How to fly a C-54/DC-4

Ken · **Posted:** Thu Sep 01, 2011 3:11 pm

I enjoyed the video, but like Speedy, did a fair amount of cringing. Others may not agree, but the high speed pullouts during the passes bother me more than the hiyaka banks up above 1000A. It looked well executed, but I was left wondering if it was brains or balls driving the bus.

Regarding the B-52, I'm no defender of Holland, but I do point out one aspect of the wreck that is seldom mentioned. The failed 360 turn was an unplanned maneuver he threw in to build spacing to allow a KC-135 to depart; it was not part of the display. That doesn't excuse the accident, nor does it change the outcome. The display was essentially done and this was an unplanned maneuver, as Dudley points out, respecting gear speed and introducing other factors not practiced. Had that one link of the chain not been present, the accident may have been avoided ... or maybe just postponed. There have been so many talented (and untalented) folks lose their life trying to get "one more pass" or "can you delay :15 seconds before the run-in", whatever. When you do perform at such a thin margin, there isn't any any room for improvisation.

Ken

Bearcat SA · **Posted:** Thu Sep 01, 2011 11:39 pm

Some info about this display.
I was there and its still in my memory as one of the best displays I have seen.

It was not taken at an airshow. It was taken at the retirement ceremony of the Harvard in SAAF service on the 21 st April 1990 at Dunnotter Air Force Base. As I recall the attendance was SAAF and civilians by invitation only.... in any case there were not that many people there. The actual "crowd" line was quite far back from the fence that you see in the pull up. There were only a handful of photographers as far forward as that fence of which I was one.

As in most countries, rules about flying towards the crowd have been tightened in South Africa so that pull up would no longer be permitted

Ken · **Posted:** Thu Jun 25, 2015 1:21 pm

maxum96 · **Posted:** Thu Jun 25, 2015 5:49 pm

Why the bump on a 4 year old thread???????????

Ken · **Posted:** Fri Jun 26, 2015 10:50 am

It was a good thread with info others may not have seen and the discussion came up because the anniversary of the B-52 accident is 24 June.

Airlift48 · **Joined:** Sat Oct 29, 2005 7:01 pm **Posts:** 744

As someone who's crewed a C-54 for nearly 20 years, I'd like to have been a fly on the wall in that cockpit to witness the crew coordination to make that happen. Shutting down 2 and unfeathering on the same side in the middle of a maneuver IMHO is a risky proposition. Yes, the C-54 is a reliable, forgiving, and pretty nimble airplane, but in order to pull off that routing, it would have to be well rehearsed and take a lot of coordination between the PIC and SIC. There may even have been an FE in the middle seat. There's lots of handles, and buttons to play with in order to do some of that routine, nevermind the actual flying of the airplane.

Personally, I would not encourage this. The manuals clearly state that "aerobatic maneuvers are prohibited".

That notwithstanding, it was a pretty impressive routine.

my 2 cents...

AG pilot · **Joined:** Sat Sep 24, 2011 9:13 am **Posts:** 553

I had not seen this DC-4 video before. Indeed an amazing feat of flying!

Jesse C. · **Posted:** Sat Jun 27, 2015 10:15 am

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How to fly a C-54/DC-4

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