How to fly a C-54/DC-4

[b29flteng]

HOLY CRAP BATMAN !!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/v/hrziTee4b2c&hl ... &version=3

[Dragonflydh90]

Go the SAAF......

[CoastieJohn]

I got that in the inbox yesterday. I was waiting for the wings to snap off on the pull outs.

[oscardeuce]

OK opening a BIG can or worms...
Amazing or stupid?

[The Inspector]

I'd just like to know where in the airplane he parks the wheelbarrow he obviously needs to move around- 2 in the bag, gear down, and a 25 foot high pass? As David Hobbs says during F1 races 'he's obviously got quite a set of stones'.

[WallyB]

I got that in the inbox yesterday. I was waiting for the wings to snap off on the pull outs.

The USFS used C-54 tankers for many years under far more demanding profiles and nobody managed to pull the wings off.

[andyman64]

ok is it just me or is flying like that in something as big as a dc4 way more spectacular and yes it does beg the question brave or crazy?

[tex-fan]

man-o-man, he was flying that plane like a crop duster.

That's incredible! Not sure if it's the most prudent way to fly a C-54, but it is amazing to watch. That would be something to see, but I am thinking we will not see the BAHF C-54 fly an air show demo like that anytime soon.



Kevin, any thoughts??

[Ryan Keough]

Whether it was skilled piloting or stupidity depends on who was behind the controls. Bob Hoover proved that even aircraft not originally designed for aerobatics or unusual attitudes could be flown in a way that did not overstress the aircraft and allowed a margin of safety. The fact that the entire routine seemed well planned... right to the #3 and #4 engine shutdown pass... makes me believe that the crew flying it were well experienced with the aircraft and its operating envelope.

I am more concerned with showboating "make it up as we go" routines... someone that knows just enough, has just enough skill, but doesn't plan it out or practices it enough.

Now, that said... the C-54 crew certainly "could" perform that routine, but that doesn't cover the opinion whether they "should" perform it. To the great number of airshow attendees, were there really enough people who could sit there and actually appreciate the skill and difficulty involved to justify flying it in a riskier manner like that? My opinion is that most people could look at that act and then look at the act that the C-130 "Fat Albert" puts on and would not really be more impressed with one over the other. Additionally, I always have a problem with airshow acts involving a lot of low-level work -- mostly because only the first few rows of people on the show-line actually can see the passes as they are supposed to be seen. I can imagine the thrill of a low-level "Snort"-style buzz pass is exhilarating for the pilot... but when performing for the crowd, are you doing it for your own thrill or for theirs?

And lastly... the last pass looked like the energy of the maneuver was directed toward the crowd line... something that is VERY MUCH a no-no here in the U.S. and is becoming a standard for many airshows in other nations. If anything had gone wrong, the impact and debris travel line would have certainly hit the person filming it and anyone around them.

Considering today (August 28th) is the 23rd anniversary of the tragic airshow crash of the Frecce Tricolori team at Ramstein Air Base in Germany in 1988, we should be reminded that safety should always be the top concern of any airshow performance and it should never be compromised for the sake of doing something "cool". Airshows are meant to help encourage public interest in aviation, not make people think that it's inherently unsafe or dangerous. I can't help but think of one of the YouTube videos I saw last week of Bryan Jensen's tragic crash in Kansas City... the young child of the man filming was terrified and was screaming to go home after the crash. That child and certainly many others, including adults as well, will always remember that horrible sight even though they were not hurt or even in danger. If airshows are meant to be a positive event and display, then why risk making it into a tragedy with needless showboating?

Thanks,
Ryan

Ryan,

I agree this is an excellent time to remind everyone of the highest priority of any air show demonstration flight - the complete safety and well-being of the spectators and all those on the ground.

The pilot or pilots in this case do appear to have a good handle on the performance limits of their aircraft, but they have probably exceeded the limits of what would be approved for an air show in this country and many other countries.

In any case, a very dramatic demonstration flight of a vintage piston engined propliner/warbird.

Jim

[CoastieJohn]

I got that in the inbox yesterday. I was waiting for the wings to snap off on the pull outs.

The USFS used C-54 tankers for many years under far more demanding profiles and nobody managed to pull the wings off.

The 2002 USFS C-130A and PB4Y crash came to mind when I seen that.

[lmritger]

I am impressed at how agile that huge airplane is... I never would have guessed that.

I am appalled that the pilot (or pilots) engaged in such a display at an airshow.

You know who else really knew how to fly a big airplane to it's limits? Bud Holland. Know what happened to him? He killed himself and three others by letting his ego write one last check his a$$ couldn't cash. I don't give a rat's behind HOW good a pilot is or how many tens of thousands of hours he or she has... when it comes to public demonstrations, the absolute first priority is crowd safety. The second priority is maintaining aircraft integrity, i.e. not smearing it all over the active runway in a shower of flaming debris. I reckon there were at least three instances where the pilot was treading on a VERY ragged edge between success and failure in adhering to those two priorities.

Yes, he or she is extremely skilled, there is no question. But I have to question their judgment in engaging in those maneuvers at an airshow in the first place.

Lynn

[Jollygreenslugg]

I'm guessing the rules have changed since 1990, when the video was made?

Cheers,
Matt

[Michel Lemieux]

Just curious as to the amount of manpower required to hustle the bird this way around!!!!!!!

Has to be coordinated with both pic & copiloyt at the same time no?

Can the pic do this on his own?