Harrier Pilot Does The Martin Baker Fly By

[GoldenRivet]

http://www.kdvr.com/news/nationworld/sns-viral-harrier-pilot-ejects-story,0,6089697.htmlstory

guess it started getting a little warm in the cockpit.

video starts with a test pattern for a few seconds... just wait for it.

[XabbaRus]

That was surreal. Almost zero-zero though.

Wonder when that happened?

[Skybird]

The question now is: what reason did he have to not trust his ejection seat? :D Or did he forget to fasten the seat-belts before take-off? :DL That would make him the fastest knot-maker on the planet.

[HunterICX]

That's a nasty smack he made there, came in a bit too fast I figure.

HunterICX

[GoldenRivet]

Oddly enough I thought the opposite- that his approach was too slow.

I think the accident caught him off guard, as if he knew it was going to be a really hard landing, but didn't expect it to result in substantial damage.

From a pilots perspective, I would have made the choice to ride a gear collapse - which in this case he probably assumed was the problem - all the way to the stopping point as opposed to riding an ejection seat out.

The event that changed his mind and caused him to pull the loud handle was no doubt the 8-10 foot tall flames licking the canopy glass.

Then the situation switches gears and you have to choose between exiting a burning wreck or just punching out and letting the fire fighters worry about it.

His problems started on final approach... His jet looked like it was on the ass end of the power curve which is not a good place to be on approach to landing. To top it off this looked like a traditional approach to landing as opposed to a VTOL with which I'm sure he was more accustomed.

[HunterICX]

Here's the story:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6301835.ece

He had a engine failure and had to do a emergency landing.
reason he probally stayed in his cockpit for that long was to make sure he didn't collide with the passenger aircraft.

also carrying external fuel tanks and live laser guided bombs....pfew

HunterICX

[Jimbuna]

Here's the story:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6301835.ece

He had a engine failure and had to do a emergency landing.
reason he probally stayed in his cockpit for that long was to make sure he didn't collide with the passenger aircraft.

also carrying external fuel tanks and live laser guided bombs....pfew

HunterICX

All the more reason to get out pronto! :o

[ajrimmer42]

reason he probally stayed in his cockpit for that long was to make sure he didn't collide with the passenger aircraft.



That's what I was thinking, plus I guess it's always preferable to walk away from something like that than to eject, I believe ejecting hurts like buggery, spinal compression and all that...

[GoldenRivet]

"suffered a back injury in the accident"

Jesus... probably upon the touchdown, which means he punched out with an injured back. :o

if not upon touchdown, then i suppose they are referring to the spinal compression.

[Oberon]

Nicely done that man, very professional and heroic. :up: Harrier doesn't look like it'll be a total write-off either.
At least the Harrier engines are more reliable now than they were to begin with. I recall one pilot who suffered an engine cut out whilst flying over West Germany, he began to lose altitude quite dramatically and so banged out...and as he floated down suddenly the Harriers engine starts up, roars into life and the Harrier sets off towards the GDR by itself.
Panic sets in, and Luftwaffe F-104s take off but just can't get it, eventually a BAe Lightning shot it down near the GDR border.

Good book :yep::
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cold-War-Hot-Wings-1962-1994/dp/1844155757

[AVGWarhawk]

WOW...he wanted to ride it out or he was just in utter shock the aircraft was falling to pieces around him.

[Schroeder]

@Oberon

I'm pretty sure that thing IS a 100% write off.;)
The airframe is definitely unusable and I'm pretty sure the electronics, engine, and cockpit instruments didn't like the crash, the fire and the water (or whatever stuff they used to extinguish the flames) all too much either.

@Warhawk

I'm with GR on that one, he didn't eject until the flames reached the canopy. I'm sure he didn't want to get fried or blown to pieces.

[Dowly]

I'm with GR on that one, he didn't eject until the flames reached the canopy. I'm sure he didn't want to get fried or blown to pieces.

Yes, this what I think too. He ejects just second or so after we see the body of flames reach the side of the canopy. :hmmm:

[SteamWake]

Nicely done that man, very professional and heroic. :up:

I'm not sure but I dont believe that belly smacking and setting your aircraft on fire would be considered professional.

[Dowly]

I'm not sure but I dont believe that belly smacking and setting your aircraft on fire would be considered professional.

Well, he had an engine failure after all.

