Most memorable aviation things you remember

[Guest Maj Millard]

New post idea folks.....List the four most memorable aviation related things you have witnessed/experienced/persons met... etc.etc...anything !....or just one is fine !!

 

To kick it off, here's four of my favorite memories..................................

 

1. Saw a bottle in a museum in St Louis in the US. It contained oil drained from the 'Spirit of St Louis' after Lindbergs famous NY-Paris flight. It was pretty black, and the bottle only 3/4 full, I wouldn't have minded a drop myself !.

 

2. Witnessed an RAF Avro Vulcan 'V' bomber depart from Williamtown one day after a short stay, with a solid 1000' overcast. He pulled it off the runway, and did a full 360 deg knife -edge turn just below the cloud before disappearing into the cloud, on runway heading. Big camoflaged moth !.

 

3. Being lucky enough to recieve two back-seat rides in a Mirage 111D, whilst in the RAAF at Williamtown with 77 SQN.

 

4. Helping Mr R.A.(Bob) Hoover push his P-51 Mustang 'Old Yella" out of a hangar one morning at an airshow, and then later having my photo taken with him. (just plain lucky !)

 

OK, your turn now.......................................................................

 

 

[Guest drizzt1978]

Dam....cant compete with any of that!!!

 

Maybe watching battle of britain as a kid!!!

 

Ok, Going in the family friends plane as a boy!!

 

And then my first flting lesson 18 years later.....

 

 

[skeptic36]

1. My TIF :big_grin:

 

2. Finding someone had messed with my trike whilst it was stored in the hangar, causing considerable damage when Instructor and I set it up .

 

3. Bending a couple of the battens in the wing then trying to stop going round in circles the first flight after gaining my ticket

 

4. Taking my wife flying the first time and finding she loved it :)

 

Looking forward to number 5 wonder what it will be ? (maybe one of those things I don't know I don't know)

 

Regards Bill

 

 

[Deskpilot]

I've got quite a few but lets start with standing at the side of the runway waiting to cross it at RAF Seletar, Singapore. A twin Pioneer was coming in very slowly as it had a very strong wind right on the nose. It had full flaps/slats applied and the pilot kept it about 6 feet off the ground until he was level with us, then slowly closed the throttles so that the plane plane slowed, stopped, went into reverse and gently landed going backwards. I, and my companions raised a cheer and applauded him. He acknowledged with a wave and a big grin then taxied away. Now that was great flying.

 

At Christmas time, huge speakers were attached to the side it that plane and it flew all over Singapore playing Christmas carols. Great to hear angels singing on high at night but not to see the blacked out plane(mainly for RAF functions)

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Wow only four. hmmm tricky.

 

1. talking with Sir Douglas Bader for ten minutes early in the morning while preflighting my Condor at Schofields Airshow think it was 79.

 

2. Same airshow, after flying the Condor in the main programe landed parked next to the crowd and grabbed my rig from a friend and hopped onto the DC3 as it taxied for the skydive part of the show. got to fill out two log books that day.

 

3.Soaring at Stanwell Park for two hours with a friendly sea eagle on my wingtip. best instructor i've ever had.

 

4 Overflying Airventure in the bombadiers seat of the B17. amazing view.

 

ozzie

 

 

[shafs64]

1 About thirty years ago when i was fourteen.

 

When was taken out with my neigbours to RAAF base laverton to see and airshow.Where i saw a CAC mustang flying for the first time. I was in a trance.

 

2 I was standing at a motocross track witch was under the westgate brigde at the time about 18 years ago i heard the sound of rolls royce engine look up and spotted a spitfire that i think was was col pays.

 

3 was my first solo and GFPT.

 

4 will be finishing my licence. that will move to one when its finished.

 

Shafs

 

 

[Simonflyer]

1.Its Gotta be my first Solo.

 

2.Sitting under, seeing and hearing the B1B bomber go by at the Airshow this year.My Ribcage is still rattling

 

3.Taking up my first passenger and doing steep turns to try and scare her...She just wanted them steeper!

 

4.Taking my grandpa who is 81 to the flight experience in Melbourne and sitting behind him as he landed a 737 in New Zealand.He used to fly moth's around Melbourne over 60 years ago.It was also this experience that reignited my love of flying and ultimately led to me following the dream.:thumb_up:

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Ozzie, I met Bader as well but in very different circumstances. He visited one of my stations in his twin engined plane(no idea what it was) and he absolutely tore into the refuelers who dared to climb on the wing with their boots on. An arigant git to say the least. I've spoken to a couple of WW2 pilots who flew with him and they are of the same opinion. You must have caught him on a good day. Sorry if that offends anyone, but hero's don't live on their glories nor try to remind every one that they suffered for the country. There are a lot worse injuries out there than loosing your legs.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Sir Douglas was an outspoken type. He did have something to say about the Dept as they would not let him fly whilst he was in Australia. What we were trying to do was get him into a "minimum" as he did not require a license to fly one. But we were stopped by the early start curfew. He did come across as abrupt but that was in his nature i suppose. i have met worse. but it was an enjoyable morning.

