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Help please - Chapman's Aircraft


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#1 john aston

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Posted 16 June 2021 - 14:38

My car club (Lotus Seven) is reprinting , with permission , an article about ACBC 's various aircraft . We need to source our own pictures however , ideally of  - 

 

Cessna 414A in JPS livery , G-PRIX , his Miles Messenger , Twin Comanche and Essex livery Bell Jetranger  and WHY  

 

Can anybody help please? No cash I'm afraid , but a credit and a free copy of the award winning magazine  



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#2 Mallory Dan

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Posted 16 June 2021 - 15:42

There was a great article on this very subject John, in The Aeroplane magazine, around 2 years ago. 



#3 sabrejet

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Posted 16 June 2021 - 15:44

He had a few more:

 

Miles M.38 Messenger Mk.IIA G-AKIO - Lotus Cars Ltd 03Oct60-24Feb64
Piper PA.24 Comanche Srs 250 G-ARYV - ACB Chapman 17Apr62-03Jun64
Piper PA.30 Twin Comanche G-ASUT - Team Lotus Ltd 30Jul64-02Apr66
Piper PA-31 Navajo G-AZME - Group Lotus Car Companies Ltd 14Jan72-07Sep77
Piper PA.31 Navajo Srs 350 G-BCOD - Group Lotus Car Companies Ltd 19Nov74-02Jul79
Cessna 414A G-PRIX - Group Lotus Car Companies Ltd 24Aug79-24Jan83
Bell 206B JetRanger G-AYTF - Group Lotus Car Companies Ltd 26Sep80-13Apr83
 
Presumably he or the team owned something else from 1966 to 1972 also?

Edited by sabrejet, 16 June 2021 - 15:54.


#4 sabrejet

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Posted 16 June 2021 - 15:59

This is G-ARYV in 1985 if it's any help:

 

51250379117_5f531b8a38_b.jpg



#5 Doug Nye

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Posted 16 June 2021 - 16:27

Group Lotus also owned and operated Piper PA31 Navajo G-LCCO - which broke up in mid-air and crashed at Earl Stonham, Stowmarket, on August 20, 1980.

 

The aircraft was being returned to Hethel after service at Stapleford Tawney, and its sole occupant was Group's 26-year-old aircraft operations manager, inevitably nicknamed 'Biggles'.  Investigation concluded that, being alone in the aircraft, this bold young aviator had decided to try his hand at a few extreme aerobatics - too extreme for the airframe. The accident was not surviveable.

 

Screenshot-2021-06-16-at-17-30-15.png

 

See: 

 

https://assets.publi...1981_G-LCCO.pdf

 

A sad story.

 

DCN


Edited by Doug Nye, 16 June 2021 - 16:31.


#6 Paul Hurdsfield

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Posted 16 June 2021 - 19:02

I took this one at Silverstone a few years ago     ;)

My son is the small one, he was 50 last month, that might help to date it.

 

https://forum.wscc.c...8e3e178ec36.jpg


Edited by Paul Hurdsfield, 16 June 2021 - 19:04.


#7 john aston

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Posted 17 June 2021 - 06:46

Many thanks to all - TNF comes up trumps again.

 

Mallory Dan - it is indeed  the Aeroplane piece we are using , but we have to source the pictures ourselves, hence the request. 

 

For this who have posted pictures , are you happy we use them please ?   



#8 mariner

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Posted 17 June 2021 - 07:23

One story I heard from an ex Lotus employee was that Chapman eventually got plane that was too tall to go into the Hethel hanger . 

 

So he got the drawing office to design a special nose wheel trolley which lifted the  nose wheel up so lowering he tail until the plane went in the hanger



#9 Doug Nye

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Posted 17 June 2021 - 10:18

Another Group story was of Colin's impatience when parking his aircraft in the hangar at Hethel.  He misjudged his speed into the building, and struck the far wall, causing several thousand pounds-worth of damage to the aircraft's nose.  

 

To prevent any repeat he then had timber baulks bolted to the floor against which the main undercarriage wheels would be stopped with the aircraft's nose safely short of the wall.  