[GoldenRivet]

I'm not sure but I dont believe that belly smacking and setting your aircraft on fire would be considered professional.

that and the news article indicated that he stayed with it so that he could somewhat steer it away from populated areas and other civilian aircraft.

yeah

crashing = unprofessional

crashing so as to avoid hurting anyone but yourself = heroic AND professional

well done RAF :salute:

[OneToughHerring]

Always thought this was a pretty scary vid, bird strikes an F-16.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1ReT4_cF2U

[GoldenRivet]

Always thought this was a pretty scary vid, bird strikes an F-16.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1ReT4_cF2U

that video - while scary - has been passed off as an F-16 numerous times. the link you provided, the maker actually goes so far as to splice footage of an F-16 into it.

the aircraft in question is reportedly a BAe Hawk from Cold Lake Alberta, Canada.

THIS is scary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLVtstYAZLY

a very close friend of mine was flying the Beech Baron which comes into view for about a nanosecond. they were on the way to Uvalde, Texas on an IFR flight plan. they canceled the IFR flight plan and continued to the airport visually, in the descent they went right through an active Military Training Route (which are not off limits).

[OneToughHerring]

that video - while scary - has been passed off as an F-16 numerous times. the link you provided, the maker actually goes so far as to splice footage of an F-16 into it.

the aircraft in question is reportedly a BAe Hawk from Cold Lake Alberta, Canada.

Oh ok, haha. Well the footage of the bird strike and the low altitude ejector seat - stuff is pretty scary.

THIS is scary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLVtstYAZLY

a very close friend of mine was flying the Beech Baron which comes into view for about a nanosecond. they were on the way to Uvalde, Texas on an IFR flight plan. they canceled the IFR flight plan and continued to the airport visually, in the descent they went right through an active Military Training Route (which are not off limits).Yes. Not that I would know much about that but it seems that the skies are getting pretty crowded.

[Jimbuna]

Now that WAS scary John http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v499/c_jane24/Smileys/4_6_100.gif

[Oberon]

:dead: That was far too close! Brown alert there! :doh:

I do recall several instances during the Second World War where pilots stayed with their stricken planes to prevent them hitting civilian areas. Heroes those men, each and every one of them.

[HunterICX]

:dead: That was far too close! Brown alert there! :doh:

I do recall several instances during the Second World War where pilots stayed with their stricken planes to prevent them hitting civilian areas. Heroes those men, each and every one of them.

Aye, Gallant chaps they where :salute:

HunterICX

[TLAM Strike]

One of the more scary air crashes I've seen. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoHd5LePyVc) The Sea Knight catches the fence at the edge of the heli pad, I guess the pilot increases power to get loose and causes it to flip. :o

[Oberon]

Sadly fatal too IIRC. :cry:

[Jimbuna]

Six marines and one sailor were lost:


On Dec. 9, 1999, a CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter, with 18 people on board, crashed while attempting to land on the Navy tanker PECOS (http://navysite.de/ao/ao197.htm) (T-AO 197) during a training exercise. The chopper's landing gear apparently snagged a metal safety net and the helicopter flipped over into the water and quickly sank.
Eleven Marines were rescued by special warfare crewmen on two nearby boats. But six Marines and a sailor drowned, their bodies recovered later from the sunken wreckage by an unmanned submersible vehicle.


http://navysite.de/planes/ch46.htm

[Schroeder]

I'm not sure but I dont believe that belly smacking and setting your aircraft on fire would be considered professional.
On final approach you are in a nose up position and pretty close to stall speed. If your engine quits now you will not only lose speed quickly (due to the nose up attitude) but you will also be in the nasty situation of not having any altitude left that you could trade for speed which you need for a controlled flight. The pilot was all out of options here.

[Bubblehead Nuke]

On final approach you are in a nose up position and pretty close to stall speed. If your engine quits now you will not only lose speed quickly (due to the nose up attitude) but you will also be in the nasty situation of not having any altitude left that you could trade for speed which you need for a controlled flight. The pilot was all out of options here.

Exactly....

Landing is one of the most stressful time. As you said, you are up against the wall. You are at or near minimum control airspeed and no space to trade altitude for speed. Been there, done that. Got the tee shirt and the soiled shorts to prove it. Piper 140 on final with a loss of engine. Full flaps and downwind. It was NOT fun. I got lucky, I planted the main wheels about 3 feet short of the runway and bounced over the lip to the runway. Good thing the weather was dry and the ground was not spongy.

Back to the Harrier: I can guarantee you that this guy KNEW he was going to stuff the plane into the ground. He could have bailed at ANY time after the engine failure with a reasonable chance of survival. The fact that he rode it into the ground says volumes about his professionalism.

I have WATCHED U.S. Military planes go in. I have watched them go all the way in because the pilot wanted to insure that his plane was going into that space BETWEEN the houses and not into the house. My father was a Naval Aviator. I asked him in the past what he would do in such an emergency. He told me that he would ride it in to make sure nobody was hurt if there was the SLIGHTEST chance of it coming down in population.

