Aircraft General Discussion

Just had another one (presumably - I only heard it) go over - turbo-prop whine neesheeew all of a second and a half!

Neil

One of my earliest memories (aged about five, I think) was seeing a whacking great Vulcan over our house (in the middle of a large suburban area). He can't have been more than a couple of hundred feet up, if that - it certainly worried me at the time!

My late uncle was a Lancaster pilot. He was sent on a training mission in 1944 for dealing with fighters. Once airborne, he was told that the fighters would be delayed by an hour, so to stooge about and await further instructions. He asked his navigator to give him a course for Leeds, where his bird (later my aunt!) lived. He banked steeply to fly up their street, and was so low that the prop-wash deposited half a hundredweight of assorted twigs, leaves and birds' nests on top of a waiting queue at the tram stop. On reaching his beloved's house, he stood the Lanc up on end and roared away. The tail-gunner was genuinely in fear of hitting the house chimney!

If it posed athreat to a population centre or other aircraft I am sure it would be shot down.

Hmmm! Ah, yes, riiiight! Not completely convinced that such a scenario would represent a feasible, let alone sensible response!! However, the skipper of the USS Vincennes might offer assistance!

Sir,

As you so rightly say it was the battle of BRITAIN, your uncle was defending rather more than England. Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish etc. inhabitants who lost loved ones might be rather upset by your insinuation. Referring to the UK/GB as England is inaccurate, ignorant and insensitive.

Edited By jason udall on 19/06/2013 21:17:09

Jason - going back a bit to the days when aircraft toilets were the dreaded chemical Elsans, "toilet u/s" - "Toilet ground tested and found serviceable"!!

In those days, GEs had to operate in some quite apalling conditions ... they needed a sense of humour!!

Rgds

Bill

Hi Everyone, Dambusters. Some history. **LINK** Regards, Bear..

If it posed athreat to a population centre or other aircraft I am sure it would be shot down.

Surely on 9/11 that would have been the right call, although a terrible deed to ask of a pilot.

Neil

"Surely on 9/11 that would have been the right call, although a terrible deed to ask of a pilot."

Um, really? ... Let's see :-

1. Persuade nice amenable hijackers to fly AWAY from problem areas.

2. Hope that they will jettison those many TONS of highly explosive fuel.

3. Pick your moment when the resultant uncontrolled arrival will miss problem areas.

4,5,6 etc., etc.

Still, if the prospects give you a warm glow of confidence and safety, don't let me disillusion you.

Rgds

Bill

HI Bill,

No illusions - don't assume you only get a few minutes to act. Read this **LINK**

If the passengers hadn't acted themselves, don't you think shooting the plane down wouldn't have been countenanced and probably the right thing to do?

Neil

If the TradeTower aircraft had been intercepted, what could have been done? Shoot them down over a built up area-- no. Divert them-- no, the aircraft would continue, if the F- 16s got in the road they would be in collision, same effect as shooting down, but another aircraft crashing in the area. Perhaps a secure system of remote control is required to take control of aircraft. Ian S C

Ian - spot on!

Probably not much point chasing this argument, however, the reason the passengers reacted in the Pennsylvania aircraft was that they had heard what had already happened in NY, so not too many options.

Trouble with the remote control idea is that the pax wouldn't accept the idea - trains, yes, cars, yes - aircraft, NO! Mind you, Mr O'Leary would probably welcome the concept with open arms!

Rgds

Bill

I won't labour the point any further, except to point out that at least two of the 9/11 planes flew for over 30 minutes and several hundred miles after turning around and air control learning of the hijack.

That's plenty of time to make an assessment of risk and shoot down many miles from any major settlement.

I'm not saying this would always be the case, of course.

Neil

Thanks for that Jason. Funniest thing I've read on this forum in weeks, although "doubleboost" John's posts on Mad Modder take some beating for all round education and entertainment value.

Gary

edit: where do these bloody 'smilies' come from.

Edited By GaryM on 21/06/2013 22:53:19

You're welcome. .sorry again for the formating. .just pasting it into this bloody editor had expended all available patience. .reformating it once pasted in seemed imposible at the time

The aircraft that bombed Hawaii were spotted on Radar, but it was not believed, so ignored until too late. Ian S C

It would seem the RAF would  shoot an airliner down

**LINK**

Mike

Edited By Michael Poole on 24/06/2013 21:57:13

My main worry would be the aircraft being over land when aquired as target. In the UK the chance of landing in a built up area is fairly high, so the casulties could far exceed the numbers on the AC. There seems that maybe there would be more success with the US sceme of Air Marshalls. Perhaps the subject should be shelved, or some one might get the wrong idea, but it is a worry. Ian S C

HI Ian. Still only 6.8% of UK now classed as urban - but most of it is crowded into the conurbations.

Neil