How Low Can You Go??

**DazDaMan** · 24th August 2005, 20:10

A Bridge Too Far - MH434 with Neil Williams (I think) as jockey.

Man, I'd LOVE to have been the kid on the bike!

**Dave Homewood** · 24th August 2005, 23:24

Regarding the Sunderland shot, a mate of mine here in Cambridge, Ray Tocker, was the Flight Engineer aboard that No. 6 Sqn aircraft during the incident. He told me that they were in serious peril as the runway ripped a considerable chunk out of the hull, and he was given the task himself of hanging upside-down by the legs, held by someone else, to patch the hole with whatever they could rip out of the interior furniture. It toook some considerable time and they were running low on juice by the end. The pilot was given a medal for landing the stricken aircraft, he says.

What I want to know is, I have seen several photos of Sunderlands and Catalinas (non-amphibious types) on the edge of RNZAF Hobsonville's grass runway. They were put their on retirement to await the scrappers in thwe 1960's. But how did they get there is what I want to know. From my memory of living there for 7 months, I am sure they cannot have been towed up from the wet apron as that's down a hill which has only one access - a narrow road with a tall bank on one side going upwards. So if they were towed the wings would have to have been removed and then refitted as seen in the photos, which seems pointless if they're to be scrapped. So, were they flown in and landed on the grass? Anyone know?

**Macfire** · 24th August 2005, 23:56

[QUOTE=Dave Homewood]What I want to know is, I have seen several photos of Sunderlands and Catalinas (non-amphibious types) on the edge of RNZAF Hobsonville's grass runway. They were put there on retirement to await the scrappers in the 1960's. But how did they get there is what I want to know. From my memory of living there for 7 months, I am sure they cannot have been towed up from the wet apron as that's down a hill which has only one access - a narrow road with a tall bank on one side going upwards. QUOTE]

Dave,
There is also an access road on the eastern end of the apron (Harrier Point) on the city side of the hangar and this where they were winched up as it is rather a steep incline. This from an "old-dig" when I asked the same question.

**Dave Homewood** · 25th August 2005, 02:15

Thanks Macfire - that explains it. Yes, one heck of an incline to winch up - that would have made quite a photo. Cheers.

**Michel Lemieux** · 25th August 2005, 17:45

**DazDaMan** · 25th August 2005, 17:50

Sh********t!

**dhfan** · 25th August 2005, 18:25

If the Sunderland hadn't beaten it by flying below ground level, that would be the answer to the original question.

**Michel Lemieux** · 25th August 2005, 19:10

How low can you go......without touching mother earth

If this is the case do touch & go's count ?

**dhfan** · 25th August 2005, 19:18

On water, with a landplane - possibly.

**Skyraider3D** · 25th August 2005, 20:04

Originally Posted by dhfan

On water, with a landplane - possibly.

Then on land with a waterplane counts too!

But I reckon not touching is the trick

On a similar note, has anybody got some better pictures of Romanian aerobatics pilot and ace Constantin "Bâzu" Cantacuzino?
http://www.elknet.pl/acestory/foto1/cantacuzino3.jpg

**...starfire** · 25th August 2005, 20:49

Originally Posted by Skyraider3D

On a similar note, has anybody got some better pictures of Romanian aerobatics pilot and ace Constantin "Bâzu" Cantacuzino?
http://www.elknet.pl/acestory/foto1/cantacuzino3.jpg

The name sounds familiar ... Is it the same Cantacuzino, who flew with a captured US Colonel to Foggia in a "Stars and Striped" Me 109?

**Skyraider3D** · 25th August 2005, 21:03

Yes, I believe that's the one.

**gordonpagecolor** · 25th August 2005, 21:48

A REALLY low pass!

**dhfan** · 25th August 2005, 21:57

Doesn't "pass" mean pass, not stop?

**Skyraider3D** · 25th August 2005, 22:46

Forgive me if I posted it already on one of the previous pages, but here's a photo of a Macchi 200 buzzing Taranto. It sadly proved that these kind of stunts aren't without danger as the pilot hit a member of the ground crew and more or less decapitated him. If I remember correctly, the pilot hadn't noticed a thing and after landing was confronted with a dent in his wing's leading edge, containing skull fragments...

