Whoever put up this video of what I take to be a Marine Française Rafael doing an airshow labeled it “amazing flying skills”.
Seeing the angle of attack on his recovery at 00:57, I’m inclined to disagree.
Of course, I’ve got no notion of formation flying on laketops, either. So maybe I’m just getting old and cautious.
I’m no aviator, having chosen to ply my trade beneath the wave tops, but I’m inclined to think that the pilot of that particular plane may have been in need of fresh skivvies.
Sometimes its better to be lucky than good in order to save one’s ass from the crack you place it in.
Wonder how long it took to get the seat cushion from between the cheeks?
My browser does not allow me to see the text comments but I know that this video has been on the web for 3 years or more. At the time it first appeared some suggested that we see the ‘anti-crash’ system kick in to save the froggie bottom from a wavetop spanking. Whatever. Mr. Marine Française Rafael.
I’m sure the stick was having the black goo squeezed out on the front side and the ‘roids were popping on the backside. Either that or the Chief Pilot Above was taking over the flight controls. “Rather be lucky than good”.
I’m sure the black goo was being squeezed outta the stick on the front side and the ‘roids were popping on the backside. Either that or the Chief Pilot Above was getting some stick time.
“Rather be lucky than good” seems appropriate.
Now here is a cool dude – n’est pas?
http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/photos/090215-N-8517C-676.jpg
Yup, the Frog emptied out his Luck barrel that day. Suspect that when he got back to the boat, he used up a weeks worth of wine ration.
Spaz, part of the reason (the small part) why I hang out in places like this are the great desktop backgrounds I get to grab
Thanks, mate!
“Even Marines Can Look Good at the Back of the Boat – So long as there’s cool VAPES!” February 18, 2009 http://tailhookdaily.typepad.com/
Spaz, that is one gorgeous picture!
Lex, that statement “I’m just getting old and cautious” emphasizes that old cliche about there not being any “old, bold pilots”. Also goes along with why you don’t see too many 50+ guys on Ninja motorcycles but on rather sedate Goldwing and Harleys. Self preservation kicks in I’d think along with the graying (or disappeared in my case) hair…….
“Amazing” alright, but not in the way the video dude who titled the pic intended. That little victory role at the end was a celebration alright–of the fact: “”Hey, I’m still here!”
I once saw a RNAF F-4K driver pull a similar stunt once at a mini-airshow we had over at RAF Bentwaters. Only he didn’t bottom out quite so low. He leveled off around 50′, then proceeded to do a 360, then flipped the ac to do TWO inside-out negative-G 360s before seamlessly pulling it up into the down-wind pattern for a full-stop landing. Must of had special straps on the pedals or sumpin’, but was most impressive. We were all just standing there not only in appreciation/awe, but in contemplation of where we were going to duck for cover if/when he lost it.
SpazSinbad,
AWESOME picture, thanks!!
Lex, and for those of you who might want to read about fighter pilots and what makes them tick (boring! Ha.) – check this out:
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/print/200903/air-force
Got the referral from http://www.thedonovan.com/index.html and what it is is an article by Mark Bowden (Blackhawk Down) in The Atlantic. Outstanding read. Talks about the f-22 as well and hints at only a little of the unbelievable lethality of that platform.
WHOA!
Even *I* know. That’s C-R-A-Z-Y!
I wish I had the alpha of a Hornet…
A better flying video a la VFC-12:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avmja9s65bA
Didn’t a VF-84 Tomcat almost pull the same stunt during filming the dogfight scene with the Zeros for the movie “Final Countdown” back in the early 80s?
Overstress inspection time…
zack: Many thanks for your ‘golden oldie’ video compilation. Interested in Skyhawks? Click on my name or go to see PDFs/WMVs at:
http://hosted.filefront.com/SpazSinbad/
Spaz, you’re quite welcome. I am a fan of the Skyhawk, which is not unrelated to the fact that my dad did all that filming, and I’ve seen hours of uncut footage that resulted in that 9 minute video.
Old meet bold. But, be quick.