 

 

[ahlocks]

Most memorable thing about aviation?

 

Lift off....

 

 

[Tomo]

Ozzie, I met Bader as well but in very different circumstances. He visited one of my stations in his twin engined plane(no idea what it was) and he absolutely tore into the refuelers who dared to climb on the wing with their boots on. An arigant git to say the least. I've spoken to a couple of WW2 pilots who flew with him and they are of the same opinion. You must have caught him on a good day. Sorry if that offends anyone, but hero's don't live on their glories nor try to remind every one that they suffered for the country. There are a lot worse injuries out there than loosing your legs.

Yeah, he's says exactly what he reckons... and if you don't agree with him, well it's best to stand back... leg's or no leg's, that man could scare anybody away...

 

But I think if he was different, he would certainly not have done what he did, and you do got to remember he did change the whole tactics to fighting... which I don't think anybody else would have dared do at the time...

 

I've read his books, watched his movies... kinda like the guy a bit...:thumb_up:

 

"Now don't ever call it a plane again... it's an aeroplane...!";)

 

 

[bushpilot]

For me - man putting those first footprints on the moon surface... (Well - it's aviation... they fly there, not walk...)

 

 

[Deskpilot]

For me - man putting those first footprints on the moon surface... (Well - it's aviation... they fly there, not walk...)

Are you sure they didn't walk there? There's 'evidence', which is just as questionable as the reported landing, that it was all shot in a studio in the UK.

 

 

[Skyhog]

Here's my lot.

 

1.Witnessing the last 4 Mirage fighters leave RAAF Williamtown in 1988.They came along the field heading east and peeled off one at a time.This is a pretty standard millitary manouvre except that none of these planes were more than 20' off the deck and a couple of them were only half that.

 

2.Scoring a 50 minute ride in an F/A-18 in 1990 when I was posted from 3 squadron at Williamtown N.S.W to 75 squadron at Tindal N.T

 

3.Standing on the top of the range control tower at Delemere air weapons range in remote N.T and seeing an F/A-18 go past on its side lower than me.The pilot said afterwards that he was at 30' doing 480 kts.

 

4.Being a member of the Australian 8way formation skydiving team competing in the world championships at Turkey in 1997 as a part of the first world air games.

 

I have many other great memories but these are about the best.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Hey your responses have made for some great reading, didn't mean to try and outdo anybody, some of the things that you folks have done are pretty impressive to me also. It's just about sharing experiences.

 

Like for instance taking your wife/girlfriend flying for the first time, and finding that they really liked it !..that's cool. My wife has done a lot of flying with me over the years, even long ardous cross-countrys in the Drifter. I can't recall her ever telling me she really liked it !... some days it's like I'm forcing her into it, which of course I'm not.

 

SKYHOG, I didn't know you were an old jumper, makes me want to get down to Taroom that much more now. I do remember when the boys pulled off the very first 8-man hook-up out at Rylstone Kandos though, sometime in the early Seventies.

 

Keep the experiences coming folks, great reading....................................

 

 

[skydog]

Oshkosh top of my list

 

Oshkosh is such an aviators dream experience I have been twice and will go back again for sure. Words can not express how mind blowingly good this event is.

 

Meet & chat with Red bull Pilot Kirby Chambliss. These guys are mad!!!!

 

Did not meet but attended a lecture with Burt Rutan. What an aviation hero and legend from the Vari-eze and Long eze designs that first lured me into light aviation, to Space ship one design and achievements , simply marvellous inspirational stuff.

 

Being allowed on the flight deck of a 747 for 2 hours as we flew in for a dawn landing at Melbourne. Cant do that these days but the landing from 30` above the tarmac was weird and wonderful red sunrise. A great insight into commercial aviation and how it all works communication, planning and instrument wise.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Yes SKYDOG, Oshkosh was a big defining event for me also, and pretty much cemented my enthusiasm in aviation for life. (Not that it needed it) It was nice to find that there are millions of other people out there, just as cazy about planes as myself . Must be like going to Mecca for a Muslum. We drove across from the West coast up throught the Northern states, and half way across started noticing planes on trailers and "Oshkosh bound " signs in car windows along the way.

 

Stopped for a swim in the Missisippi on a real hot day, and the Murphy Rebel team from Canada turned up also, so we made friend even before getting there !.

 

The Rutan Voyager was there fresh from it's amazing un-refuelled flight around the world, and you could fondle the raw blue foam on the wingtips where the ziptips were scrapped off during takeoff out of Mojave.............................................

