst us (and I am one) who are prepared to face a small amount of risk in my life to ensure I actually LIVE MY LIFE.

I would prefer it if wowsers and stick-in-the-muds, who think an airshow should be about aircraft flying down the flightline at 500 minimums wings level until they exit the airshow boundaries, stay at home and leave the rest of us alone to enjoy the feeling of being alive.

[Wet Lettuce]

Glad to hear it!!!

And to clarify some ignorant minds, this flight had no pax and was fully trained in the sim.

That puts my mind at rest. Fully trained in the sim, how many times did the sim auger in before they got it right?

Challenger and Columbia were fully trained in the sim too I think.

Did the pilots train for a simulated bird strike? Even a very small bird? What they did was obviously safe (they did it then went to the pub after) but left ZERO margin for error or equipment failure.

Sorry that stunt was dangerous, a low level fly past gear down, then a straight climb then a bank would be a good display of a civil airliner.

Hey they could even have packed the plane with tabloid journalists and announced "ladies and gentlemen, this is what a go-around feels like"

[Ignition Override]

This da^^^^%d hotel computer is programmed to block any YouTube videos.

Although the A-310 is quite different than the A-320, the A-320 which crashed into the woods at an airshow with people in the cabin was flown by a factory pilot. Maybe the throttles were not in the TOGA detent before the 320 hit the trees?

Many pilots tend to trust their experience to help keep them out of trouble, or at least use it as a general guide.

[JanetFlight]

So....in some brilliant minds opinions this very Captain should be fired simply because he did a SUPERB&COLOSSAL Display of its own Plane on an AirShow,without any single Passenger, and wich was precisely that the main goal and objective...
So, taking and following that vast array of magnificient opinions, every time we see such a landing like this with 200, 300, or 400 souls on board, we would loose for sure a nice couple of JetDrivers »»»
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdMZ6e6CVdA
Am i Missing somethin'here...????
PS: Im a Portuguese Pilot Too..I Know VERY well that Aerodrome&Runway, and like Pprune Member "Five Green" said, we have some Downslopes there and some of the images&vids cannot precisely show what some are trying to say...
But it was a Hell of a AWESOME DISPLAY...YYEESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!

[Denti]

There are several more vids about that lowpass.

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=ly3Y8SZvK1U
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=H073hZzIU9g
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=gKEUwAnUK7Y (this time gear up and unspectacular)
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=gKEUwAnUK7Y
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=vbF_kUGYCSc (shows both passes)
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=0RxYSYliCFY

(shamelessly stolen from pilots.de)

[Wet Lettuce]

JanetFlight, I don't get your point.

You posted a landing at Kai Tak, NORMAL landing for that airport.

Why do you equate that with a planned airshow stunt?

Can you explain to me ANY circumstance where a commercial airliner would need to bank so hard so close to the ground.

You say "awsome display" I beg to differ. Most people never saw that "SUPERB&COLOSSAL Display"

Notice the photographers running? That "SUPERB&COLOSSAL Display " was so low down that most of the spectators would not have seen it!!!!

EDIT, and this is important....

Watch all the videos and you will see spectators were on both sides of the runway.

[Flap62]

I'd like to bet that the closest most of the posters of the "awesome" variety here have come to the edge of the performance envelope was when the batteries on their airband radio ran out!

Clowns like this have no place inside an aircraft, let alone a cockpit. Have any of you considered the implications of a failure (birdstrike anyone!) of the left engine as he rolls? - un-recoverable!!

[Pittsle]

Comparison with Bob Hoover

Someone compared this IDIOT (well said, ACMS), who survived only by pure luck, with Bob Hoover.

This is a great insult for Bob Hoover, who (among other things) is THE professional airshow pilot who always respects his / aircraft limits and still shows a spectacular performance.

This is, why he still is alive.

[TopBunk]

OK, so who are the so-called professional pilots who think it was safe - come on, own up then we can treat you as the numbnuts you really are when you next post on a subject?

I understand that in the UK, a display pilot will not get a licence to display below 50 feet (15 metres) - I doubt if the wingtip was much more than 2 to 3 metres above the ground in this manoeuvre - bear in mind that display pilots will normally be displaying aircraft with wingspans under 50 feet, whereas the A310 is what, 60 metres?

Go on - dare you....

[flying brain]

Will meet with FP at TAP later this week - let's see what he thinks.

[ATC Watcher]

Nojwod :

In the world of flying there are two sorts of pilots: those who fly by the book and pursue a set of defined numbers to get the job done, and those for whom flying becomes an extension of their own selves and actually 'fly'

So true, so true....very well said.

[Admiral346]

Will meet with FP at TAP later this week - let's see what he thinks.

I'd love to hear about that !



And to the believers of the "extended self", how many times have you stubbed your toe? Or bumped your knee?

One little change in wind, some updraft, downdraft, not even to talk about any failure and this moron would have caused a nice fireball.
If you wnat to fly like that, take acro lessons or join the airforce. But GET OUT of an airline cockpit.

Nic

[rodthesod]

The pilot may well have exceptional flying skills but he demonstrated very little airmanship and apalling judgement in that display. On the basis of that performance he would certainly not be granted a Display Authorisation (DA) in UK.
Unless the rules have changed recently (I retired from display flying 5 years ago), the minimum height for straight flypasts in such aircraft is 100ft (300ft manoeuvring). It is therefore necessary to pull up from 100ft before turning even if it is not common sense to an individual pilot.
I have considerable display experience in Pitts S2A's and BAE 146's. I'd like to think that my 146 displays were spectacular enough to be enjoyed by the public without frightening them. I once had a slight slap on the wrist from the governing body (CAA) for infringing the 300ft rule when I relaxed a steep turn on a stick shake in gusty conditions - I only lost a few feet, but better to do that from 300ft than with my wingtip in the grass.
This foolhardy display was down to the PIC, NOT the airline - but if I was the chief pilot I think I would ground the pilot pending an investigation and start seriously questioning his responsibility and mental stability.

rts