 

Confident in his new measure he later taxied gaily into the hangar, misjudged distance one more time and the main-gear wheels hit the baulks so hard that the aircraft lurched down on its nose wheel, its tail-fin struck the ceiling and the tips of the propellers - allegedly - the floor...  Another big repair bill.

 

He had also damaged an earlier aircraft - a Twin Comanche I think - in a celebrated grass-field landing at Brands Hatch.  Having given some fellow racer-aviators a bollocking about flying safely he misjudged a touch-down near (or over) weight limit on the wet grass, locked-up the aircraft's brakes and slithered at speed into the end hedgerow. Naturally, it wasn't his fault...  I vividly recall the stories of this incident - around 1964-66 period - but I haven't yet found any AAIB report of its investigation, and I am confident there should have been one - unless the matter passed entirely unreported to the CAA?

 

DCN



#10 Odseybod

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Posted 17 June 2021 - 12:56

Can't help thinking thee should be a whole new thread devoted to motor sport persons' aviating excitements, if there isn't already one, even if they never troubled the Campaign Against Aviation's official records.

 

Brabham's arrival at Silverstone for (I think) an International Trophy meeting is one that springs to mind ....



#11 sabrejet

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Posted 17 June 2021 - 15:08

Many thanks to all - TNF comes up trumps again.

 

Mallory Dan - it is indeed  the Aeroplane piece we are using , but we have to source the pictures ourselves, hence the request. 

 

For this who have posted pictures , are you happy we use them please ?   

 

Fine for me: I'm sure I have a photo of one of the Navajos too but cannot locate it. If I do I'll send it on.



#12 Paul Hurdsfield

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Posted 17 June 2021 - 18:47

Yep you can use mine, if you need a higher resolution copy please message me and i'll sort it out for you.

Doug's post about the grass landing strip at Brands reminds me of camping there in 1978 for the GP.

To access the paddock bend entrance from the campsite you had to cross the grass landing strip, there were usually a couple of marshalls to stop spectators crossing while planes were landing or taking off. When the single engined planes lined up at the end with their engines reving up ready for a slow take off some spectators would take their chance and leg it across the strip, but when Chapmans twin engined beast lined up everyone stopped and stared at the spectacle.  :clap:


Edited by Paul Hurdsfield, 17 June 2021 - 18:48.


#13 DogEarred

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Posted 18 June 2021 - 05:58

As a teenager, I saw Chapman land a twin engined jobbo in that Brands Hatch field and wondered how he did it.

The techniques for short field landing and take off are part of the curriculum when learning to fly.
I don’t think many pilots practice them regularly though.

If accidents occur. It is because the airstrip is unsuitable and/or conditions are adverse.
In any case it is the pilot’s responsibility to act in a safe manner.

As for speeding into a hanger, there is NO excuse.

The ‘cowboy’ style maybe entertaining to pilot and/or spectators but is definitely frowned upon by the authorities.

(Having said that, I know of a certain, nameless individual who was taught some really fun, slightly less than legal things to do by his instructor!) ...

#14 Charles E Taylor

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Posted 18 June 2021 - 08:52

Hi

 

 

Lotus aircraft.

 

 

You should also perhaps include G-MMLC which, although was not flown by ACBC was perhaps the prototype of an intended series production Lotus aircraft and even had a Lotus engine.

 

This prototype aircraft, designed by Bert Rutan as Scaled Composites model 97M first flew in the UK with the Lotus engine from Hethel around 9 months after ACBC died.

 

 

 

The more you look the more you see.

 

 

 

 

Charlie



#15 arttidesco

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Posted 18 June 2021 - 09:15

Hi

 

 

Lotus aircraft.

 

 

You should also perhaps include G-MMLC which, although was not flown by ACBC was perhaps the prototype of an intended series production Lotus aircraft and even had a Lotus engine.

 

This prototype aircraft, designed by Bert Rutan as Scaled Composites model 97M first flew in the UK with the Lotus engine from Hethel around 9 months after ACBC died.

 

 

 

The more you look the more you see.

