Trains, Planes & Automobiles

[CanaBull]

Red Arrows and Snowbirds over Ottawa/Gatineau earlier this month.  Might not have the kit of the Yanks, but they still amaze with their displays.

Red Arrows over Niagara Falls cockpit view

 

Edited September 15 by CanaBull

[Fly-By-TheWire]

On 15/09/2024 at 02:50, CanaBull said:

 Might not have the kit of the Yanks, but they still amaze with their displays.

I miss seeing the meaty Cold War kit from the 80s/90s.   A schoolboys dream.   Doesn't get much better than this (just a shame they don't fully 'arm' them with blank missiles):

 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

When I left work this evening an airforce Globemaster came over Hull less that 2,000ft off the ground! It was circling the city, waiting to land at Kirmington.

I have a video and pics of it but unfortunately the files are too big to post here.

Edited September 17 by The Hallucinating Goose

[Fly-By-TheWire]

On 17/09/2024 at 17:49, The Hallucinating Goose said:

When I left work this evening an airforce Globemaster came over Hull less that 2,000ft off the ground! It was circling the city, waiting to land at Kirmington.

I have a video and pics of it but unfortunately the files are too big to post here.

I can beat that.   A BAe 146 (an airliner) belonging to defence contractor Qinetiq flew down way too low over Cheshire the other day, seemingly infringing mandated overflight margins over populated areas at 250 knots.   Local residents thought it was crashing.   Even after correcting the FlightRadar24 altitude data for local pressure, that's below 500 feet over two towns.   May be some follow-up on this one! :

 

Edited September 21 by Fly-By-TheWire

[Futtocks]

5 hours ago, Fly-By-TheWire said:

I can beat that.   A BAe 146 (an airliner) belonging to defence contractor Qinetiq flew down way too low over Cheshire the other day, seemingly infringing mandated overflight margins over populated areas at 250 knots.   Local residents thought it was crashing.   Even after correcting the FlightRadar24 altitude data for local pressure, that's below 500 feet over two towns.   May be some follow-up on this one! :

 

I have been buzzed at a far lower level than you'd think was safe by the Lancaster bomber they use for fly-bys. It (plus a Spitfire & Hurricane) often passes within sight of my kitchen window because I'm near the RAF Museum in Colindale and they usually fly-by that too, before veering West to land at Northolt or wherever it is.

That time, however, it was low enough to make the house shudder and was one of the loudest things I've ever heard. There must have been something wrong (or a nutter at the joystick). It would have been in the very late Eighties/early Nineties.

Edited September 21 by Futtocks

[Fly-By-TheWire]

19 hours ago, Futtocks said:

I have been buzzed at a far lower level than you'd think was safe by the Lancaster bomber they use for fly-bys. It (plus a Spitfire & Hurricane) often passes within sight of my kitchen window because I'm near the RAF Museum in Colindale and they usually fly-by that too, before veering West to land at Northolt or wherever it is.

That time, however, it was low enough to make the house shudder and was one of the loudest things I've ever heard. There must have been something wrong (or a nutter at the joystick). It would have been in the very late Eighties/early Nineties.

Things were definitely a bit more relaxed in the 80s/90s.   Mandatory separation was considered more of a guideline with a slap on the wrist for the odd 'naughty' aviator.

More recently, the litigation culture has put a stop to 'liberal interpretation' of the rules, and incidents such as the Shoreham Airshow disaster have given the CAA and AAIB (investigators) a bit of a kick up the backside.   I suspect any flouting of the rules these days will have a pretty heavy follow-up.   In the world of social media and viral videos, it's very difficult to cover things up.

Edited September 22 by Fly-By-TheWire

[Gerrumonside ref]

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/sep/28/flying-vs-and-longer-wings-how-the-familiar-shape-of-passenger-planes-is-about-to-change
 

Interesting article on change that might be coming to passenger aircraft design.

[Fly-By-TheWire]

3 hours ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/sep/28/flying-vs-and-longer-wings-how-the-familiar-shape-of-passenger-planes-is-about-to-change
 

Interesting article on change that might be coming to passenger aircraft design.

Some of the designs mooted there are two generations away, rather than the next generation.   If I had to put money on it, the next Airbus and Boeing aircraft will be a narrow body with un-ducted fan engines, and a wing not too dissimilar from that of today.   Possibly a wing with folding tips like that of the new 777, which will allow it to park in current narrow body spaces.  If you're an Aerosexual like me, you might find this guy's video quite good to watch:

Next generation Airbus