MK5 Golf GTI
General => Random Chat => Topic started by: Hedge on February 10, 2012, 10:39:20 pm
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Borrowed from another forum I frequent. :wink:
The year is 2012 and the Olympics are going to have to start early.
Here are your contestants for the Aviation Limbo competition.
How Low did they dare go!
I'll start the race in Age order (approximately), so here we start with the one and only (and much missed) Ray Hanna in a OFMC Spitfire (believed to be ZD-B MH434).
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2FGreyhound558%2FAviation_Olympics%2FRayHanna.jpg&hash=cdb0a1ae705821e5fa89d93db2dba7c59a833d91)
The legendary, extraordinary Ray Hanna makes an extreme low level pass in a Spitfire down pit lane at the Goodwood auto racing track in England in 1998. Sadly, with the death of Hanna, we will not see such feats again.
Travelling a little further afield as we advance through the decades we find ourselves in the Sultanate of Oman..
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2FGreyhound558%2FAviation_Olympics%2FSoafHunter.jpg&hash=349b22d8728cd0a16c158e281489f35a0c2b5015)
A particularly heart stopping photo of a Hawker Hunter of the Sultan of Oman 's Air Force beating up the base at Salalah. The Sultan employed mercenary Brit pilots to fly Hunters and Strikemasters to help put down the Dhofar rebels in the south. They clearly were bored from time to time! The rebellion ended in 1976, the same year I visited Oman .
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2FGreyhound558%2FAviation_Olympics%2FSoafHunter2.jpg&hash=33613f2f6b20836fe16e13bb583793fa6ff2ecc3)
A Hawker Hunter pilot of the Sultan of Oman 's Air Force (SOAF - possibly a former RAF mercenary) shrieks across the ramp on an Omani air base.
Ah! the Good Old Boys. But we can't stop for the past, it's time to move on, this time to the Land of Oz...
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2FGreyhound558%2FAviation_Olympics%2FCanbera.jpg&hash=a7236a2db64e7d0432b9780400d4750eb58a9d1c)
On a particularly hot day, a Royal Australian Air Force English Electric A84 Canberra bomber drops to within 25 feet as thrill-seeking mechanics get ready for the visceral experience of 13,000 lbs of Rolls Royce Avon power full in the face.
Back to Blighty for a bit of Menace…
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2FGreyhound558%2FAviation_Olympics%2FPhantom.jpg&hash=8fa8d476d5ed9def11f671f786cfbbcdf192c51d)
An RAF Phantom II in full burner passes between two hangars at an RAF base. There isn't a Rhino-driver alive who didn't love dropping his locomotive-sized Phantom down to the hard deck and pushing the throttles right past the detents
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2FGreyhound558%2FAviation_Olympics%2FPhantom2.jpg&hash=585c0c65c23407bf1ab92326ee2684ecf5c6d854)
Here's proof that Phantom drivers love it down low
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2FGreyhound558%2FAviation_Olympics%2FPhantom3.jpg&hash=d35390e366426b90d5f6c619a3d71d553daeaccf)
Finally, incontrovertible proof; GAF F-4 Phantom II picking its way through the bushes
Right, off for a tour around the globe again, first stop, the good ole US of A...
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2FGreyhound558%2FAviation_Olympics%2FB52.jpg&hash=e078dd6c7da6dcb07e6f55f18d3b4c261c5693fe)
A B-52 slides down the port side of USS Ranger (CV-61) in its typical nose down cruise attitude. Though it looks like it, this is not photoshopped. It happened in early 1990 in the Persian Gulf, while U.S. carriers and B-52s were holding joint exercises. Two B-52s called the carrier Ranger and asked if they could do a fly-by, and the carrier air controller said yes. When the B-52s reported they were 9 kilometers out, the carrier controller said he didn't see them. The B-52s told the carrier folks to look down. The paint job on the B-52 made it hard to see from above, but as it got closer, the sailors could make it out, and the water the B-52's engines were causing to spray out. It's very, very rare for a USAF aircraft to do a fly-by below the flight deck of a carrier. But B-52s had been practicing low level flights for years, to penetrate under Soviet radar. In this case, the B-52 pilots asked the carrier controller if they would like the bombers to come around again. The carrier guys said yes, and a lot more sailors had their cameras out this time. Photo was taken from the plane guard helicopter.
Back in the land of oz...
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2FGreyhound558%2FAviation_Olympics%2FAusiSkyhawk.jpg&hash=ff0a1c9fc3922df3605f1bf096d297e10c37bcfb)
An Australian A-4 Skyhawk flies well below the deck of HMAS Melbourne
We're on the way back to Blighty but a quick refuelling stop back with our SOAF friends...