 

 

 

 

Charlie

 

TY Wow ! Everyday is a school day  :drunk:

 

http://stargazer2006.../microlight.htm



#16 Doug Nye

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Posted 18 June 2021 - 11:04

Team Lotus photographer Peter Darley recalls the Brands Hatch incident very well.  He recalls: "Colin's standard approach when landing at Brands was to make a low pass over the paddock, which would alert me for one of my duties, which was to take a car to the airstrip and collect him.  I drove over on this occasion and waited for him to come in and land. He touched down OK but on the landing run the Piper's right-side main wheel dropped into a rabbit hole. The impact immediately collapsed the undercarriage leg - and actually broke the wing's main spar - and the Piper slewed to a drunken stop, starboard wing on the deck.  Colin - as you can imagine - wasn't at all happy... That was an expensive one."

 

Here are Peter's shots of the aftermath:

 

PETER-DARLEY-CHAPMAN-LOTUS-PIPE-CRASH-BR

 

PETER-DARLEY-CHAPMAN-LOTUS-PIPE-CRASH-BR

 

Note that the registration ends in a 'Y' - not then an aircraft listed in post 3, above?  It does appear to be a Twin Comanche...???

 

And here's another Darley photograph of himself (with a then just repossessed Rolls-Royce which he'd taken to the Silverstone trip as a change to collect ACBC) with G-PRIX, the JPS Cessna 414A.

 

DARLEY-ROLLS-ROYCE-JPS-AIRCRAFT-G-PRIX-S

 

DCN



#17 BRG

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Posted 18 June 2021 - 11:12

The ‘cowboy’ style maybe entertaining to pilot and/or spectators but is definitely frowned upon by the authorities.

There is a flyer's saying  "There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots".

 

It makes you wonder if Graham Hill's rather cavalier and sadly fatal approach to aviation was influenced by his old boss?



#18 Doug Nye

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Posted 18 June 2021 - 11:15

The only timid one in that flying set was John Cooper - who opted out of aviation.  Probably the most capable pilot was Jack Brabham.

 

DCN



#19 mariner

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Posted 18 June 2021 - 12:44

There is a flyer's saying  "There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots".

 

It makes you wonder if Graham Hill's rather cavalier and sadly fatal approach to aviation was influenced by his old boss?

 

in fairness to Hill's memory I don't think the CAA report into his fatal crash said anything like that had happened. I think it was put down to a combination  of the nearest weather forecast not being accurate for his landing field and misjudgement of ability  in the difficult conditions.

 

I am no way an aviation expert but one basic problem with old time "racer" flying is only having one pilot on board. All commercial flights have two and whilst the captain can be too domineering in some scenaros two heads allow better flight maangement.



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#20 sabrejet

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Posted 18 June 2021 - 15:35

 

PETER-DARLEY-CHAPMAN-LOTUS-PIPE-CRASH-BR

 

 

Note that the registration ends in a 'Y' - not then an aircraft listed in post 3, above?  It does appear to be a Twin Comanche...???

 

 

DCN

 

Doug, possibly G-AVCY, which would have been owned by CSE in the 1966/67 timeframe?



#21 BRG

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Posted 18 June 2021 - 16:13

in fairness to Hill's memory I don't think the CAA report into his fatal crash said anything like that had happened. I think it was put down to a combination  of the nearest weather forecast not being accurate for his landing field and misjudgement of ability  in the difficult conditions.

Having an expired pilot's licence wasn't very clever though.  And conditions were truly dire that evening.  A wiser pilot might have diverted to somewhere better equipped like Luton.  

 

I suppose for a bunch of guys in a sport where life expectancy was rather less than the norm, flying may have seemed a safe option and needn't be taken too seriously.  



#22 GreenMachine

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Posted 18 June 2021 - 22:05

BRG and I don't always agree, but I agree with him on this.  GH made a bad error in 'pressing on', a fatal one for all on board.  The psychology of the racing driver has no place at the controls of an aircraft, especially when passengers are involved and the only penalty of being 'safe' is the inconvenience of delay.

 

No pilot reading that report (as summarised by mariner) would read it any way other than basic pilot error, a sadly common phenomenon and the well founded basis for the 'no old bold pilots' aphorism.  It is something that all trainee pilots are (were?) taught - accept that sometimes you can't fly, or sometimes you will end up somewhere other than your intended destination - better that than dead.



