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Post by Dave Homewood on May 22, 2014 21:33:12 GMT 12
That is a bit like the technique that Skip Watson told me his No. 19 Squadron RNZAF CO, Harry Wigley, used when returning to base after every sortie in his Kittyhawk. he flew low over the runway, pulled up into a big loop, and at the top while inverted he would drop the gear, and complete the loop onto the strip. He could not understand why the rest of the squadron refused to do the same when he asked them to! Apparently it was quite a known thing he did this and all the Americans and kiwis would stop work to watch him landing.
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Post by Andy Wright on May 22, 2014 23:07:25 GMT 12
Is the A-26 Invader still at Archerfield? I have seen it once or twice from about 3000' as we join the ILS for runway 01 at Brisbane. It's an old firebomber that I've heard is for sale. Did ground runs and, I think, moved under its own power (?) last week. Getting there. New owner is based in South Oz. |
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Post by komata on May 23, 2014 8:04:17 GMT 12
It will probably never happen again AFAIK, but the 'impromptue' display by the 'Corsair' 'Josephine' (K Skilling at the controls?) at the Waikato Aero Club open day in 2004(?) was something to be treasured, especially as she had departed 'all innocent like', and was heading South to ostensibly return to Masterton. Having seen previous displays by the aircraft elsewhere, her departure was too 'quiet' and these 'doubts' were subsequently confirmed by a very low level pass (below tower height) from the east, and the start of an amazing 'personal' display.
Oddly, after the completion of the display she then flew eastwards, rather than south; going Ardmore perhaps to refuel??
Definitely a treasured memory, and one that will probably not occur again.
BTW: Does anyone have any photos of that display? I've never seen any, and the aero club didn't reply to the e-mails that I sent.
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Post by Damon on May 23, 2014 8:51:07 GMT 12
Heading east.. probably going to Tauranga airport I'd think.
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Post by komata on May 23, 2014 11:11:16 GMT 12
Thanks Damon; I'd not considered Tauranga at all. Much appreciated.
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Post by hardyakka on May 23, 2014 13:48:16 GMT 12
That is a bit like the technique that Skip Watson told me his No. 19 Squadron RNZAF CO, Harry Wigley, used when returning to base after every sortie in his Kittyhawk. he flew low over the runway, pulled up into a big loop, and at the top while inverted he would drop the gear, and complete the loop onto the strip. He could not understand why the rest of the squadron refused to do the same when he asked them to! Apparently it was quite a known thing he did this and all the Americans and kiwis would stop work to watch him landing. Like this? More like a Reverse Half-Cuban than a "loop" but just as balls-y.... |
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Post by hardyakka on May 23, 2014 13:52:47 GMT 12
It will probably never happen again AFAIK, but the 'impromptue' display by the 'Corsair' 'Josephine' (K Skilling at the controls?) at the Waikato Aero Club open day in 2004(?) was something to be treasured, especially as she had departed 'all innocent like', and was heading South to ostensibly return to Masterton. Having seen previous displays by the aircraft elsewhere, her departure was too 'quiet' and these 'doubts' were subsequently confirmed by a very low level pass (below tower height) from the east, and the start of an amazing 'personal' display. Oddly, after the completion of the display she then flew eastwards, rather than south; going Ardmore perhaps to refuel?? Definitely a treasured memory, and one that will probably not occur again. BTW: Does anyone have any photos of that display? I've never seen any, and the aero club didn't reply to the e-mails that I sent. I was there for that display as well. I think everyone was too busy watching in amazement to take many photos and if any did exist it would probably be best if none were published on line... |
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Post by lesterpk on May 23, 2014 15:30:03 GMT 12
Yeah, the Corsair display he did over Hobsonville and Whenuapai on its first flight were pretty good too.
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Post by suthg on May 23, 2014 15:42:32 GMT 12
Yes often the best displays are so awe inspiring, you are standing there, eyes glued to the action, mouth open in amazement, you forget you wanted to photograph things!!! I do that with my two older boys both playing senior rugby - and I'm supposed to be taking photos for a game story script for the newspaper! Let alone taking photos personally at the air displays...
A display I never want to miss is Dave Phillips in ZK-BEN - his brilliant Tiger Moth stall displays and wing-overs like he did at Tauranga and Masterton and the Lake Skip at Karapiro... oh and Dave Brown inverted passes and loops in the Strikemaster... ZK-STR
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Post by komata on May 23, 2014 15:57:13 GMT 12
hardyakka
You too huh? It's nice to know others also recall the event Some video camera's WERE there, but I think they gave up - Josephine was travelling somewhat rapidly (especially over the western boundary fence...)
BTW: Were you there when they discovered the problems inherent with a locked cockpit canopy and no keys?