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2FGreyhound558%2FAviation_Olympics%2FSoafJag.jpg&hash=92827dc378baec2de39f50f3c3202783018d6f89)
In the shimmering white heat of an Omani summer day, a Sepecat Jaguar adds superheated jet exhaust to the miserable mix as its pilot shows off for the ground personnel watching from the shade. In 1990, the SOAF was renamed the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO). It is not known if this is a SOAF or a RAFO Jag,
Welcome Home, so this is why we paid our taxes...
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2FGreyhound558%2FAviation_Olympics%2FLightning.jpg&hash=0ccbaf49a5826c4b75ced87d2f6d7ee5d719269b)
With speed brakes out, I am not sure whether this is a shot of a pass or a wheels-up landing for this British Electric Lightning
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2FGreyhound558%2FAviation_Olympics%2FTornado.jpg&hash=b1a7a5b034e4a9246d6a2cd690bae061cb854f0e)
A Panavia Tornado spews heat, gas, and vapour as she howls from the runway with her wingtip a few feet off the ground
We're not the only crazy ones...
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One of the most celebrated images of a low pass is this shot of F-14 Tomcat driver Captain Dale “Snort” Snodgrass making a curving pass alongside USS America. Many web-wags have stated that this was unauthorized, dangerous or that it even was a photo of a Tomcat about to crash. However, Snodgrass explained: "It's not risky at all with practice. It was my opening pass in a Tomcat tactical demonstration at sea. I started from the starboard rear quarter of the carrier, slightly below flight deck level. Airspeed was about 270 kts with the wings swept forward. I selected afterburner at about a half-mile out, and the aircraft accelerated to about 315 kts. As I approached the fantail, I rolled into an 85-degree bank and did a hard 5-6G turn, finishing about 10-20 degrees off of the boat's axis. Microseconds after this photo was taken, after rolling wings-level at an altitude slightly above the flight deck, I pulled vertical with a quarter-roll to the left, ending with an Immelman roll-out 90 degrees and continued with the remainder of the demo. It was a dramatic and, in my opinion, a very cool way to start a carrier demo as first performed by a great fighter pilot, Ed "Hunack" Andrews, who commanded VF-84 in 1980-1988
Even our close continental neighbours are up to the old tricks...
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2FGreyhound558%2FAviation_Olympics%2FCrazyDutchF16.jpg&hash=ec159a9ed3d62da2a12d4cac81250c795a9e5283)
A Dutch F-16 with burner lit seems to follow the turn in the road. On the ground, Dutch airmen stuff fingers in their ears as he passes over head
Is it 'Dutch Courage' or “something” else !? Well, what ever it is it got translated over the Iron Curtain...
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2FGreyhound558%2FAviation_Olympics%2FRuski.jpg&hash=244a922311a89b81e7d6bf0bea8c5c160e575224)
This Sukhoi Su-30 could be going Mach .98 or it could be hovering.
Now I know that this Judge is biased, so here is the winner, and if anyone can add to this forum as to what was actually going on here then feel free.
The Gold Medal goes to …..
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2FGreyhound558%2FAviation_Olympics%2FVulcanParade.jpg&hash=12ed4f6db856a626470b87c7c5c111475846141d)
The people (except the man on the left who is smartly covering his ears) have no idea how low this Avro Vulcan really is as it sneaks up behind them. The flag is at half staff, so this most likely was a sad occasion, but there were no doubt some shrieks and some olympic flinching when the sound reached them.
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Some great pics and stories there. :happy2:
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Yup. Awesome. :happy2:
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Agree. I work in the aerospace industry so stuff like this showing off what can be done really fascinates me. Plus with the stories too just adds to it. Good read :happy2:
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lovin the pics and words mate :happy2:
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Awesome Ian! :notworthy:
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I can't take any of the credit for it as it was pilfered from another forum but worthy of a share.
The original is here. http://www.vulcantothesky.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=3666&sid=57fc6746212798ef45cddf8285d1a2c1 (http://www.vulcantothesky.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=3666&sid=57fc6746212798ef45cddf8285d1a2c1)
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Wow :congrats:
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Awesome pics Ian.
Great find :happy2:
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Ray Hanna's Spitfire pass at Goodwood can be seen here. :wink:
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Some awesome shots right there. Love those Phantoms.
The Vulcan was doing a flypast at a recruits passing out parade at RAF Swinderby circa 1973 or 1974. There's another flag flying on the mast above the RAF Ensign but I can't remember what it's for - rank of the station commander or highest ranking office on parade or someuts?
