How low can you go?

[beowulf]

so im looking thro all my pics for some Tiger meet pics and found these...........

[beowulf]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De5AsC5ULQs

[GTX]

Regards,

Greg

[B777LR]

 

Welcome to Russia...

[nev]

They've just photoshopped out the wheels, right....?

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

I think that I've recounted these stories before, but they bare telling once again in the light of this thread. I SWEAR these are true and they happened to me – I cannot, of course, prove it, you'll just have to take my word for it.

Ian the A-10 target:
Between 1989 (when I reluctantly came back from working in the USA) and 1991, I had a fantastic job which required that I drive over virtually the entire country. Once I got the hang-of-it I very quickly worked out that if I worked my a*se off for two or three days in the week, then I could basically do whatever I wanted on the balance..... and I got all my petrol and expenses paid for !!

So one spring day I was making my way from Waddington to Coningsby – it was late morning and the enthusiasts at Waddo had explained that they were all going over to CBY in the afternoon as some Canadian F/A-18's were due-in around 1500. I decided to get a head start and headed off right away – not interested in the imminent arrival of a Norwegian Herky as they were – on the way across, somewhere in Billinghay as I turned turn left onto the A153 I saw four 'shapes' that were definitely not birds off to the northeast.

The shapes came closer, got bigger, and had lots of pylons dangling under the broad straight wings.

Note:
It was spring, therefore the fields around were very green and I was driving a bright red 'rep-mobile'

Excited at seeing not one but four A-10's about to cross the road in front of me at 'hedge height' I slowed right down from my usual 60mph, and quickly pulled into a muddy access lane to a farm. I watched them turn their noses toward me, and jumped out of the car.

All four dropped into line astern. The first two went right over the car, the second two throttled right back, 'popped-up' and dived either side. They all disappeared over the hedges and within a few seconds I couldn't even hear them let alone see them.

I stood for the longest moment just catching my breath.....

Told the enthusiasts at CBY later, and the locals all nodded sagely saying stuff like, "Yeah they do that....." or "Bl**dy yanks, eh ?"

Beware Brick's & Rhino's:
Same time period. Went up to Scotland on a week off – completely on my own – for a weeks' driving holiday, my intent was to navigate by the B&B's and RAF airfields !!

Arrived at Lossiemouth just before lunchtime, having never been there before, (or since), and not knowing what to expect. At the north end of the field there's a Golf Links, and there on a cinder covered lay-by were a couple of enthusiasts – isn't it strange that we can always spot each other even tho' we've never met ! – "Afternoon lads.... Anything today ??" I asked.

Before the blokes could respond, a youngster shouted "There !"

We all turned as two Buccaneer's screamed over our heads, no more than twenty feet, everything 'hanging-down-and-out' on finals. I didn't realise that the piano keys were literally just beyond the fence behind us.

Stayed there all afternoon, three or four Jags, multiple Brick's a couple of German F-4's and a Norwegian F-16 accompanied by two F-5's each carrying five drop tanks.

The following day I set off for Leuchars and didn't arrive until very late afternoon. Stayed in a fantastic wee hotel on a crossroads about five miles from the station. That evening I sat outside with all the other residents and most of the local populace till 2230, watching/experiencing the Phantoms fly endless circuits and bumps, using the hotel as one of the turn points. Minimum altitude 100ft over inhabited areas – Forget it !! – try 50ft MAXIMUM, and with full burners....

And finally;

Objects in the rear-view mirror may be....
Every now and then, work and kiddies permitting, I have a day just for me. Usually theses are spent making/painting bits of plastic or drinking beer/eating burgers/talking complete nonsense with my good friend Dork or just occasionally watching aircraft.