#23 RS2000

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Posted 18 June 2021 - 22:11

I'm sure I've seen somewhere that after the Brands "heavy landing" a furious Chapman exited the aircraft and stormed off leaving Hazel strapped inside and failing to switch off the electrics. Someone else (Sir John Whitmore? Alan Mann?) had to go into the aircraft and help her out and switch everything off.

 

The one time I was in that field I heard NGH make a comment to someone about the risk they were all running, given the substantial hedge/trees, "if you had to abort". Not the words of a complete cowboy pilot.

 

Wasn't Chapman also known for regularly climbing out from Hethel straight through Lakenheath's controlled airspace, ignoring radio challenges?

 

Who was it said "any landing you walk away from is a good one"?  



#24 GreenMachine

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Posted 18 June 2021 - 23:31

Racing drivers are not generally risk-averse.  Yet that is what makes an 'old pilot'.  'Pressing-on' into adverse weather is high risk behaviour, 'bold pilot' territory.  It doesn't make him a 'cowboy', he knew the risks, weighed them, and just made the wrong decision (my hypothesis, strengthened by the anecdote you quoted).

 

Very competent pilots have made the same mistake - IIRC Neil Williams died the same way, ferrying an aircraft back to the UK from Spain.



#25 cooper997

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Posted 19 June 2021 - 03:33

The only timid one in that flying set was John Cooper - who opted out of aviation.

 

DCN

 

Wasn't that after the 1962 incident at Fairoaks that also involved ACBC?

 

 

Stephen



#26 Doug Nye

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Posted 19 June 2021 - 08:08

Correct.



#27 Tim Murray

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Posted 19 June 2021 - 08:56

That would be this story, I think - one of my favourites:


(etc)

I must, however, relieve myself of another JB fire story which you might appreciate... 'Flight' magazine wanted to produce a feature story on F1 racers beginning to take to the air, circa 1962. They arranged an air-to-air photo shoot at Fairoaks Aerodrome, just outside Woking, Surrey, home of McLaren today. The participants were to be Jack in his Cessna 310 twin, Colin Chapman in his Piper Aztec, Innes Ireland in his Beech Bonanza and John Cooper in his Piper TriPacer (I think) single.

John was last to go up to format on 'Flight's camera 'plane. He was a nervous pilot and liked to have company. On this occasion Colin Chapman - having done his bit - crammed into the back of the cabin, and a career 707 commercial pilot friend of JNC's took the right-hand front seat. Jack was still airborne, stooging around to watch. He saw JNC formate (loosely) on the camera plane, then break off and go round the circuit to land. It was a horrible, gusty, bumpy day, and the little PIper was all over the sky during final approach.

Evidently, just around the commit height, John suddenly panicked, bawled at his 707 pro pilot friend "Here, you take it!" and let go of the controls. His pal, taken by surprise, made a wild grab but it was too late. The Piper hit hard, bounced and nosed over, bending the prop and ending-up standing near vertically, tail in the air, wings crumpled.

As spectators rushed towards the wrecked 'plane, JNC, 707 pilot and ACBC all decanted onto the grass, and Jack - who had seen the whole thing from the air - landed and taxied across to the scene, being the first to reach them. He found a terrific row raging between Chapman and Cooper, which speaks volumes about each of them as characters...

Seeing fuel dribbling from a split tank seam, Colin's reflex action was instant:

"Quick John", he bawled, "SET FIRE TO IT!!!!" - "Claim the insurance!!!".

John obediently rummaged in his pockets, producing a lighter. Then he had typical second thoughts:

"No, no, I can't do that, we'd never get away with it...".

Colin:

"Go on, quick, you won't get a second chance! Quick before anybody else gets here!"

John, encouraged:

"Right, OK Colin, stand back everyone..."

He reached out with the lighter, towards probably 40 gallons of AvGas, then (wisely) had an awful but realistic second thought:

"NO! Hang on - I bet The Old Man hasn't paid the premium..."

