I have to give kudos to Airbus for having the guts to do this using five test A350-900 XWB airplanes, its newest wide-body airliner. I know the stunt was well calculated and the pilots—all of them ex-military aviators—knew exactly what they were doing, but the entire thing still looks reckless. (sploid.gizmodo.com) 기타...
"I know everything is fine, but why not raise some alarm so that people will click on this article?"
It's sad that, rather than simply reporting on a pretty cool and totally unique occurrence, they have to douche it up with scariness. Thanks, money, for making our world so... Ah, hell with it.
This was anything but a "Stunt" How about a well planned choreographed formation flight flown by some of the best Airbus captains in the world. The media loves to hype crap up. #clickbait
Absolutely correct Chris! It has been 39 years since I flew a fighter in a diamond flyby. This video got to me. Slot was my favorite position. Second slot would be even more fun. Those ABs looked as stable as rocks... with about the same inertia! I'm guessing both cockpit seats got stick/throttle time depending on which side they were on.
Any fighter driver would recognize the good briefing. eg. sight picture for holding formation,the "hand flying" in the briefing and keeping everyone on the same page.
Inflight it sounds like "lead" was calling the breaks, etc. A smooth leader makes it look easy.
The break from the Arrow was my favorite, especially with lead's pullup.
Yes, it's a shame those who can't "do" make the dumb, no make that stupid comments in the media.
10 days prior the briefing started. It was anything but a "stunt"; a well thought out and choreographed flight plan. Kudos to Airbus. Regardless of brand and your personal preference, you can't deny beauty and grace.
Formation flying was often challenging (night weather penetrations in SEA with 5-10 foot visibility), but usually satisfying (probe a d drogue refuelling across the Pacific and a diamond flyover to celebrate a good ORI).
I recently watched the Thunderbirds do their "flat show". We get to see more of the close formation than when they do the high show with the vertical maneuvers. Never thought about that before. Enjoyed it.
T-birds performed at Moody AFB in one of their last F-100 shows just as I got my F-100 assignment out of Class 69-07. Solo's dirty roll on takeoff in the Hun still makes me pucker!
Preacher, our designated bail-out area was the Okefenokee swamp! You needed survival school training if you landed there.
Every newer film you watch about the Bermuda Triangle now is that Flight 39 wound up in there rather than out in the ocean. Either way, we'll never know. A few years ago, I spent a few days with a friend of mine from Brunswick. We went out in some of it 2-3 days and I can definitely agree on the survival school training.LOL
Hi Jon. Hope things are going well. Do you happen to have a digital copy of the 69-07 yearbook ? Handy item. Please drop me a note when convenient. Regards. Rick Cliff info@clrwtrhs.com
Preacher. No other way to contact you. My apologies. I very much appreciate your seasoned comments on this forum and understand some of the health challenges you have had this year. I will not be alone in wishing you improved health in 2015 and peace and tranquility whatever live brings us in 2015. It is a turbulent world out there but there is much good as well. Merry Christmas to you and your family
Same to ya'll. I think health wise I'm doing decent. I go back to LIT for a procedure to try and get my voice back but other than that, OK. I ran out of anything to do anyway and no interest in recreational flying, but my cert is basically gone. I been on waivers for several years for my diabetes and started insulin a few days ago. Based on what I have read, besides turning 65 which kills the ATP, taking that insulin I can't even pass a 3rd class physical for a ppl or anything. Like I said, I didn't have a hankering anyway and neither does the family and the boys from FSM will take me up every now and then. Ya'll have a wonderful holiday season.
Well, there is a chapter or 2 that is pretty active here in Western AR. I may be looking into that in times to come. I hadn't thought about it but it would be good going up ever now and then.
Just watched the video. While it's not unusual for military/government aircraft to fly in formation, seeing 5 passenger planes in similar formations made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. If there was an Emmy award for this kind of video, I would be at the head of the line to nominate it as well as the flight crews and all involved. Wish I was there for the low pass since it must have been deafening, not to mention a terrific photo-op. Definitely a place in my bookmarks folder!
