Very sad

[Thermo]

This has happened literally half a mile from us. We live on the hill overlooking the airport and airshow and have a fanatstic view. Been watching it all day on and off from the garden. We get all the aircraft turn over our house on the run back to the airshow.

What makes it more poignient is it was a spitfire and the whole show is done for the memorial of the battle of britain and as a fund raiser

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6996734.stm

 

[ninebob]

Very sad indeed, I have just got off the phone to a friend from work who saw it first-hand, and I would have too if I'd been able to get the day off work.

BBC news not confirming the pilot dead, but nose first into a hill as per the eyewitness reports doesn't look good.

Very surprised by the decision to carry on with the show

 

[megawatt]

I learnt to fly in 1983 and, in my younger days, I used to fly an absolutely fantastic old biplane which I had a part share in and enjoyed travelling around the country to airshows for many years ... An avenue of pleasure which my dear wife closed off to me several years ago following a couple of hairy incidents ... She's a wise woman

I still fly today but more sedately

Over the years I have witnessed some dreadful accidents at airshows and people often forget that there's always a degree of risk inherent with aerobatics unfortunately despite all the precautions that are taken, the training and skill of the people flying them ... Even more so as the aircraft (and/or the pilots) get older.

A very sad day nonetheless as you say.

MW

 

[megawatt]

Very surprised by the decision to carry on with the show

Not really Ninebob it would be the wish of all concerned to carry on such is the spirit within the world of aviation.

Everyone who participates in airshow performance accepts the risk, it goes with the territory.

 

[Thermo]

thats exactly what the organisers said. so sad its a spitfire as well the symbol of the airshow and what its all for. He is dead by the way

 

[joe-90]

He said it was a Hurricane which is even sadder as there were only eight of them whereas there are around eighty Spitfires.
Saw a documentary on them just this morning.
The Hurricane actually 'killed' more enemy planes than the Spitfire.
It was an unsung hero made of tubular steel and a cloth covering. I made an Airfix model of one as a kid.

 

[Thermo]

absolutley. had the harder job as it flew against the well defended bombers. it was an excellent gun platform

 

[Thermo]

apologies it was a hurricane

 

[megawatt]

I was extremely privileged and honoured to have the opportunity to fly a hurricane in the early 90's and it was one of the most fantastic experiences of my life ... Thus far

Joe's right, there are far fewer of them around which makes it doubly sad.

MW

 

[pickles]

Does anyone know if it was one of the battle of Britain memorial flight Hurricanes

 

[Thermo]

not sure there were 6 planes in all and the lancaster was there. Very movingly the remaining 5 aircraft overflew the show doing the missing man formation

 

[securespark]

I still fly today but more sedately

How do you fly sedately??

You need speed to keep you off the ground...

 

[megawatt]

Speed's fine and I'll still fly as fast as the crate will go (and I can afford) ... By sedately I mean keeping the sky above, the ground below and no sudden transitions between the two ... Passenger airliner flying ... No aeros

I used to fly sports planes strapped in with a multi-point harness and parachute and now I'm flying armchairs with a seat belt and 4 cup holders