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Awesome pics mate. I work as a firefighter at RAF Leuchars so see jets pretty much everyday, the typhoon is an awesome piece of kit. Amazing how quick it can get in the air and go vertical. :scared:
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:congrats:
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Nice post there Hedge. Nice to see some pics of some Great British aircraft :happy2:
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Gents we have a winner, it doesnt come any lower than this
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vintagewings.ca%2FPortals%2F0%2FVintage_Stories%2FNewStories-C%2FLower%2520than%2520a%2520snake%2FLowdown30.jpg&hash=ef18c4ede4205405c1edfcf4274a4924f1a41532)
I also love this one
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vintagewings.ca%2FPortals%2F0%2FVintage_Stories%2FNewStories-C%2FLower%2520than%2520a%2520snake%2FLowdown4.jpg&hash=1f84b638bd3e611f11ed5194e0f07d1ca2df6f65)
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wow has he smashed the tips off :notworthy:
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Great find Hedge :happy2:
Back to Blighty for a bit of Menace…
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2FGreyhound558%2FAviation_Olympics%2FPhantom.jpg&hash=8fa8d476d5ed9def11f671f786cfbbcdf192c51d)
An RAF Phantom II in full burner passes between two hangars at an RAF base. There isn't a Rhino-driver alive who didn't love dropping his locomotive-sized Phantom down to the hard deck and pushing the throttles right past the detents
This was taken at Raf Athan and apparently was a regular occurence :laugh:
Hope you dont mind if I add one or two of my own
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fventurebeat.files.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2Fblue-angels3.jpg&hash=3101622b352e0890cb69bf8adc32be701ede6955)
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scenicreflections.com%2Ffiles%2FBlue_Angels_%28fat_albert_low_flight%29_Wallpaper__yvt2.jpg&hash=7c62fa49bf54ef9d4a2437b7c50301403da547e9)
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flyafrica.info%2Fforums%2Fattachment.php%3Fattachmentid%3D1208&hash=44af178e0b4c7feacda2c7839c5a34a96f42e643)
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I am 34yrs/o now but as a nipper I always wanted to be a pilot - and I really was into jet planes....the Phantom did it for me, the shape of it is unbeatable, something about the louvres around the intakes...
Awesome thread and mucho respect to the guys flying them.
Oh and heres some F15s!
.....'negative ghost rider; the pattern is full.' :grin:
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chrisgood.com%2Faircraft%2Fimages%2Ff-15s_low_pass.jpg&hash=3676e6e6337b2f63114def91076ca3188a0a983c)
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^^^^^^ :surprised: Outstading
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civilian
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Hope you dont mind if I add one or two of my own
Nope, fill your boots. :happy2:
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I think the wobbly F4 is an RC plane? And I dont know what happened to the swept wing F15 over the carrier.... :surprised: :sad1:
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A vid of the pic I posted earlier
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Nice Dave. :happy2:
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From my favourite plane.
:love:
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uber cool
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Not into my planes but some of the skill in those is f*cking amazing! Awesome. f*ck knows how the one skimming the water doesnt hit a boat or a mast.
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They do....
When they go wrong they go very wrong, you just don't get these high jinks in the air force any more..... it's a shame but for the best, a German squaddy was decapitated by a C130, in fact I thought that was the video.
I get a better kick out of the brown trouser moments, like the blue angel pictured and there's a cracking vid of a Tiffy at RIAT who got a loop wrong and nearly squared off the bottom! Only liberal application of reheat from both EJ200's saved the aircraft and pilot
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I was there Mr B. Not my vid, but we all went oooooohhhhh!
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Christ that was close. :surprised:
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That's the one!
We got any more brown trouser aviation vids?
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Fag paper close, .......... nearly got it wrong........the legendary St Maartens airport....
Lightning strike.
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Probably one of the naughtiest landings thats been caught on film at work during some seriously evil crosswinds :surprised:
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Mind Your Head (and the language!)...
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Probably one of the naughtiest landings thats been caught on film at work during some seriously evil crosswinds :surprised:
I've seen that a few times and wonder if that particular RJ100 ever saw service again...the landing gear would certainly need attention after that!
not to mention the spines of a few of the passengers and crew.....
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As far as i know that particular plane is still flying, they do take a real battering when the winds get up, a few others that have had lighter more delicate landings have sustained serious airframe damage and been taken to the vet :confused:
Dave
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Apache. :notworthy:
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Probably one of the naughtiest landings thats been caught on film at work during some seriously evil crosswinds :surprised:
I've seen that a few times and wonder if that particular RJ100 ever saw service again...the landing gear would certainly need attention after that!
not to mention the spines of a few of the passengers and crew.....
