Hmmm..do you like low flying aircraft?....then here ya go!

[Another Ahab]

How Low Can You Go

All this reminds me of a deployment back in the early 80's, from Andrews AFB (MD), to Puerto Rico (Rosey Roads NAS):

- We flew a C-130 and lost one of the engines mid-ocean during the fight.

- Pilot feathered the bad engine and took us down to the deck for the remainder of the flight. Got the attention of all of us.

- First-ever flight for a lot of the "country boys" in the unit, and they weren't liking that a whole lot.

- Loadmaster told us the pilot does that because of what I think he called ground effect, flies better low because of air density or something.

Any Airedales here know anything about that?

 

[Tow4]

A buddy of mine was flying for a company "down under" that I will not name.

On this particular day there was a company party going on at one of the big wheels plantation. They were running late getting back and were worried about missing the party. Turns out the plantation was on the coast so the captain (my buddy was first officer) decided they should buzzzz the party! They were operating C-130s. They came in low over the water and my buddy said "there was a observation deck on top of the house and people were jumping off, hmm, should I be worried???". Well, he HAD a picture someone took from the ground, so I couldn't call BS.... But I couldn't believe they only blew down one palm tree and didn't take out 6 others with the wing. C-130s put out a ton of smoke when the throttles are pushed way up!

I wish I could have been there to see it!

 

[mutt_kahuna]

Low flyers..again

The first picture was a crash.

....You're right!...the airbus was at an airshow showing off its low flying skills....pilot tried to go around..computers said 'nope..we're landing!'..no fatalities I believe...The second pic is a routine sight at Princess Juliana airport,St Maarten....anyway here's some more low flyers

 

[cannonfoddertfc]

Stop your vehicle!

View attachment 100_3721.MOV

plays with windows media player or vlc player

 

[marchplumber]

Helo would have been FUBAR if contacted/hit by a moving auto or truck. Bet it caught the driver's attention, but sure wouldn't want to be in the monkey seat for that one!

God bless,
Tony

 

[cannonfoddertfc]

Helo would have been FUBAR if contacted/hit by a moving auto or truck. Bet it caught the driver's attention, but sure wouldn't want to be in the monkey seat for that one!

God bless,
Tony

This was taken during vehicle interdiction training in Yakima WA. The driver of the van was also a pilot and knew what was coming but he said that he almost had a bowel movement the first time he got interdicted. I have hours of this type of video including actual interdictions in asscrackistan but I haven't edited it yet. The army says we aren't supposed to mount gopros in the aircraft but what they don't know...

 

[mutt_kahuna]

more low flyin!

No low flyin pics this time...but a short video of crazy russian pilots buzzing a motorway BELOW tree level!...check out the special salute the pilot gives!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz4iekkeBfs

 

[mutt_kahuna]

more low flyin!

Im in a Christmas giving mood!....so here's a video from the Reno national championship air races...The worlds fastest motorsport....Reno should be a bucket list must see/do for aviation fans..this is in the cockpit footage from the 2014 'gold' race...the a/c is 'Precious metal' a VERY highly modified P51 with a Rolls royce Griffon engine making apx 3200 hp turning counter rotating props. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wxSq0XS7BM

 

[Another Ahab]

Im in a Christmas giving mood!....so here's a video from the Reno national championship air races...Enjoy!
/QUOTE]

Very cool:

Watching Mr. Richard's constantly swiveling head reminds me what an air national guard pilot I once worked with mentioned one time about scanning your airspace while flying:

- "Never stop looking, because you are always missing something".

 

[marchplumber]

Im in a Christmas giving mood!....so here's a video from the Reno national championship air races...Enjoy!
/QUOTE]

Very cool:

Watching Mr. Richard's constantly swiveling head reminds me what an air national guard pilot I once worked with mentioned one time about scanning your airspace while flying:

- "Never stop looking, because you are always missing something".

We used to say, "Keep your head on a swivel"..... Imagine it is the same premise..................

Thanks for all the great pics in the thread!!

God bless,
Tony

 

[Another Ahab]

News Flash

Exhaustive diplomatic exchanges and plenipotentiary discussions have been recently entered into with the Royal Holder of the OP (RHOP), mutt_kahuna; requesting unlimited inclusions in this thread of all things MV and Low-Flying.

As the situation develops, we will keep the general public informed of all progress in this groundbreaking initiative.

 

[Another Ahab]

News Update

This just in:

Wire services report that a watershed agreement has been reached. And as Royal Holder of the Original Post (RHOP), mutt_kahuna has magnanimously extended his magisterial powers. By his divine right, he is generously granting all citizens of the realm the liberty to add to this thread any and all posts related to anything MV-realted that qualifies as Low Flying.

Correspondents are reporting that, throughout the Realm, there is unrestrained jubilation on the streets! Long Live the Thread!!

 

[Another Ahab]

Time to Mix-It-Up

Special forces boats:

- Flying Low

 

[mutt_kahuna]

more low flyin!

Here's a follow up video to my earlier 2014 Reno air races ...this is precious metal during practice/qualifying lap when the engine quits!....MAJOR PUCKER FACTOR!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2A5ywM8TNk

 

[Another Ahab]

No Wings - Flying Low

 

[steelypip]

That dead stick video of Precious Metal is fantastic. I hope it's because the PIC had practiced/rehearsed all this stuff before and not just because he's such an awesome pilot that he could do it off the cuff. Awesome flying either way, don't get me wrong...

Being a high-drag bug-smasher kind of guy, I'm not used to the idea of immediately doing a max performance climb when the engine dies, but it makes perfect sense if you're at 440 TAS in a slick airplane and you know best glide is 160 or so - trade that speed for altitude before it bleeds away as drag, trim to minimize drag, then use the altitude and best glide speed to pick your spot and float it down. He was so successful with this strategy that he then had to dump altitude with two S-turns once he was lined up with the runway.

That is one slick flying machine with the prop fully feathered - knowing that the wingspan is four feet shorter than factory and still had such a long ground effect float down the runway really points out how light and smooth the airplane is.

 

[Another Ahab]

That is one slick flying machine with the prop fully feathered - knowing that the wingspan is four feet shorter than factory and still had such a long ground effect float down the runway really points out how light and smooth the airplane is.

steelypip, you always know your stuff:

- Had an episode with "ground effect" years ago (or at least I think that was the term used at the time, if I remember right)

- If you don't mind, can you give a (brief) "Dumb-and-Dumber" explanation of it for a non-flyer?

 

[mutt_kahuna]

more low flyin!

I've posted the precious metal in cockpit video's..here's one of how she looks while qualifying for the 2013 Reno air races...she didnt do too bad..she qualified 6th fastest at 440.385 with a semi-stock griffon after probs with the racing engine..Turn up those speakers!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpki2tKlSgQ

 

[Another Ahab]

That speed makes it look jet-propelled in the video.

What's the story on the counter-rotating prop:

- All about increased thrust/ speed?

- Did that see service during WWII?

 

[mutt_kahuna]

That speed makes it look jet-propelled in the video.

What's the story on the counter-rotating prop:

- All about increased thrust/ speed?

- Did that see service during WWII?

From what I've read...the Rolls royce griffon made more hp/torque then the regular merlin..when the Brits used the griffon in late model spitfires they used a 5 bladed prop..in other A/C they used the counter rotating props...also notice how much taller the rudder is on Precious metal...it's one from a p-51H model also to help tame the torque.