Fri Sep 28, 2018 8:02 pm
#1641175
Well not to denigrate USMC pilots but:
1) USMC had a Harrier on one of their carriers which rolled violently one way every time they tried a VTO. Flew John Farley out to assess it. He lifted off, put it down, climbed out and said 'you do know you've only got fuel in one wing don't you'? ie the wing which 'dropped' every time.
2) USMC pilot flying a Harrier in VMC over land. Had radio failure. Flew on calling mayday etc until his fuel ran out then ejected.(in VMC, over open countryside, in an aircraft which can land on a sixpence!)
The above 2 were related to me by a test pilot at Boscombe Down.
Now one closer to home:
3) Sea Harrier with USMC pilot on exchange flying out of Yeovilton. Loses his radio over the south coast. Sees a large estuary and turns NE thinking it's Plymouth Sound. When he gets over a large airfield with crossed runways and things like 747s parked, he instantly recognises it's NOT Yeovilton so turns south west, sees an airfield with military aircraft and helicopters parked so descends and lands.
By the time he did so, we (Farnborough) were expecting him as D & D had warned us and we'd been watching him on radar since he entered the LTMA on a 7000 squawk (NOT radio fail 7600) at FL170 just north east of Southampton.
There's only one 'F' in Fulham