http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=281424
Thought the door episode might be of interest to Tom, then to my horror I saw reference to an 8 ft strop falling through the rear observation window of a Puma.....OMG :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :crying: I thought that was something I could forget about!!!!! Heavy 5t shackle falling about 25 cms will break perspex in a second, followed by 8ft of strop and.....another bloody shackle
It even made both the local and national news in most the US. They say it was at an airshow, but if it was, I want to know why the flight crew was so grossly violating the show line and flying over the crowd?
Chris Trott wrote:It even made both the local and national news in most the US. They say it was at an airshow, but if it was, I want to know why the flight crew was so grossly violating the show line and flying over the crowd?
They weren't displaying, they were departing from the show. And where the Merlin flew didn't appear to be over any "official" crowd line.
Should that be the case, then they certainly don't depart (or didn't depart) as they do when displaying (or departing) at Duxford. I can't envisage any circumstance where a part could fall off and hit the crowd there. Even though all airfields aren't the same.. the departure procedure should be.
That I don't know Garry :think: The rules seem pretty straight forward over here though.. the aircraft simply don't fly near the crowd line. I use Duxford again as an example because I've been going 4 times a year for the last 9 years and in all that time, I've only seen two examples of aircraft flying over the crowd line.. one was for an anniversary (can't remember which particular one as Duxford seem able to come up with a different one every year) where a massed flight of Spits scrambled, formed up and then flew North-South over the airfield. Special dispensation had to be sought for this to happen. The second was only a few years back where a USAF Tanker and two F15's displayed briefly. Not sure if they had the runway coords wrong or what but they certainly didn't fly down the runway!! :shock:
Departing helicopters (of the military display variety) always takeoff and stay very very low then either reverse out to the flightline or turn and fly toward the runway then depart on a runway heading.. gaining height as they depart. At this point, they're no where near the crowds so should anything fall off.. the crowd would be safe.
It certainly shows the danger of flying over the crowds.
The injuries could have been far worse and perhaps luck that they were not.....but the incident, I hope, will be treated exactly the same way had it been fatal.
Garry
Garry
"In the world of virtual reality things are not always what they seem."
I thought that was something I could forget about!!!!! Heavy 5t shackle falling about 25 cms will break perspex in a second, followed by 8ft of strop and.....another bloody shackle 