And do you know...he was right.

DCN



#28 LOTI

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Posted 19 June 2021 - 10:43

Returning from Spa in 1967 several of the guys flew into Schipol's air space unidentified. They bought the airport to a grinding halt..... we were listening on the radio. The police were waiting at Southend [where we cleared customs] not happy!

Jack Brabham sold Chris his Piper Commanche when he upgraded. It was about the size of a VW Beetle and went about the same speed. The "landing gear locked" light didn't work but..... hey, it will be OK [won't it?] Jack kept it at Fairoakes which was a rather muddy grass strip. It seems that some crud had got into the works, so all was OK in the end.

When we had passengers there was very little room for luggage so life jackets and stuff got left behind..... we had 2 flares, we tried one at a fireworks party..... it didn't work.

Still, we [mostly] lived to tell the tale.

Flying to Le Mans the air traffic controller suddenly started speaking french...... we did several circuits in the holding pattern but got nowhere so Chris turned to me and said "What is 'I'm turning on finals on the down wind leg' in french?"  I must have missed the french RT lesson at school...... but I think they got the finale bit but I never found out what a down wind leg is.... un jambe de vent audessus?

All extremely dangerous and silly. Hey ho.

Loti



#29 10kDA

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Posted 19 June 2021 - 12:24

There are many misconceptions about so-called pilot error and much second guessing of pilots' decisions which have had fatal outcomes. The skill of a pilot may be questioned after the fact with no way to answer the question. The weather can change very quickly, much quicker than weather reports are updated. Sometimes the first a pilot knows the report is inaccurate is when he flies into the current conditions - which will appear on a future weather report. There is a time factor involved which is rarely considered in armchair critiques. Will a pilot have enough time to apply his adequate skill to avoid a disaster? If he does it becomes a "There I was... flat on my back... at 20000ft..." story. If he doesn't it becomes a "That will never happen to ME..." story - told by his surviving peers.

 

My aviation mentor told me about a scary flight he made, a flight of 2 F-86Hs on a very dark moonless night. The first a/c took off and my mentor followed a few moments later. Their intention was to formate before leaving the area, so #1 loitered until my mentor could pick him up and close. My mentor saw a light and called "I have you visual" and flew toward what he thought was a marker light. As he closed, he glanced at the altimeter and realized it was unwinding. Looking back at the light, he realized, with little time to spare, the light was on the back end of a train's observation car. He estimated elapsed time from seeing the light & establishing closing heading - noting altimeter - ID'ing train - pointing up away from the ground as between 5 and 7 seconds. He nearly became a statistic and went on to more than double his flight hours which at the time of this near-miss were over 8000. The point he was making with the story was that unless you have the time to do the right thing, it can still turn out badly. One can plan and train for encountering the unexpected, but arriving into the unexpected you may find you've overrun the time frame for the sequence of actions necessary to address the issue. Aviation accident final reports filed without eyewitness accounts always contain conjecture and the various alphabet agencies acknowledge this. It's neither fair nor accurate to pass judgement on a pilot's attitude for an outcome which may well have been the result of one single mistake at a critical, unrecoverable moment. If you've ever spun a car, you know what I'm talking about. You can slide, and slide, and slide, but if it gets past a certain point, it's going and you can't catch it. But had you been saying "That will never happen to ME"...?


Edited by 10kDA, 19 June 2021 - 12:25.


#30 BRG

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Posted 19 June 2021 - 19:58

The real point is that the ethos of safely piloting an aircraft and that of competitively racing a car are totally and completely opposite.  In racing, you go for the gap if it presents itself - you take risks - calculated ones, hopefully - but risks nevertheless.  You are taking things to the edge, extracting the max from the machine and from yourself.  In flying, you take on risks at all if you avoid them.  if it doubt, you don't do it.  Caution and risk-avoidance are your watchwords.  If you make an error on final approach, you abort and go round again.  You don't barrel on in and hope for the best.

 

Now this is talking about civil flying.  Obviously in a military environment, you take lots of risks.  The Battle of Britain wasn't won by being really, really cautious!  But flying into Brands Hatch for a race meeting or whatever is civil aviation. dent.  And one single mistake is pilot error.  To err is human but if and when we do, it is still a mistake.



#31 Doug Nye

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Posted 19 June 2021 - 20:27

To be fair, the story I recalled about ACBC landing at Brands too hot, too heavy, too hard, on wet grass, is plainly - from Peter Darley's first-hand recollection and photos - in error.  The Piper plainly did not slither onward into the hedgerow, as I believe I had been told, and it had instead dropped a wheel into an unsuspected rabbit burrow.

 

Hardly, then, the pilot's fault...  

 

Just for once.    :cool:

 

DCN


#32 DeKnyff

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Posted 19 June 2021 - 21:33

Hi

 

 

Lotus aircraft.

 

 

You should also perhaps include G-MMLC which, although was not flown by ACBC was perhaps the prototype of an intended series production Lotus aircraft and even had a Lotus engine.

 

This prototype aircraft, designed by Bert Rutan as Scaled Composites model 97M first flew in the UK with the Lotus engine from Hethel around 9 months after ACBC died.

 

 

 

The more you look the more you see.

 

 

 

 

Charlie

Not sure I’d want to fly in a Lotus powered plane. Would it fall to pieces just after landing? 



#33 68targa

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Posted 20 June 2021 - 11:54

Not sure I’d want to fly in a Lotus powered plane. Would it fall to pieces just after landing? 

You'd definitely want a mechanic's gallon



#34 FrankB

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Posted 20 June 2021 - 12:10

Regarding the wisdom of not setting out on a planned flight or heading to an alternative destination in light of changing met conditions… I have heard several pilots say variations of, “It’s better to be down here wishing you were up there, rather than up there wishing you were down here.”

#35 10kDA

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Posted 20 June 2021 - 12:19

The real point is that the ethos of safely piloting an aircraft and that of competitively racing a car are totally and completely opposite.  In racing, you go for the gap if it presents itself - you take risks - calculated ones, hopefully - but risks nevertheless.  You are taking things to the edge, extracting the max from the machine and from yourself.  In flying, you take on risks at all if you avoid them.  if it doubt, you don't do it.  Caution and risk-avoidance are your watchwords.  If you make an error on final approach, you abort and go round again.  You don't barrel on in and hope for the best.

 

Now this is talking about civil flying.  Obviously in a military environment, you take lots of risks.  The Battle of Britain wasn't won by being really, really cautious!  But flying into Brands Hatch for a race meeting or whatever is civil aviation. dent.  And one single mistake is pilot error.  To err is human but if and when we do, it is still a mistake.

Wrong - the point is that no living person knows how and why the crash happened, and therefore has no basis to make a judgement based on perception of a pilot's attitude, temperament, character, or ability. Have you read the AIB report? No living person knew why it happened at that time either. Explicitly stated is "The precise reason for the aircraft hitting the ground short of the runway could not be established but the possibility that the pilot underestimated his distance from the aerodrome and descended prematurely cannot be excluded." BTW, no drive-by psych evaluation nor spurious characterization appear in the text of that document.



#36 BRG

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Posted 20 June 2021 - 21:04

Wrong - the point is that no living person knows how and why the crash happened, and therefore has no basis to make a judgement based on perception of a pilot's attitude, temperament, character, or ability. Have you read the AIB report

I have actually, but a very long time ago and I don't know where to find it now. 

 

But you clearly see little value in a AAIB report as you think that no living person knows how or why the crash happened.  Makes you wonder why the AAIB even bothered, or why we even need such a pointless organisation.  Just because it is one of our favourite motor sport characters doesn't mean that Graham didn't screw up.



#37 10kDA

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Posted 21 June 2021 - 02:32

I have actually, but a very long time ago and I don't know where to find it now. 

 

But you clearly see little value in a AAIB report as you think that no living person knows how or why the crash happened.  Makes you wonder why the AAIB even bothered, or why we even need such a pointless organisation.  Just because it is one of our favourite motor sport characters doesn't mean that Graham didn't screw up.

Wrong again. You have mischaracterized me this time. I said, implied, intimated no such thing toward an AAIB report nor toward the organization. Read what I wrote.