Awesome!!! Imagine different uniforms, different time (WWII), different aircraft (flying fortress).... It was simply awesome to see Airbus execute it so beautifully. Thank you!
I think the whole deal was well done. It's not really fair to compare the pilots' performance flying a 350 to the precision a good pilot can attain with a fighter-type aircraft. There are three large factors at play here:
1. The flight control laws of the 350 are definitely NOT optimized to permit flying. That's a big deal in any fly-by-wire airplane. For instance, when we are testing the F-16 in the 1970's, we finally settled on the need to have the electronics give the pilot three different "flight control systems" One for takeoff-landing, one for air refueling and one for formation. That may have changed in subsequent versions of the airplane) At the same time, while flying the T-38, F-4 and F-104, I was also involved in air refueling tests for the B-52 and C-5. We "practiced" in the B-52G. On the first flight, with no briefing or instruction, the instructor-pilot sat in the right seat and the only sound he made was near continuous laughter as the fighter-types tried to get into a stabilized "slot" position behind a straight-and-level KC-135 flying at 280 KIAS. Talk about inertia! And sore muscles
2. The side-stick controller. A right-handed pilot using his left hand (and vice-versa) requires a good amount of practice to get the fine muscle-motor control needed for formation flying. A whole different set of muscles are used than when flying "regular" maneuvers.
3. The engines: When I first flew the F-111 in formation, it was quickly evident that a fan engine (e.g., TF-30) had a different response to small throttle movement than did a turbojet. And the larger the fan, the bigger the difference. I can't imagine trying to hold position with a couple of Trents or GE90s under my fingers.
As a not aside, when you're the second through the ?? airplane on the wing in an echelon, the more you've got to work to convince your mind that you're not too close. Photos of most formations where there's more than one airplane on the wing will show the succeeding aircraft increasingly wide. The Thunderbirds and Blues usea pilot on the ground during both practice and during a show to watch for this and call a correction over the radio (e.g., "#5, three feet out.") It would take an awful lot of Jet A-1 to tune up 10 pilots to that level of precision.
All in all, a fine job. But "RECKLESS?" Yeah, maybe if they did a diamond barrel roll with 20 feet of wingtip overlap at an altitude of 200 ft at the bottom. All the test pilots I know of who were "Reckless" in any airplane. for even a moment are all dead now. Anyone with reckless tendencies in their approach to flying are washed out of the test pilot school. Allow about a week for the paperwork to clear.
Like most activities involving coordination of mind and body, practice and more practice gets both working together. Whenever I transitioned into a new aircraft there was a learning curve for how small a "box" I could keep the aircraft in when flying on the wing. The TF41 fan in the A-7D took some getting used to in close formation or refuelling. It forced you to think farther ahead...not a bad thing. Tried "cheating" by using some speed brake to keep the fan spooled up where it reponded more readily.
We often speak of a pilot having "good hands" when he/she is an excellent flyer. My take is that is really a "good brain" which the hands obey. An artist can paint the same picture with the off-hand or even toes or a mouse holding the brush. Sure the line quality is initially shaky, but it improves with practice. It is in you head, not your hands.
Fully agree on the "Reckless" comment. Never a TP, but I lost friends who did rcekless things in fighters. That policy should apply everywhere in military flying. Not a bad idea for commercial either. My best friend, a USAF TP for many years, was the best pilot I ever knew. He also had one of the best "brains" I have ever met. Don always claimed being a left-handed fighter driver was a major advantage..he could read his clipboard notes postflight!
Yeah, it did look like 4 and 5 were farther out in echelon. Pilots probably notice that more than non-pilots.
According to this media source a right 50 degree bank is a "mad stunt" apparently only suited for military pilots in "fighters". the author might be speechless to learn that this is a basic maneuver required of every commercial pilot certificate candidate.
