So you saw the actual impact, or were you blocked?
Did it climb as you say and then dive at the last instant? It looks like you were 1 1/2 miles (?) away?
Actually kinda irrelevant, since the video dddooo posted showed a 757 doing 350 knots in level flight at 125 ft above sea level, according to the guy who claimed to be the pilot.
Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2006 21:19:05 +1300
From: "Tony Davies" <******@xtra.co.nz>
To: "Dylan Phelps" <*********@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: B757 Videos
Dylan,
I was the captain of that particular shot, filmed during a Squadron open-day a couple of years ago. It's part of a routine that has been performed over thirty times at various airshows and practices around the world including RIAT Fairford 2003, Kemble 2006, RAF Waddington 2006, Warbirds Over Wanaka 2004, Avalon 2005.
The low pass is flown into wind at 350 knots (indicated) and 100 feet above the runway. It's a 2g pull up to between 45 and 55 degrees nose up pitch (although there has been higher) and the zoom climb ends at an altitude between 8000 and 10000 feet depending on the type of pull up used. The sequence does not end with a loop as some of the readers speculate, but in fact with a 60 degree wingover at around 220 knots. It is easily possible to enhance this maneouver with a steeper climb and bank but there is no need - it is spectacular already, and safe.
Q-The plane was 100 feet above the runway. How many feet was the runway above sea level?
A-I donât have the exact information on that airport, as its possibly military, or it may be connected with the civilian airport. The air show is the Auckland International Air show, which looks to me like its held at the Auckland International Airport. Here is what I found for elevations above sea level for Auckland International, NZ:
Auckland International Airport
Airport: Auckland International Airport Auckland International Airport
ELEVATION: 23 ft.
So its basically almost at sea level, for all practical purposes, as far as I can tell.
And really, my whole involvement in this thread is to show that Ratboy's claim that a 767 can't go that fast in level flight is ANOTHER out-of-context quote, and therefore ludicrous.