Not such good flying. He just got away with it.
that dude looks like he was about 20 feet from the same scenario the thunderbird pilot found himself in a few years ago….
zack: thank your dad (if you can) for his work – a great record. You may have missed an earlier pointer to Utube RAN A4G videos at:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?gl=AU&hl=en-GB&user=bengello&view=videos
Oh, you don’t have to be a Sh!t-Hot Attack Pilot to pull some stupid stunts. Even the Swedes, bless their little hearts, have been known to cast their eyes back to the days when “Lord save us from the fury of the Northmen” was a prayer in England and try their little attempts at derring-do.
With civilians in the way. In a C-130.
http://www.aftonbladet.se/webbtv/nyheter/article1756355.ab
Ya, probably flying an Airbus by now.
– Max
Hell, Max, that guy is never going to win any Limbo contests–he had another good 10′ to go at least!
Signed,
Progeny of the Stupids.
M551 Sheridan Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System (LAPES):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgg3iRaVnbw
(LAPES) “Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System is a tactical military airlift delivery method where a fixed wing cargo aircraft can deposit supplies when landing is not an option in an area that is too small to accurately parachute supplies from a high altitude.
This method was developed by the US Military in 1967 during the Siege of Khe Sanh in the Vietnam War. It involves loading supplies on a special pallet on a plane. Once a plane reaches the desired drop point, the pilot descends to a very low altitude of typically under 2 m. Once achieved, the cargo hatch is opened and the extraction parachute is deployed; once the parachute catches the wind outside the craft, it pulls the connected supplies out of the plane and on to the ground. Once the delivery is accomplished, the pilot ascends to a normal altitude and returns to base.”
SPAZ/
I always wondered how well the links on the tracks held up when they were subjected to that. I’ve had tankers say that a tank can break a tread just SITTIN’ there. (Maybe I should ask XBradTC) The Russki’s had a better idea–you know, the retro-rkts on the underside of the pad? Don’t have to go gopher huntin’ to release the load that way either (better duck you little furry ones!)
PS: Most of those flights in support of Khe Sanh were flown out of either DaNang or Hue Phu-Bai.
I’ve never heard of a tank breaking a track just sitting. If they come loose, they can come apart (had that happen when someone told my buddy and I they had checked the tracks and we were leaving parts in our wake on Ft. Campbell). Torsion bars definitely break and they were the main shock absorber on an M-60. I imagine more than one Sheridan Tank was disabled when air dropped. If anyone tried to drop an M-60 via LAPES, I never heard of it. Wouldn’t be surprised if they tried, however.
QM/Virgil: nothing good can ever come from trying to drag a Sheridan out the ass end of a moving aircraft….
M60 series did (sometimes) break while “just sitting there”, and that was usually a torsion bar going sprung.. depending on which one it was, that could soon lead to the neighboring or opposite torsion bar following suit.
as long as you kept proper track tension though, i never really had problems with end connectors or wedge bolts and such in the motor pool. once you start to exercise the track, we always planned a quickie maintenance halt after about the first half hour of road time, then did a walk around to see what might have shook itself loose.
as for the Sheridan, a Christie suspension (slack track) is going to be much more dependent on the torsion bars and connecting pins, so NO SLAMMING!
Well it looks very pretty but note the distinct lack of relative measurements. Without them even estimating altitute from a ground perspective is very difficult indeed. There are so many “unknowns” for example, engine thrust at the time, indicated speed, etc that beyond this being a nice video I could not comment upon the competence or otherwise of either the pilot or observer.
JoeC,
Some of us are still holding on. I’m 60 and still have a Ducati sitting out in the garage, though I sold my 748 last year after the two ruptured discs at the bottom of my spine started being ‘really’ painful.
I’ll probably hold on to the ‘93 900SS until they plant me.
But then, I’m a stubborn old fool.
Cheers!
ChrisP
Wondered if this guy had a wrong altimeter setting like the Thunderbird pilot from 2006 who wasn’t so lucky.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ3aF1K_RzM