What the hell is a "Mad Stunt?" Why does it look reckless? Does this fool think that these guys just grabbed a few airliners and went for a joy ride? I am surprised that he didn't use "epic" or "what happened next will 'blow your mind'!!" And to call it a stunt? Formation flying? really? Whatever.....
Nothing really new here. They've done this sort of thing before with a "one of each model" formation and with multiple A380s. Boeing's done this kind of thing, too.
Yes, absolutely cool. If I had been doing this, I would have been more comfortable if Airbus would have temporarily installed a bubble canopy on these birds...would have made the formation maneuvers a bit easier. :-) (Okay, Preacher, you know I'm kidding!)
I hate to read all the negativity about certain aircraft manufacturers. Why are most of the US carriers flying Airbus a/c in their fleets if they are not safe? As for this video, it was so beautiful, I cried through most of it and I'm a 57-yr old married man and Sport Pilot. It was expertly filmed and everyone knew their assignments. Bravo Airbus for a spectacular achievement!
Old news, was reported 2 months ago - http://flightaware.com/squawks/view/1/1_year/new/44328/A%20five-Airbus%20formation%20flight%20is%20as%20beautiful%20and%20crazy%20as%20it%20sounds
I suppose it could have been worse...seem to remember a factory fly by demo at the Paris Air Show back in the day that resulted in "fly by wire" keeping the engines at idle when the throttle levers were pushed up....and a fancy Airbus became a not so fancy chain saw!
Looks like Airbus grasped the concept of the three most important things in aviation are "altitude, altitude, altitude".
The video reminds me of the early days in the KC10 program when we launched an 8 ship formation so we could do heavyweight air refueling training!
Our squadron call sign was "Opec" (We had the gas!)
who is this author?? "it still looks reckless." If this was penned by Steve Hinton or Patty Wagstaff, I would give it more weight. It's madness, I tell you, MADNESS those airplanes foolishly ...flying. Boy, is Airbus gonna be pissed when they find out what those pilots did.... <snark filter 'off'> (the aerial videography was stunning, btw)
That one stays in the history books. Nobody has the gonads or guts to try it, Boeing or Airbus. IDK if it's lack of nerve on the pilots or confidence(or lack of it) in the planes.
The initial ides might have been thought up as a stunt, but it was carried out in a very professional manner from planning to execution. My only worry is that some other manufacturer would try to outdo this, but without the care or detailed planning that was evident in this.
Well, as far as a major mfg., Boeing has already done it and that takes care of the other larger aircraft. Whether there is enough diversity in the other lines, idk. Hopefully they will plan as well.
It certainly one ups Boeing. I give someone at Airbus credit for realizing this was possible. And tons more credit to his or her boss for having the balls to make this happen.
Love 'em or hate 'em; it just shows that Airbus has come of age and that there is another kid on the block to contend with. Apparently Boeing got lax for a few years and allowed them to catch up. I personally think everybody needs a little competition to keep them sharp.
what took them so long. we did this kind of stuff on armed forces day in 1963, 1964 and 1965, at mcguire afb with boeing c-135b's. (1962 built aircraft) if airbus wants to play, show us their version of the barrel roll that the original boeing 707 367-80 did in 1955.
I bet we will see a similar performance at an air show in the near future. Somebody will find e.g. 5 old 707's and put on a show complete with coloured smoke and barrel rolls etc
Why? I saw this and therefore Airbus got exposure.
Now I'm not buying one any time soon (still saving up for a 737, heh), nor would it make me want to fly on an Airbus any more then I already want to fly to Australia direct on an A80.
Slow news day - Does the US make news every time it runs more than one stealth bomber?
Why do this? Anyone in the market to purchase an airliner already knows the airplanes fly well. Why spend the time on fuel and planning? Does anyone remember the XB-70 promotional catastrophe? Anytime aircraft fly close to each other there is increased risk of hitting one another. It is pretty, but when humans are involved things can and do go wrong.
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It's sad that, rather than simply reporting on a pretty cool and totally unique occurrence, they have to douche it up with scariness. Thanks, money, for making our world so... Ah, hell with it.