Navy pilots get spanked for fly-over

Seriously? I don't see the big deal here, it's not like they were flying between buildings.

"He is a senior, very experienced department head who placed his aircraft and wingman in a very dangerous position."

I just don't understand that, and I'd love for someone to explain it to me if there's an actual 'danger' here. These guys fly jets off boats for god sake, a straight and level flyover is all of a sudden dangerous?
 
lhornaday said:
Got what they deserved



Stuff happens

http://www.google.com/#q=f-18+crash
Click to expand...

Of course stuff happens, but if you watch the 'related videos' from that clip, there's a bunch of other views from that flyover, but there's also a fly over at night with 2 CH-47s that look even lower than the jets, what if those helo's engines quit and crashed into the crowd? And even if the engines flamed out in those jets, being 1000AGL is going to save people? I just find it surprising that they would both be let go from flying, because it really doesn't seem like that big of a deal. Nobody got hurt, nothing got damaged, the jets were lower than normal. If anything a slap on the wrist with 'don't let it happen again' seems more appropriate, maybe a suspension for a period of time. It just seems like much worse has been done in the past with lesser consequences.
 
looks like they were just flying in fingertip formation...what's the problem? they do that all the time

edit: i see they are in trouble for how low they were not how close they were to each other...disregard
 
Mark815 said:
"He is a senior, very experienced department head who placed his aircraft and wingman in a very dangerous position."

Note, nothing about the guy being an experiened pilot. But apparently quite the experienced department head.

Another shot in the arm for flight safety, not to mention military recruiting. These guys weren't hot dogging; they made a mistake and when they realized it, reported it right away. But instead of using it as an opportunity to perhaps make an improvement, someone wants to use it to make his bones.

Yeah this really makes me want to join the Navy, and encourage all my friends to do the same.

Do I really need the sarcasm tag?
Click to expand...
 
A Navy evaluation board, however, found the pilots' lapse was neither intentional nor malicious, the Virginian-Pilot reported. The board recommended putting both pilots on probation.

The board concluded the pilots chose to use barometric altitude measurements (feet above sea level) instead of radar altitude measurements (feet above ground level) but failed to adjust their warning systems accordingly, the newspaper reported. By the time the alarm sounded, it was too late to correct the mistake.

His (O'Hanlon) report did note it was only Condon's second flyover, his first as pilot of the lead jet, and described both men as motivated and dedicated officers.


http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/navy-grounds-pilots-for-392423.html
 
lhornaday said:
Got what they deserved
Click to expand...

Excuse me?

I was on the Hornet West Demo Team for over a year and we performed several stadium fly overs. I can personally say I have seen much worse. They did nothing wrong. Ya it was low, thats fantastic, thats what a fly over should look like.
 
Inverted said:
Excuse me?

I was on the Hornet West Demo Team for over a year and we performed several stadium fly overs. I can personally say I have seen much worse. They did nothing wrong. Ya it was low, thats fantastic, thats what a fly over should look like.
Click to expand...

While I don't disagree that it looked cool, regs are regs my friend. You may have not been intimately familiar with the details the pilots flying your demos had to work with, but 3710 quite clearly outlines this distinction, and it is quite possible that the demo team was operating under a CNAF or FAA waiver (to go lower, etc).

That said, it sounds like the bigger bust here was honesty about what happened. Even flying wing in parade, you can tell the difference between 1000+ AGL and 200'.
 
Good discussion of this over at AirWarriors.

The general opinion among the Anal Naviators over there is that they deserved what they got.
 
Inverted said:
I was on the Hornet West Demo Team for over a year and we performed several stadium fly overs. I can personally say I have seen much worse.
Click to expand...

Does seeing much worse make this any less illegal or less unethical? I feel the need to give them a one-liner: "Your ego is writing checks your body can't cash."

Inverted said:
They did nothing wrong.
Click to expand...

The Navy Disagrees. The FAA disagrees. Most everyone else disagrees. I need strong convincing of how 40,000 lbs of burning metal 200' above my head should be okay with me.
 
I liked it. I'd give them a slap on the wrist and be done with it. It wasn't any worse than this:

[yt]JdkmZrPta48[/yt]

Feedback:

[yt]c-Ow7VCgQtg[/yt]


Hacker15e said:
Good discussion of this over at AirWarriors.

The general opinion among the Anal Naviators over there is that they deserved what they got.
Click to expand...

I didn't think AF was welcome over there on the Dark Side.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top