 

 

[GraemeK]

For me it was regular times spent sitting in one of the jumpseats on 747's for takeoffs and landings (pre 9/11 of course). I used to travel to the US or Europe pretty much every month, so enjoyed a lot of those experiences!

 

Never really had the time to indulge my interest in flying until I retired recently and shouted myself a 59th birthday present TIF in a Jab 160 - from then on I was hooked.

 

I didn't really know about RAAus then, had always assumed I'd go for a PPL in one of the YLIL Warriors (and may still do that) but seems to me there's not a whole lot of point in it (given I'm likely to be flying by myself anyway as the missus has made it clear she'll never fly with me - she has a real fear of flying even in the big kero burners - and the RA cert with or without CTA endorsement will pretty much cover my needs).

 

Of course, it coulda been living under the flight path for RWY26 at YMEN in the 50's with stuff like Viscounts constantly overhead. Or living just outside the boundary on the threshold of 26 with my first GF in the late 60's and sitting in bed listening to the Bristol freighters warming up just outside our window for their late night sorties across Bass Strait.:thumb_up:

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

GraemeK, mate I can relate to that. I grew up under base into Townsville and also remember Viscounts, DC-3s, DC-7s, Carvairs, and of course RAAF Avro Lincolns dropping flaps and gear right over the top on a daily basis. And the airport was just a short bikeride away with no fences or ASICs back then of course. It has left a big impression on me also,and certainly led me into flying . Cheers

 

 

[winsor68]

You know...I have been thinking about this question for weeks now and can't really come up with one moment...I guess the most memorable or at least one that has stayed with me all my life and I know must be the most memorable because according to my dad's log book I was not even one year old is of my dad ground looping a Libelle sailplane when a reflex launch he and his mate were experimenting with went wrong. I remember the wing coming up and over and around, dust, and my mum running down the strip towards the aircraft and then realizing that she would need the car and that she had me with her and running back. Fortunately only a little damage to the Libelle, none to dad except to his pride but I never forgot it and it wasn't until many, many years later that I recounted the day that my mum told me how young I was so it must have left an impression. I have posted videos on this sight of the Libelle being reflex launched if you are interested. I guess if it is happy for more memorable reasons it would be in the back seat of a Super Cub with a Blanik sailplane on tow behind, leaning out the side and looking back....but I don't remember any one thing that got me interested in aviation...I just always was.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

That's great WINDSOR, I enjoyed that. I reckon everyone has something back in the grey matter to contribute.

 

I can also relate to the glider tug rides. We used to bum rides in the Auster tug at Camden years ago when it got too windy to jump out of aeroplanes. I remember just a bit of fabric each side of me between safety and the world ?. Also remember looking back at the glider being towed, and I was so sure he was going to hook that damn towcable on the fence on short final........but he never did !...............

 

 

[winsor68]

Thanks Major...And another one I was not sure about adding but I will...

 

Standing by the graveside of an aviator when the sound of an aircraft engine is heard, and seeing dozens of teary aviator eyes turn towards the sound to witness our recently departed friends SuperCub fly over the burial, do a few lonely circuits of the grave, and then disappear back towards her home field. This was very, very moving...and while being one of the saddest days of my life was also somehow uplifting and beautiful.

 

 

[Relfy]

Standing in the backyard in south west sydney sanding the wing of a slope soaring glider I was building when I heard a roaring whistle, thinking to myself "that sounds different" then looking up and seeing the Concorde streaking across the sky at about double the height and speed of the normal traffic. Guess I won't see that again!

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Well no Relfy you may not unfortunatly. But maybe a new Concord will come along someday. My two Concord encounters are still etched in my feeble mind also. One when living in London late 70s, it used to come down the Thames just on sunset heading for Heathrow. Long and majestic in the sunset glow. If you went up on the roof you could watch it get smokey and descend in the hazy distance.

 

Also worked at Oakland Airport in California when it came throught there. Oakland being one of the few US airports where it was allowed. Sat there looking small for a couple of days, and then we all went over to watch it take off. I had my handheld VHF com with me, and when cleared for takeoff after lining up, the pilot replied in a crisp english accent..."Speedbird 1, rolling in 30 seconds"....and he did............Just a big Mirage really with four noisy engines and a hundred seats...........did you know the Concord traditionally cruised in the 80 thousand feet range ?.........

 

 

[clouddancer]

Hi all,

 

These were my best 4

 

1) first solo (goes without saying)

 

2) flying along the west of the ranges on a pristine, clear, cold morning with not a ripple, music on the MP3, watching sunrise!

 

3) landing in my Jabiru at YAYE with an overseas jet behind ("I'll extend my downwind for you!") with a trike in front (must be the smoothest runway in Australia)

 

4) watching the night show at Avalon 2003, specifically the glider with the flares on the wingtips doing aerobatics!