**DazDaMan** · 25th August 2005, 22:54

Christ! That wouldn't half make your nuts jump into your throat!

**turbo_NZ** · 25th August 2005, 22:57

Great pic, Ronnie, but sad tale.....

TNZ

**Melvyn Hiscock** · 26th August 2005, 08:58

Originally Posted by gordonpagecolor

A REALLY low pass!

Mmmm, dunno if that counts as it is really a "I think I'll land there, the ice looks fine - errrrr, whoops" rather than "I bet I can overtake that fish on a flypast"!

**Box Brownie** · 26th August 2005, 09:25

Some interesting flying! came across this shot the other day - I took it at Gaydon in 1975, manual focus etc - oh for digital etc.

**Paul F** · 26th August 2005, 10:21

Posts 156/185/189 and 190 suddenly triggered the old grey cells....many years ago there was a TV documentary on ag-pilots in Africa (IIRC), who got bored with the relative tedium of crop spraying.

Nearby was a lake or river - very still, very calm water.

One eveing (no doubt after a beer) they were seeing just how low they could get above thw water when one of them actually skimmed the surface with his mainwheels. Fortunately he didn't dip his tyres in too deeply, or he would have instantly nosed over into the wet stuff. Having done it once, and got away with it, he repeated it, then they all tried, and before long found it was relatively "easy"

to "water ski" their Agcats/Agtruks etc in this way. I remember camera shots showing the planes skimming down the river/canal/lake surface raising spray from their wheel for maybe 50 - 75 yrds at a time

Anyone else remember the documentary - given it's nature it was probably shown on the then relatively obscure C4 (or BBC2)?

Paul F

**Pen Pusher** · 26th August 2005, 10:43

Does this qualify, it was taking off at the time.

Brian

**Shorty01** · 26th August 2005, 21:47

Here is a glider doing it over water...just...

http://www.agcsc.org/video/Stemme_beachrun.mov

**Melvyn Hiscock** · 26th August 2005, 22:43

Working on the Vimy last week I was told a great story about an Otter in the north of Canada. The pilot had seen someone dipping the wheels in a lake and thought he would have a go, problem was that he had skis on and they sucked down on the water and prevented the Otter from climbing. His only way out was to cut the throttle and let the aeroplane sink as the hydroplaning stopped and gravity took over. They hoiked it out of the water later and dried it out to fly again.

Pilot not too popular though.

**Mark12** · 26th August 2005, 23:58

I have seen a promo video somewhere of an American homebuild, high wing, taildragger, possibly a Kitfox, fitted with enormous oversize ballon tyres. It will land on the water, no runway facility, but you have to judge the rollout on to a suitable beaching point. Keep it moving and it will fast taxi.

They were after the hunting fishing guys.

Mark

**Skyraider3D** · 27th August 2005, 03:17

Great video, Shorty!

**LesB** · 27th August 2005, 07:30

I've had this pic for years it seems, it exemplifies the current topic of this thread.

**Mark12** · 27th August 2005, 07:37

Not perhaps as low as this recent shot.

With apologies to an unknown photographer.

Does anybody know who took it?

Mark

**DazDaMan** · 27th August 2005, 07:52

**...starfire** · 27th August 2005, 09:13

I ´ve seen that picture already, but AFAIK and unfortunatly that was no "How low ..."-pass, but a landing with rectracted gear / undercarriage ...

**Mark12** · 27th August 2005, 09:21

Originally Posted by ...starfire

I ´ve seen that picture already, but AFAIK and unfortunatly that was no "How low ..."-pass, but a landing with rectracted gear / undercarriage ...

Starfire

Yes I know that..and I have met the pilot/owner Tom Wood, who I think is in the cockpit, on a couple of occasions.

He must be one of the longest single owning/flying Warbird operators out there. I first photographed this P-51 in this scheme under his ownership in 1972, so over 30 years now.

Tongue was firmly in cheek when posted.

Mark

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