How to fly a plane correctly

[ElectricBlue]

Aussie pilots, huh? This guy's pretty cool:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10...planes-in-a-paddock-in-regional-nsw/100502830

 

[GinnyPPC]

Aussie pilots, huh? This guy's pretty cool:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10...planes-in-a-paddock-in-regional-nsw/100502830

nice, I'll have to share this with my youngest. He wants to be a pilot.

 

[NotWise]

nice, I'll have to share this with my youngest. He wants to be a pilot.

Be careful with that. There's a saying; "There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots."

My father-in-law was a bold pilot.

 

[SimonDoom]

Damn. That took balls and skill.

 

[LilyWaters]

Aussie pilots, huh? This guy's pretty cool:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10...planes-in-a-paddock-in-regional-nsw/100502830

Ah. I see. From the title of this thread, I was going to suggest, in terms of how to fly a plane correctly, "Get it up, keep it up" But yes, this article is slightly more impressive than that.

Although that is sound advice in other areas of life.

 

[LAHomedog]

Ah. I see. From the title of this thread, I was going to suggest, in terms of how to fly a plane correctly, "Get it up, keep it up"

I like that! Gonna have to steal that -- if I may -- and use it in the Downtown Tony Brown, Erotic Mystery I'm writing

 

[NotWise]

I actually went a different direction with the story. The location "Brocklesby" reminded me of a family -- especially one man -- I knew in my youth, who was "Brockelsby."

I had to Google to make sure I wasn't mis-remembering the spelling. I was not. Earl was unlike anyone I've ever known.

 

[Emirus]

“Both planes were later repaired.” Nice casual aside comment as if landing two planes locked together was a common occurrence.

 

[TxRad]

“Both planes were later repaired.” Nice casual aside comment as if landing two planes locked together was a common occurrence.

Everything else is called "Crashing."

 

[TxRad]

I guess we wouldn't have heard of this if they had really known how to fly; I mean, what were the chances of two planes colliding mid-air in 1940?

And




It seemed like there was a lot of room for improvement, even under easier conditions...




Yeah, I know; I'm grumpy this morning. Where's the coffee?

The coffee shop, where else.

 

[XerXesXu]

what were the chances of two planes colliding mid-air in 1940?

People keep statistics on the oddest things.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-air_collision

I understand that there were also a number of mid-air collisions between military aircraft during the melees of The Battle of Britain in 1940; I don't know if that's true.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I understand that there were also a number of mid-air collisions between military aircraft during the melees of The Battle of Britain in 1940; I don't know if that's true.

Almost certainly true, I'd say, given how close a fighter had to be to put cannon shells accurately into a fast moving target.

 

[TxRad]

I had an uncle who was a tail gunner on a B-17. He had a pile of pictures of strange things stuck in the sides of those planes, including German fighters.

 

[Handley_Page]

Damn. That took balls and skill.

And, I suspect, a fair bit of luck.
I must confess to a certain puzzlement about him having been promoted to "Sergeant".
An LAC as a pilot ??

If anyone needs water, we got loads of it; pouring down right now.
Any coffee please ?

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Almost certainly true, I'd say, given how close a fighter had to be to put cannon shells accurately into a fast moving target.

And then sometimes the pilot got what was called Target Focus and ran in to the back of the plane he was trying to shoot down. Crashing both of them.

And in the late 50's when jets were starting to become more common, the sights would automatically lead the plane ahead so when the pilot pulled the trigger the bullets hit the plane instead of zipping tight on by.

 

[XerXesXu]

I must confess to a certain puzzlement about him having been promoted to "Sergeant".
An LAC as a pilot ??

He was training to be a pilot. On successful completion of training, he would become a Flight Sergeant.

If you went to a Public School (fee-paying) you became a Commissioned Officer, Pilot Officer etc, if you went to a state school you became a Warrant Officer, Flight Sergeant etc.

My Dad was a Warrant Officer.

 

[Handley_Page]

He was training to be a pilot. On successful completion of training, he would become a Flight Sergeant.

If you went to a Public School (fee-paying) you became a Commissioned Officer, Pilot Officer etc, if you went to a state school you became a Warrant Officer, Flight Sergeant etc.

My Dad was a Warrant Officer.

Thank You.
My Dad was a Sergeant pilot. And he was an OLD pilot.

Hooray; the rain has ceased and the Sun is out.
Any coffee in the pot please?

 

[TarnishedPenny]

But, but… Australia. Surely at least one of the planes should have been upside down?

 

[Rustyoznail]

But, but… Australia. Surely at least one of the planes should have been upside down?

They are. The picture was inverted so it looks correct to you. It’s upside down to us.

 

[oggbashan]

I guess we wouldn't have heard of this if they had really known how to fly; I mean, what were the chances of two planes colliding mid-air in 1940?

...

During the Battle Of Britain, the German Luftwaffe were very afraid of the Polish pilots. The Poles wanted revenge for the occupation of their country and would engage German fighters head-on, not caring whether they crashed or not. If they did? One more dead German.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

They are. The picture was inverted so it looks correct to you. It’s upside down to us.

Ah! I understand now. I was pretty sure there was a reasonable explanation.

 

[jehoram]

Be careful with that. There's a saying; "There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots."

My pilot friends would usually finish that quote with "...except Chuck Yeager."

 

[TarnishedPenny]

My pilot friends would usually finish that quote with "...except Chuck Yeager."

Chuck Yeager, Chuck Norris, Chuck Berry. It’s a tough act to beat.

 

[MillieDynamite]

My father had an uncle who was a navigator and upper turret gunner on a B-24 or B-29 in WWII. He flew mission into China and Japan across the Burma pass (if I remember the story correctly). On their 16 mission, the pilot was wounded and copilot killed. My father's uncle was trained to land the plane and when they approached the airfield, he put the gear down only to discover the right wheel refused to deploy. The other crew members attempted to crank the wheel down, but couldn't, the chain had been shot into.

With left wing wheel, and always down tail wheel, he landed the plane, keep the plane balanced on the one wheel until he got off the runway, and costed to stop. That point it settled down on the right wing with only minimal damage. With new pilot and copilot they were back in action in less than week. The rest of the crew, along with my dad's uncle, flew with the new pilots for 8 more missions. they were shot down on and all hands died, on the 24th mission, one short of going home for an extended time where they would train new crews.

When Dad's grandma and graddad (called Papa) were informed, from a dipshit sheriff that blurted out 75 feet from them, laying the telegram on fence post of their home. "You boy, Victor has been killt."

A week later a representative of the army came to them asking which of the 4 remaining sons fighting they'd like to bring home, my dad's grandma yelled out the man, "How can you ask such a question? How can we pick one to save and three others to stay in harms way. They must all take what chances they must take, I'll not saved one over the others."

 

[ElectricBlue]

Ah! I understand now. I was pretty sure there was a reasonable explanation.

A reasonable explanation from an Australian? TP, you are so delightfully sweet and innocent, with so much to learn. You should know by now that an Australian yarn has more embroidery than a Welsh quilt, more bullshit than a paddock, more invention than Archimedes, and every red-head is nick-named Blue.

Which has nothing to do with me, by the way. Grizzled Grey, would be more accurate.