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What are your thought on this ?
THE FACTS FROM THE HORSES MOUTH
Gentlemen,
My name is Darryl Tarr and I am the pilot of the Air Zimbabwe Boeing 707-330B doing the "fly-past".
At the time I was a Senior Type Rating Examiner on the B707 fleet for Air Zimbabwe. There were in-fact TWO air shows held at Charles Prince Airport (west of Harare). The first air show was in May 1993 and the second air show was in May 1995. I demonstrated the B707 at both of these air shows, my flying display was identical except for the 1995 air show where I flew a little lower.
Here are some details:
1. Three Crew members only on-board (Flight Engineer, First Officer, and myself)
2. Non- Revenue Flight (or non-commercial flight as some prefer)
3. 12,000 KGs of Fuel (2.0 hours endurance)
4. Vref Approach Speed Flaps 40 was 116 Knots (I was flying at 125 Knots)
5. Radio Altimeter 30 feet, allowing for the fact that when we Go-Around and rotate towards +15 degrees the aircraft will get lower (as depicted in the photo, the aircraft is climbing)
6. High Speed Fly Past (which is not shown here), was at the Barbers Pole of 375 KIAS (due to the density altitude at Harare True Air Speed was 400 Kts)
For both air shows I was authorized to display the aircraft as we had planned, briefed, and scrutinized. Unfortunately during the air show in 1993 an Air Zimbabwe Boeing 767-200ER on a Commercial Flight (revenue flight), from HRE to JNB did an UNORTHORIZED fly past with passengers on-board. Its a real can of worms but at that time my UNCLE (same surname) was infact the Chief Pilot of the Company and he got into trouble for the method by which disciplinary measures were planned for the Captain of the B767.
Unfortunately as we all know the media never get the facts right and published that a certain Captain Tarr was in trouble for an illegal fly past. As it turned out not many people saw the B767 fly past as it was early in the morning, and yet my display was at midday being the highlight of the show. Just to re-emphasize that my fly past was 100% LEGAL and authorized. YES, i did have some words with a SAA Captain afterwards but there was no malicious intent and also no flight safety issues between the Company, DCA, and my crew.
YES, Wrex Tarr is my father and unfortunately he is no longer with us.
I am currently a Senior Type Rating Examiner for Emirates Airline on the Boeing 777. I have been living in Dubai for just over 10 years having left Air Zimbabwe in 1998. I spent almost 5 years as a Captain on the B707, then a little over 2 years as a Captain on the 767 before joining Emirates.
Do I miss the B707, HELL YEAH, lets just say that as far as older generation aircraft are concerned I think it was the "best ever", a fantastic aircraft that I could do things with that no other aircraft comes close to (although the Piper Super Cub was hard to beat but I am refering to Commercial Jetliners that I have flown).
Would I do the identical fly-past again: Well with the way that aviation has changed World over, NO. But I have no regrets, I had excess energy management and the display did go according plan.
Actually growing up in Zimbabwe from an aviation perspective was fantastic. I started flying at a very young age and was a B737 Captain at the age of 24, and a B707 Captain at 26. Today I still fly to JNB several times a year when operating the B777-300ER with Emirates and do love to do this flight as its like returning to your back garden.
Anyway if there is any other information you guys want just email me:
[email protected]
I do have the full 1993 display on video.
Regards,
Capt Darryl Tarr
Type Rating Examiner B777
Emirates Airline