Redbull at it again

[hrtpaul]

This is insane shit
https://www.facebook.com/DawnNews/video ... 351793197/

[Adam the Akrodude]

That is truly INSANE shit alright! Flying through hangars been done many times over the last 100 years of aviation - formation through a hangar - never I don't think! It's this pressure to perform and impress sponsors that can end up killing people though - we've all seen and heard about this in the past.

Paul Bonhomme and Steve Jones - truly super talented aerobatic pilots. perhaps temporary to this planet doing stuff like that! There is absolutely ZERO room for error or any external issues that could happen. Wind must have been ZERO on the day. I've seen this attitude develop in some local aerobatic pilots here - it's a kind of fearless, "I can do anything" total ego and adrenaline trip. Sadly, it often ends up in tears for family and friends. One guy here (still alive) has been doing some absolutely insane stuff - like inverted ribbon cutting lower than those doing it on the airshow circuit in USA. This guy has a enormous ego and I just so hope it doesn't end in tears for his family. A few years ago, a few of we "Akro" types watched Jim Leroy at Avalon and we just knew he was temporary to this world as he flew with ZERO margin for error. One slight burble from a fouled plug, bit of a mag drop, whatever - it's all over. Jim ended up flying through his smoke into the ground doing a simple Cuban - huge amount of useless airspace above him - none below.

Found a better vid on Youtube and here's the link to Redbull about this bloody insane bit of flying. Hope these guys don't have families!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GCFWKBoV7E

http://www.redbull.com/uk/en/motorsports/stories/1331729347327/red-bull-barnstorming-action-clip-video

I'm torn with these sort of flying antics - amazing to watch, but I just so hope doesn't end in tragedy.

The aeroplanes themselves used to be called Sbach's - now the company appears to be called XtremeAir - a German company. These beauties are often seen at the very top level of competition aerobatics - at the World Championships (WAC's). The SBach/XTremeAir XA41/42 are supposed to be one of the world's best tumbling aeroplanes - they just love to swap end over end! I love the shape of the wing - very thick and "Sukhoi-ish". The reason you would not see this aeroplane used as a racer at Redbull is because of this stubby thick wing - just too slow for air racing. The wing is optimised for top level competition aerobatics - not out and out speed.

Link to XtremeAir - oh how I'd love one - probably go for a Extra 330SC though - in my dreams!

http://www.xtremeair.com/en/Home/Home.html

Thanks Paul - brilliant post!

Cheers

Adam

[tor lives]

Very impressive.....and very stupid!!!!.
Living proof that testosterone and aircraft fuel can be a potentially fatal chemical combination.
The planet is littered with black holes-in-the ground because of this kind bravado.
I remember seeing what was left of a RAAF 707 being pulled out of Bass Strait, and attending the five consequent funerals because of this kind of "cowboy" mind-set.
Case-in-point
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6s0pBqIriw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26H-WzIe858
Once again, impressive to the on-looker but just fraught with danger and basically irresponsible, and quiet frankly, f...ing STUPID!!!
These guys should never be allowed in a cockpit again!!!
TOR

[F-27pax]

What's that saying about old and bold pilots?

A couple of decades back I found myself with a bunch of learned aviation types at the Pilatus factory in Switzeralnd. After a tour of the factory a pilot came out and did an aerobatic routine for us. It was in a valley with steep mountains on each side which the pilot used to frighten the life out of his spectators. This was all enlived by a nearby anti-aircraft battery which opened up (with blanks I hope) ever time he got above a very minimal attitude. When he finished he taxiied back to us, got out and stood on the wing with that god like smile you sometimes see on pilots.

There was also a friend of mine whose father had been a test pilot. His last words had been, 'That was fun, let's do it again'.

Leigh

[Adam the Akrodude]

In my log book

One young aero's instructor I had been flying with regularly, died with another guy I knew in a Pitts Special S-2A - doing low level spins. Instructor only has 5 hours in a Pitts, which is insane. He never should have been instructing in a Pitts with such a low amount of experience on type.

Another guy who took me for a ride in a T-28D Trojan. He died a few months later doing a low altitude roll near Launceston with a paying passenger on-board - criminal really.

