Botch. Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Don't know if any of you had seen this photo, its an ejection just before a Thunderbird bit the dust at a recent airshow. I'm posting the link, as its a big picture (2.7Mb) and I don't have the means to shrink it down. As an ejection seat reliability engineer by day, this is where my job stress comes from! http://www.avweb.com/newspics/DavisTbirdEject.jpg Botch "Eccentric language often is symptomatic of peculiar thinking" - George Will www.puddlestone.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miroslav Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 So...did the pilot get hurt...or even survive? miroslav - miroslavmusic.com "Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Botch. Posted April 27, 2004 Author Share Posted April 27, 2004 Pilot made it out OK, the photographer was in the control tower when this shot was taken, the "flattening" perspective of the lens used makes it look like the jet's headed towards the parking lot. The jet hit the ground and the wreckage actually slid up to the tower, bet that was a thrill! Botch "Eccentric language often is symptomatic of peculiar thinking" - George Will www.puddlestone.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mats Olsson. Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 How do you test these things? http://www.lexam.net/peter/carnut/man.gif What do we want? Procrastination! When do we want it? Later! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip OKeefe Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Miroslav, I'd imagine the pilot is fine. If s/he was injured, I'd guess it was due to the ejection. But from what I can see in the picture, it looks like the seat is functioning fine (that is the flame you see - from the motors in the seat firing the pilot up and out) and the pilot is in the correct position / posture for ejection. Botch, what prompted the pilot to punch out? The aircraft looks okay from what you can see in the picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip OKeefe Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Must type faster. Botch, great shot. Thanks for sharing it. BTW, where was this at? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Botch. Posted April 27, 2004 Author Share Posted April 27, 2004 Originally posted by Philip O'Keefe: Botch, what prompted the pilot to punch out? The aircraft looks okay from what you can see in the picture. He was coming out of a loop and not going to make it. It does look like the F-16 is pitched up, but he was at a high angle of attack and still dropping (understand he did not "zero" his altimeter to the local elevation, the taxpayers thank him). The email I received this on also has a link to a video taken from the flightline, its great but I haven't been able to get it posted here. I'll keep trying, its pretty amazing. EDIT: Here's the flightline video: http://www.avweb.com/newspics/tbird.wmv And in-cockpit video: http://www.avweb.com/newspics/tbirdcrash.mpg Botch "Eccentric language often is symptomatic of peculiar thinking" - George Will www.puddlestone.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Botch. Posted April 27, 2004 Author Share Posted April 27, 2004 - Botch "Eccentric language often is symptomatic of peculiar thinking" - George Will www.puddlestone.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brakka Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Originally posted by Botch.: And in-cockpit video: http://www.avweb.com/newspics/tbirdcrash.mpg Uh.... whoa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip OKeefe Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Aah... I see it now. The original picture looks pretty deceptive - almost like he's doing a low level flyby, but that's obviously not the case once you see the flightline and in cockpit videos. Looks like he punched out just in time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip OKeefe Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Another good example of why flights at US airshows all run parallel to the crowd and never towards it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super 8 Posted April 28, 2004 Share Posted April 28, 2004 Pretty amazing. By chance, is that the pilot in the ejection seat rolling end over end on the ground in that video? Super 8 Hear my stuff here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duddits Posted April 28, 2004 Share Posted April 28, 2004 Will the seat propel him high enough to land safely when triggered from ground (for full parachute engagement), or must there be a minimum distance between trigger altitude and ground? Thanks, Duddits Dooby Dooby Doo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slowly Posted April 28, 2004 Share Posted April 28, 2004 Awesome video. Kcbass "Let It Be!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylen Posted April 28, 2004 Share Posted April 28, 2004 Wowie - that sure beats a desk job if you live ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeebus Posted April 28, 2004 Share Posted April 28, 2004 Looks like he bailed just in time. The videos remind me of my good old days playing ATF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Botch. Posted April 28, 2004 Author Share Posted April 28, 2004 Originally posted by Duddits: Will the seat propel him high enough to land safely when triggered from ground (for full parachute engagement), or must there be a minimum distance between trigger altitude and ground? DudditsYes, the ACES II seat that most US aircraft use does propel the pilot high enough to eject from the ground, in fact that happens every so often. Super8, the email I got said that thing you see tumbling at the end of the video is actually the engine of the aircraft, not the pilot or the seat. It also said there was 8/10 of a second between ejection and impact! Botch "Eccentric language often is symptomatic of peculiar thinking" - George Will www.puddlestone.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJDM Posted April 28, 2004 Share Posted April 28, 2004 Yikes! That was exciting. Glad he is OK. Thanks for sharing Botch. I guess your day job is pretty stressful. DJDM.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyRubberDuck Posted April 29, 2004 Share Posted April 29, 2004 Wow, impressive! Even though there was obviously a major problem, the safety precautions did the job, eh? DRD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pseudonym Posted April 29, 2004 Share Posted April 29, 2004 Nothing @ the video site here. I saw the Thunderbirds a few years back, when they all took off together, the shake, rattle and roll is awe inspiring, talk about power! The only thing that I thought came close was Indy 1967 sitting in front of 33 of those cars when Tony Hulman said, "gentlemen-start-your-engines"!!! That was a pants-shitting moment for sure and for a young kid, like seeing God or something WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Thrashole Posted April 29, 2004 Share Posted April 29, 2004 That is some scary video there. Reminds me of where I grew up. I used to live on Langley AFB. I literally could look out of my front door and there was the flight line. Sometimes i see my old truck on wings in some of the footage shot there. Reach out and grab a clue. Something Vicious My solo crap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishkid Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 That is one quick piece of decision making by that pilot, one hesitation or one second guess and you're toast. Damn! Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pseudonym Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 Ok, got the cockpit video on another computer, that was some quick thinking and don't forget to set the altimeter next time! WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 Holy shmit! The folks at work will wanna see that! "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super 8 Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 Originally posted by Botch.: [QB Super8, the email I got said that thing you see tumbling at the end of the video is actually the engine of the aircraft, not the pilot or the seat. [/QB]Sure! That's what they want you to think... Super 8 Hear my stuff here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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