[SteamWake]

On final approach you are in a nose up position and pretty close to stall speed. If your engine quits now you will not only lose speed quickly (due to the nose up attitude) but you will also be in the nasty situation of not having any altitude left that you could trade for speed which you need for a controlled flight. The pilot was all out of options here.

Well obviously I had missed the part where his engine had failed but the impression I got from the video was that he seemed to have plenty of air speed. What the harrier glide ratio is 1 to 8?

[krashkart]

Back to the Harrier: I can guarantee you that this guy KNEW he was going to stuff the plane into the ground. He could have bailed at ANY time after the engine failure with a reasonable chance of survival. The fact that he rode it into the ground says volumes about his professionalism.

I have WATCHED U.S. Military planes go in. I have watched them go all the way in because the pilot wanted to insure that his plane was going into that space BETWEEN the houses and not into the house. My father was a Naval Aviator. I asked him in the past what he would do in such an emergency. He told me that he would ride it in to make sure nobody was hurt if there was the SLIGHTEST chance of it coming down in population.

There was a gent with the Idaho ANG that took his A-10 all the way in specifically to avoid the possibility of his aircraft crashing into a natural gas storage tank. That didn't leave him any time to eject, but he did save some nearby residences the trouble of being burned up in a large explosion.

I wish I could find at least one article about that because I distinctly remember watching his squadron perform the missing man maneuver over the church during his funeral. :salute: But the closest I've come since last night is an undeniably large number of unrelated stories about another pilot from the 196th (same unit), who also died in an A-10 crash near Boise, and who had previously been involved in a blue-on-blue during one of the Iraq wars. :damn:

[Schroeder]

Well obviously I had missed the part where his engine had failed but the impression I got from the video was that he seemed to have plenty of air speed. What the harrier glide ratio is 1 to 8?
I don't think it's that good. The heavy plane (especially with the bomb still attached to it) and the tiny wings usually demand very high speed and provide a very bad glide ratio.
This thing here has had a glide ratio of round about 8:1http://latvianaviation.com/SG38.html
and that is a glider (although a pretty bad one for modern standards:O:).

[Oberon]

I believe the Harriers glide ratio is only a little better than a thrown manhole cover :hmmm:

[SteamWake]

Which brings us to my well known theory of flight...

Anything will fly if you can 'throw' it hard enough :O:

[TLAM Strike]

Which brings us to my well known theory of flight...

Anything will fly if you can 'throw' it hard enough :O:

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/2117/f10403.jpg
'nuff said... :DL

[SteamWake]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNWfqVWC2KI

:haha:

[Oberon]

:har::har: to both

@TLAM - That's the Lawn Dart isn't it? I recall a German joke.

Q: What's the cheapest way to get a F-104?
A: Buy a plot of land and wait.

[heartc]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNWfqVWC2KI

:haha:

WTF, I don't even...I think I need to cut back on the Weißbier.


:up:

[Schroeder]

:har::har: to both

@TLAM - That's the Lawn Dart isn't it? I recall a German joke.

Q: What's the cheapest way to get a F-104?
A: Buy a plot of land and wait.
Q: What is an optimist?
A: A German F-104 pilot who quits smoking to prolong his life.

Though a F104 mechanic told me that we had even a worse accident -rate with the F-84 that we used before the 104.:dead:

[Oberon]

Q: What is an optimist?
A: A German F-104 pilot who quits smoking to prolong his live.

Though a F104 mechanic told me that we had even a worse accident -rate with the F-84 that we used before the 104.:dead:

Did you use the Autobahns for take-off and landings, reckon you'd probably need the length for the Lead Sleds? :hmmm: :dead:

[Jimbuna]

I believe the Harriers glide ratio is only a little better than a thrown manhole cover :hmmm:

:har::har: to both

@TLAM - That's the Lawn Dart isn't it? I recall a German joke.

Q: What's the cheapest way to get a F-104?
A: Buy a plot of land and wait.

Q: What is an optimist?
A: A German F-104 pilot who quits smoking to prolong his live.

Though a F104 mechanic told me that we had even a worse accident -rate with the F-84 that we used before the 104.:dead:

LOL :DL

[Schroeder]

Did you use the Autobahns for take-off and landings, reckon you'd probably need the length for the Lead Sleds? :hmmm: :dead:
There were/are Autobahns that can be used as runways in a war situation (or so I have been told) when the regular airfields would have been a primary target.
Actually a lot of pilots and mechanics liked the 104 and from what I hear it was even more reliable than the French Mirage (again that's just hear saying when I talked to some former 104 ground crews and I'm too lazy to look it up now:O:). And be honest, it's a cool looking bird!
http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/54/1012554/3036323866626662.jpg

[FIREWALL]

Looks like he did everything by the book. Good for him. :salute: