Aviation Appreciation Station

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by morgin

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/08...ottawa-bridge/

Or, as I would write is, "Competent pilot has normal take off that happens to go under a bridge".

Seriously, if he/she had tried to gain altitude before the bridge they would likely have smashed into it. That looked to be the safest option and it looks as though there was a ton of clearance. What a stupid article.

The safest option would have been to choose an alternate location for takeoff where the bridge would not have been a factor at all. Competent pilots make smart decisions to avoid needlessly putting their aircraft in danger.

I have a very clear memory of a video I watched during a PDM course while training for my private pilot license many years ago. It showed a man successfully landing a Cessna 152 in a residential driveway. The instructor first asked the class, on a scale of 1 to 10, to rate the pilot in terms of flying skill. Most of us trainees gave him a 9 or 10. He then asked how we would rate him in terms of decision making. Everyone gave him a 1.

This thrill-seeker purposely taking off under a bridge is stupid and should not be glorified, even if it was an impressive display of airmanship.

[polak]

No good stories start with "I chose a sensible take off point"....

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by polak

No good stories start with "I chose a sensible take off point"....

Maybe not, but I've never seen "Pilot chose a sensible take off point..." listed as a contributing factor in a crash investigation.

Safety should be the top consideration in every decision a pilot makes. Needlessly increasing the risk of a crash when a safer alternative is available is the sign of a bad pilot.

[Bigtime]

Learn from the mistakes of others. You'll not live long enough to make them all yourself.

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Learn from the mistakes of others. You'll not live long enough to make them all yourself.

Along with the corollary, "There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots."

[Acey]

Seems like a perfectly competent pilot to me, the kind that won't blow through an altitude instruction.

More of these people is a good thing.

[billybob123]

If you can see from the video, there's another bridge where the guy starts his takeoff (Alexandria Bridge) that isn't far away. This is a stunt thrill seeker - there is no reason for him to be landing between the two bridges nor to be taking off. Given people's security fetish these days, it's also close to Parliament Hill.

This is also a very busy spot with rowers. The guys on the video are saying "forget the launch" as in launching the boat, I assume?

ETA: Rideau Hall is here too. Isn't this area a restricted area for flying? This guy might be in major doodoo.

[Bigtime]

An incredibly unique visitor to YYC yesterday, French Air Force Airbus 400M. Pictures courtesy of Chris Sands:


French Air Force A400M FRBAB by $and$man, on Flickr


French Air Force A400M FRBAB by $and$man, on Flickr

[HOWITZER]

Any idea what brought them in?

[Acey]

Hashtag supermoon, hashtag Air Canada.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Per 660 News - Calgary bound British Airways flight has declared an emergency and is returning to LHR. pic.twitter.com/CP7l2osi3D

[Acey]

Don't know what happened. YYC's airport isn't showing anything yet but BA's site implies it's cancelled. They can easily rebook everyone on AC tomorrow through Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa...

[MelBridgeman]

Originally Posted by Acey

Don't know what happened. YYC's airport isn't showing anything yet but BA's site implies it's cancelled. They can easily rebook everyone on AC tomorrow through Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa...

Smoke in the cockpit led to a Calgary-bound flight out of London, U,K. to abort its flight on Tuesday.

http://www.calgarysun.com/2014/08/12...athrow-airport

[Cube Inmate]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

http://www.calgarysun.com/2014/08/12...athrow-airport

A 767-300 lands in Heathrow in August... and Sun Media "illustrates" the story with a picture of an A320 in Bucharest in January. You know...just in case the readership doesn't know what an "aero-plane" is.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by Cube Inmate

A 767-300 lands in Heathrow in August... and Sun Media "illustrates" the story with a picture of an A320 in Bucharest in January. You know...just in case the readership doesn't know what an "aero-plane" is.

Newspapers. Yesterday's news, being thrown into your bushes today.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Originally Posted by Cube Inmate

A 767-300 lands in Heathrow in August... and Sun Media "illustrates" the story with a picture of an A320 in Bucharest in January. You know...just in case the readership doesn't know what an "aero-plane" is.

This is a major peeve of mine. If you can't get the exact plane at the time, at least picture the proper model.

It's like saying a transfer truck flipped on the highway and picturing an F-150 and then pleading "well, they're both trucks!"

[HOWITZER]

Maybe good timing to bump up introduction of 787 service to Calgary?

[Bigtime]

If only BA had a 787 tail to spare right now, soon though.

[Bigtime]

The RAF is sure keeping the LOT 787's busy with charter work, another one on the way to us today:

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/LOT7696

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

The RAF is sure keeping the LOT 787's busy with charter work, another one on the way to us today:

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/LOT7696

That's really great -- good to see it get a workout on this spat of charter work.

Sadly, that also means I don't get to see it on the ground during my departure back to YVR today. Saw it parked this past Saturday and it was glorious. I snagged a pic but it's garbage and looking into the sun; plus there are better ones already posted in this thread.