On this occasion I was driving around Shropshire looking at old airfields – there's loads surrounding Shrewsbury and it's a really nice drive out there from Merseyside. I'd been to quite a few, Hinstock, Child's Ercall/Peplow, Sleap and Rednall. I was on my way off the field at Rednall, out of the northwest gate, the road follows the course of the 'Shroppie' the Shropshire Union Canal – the canal is on your right, with nothing but a low fence and the old towpath separating you from the water.

There had been helo's buzzing around all day, mainly Squirrels from Shawbury, but also a few Griffins and a couple of Merlins. As I was about to join the main road toward Oswestry, I looked in the mirror and saw a big, dark 'thing' rushing toward me along the canal !.

I was transfixed – sounds dramatic, I know, but there's no other word for it – simultaneously, the 'thing' suddenly took form and switched on a really powerful searchlight, my car shook and the Chinook thundered past, it's cockpit at exactly the same height as my car, just a metre or so above the water, and leaving a h*ll of a wake.

I looked straight at the 'Loadie' hanging out of the open door, just as he waved to me.

Outstanding !

Ian

[PR19_Kit]

Ian,

Hehe, I know JUST what you mean about A-10s and low level Buccs! You should have waved over the hedge at Lossie, my daughter was almost certainly working the threshold caravan in those days. 

Years ago, in the late 60s, I used to fly R/C gliders over the beach at Rhossili, on the west coast of the Gower, west of Swansea. The south end of Rhossilli beach is terminated by a long finger of high cliffs called Worms Head, and when we moved down here in the early 80s I took my wife Mary over there to show her the place.

It was a DIABOLICAL day, windy and damp as only a South Wales day can be, and while we struggled along the headland toward Worms Head a two ship of A-10s flew past to the south at around 1500 ft and turned toward the ranges at the north end of Rhossilli beach, so we watched while they bombed South Wales into submission  and then formed up to return. This time they were much lower, maybe 500 ft, and much closer as they turned east almost overhead. Of course we were on top of the cliffs so they were only 200 ft above us or so, and we got a great view of them. Mary, being the total loon that she is, leapt up and down and waved like a madwoman at the two aircraft, and then the leader did a 180 turn and came back!!!

She went TOTALLY bananas then, screaming and shouting and waving etc, and as the guy came overhead he inverted the aircraft and waved back at her through the canopy! 

Somewhere in my 35 mm files I have a great photo of him doing it, and all you can see of the aircraft IS the canopy, he was that low. Mind you, I was using a 200 mm lens at the time, but it was a great show nonetheless.

[beowulf]

from this years Dakar

[B777LR]

from this years Dakar

Wouldn't that be 2009? In Argentina

[nev]

Ian, you forgot the time a Typhoon blew a fence down on you

[kitnut617]

Wouldn't that be 2009? In Argentina

This year --- Dakar

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80844

[B777LR]

Wouldn't that be 2009? In Argentina

This year --- Dakar

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80844

Already? Didn't know that...

[Steel Penguin]

ill agree with Ian abought the A10 pilots,  they have a seance of the insane.  I grew up in a village between Bath and Bristol, and got used to naming RAF types by engine noise, and having to point out to freinds that they were looking the wrong way for them, " no there down the vally now, Jags"  i used to do a paper round that went up the back of the village up a hill side and once heard an unfailiar jet sound, looking round i realise that its still aprocing ( very unusall, RAF types never hung round) then my eye was drawn to the small stream valley below me, with the A10 coming up it, below me, as he went parrallel to the pylons and inverted to go over the brow.  I was utterly amazed.

[sideshowbob9]

Once had a 2-ship of A-10s perform a fly-by when I was absailing down the White Cliffs of Dover with the Scouts. A very timely distraction  for me as I was admitedly bricking it at the time!  

Knowing I was a plane buff, one of my fellow scouts shouted up "what were they?" "A-10s" I shouted back feeling slightly obsurd as I dangled 100-odd feet in the air.

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Ian, you forgot the time a Typhoon blew a fence down on you

It was two fences, Nev, and no I didn't forget, I simply chose not to remember  

Ian