That RJ was on stand at City for ages they did eventually fly it out of there but only to a repair centre as the parking charges were horrendous at City airport, I've flown into City a few times, it's so easy to get caught out in exactly the same way that RJ did huge sink rates followed by a "positive" touchdown....
the glideslope is twice as steep and the decision height at which you decide to land is twice as high as a usual airport, together with some white lights on the runway which if you're not on the deck by them it's a mandatory go around!! So a perfect storm for that kind of incident surprised it doesn't happen more often
A go around at London City could take 30 minutes and invariably you go in their not over endowed with Gas because it's not a long runway
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Dave, how much influence does the pilot have in correcting that once its landed???
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Probably one of the naughtiest landings thats been caught on film at work during some seriously evil crosswinds :surprised:
I've seen that a few times and wonder if that particular RJ100 ever saw service again...the landing gear would certainly need attention after that!
not to mention the spines of a few of the passengers and crew.....
That RJ was on stand at City for ages they did eventually fly it out of there but only to a repair centre as the parking charges were horrendous at City airport, I've flown into City a few times, it's so easy to get caught out in exactly the same way that RJ did huge sink rates followed by a "positive" touchdown....
the glideslope is twice as steep and the decision height at which you decide to land is twice as high as a usual airport, together with some white lights on the runway which if you're not on the deck by them it's a mandatory go around!! So a perfect storm for that kind of incident surprised it doesn't happen more often
A go around at London City could take 30 minutes and invariably you go in their not over endowed with Gas because it's not a long runway
Depending on what approach you come in on its even steeper and shorter on the canary wharf side, think only 2 planes since i've been there have been written off due to hard landings, had another swiss RJ land and hit its bottom on the runway and damage the main 'root spar' i think its called and got barged over the dock to UEL to be stripped and sent away for stress and fatigue fracture x-rays etc, another was a BAe146 that ended up getting fenced off on stand and stripped and cut up for spares :sad1:
The pilots definitely earn thier money on wind sept days but probably get little thanks from the passengers who look rather green when they get off :sick:
Dave
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I've worked on plenty of 146's and RJ's and they aren't the most durable of aircraft TBH, built for economy/lightweight rather than strength :smiley:
and it was probably the spar-root : :happy2: , they don't make the RJ's anymore and I've seen a brand new one stripped for spares recently :confused:
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Dave, how much influence does the pilot have in correcting that once its landed???
It's a bit of a cliche but the landings not over till you pull onto stand, hes touched down and bounced and then tried to land it again, hence the nose wheel landing and then the two wheel brown trouser moment.
After a bouncing arrival best to just keep pulling and make sure the mains take the pain, if you try to right a wrong the ground shall rise up and smight thine nose wheel like in the vid
There some basic errors in there, he's too much sink on landing and no into wind aileron on rollout as he was distracted by the arrival which led to it all going tits up, the 146 is actually quite narrow in track for its wingspan same as my steed so technique is touchdown, Into wind aileron and heavy braking, spoilers then reverse...it gets all the energy out of the wing and gets the weight on the wheels...
It's a double whammy for pax being shaken not stirred on approach and then banging their heads on the seat in front with max autobrake!
It's pretty much avoided now with predictive windshear technology, my avionics are latest gen and I even get two colour windshear warning red/yellow to predict either increasing or decreasing performance....red means you get the f*ck out of dodge and I'd probably bug out on yellow too especially at City
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This ones a good one whilst we're discussing hard landings
MD80 test pilot.......
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:surprised: :scared:
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Ahhh don't worry went to fly for Alaskan and did a stretch with Airtours once they'd patched it up...... :stupid:
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:stupid: well you can fix anything these days
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We had a DC-9 at british midland a few years back that had a kink in the fuselage where it had been joined again :smiley:
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Crazy aerobatic pilot :laugh:
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Ahhhhh The Extra300S.....The GT3RS of single engined aircraft.... :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
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Yup have to agree.
Seen Extra 330's at some of the Airshows I've been to and also a committed pilot called Gerald Cooper in his Sbach 300. :rolleye:
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:stupid: well you can fix anything these days
Your not wrong. :surprised: it still suprises me what we can get away with. I guess I should learn to be a stress engineer rather than an inspector to understand the true limits of (any) aircracft :smiley:
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Just seen this and thought i'd add :scared:
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