Another guy who once took me for a ride in a Sukhoi-29 ended up dying in a BAC Strikemaster near Bathurst - wing departed in flight. Now this was probably not bad flying but bad maintenance on the Blunty. CASA had their eyes on this adventure flying outfit - so I think this is another form of "Rogue" flying that ended up in the loss of his life and the loss of a paying passenger celebrating his 50th birthday - awful!

Not in my log book, but still hurts.

A friend in the aerobatic club died in his Pitts S-1D possibly practicing knife edge to knife edge snap rolls at dot feet. Just prior to the accident, there had been a lot of phone traffic trying to convince this guy of the high risk of this air show manoeuvre he was planning and practicing. Why he wanted to air shows was nuts as well - he certainly didn't need the money. Whilst it will never be proven how he crashed, it's very possible it was this knife edge to knife edge snap roll he was practicing was the cause - very very sad.

Tom Moon smacking his Extra 300S into the ground at Temora in front of a video crew. It may have possibly been health related, but it was filming for air show/promotional stuff. Pressure to perform.

Pip Boorman dying in his Pitts Samson. I didn't know Pip at all, but know a guy close to him that had worked on his aeroplanes for years. Pip was a outstanding professional pilot, yet knowing there were apparently fuel feed/surge issues with his Samson, still felt under the pump to display his aeroplane to media for the forthcoming Avalon at the time - perhaps knowing that this issue was not 100% sorted. When it's a commercial concern and sponsors are involved, I just think it's truly awful when the result is this sort of tragedy. Very unforgiving aeroplane and perhaps the same thing could of happened during a routine test/practice flight or even worse at a air show. Still, it highlights to me this "Pressure to perform" that exists in the air show world that can compromise one's risk assessment and personal safety.

One young guy wanting to go places fast in the aerobatic world slammed his Pitts S-2S into the ground at his farm in S.A some years ago. He'd been receiving instruction from a highly experienced aerobatic pilot in NSW and returned home and decided to do low level aero's at his home airstrip - ego outpacing his experience and ability - result - death.

These awful tragedies at the very least can help with the decision making process for others - is what I'm doing safe or at least minimal risk? A one time instructor of mine (one of the most outstanding pilots I've had the pleasure of receiving instruction from) is a QANTAS 737 pilot now - still very much madly in love with aerobatics. He would go on about doing a risk assessment - am I OK to fly today (health, fatigue, currency, flying within ones limits, weather, etc). This has helped me judge when I should or should not fly. Aerobatics is physically pretty demanding and the aeroplanes are of higher performance and far less stable than your typical spam can (higher manoeuvrability = less stability). One has to keep enough wits and energy left after practicing aero's to land the aeroplane. It all comes down to knowing ones limits and limitations and flying within these limits. As Clint Eastwood once said "A man' just got to know his limitations!". There is just no place for big egos in aerobatics, but the nature of this pastime does most definitely attracts some whopping "Alpha" egos! Me, I'm a chicken and like doing my aero's nice and high!

Formation flying through a hangar - only two of them, what pussies! Hey, why not try a four ship next! Actually I think I've lost some respect for Paul Bonhomme regarding this "stunt". I though he'd have more discipline and common sense.

[tor lives]

And this is what happens when the "ego writes cheques that the aircraft can't cash"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjFIB1L3BPU

TOR

[Tony P]

I'm sure there were lots of i's and t's crossed and dotted. Would not call Red Bull a rogue outfit. Lot's of $$$$ at stake for cowboy shenanigans.
Looks great.

[tor lives]

It does look great, there is no doubt........right up to the bit where it goes wrong!!!!!
TOR

[Cap'n Wannabe]

And this is what happens when the "ego writes cheques that the aircraft can't cash"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjFIB1L3BPU

TOR

An interesting news story about the B-52 crash..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgJl7b9bQH0

[hrtpaul]

Yet another wanker killing his crew in a C-17.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOO60OoqGCE
And people wonder why I have a low threshold for tolerating bullshit from some pilots and their often over inflated ego's.