Would you like to fly next to an Airbus A330? These Swiss Airforce Tiger F5-E jets did just that, at an airshow in Payerne, Switzerland in August 30, 2014.
Truly, a feast for the eyes!
Flying next to an Airbus A330
One of the most dangerous takeoffs in the world
This BAe 146 Avro is not taking off from a ‘normal’ airport. It’s not normal to have ground proximity sensors going off during this sequence of flight, but given the circumstances, there is good reason why they do. Bhutan’s Paro airport has a field elevation of 7,200 feet and the peaks around there top out at 18,000 feet.
It is considered one of the world’s most challenging airports to operate in. Due to the challenge because of the surrounding terrain and lack of ILS, the airport is only open from sunrise to sunset under VFR flight rules only.
Runways 15 and 33 are just over 6,500 feet long (2000 meters). Operating out of La Paz, Bolivia also has it’s challenges due to high altitude flying, but lacks the terrain hazards.
It’s enough to give any pilot a serious dry mouth.
Apparently, as of 2009, only eight pilots in the world are certified to land at this airport!
Why the Aviat Husky is the Ultimate Backcountry Airplane
We’ve posted a few videos and blogs where the Aviat Husky has been featured. So why is this airplane so impressive? Well, for backcountry use, it’s the ultimate, rugged and reliable aircraft. Here are some of the reasons why it’s a top backcountry performer!
1. Runways are optional with a 200 foot takeoff roll.
Add some strong headwind? This decreases even more.
2. Low power on stall speed.
The husky stalls at 38 Knots. That’s 43 mph. Once you are off the ground, you can easily clear terrain with a speed slower than the speed limit for many residential streets.
3. Great climb rate.
With a climb rate of 1500 fpm, get to altitude faster and over the mountains quickly.
4. 20,000 foot service ceiling.
That’s high. For North America, the only mountain range it can’t clear is Denali, in Alaska. Watch as the Husky tows a skiier up a mountain in Alaska.
5. Low fuel burn.
A fuel burn of only 7.7 gallons/hour. Gas is expensive, so a low fuel burn rate helps.
6. Huge flaps.
With 60% span semi-fowler flaps, they allow you to go slow safely with better forward visibility.
7. Short field landings?
Also no problem, with a 350 foot landing distance required.
Check out this short field landing.
8. The view.
These airplanes help you access backcountry places in your airplane you can only dream of.
Flying Is Freedom
Great video from American pilot from his experiences flying over a two year period.
Footage is from Wyoming, Utah, Montana and Idaho. Watch while he flies through some canyons, follows rivers, weaves through gorgeous mesas and other beautiful landscapes! Thanks “Ranch Pilot”!
Float Plane Almost Lands on Whale – Video
This dramatic video shows a sea plane just missing a humpback whale as it just happens to be surfacing as the plane is about to touch down. This footage was captured in the remote village of Angoon, which is 35 miles southwest of Juneau, Alaska, by a San Diego businessman with his cell phone.
The pilot in the De Havilland Beaver was in a shallow descent and is about to land, but pulls up abruptly after a spray from the whale comes up in front of the aircraft. Apparently, the pilot didn’t see the spray, but was distracted by the onlookers waving and pulled up in time to avoid touching down on the whale. He had no idea he was about to land on a whale.
Whether the pilot didn’t see the spray directly on his flight path or not we’re not sure, as in the video it appears that the pilot pulls up just in time. Pilots on short final especially that close to the ground generally don’t look around – keeping their eyes on the touchdown zone carefully.
We assume he did see the spray and pulled up just in time to avoid the “obstacle.”
Malaysian Airlines passenger jet went down in Ukraine
Reports are in of a sad event that a Malaysian Airlines flight, a 777 enroute from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpor, Malaysia crashed near a town in the eastern Ukraine, near the border of Russia and Ukraine.
Apparently the plane was shot down. Flight MH17 was flying at an altitude of 33,000 feet (10,000 meters) when it fell out of the sky on Thursday, July 17, at 14:15 local time.
The news broke after Malaysian Airlines tweeted that it had lost contact with the plane.
Airplane parts as well as human remains were found scattered in an area as large as 15 km away from the impact site, near the rural town of Snizhne.
There has been heavy intensity lately in Ukraine from pro-Russian Ukrainian separatists in the area. The separatists recently shot down two Sukhoi-25 fighter jets belonging to the Ukrainian military. And just last week, a military transport plane was shot down by a missile originating from Russian territory.
On board the flight, there were 295 people which includes 280 passengers and 15 crew.
The map below shows the known flight path of the airliner, courtesy of National Post.