Edited by 10kDA, 21 June 2021 - 02:39.


#38 john aston

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Posted 21 June 2021 - 05:39

Once again , many thanks to all those who helped with the original request - I told our editor TNF would deliver and , as ever, it has . We seem now to have strayed  a little from the original topic so ...err...carry on bickering ? 



#39 BRG

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Posted 21 June 2021 - 10:11

 ...err...carry on bickering ? 

Not me.  All bickered out.

 

Returning to the actual topic, was this supposed rabbit hole that Colin fell down on the actual runway at Brands or in the parking area?  



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#40 Odseybod

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Posted 21 June 2021 - 15:06

Wherever, he presumably muttered "Oh, buck! (rather than "Doh!").



#41 arttidesco

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Posted 21 June 2021 - 21:06

Not me.  All bickered out.

 

Returning to the actual topic, was this supposed rabbit hole that Colin fell down on the actual runway at Brands or in the parking area?  

 

If memory serves from visits to the Race of Champions '73 - '75 there was not much difference twixt the actual runway and the parking area at Brands, it was all one rather sodden field for the exclusive use of intrepid aeronaughts.  :drunk:  


Edited by arttidesco, 21 June 2021 - 21:07.


#42 BRG

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Posted 22 June 2021 - 10:51

There was probably a rabbit hole on Heathrow Airport that caused that the nose wheel of that BA 787 to collapse the other day!



#43 Macca

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Posted 22 June 2021 - 12:19

I believe I have read that, while ACBC was reasonably careful in warming up racing car engines, he tended to start his aeroplane and taxi straight out and take off without stabilising his temperatures and pressures, which increased his maintenance bills.

When he settled at cruising speed, he was obsessed with synchronising the revs of the two engines, for no good reason that I know except a nicer noise.

Paul M

#44 BRG

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Posted 22 June 2021 - 14:46

I believe I have read that, while ACBC was reasonably careful in warming up racing car engines, he tended to start his aeroplane and taxi straight out and take off without stabilising his temperatures and pressures, which increased his maintenance bills.

That's just bad aircraft operation.  You should always get everything to working temps and pressures before even moving off your parking stand.  Apart from the maintenance issue (not to be sneezed at, given the bills!) you really don't want to be in the middle of your takeoff run when your engine(s) start to cough and splutter!



#45 RS2000

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Posted 22 June 2021 - 16:05

Having once been in the field concerned and currently being a council volunteer in a country park/nature reserve with large fields, it is my experience that rabbits do not dig holes in the middle of fields but in the edges.....



#46 Doug Nye

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Posted 22 June 2021 - 17:34

Not around by 'ere they don't... Or perhaps we have particularly careless rabbits on the Surrey/Hampshire border?

 

DCN



#47 Dick Dastardly

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Posted 22 June 2021 - 18:39

If we're on about motor sport personnel drivers and their aircraft, might be worth bringing up a certain Colin McRae esq and his helicopter........ 



#48 AllanL

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Posted 22 June 2021 - 18:53

The report of Colin McRae's crash, and local reports of preceding antics, made for utterly depressing reading, Truly awful for his surviving family.

 

Back to ACBC, maybe Innes Ireland bred a few special middle-of-field loving Brands Hatch bunnies?



#49 BRG

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Posted 22 June 2021 - 18:54

Not around by 'ere they don't... Or perhaps we have particularly careless rabbits on the Surrey/Hampshire border?

 

DCN

Are they Surrey rabbits tunnelling out, or Hampshire rabbits tunnelling into God's Own County?

 

If we're on about motor sport personnel drivers and their aircraft, might be worth bringing up a certain Colin McRae esq and his helicopter........ 

There seems to be a theme here of motor sport folk being rather blase about flying and safety.  Some not getting away with it, sadly.



#50 john aston

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Posted 23 June 2021 - 06:06

If we're on about motor sport personnel drivers and their aircraft, might be worth bringing up a certain Colin McRae esq and his helicopter........ 

I'd rather we didn't - quite why that man is still venerated as some sort of folk hero escapes me . Taking risks with your own life is one thing ....