THAT was an interesting spectacle; I didn't realise there were alternative 'access points' to an F4U...!!!
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Post by oj on May 23, 2014 22:44:48 GMT 12
When I was still at school, we came over from Thames to a big air pageant at Hamilton in about 1959 or 1960 (someone will know?).
There was a Tiger Moth FAST race and then a Tiger Moth SLOW race, hanging on the stall.
The slow race was the most interesting of the two.
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Post by mumbles on May 23, 2014 22:57:00 GMT 12
Yes often the best displays are so awe inspiring, you are standing there, eyes glued to the action, mouth open in amazement, you forget you wanted to photograph things!!! Kind of on that note there must be more photos than I've seen out there of OC 2's solo A-4 handling display at the ACW disbandment in December 2001. The light wasn't all that great, but the first pass alone would have been caught on dozens of cameras. |
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Post by hardyakka on May 24, 2014 18:19:16 GMT 12
hardyakka BTW: Were you there when they discovered the problems inherent with a locked cockpit canopy and no keys? THAT was an interesting spectacle; I didn't realise there were alternative 'access points' to an F4U...!!! I was. I wondered why Keith wasn't getting into the aircraft... The story I was told was that it wasn't so much lost keys but the wire that runs from the external latch to the locking pins had disconnected and could not be opened. Someone stuck their head in through an access panel in the wheel wells and used a long stick to manually push the internal latch directly. Dunno if that was the actual cause... But I don't know of many military aircraft that have access/ignition keys. Security is via guys with guns rather than locks.  |
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Post by komata on May 24, 2014 18:57:12 GMT 12
Hardyakka
Thanks for the reply. That was a very interesting afternoon.
FWIW: There were several stories circulating that afternoon as to 'the reason why'. The 'Key' one was the one that came my way, and knowing from personal involvement with the aircraft, that at one time the cockpit canopy WAS actually locked shut by use of a key, being told that 'a key' had been 'mislaid' didn't surprise me. Your story is probably more accurate, although there did seem to be a lot of activity devoted to attempts to unlock access panels on the section of fuselage below the cockpit 'floor' (and yes, I know that she didn't have one). Although at the time I understood that that was the way that access was finally gained, the 'stick and panel' method via the wheel well is as good an explanation as any. Only those involved really know of course (and it was a while ago....)
The display, of course. more than made up for the 'delay'.
As I said, an 'interesting' afternoon. A shame there haven't been any more since...
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 24, 2014 20:40:40 GMT 12
I went to one of those Waikato Aero Club Open Days only three or four years back, so there have been more since.
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Post by komata on May 24, 2014 20:59:27 GMT 12
Thanks Dave; I wasn't aware that any more had been held - must have missed the adverts.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 24, 2014 21:03:32 GMT 12
It was the last time I ever saw the Fw190 half-scale replica. I got a flight in the MASH Sioux and the DC-3 too. It was a great day overall.
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Post by Mustang51 on May 27, 2014 9:14:35 GMT 12
Slightly off-topic but the first time I ever saw that "Loop and pop the gear at the top" landing technique was with Bob Reiser at Stockton, California in his red P.63 Kingcobra. What a machine. He did it every time he flew and every time was called to the tower to explain. Fond rememberances of sitting in the back of Bob Love's Mustang after a formation flight around San Francisco in company with a B.25 (lead ship), Sea Fury, T.28, P.40 and Bob Reiser in the P.63. Bob Reiser flew P.47s from Ie Shima and also the Pinball P.63s in the USA. Near Livermore on the way back Bob R disappeared backwards from the formation, climbed then dived and zoom climbed through the formation. There is a great shot in some of the footage taken at the time. This was "the signal" because Bob had previously told me to really tighten my belts ('Why?' I had asked not knowing). What ensued was a fifteen minute full on, flat out dogfight between the P.63 and the P.51. Both were former combat fighter pilots (Bob Love was a Korean F.86 'Ace' and at one time commanded the National Guard Mustang units) and they had arranged to see which aircraft was best. It ended up a draw but it is something I shall never ever forget and I ended up in a ball of sweat in the back of the Mustang. Marvellous.
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Post by Mustang51 on May 28, 2014 7:53:21 GMT 12
BTW, the way Bob reiser 'obtained' his P.63 is a story in itself........Looks like with all these rememberances of former Kiwi shows that I should have been jumping the ditch a long time ago ! Any others that were notable. Dave, what about any that you remember from your RNZAF days?
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 28, 2014 19:10:07 GMT 12
I seem to recall our C-130H display used to do the wheelbarrow, like the Caribous. I wish they'd still do that.
It'd b nice to see the return to NZ of a Zero replica so the P-40's and Corsair have something to chase too.
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