Air Force Pilot Gives Up Wings After Flyover

luckymacy

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http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/air_force_flyover_pilot_wings_iowa_204320-1.html

Well, looked pretty impressive to me and the camera man who's got a nice grin on his face at the end. I think the fans loved it and 500 new kids want to be fighter pilots now and another 1000 want to work on the jets. Oh well... 16 feet clearance over the billboard? I don't think it was quite that close. 400 knots too? Well, that's one way to make a final career exit but don't try that way again! I can see the bureaucratic responses generals could be mulling over now: polygraph tests on future flyover participants, ban anyone anywhere near close to getting out, or ban publicity flyovers outright if that happens again. :rolleyes:
 
Awesome. Can you imagine being in the top row? What a rush that would have been, wow!
 
I have a different perspective on this, having been an airshow pilot for 3 years in a different jet and having over 500 hours in the T-38.

This guy was STUPID! DANGEROUSLY STUPID! :hammer:

The rules set by the FAA and the USAF are very clear and specific. He knew them, he's been a pilot for what, about 10+ years? He decided to openly violate several flying rules meant for safety and to comply with the law. Then he decided to take his formation there.

SHAME ON THEM FOR NOT BREAKING OUT OF THE FORMATION!! :hammer:

There is NO requirement for a wingman to follow their leader into a violation of AFI's or federal aviation laws. NONE. :hammer: STUPID!

He's VERY fortunate that he was offered the "RILO" option: resignation in lieu of court martial.

While his action may have really excited the crowd and made folks completely ignorant of military flying, "ooh" and "ahhh..." a bunch, this makes military pilots look like "hot dogs" that do whatever they want, regardless of the rules.

GOOD RIDDANCE!

Yeah, I'm a bit passionate about this.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
I have a different perspective on this, having been an airshow pilot for 3 years in a different jet and having over 500 hours in the T-38.

This guy was STUPID! DANGEROUSLY STUPID! :hammer:

The rules set by the FAA and the USAF are very clear and specific. He knew them, he's been a pilot for what, about 10+ years? He decided to openly violate several flying rules meant for safety and to comply with the law. Then he decided to take his formation there.

SHAME ON THEM FOR NOT BREAKING OUT OF THE FORMATION!! :hammer:

There is NO requirement for a wingman to follow their leader into a violation of AFI's or federal aviation laws. NONE. :hammer: STUPID!

He's VERY fortunate that he was offered the "RILO" option: resignation in lieu of court martial.

While his action may have really excited the crowd and made folks completely ignorant of military flying, "ooh" and "ahhh..." a bunch, this makes military pilots look like "hot dogs" that do whatever they want, regardless of the rules.

GOOD RIDDANCE!

Yeah, I'm a bit passionate about this.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83


Shack, Steve!

Obviously a guy who thougth doing something "cool" was worth more than following pretty well established safety rules. Judgement -- less than desired.

And while it may have seemed "cool" to the crowd at the time, I'm not so sure they would have the same assessment if something tragic happened because of this guy's poor judgement. He put himself, his four-ship, and the crowd at this game at risk, all for a "photo op".

Hope that You-Tube moment was worth more than his wings and any chance of his continuing to have any flying career (either military or civilian) for him, because it wouldn't have been for me. :thumbdown:
 
Awesome. Can you imagine being in the top row? What a rush that would have been, wow!

My parents, who have attended every Iowa football home game for the past 20 years, were at that game. Believe me, my dad said that this was unprecedented and unbelieveable to watch as it looked to them like they barely missed the scoreboard. NOT cool to these Iowa fans, actually a bit scarey.
 
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Am I the only one who noticed this:

Kopacek was planning to leave the Air Force shortly after the flyover, the Air Force Times reported. The flyover actually delayed his departure

In other words he thought this was his opportunity to be an arse and risk not only multi-million dollar hardware, but other pilots and every person in the stand.

Insane is all that comes to mind. I can't even fathom how he thought he would not being saluting sharply at the CC's desk when he landed, especially since fliers get in trouble if they tip their wings over their house in the landing pattern.
 
The T-38s wouldn't have phased me much as a casual observer but this one probably would have certainly got me scratching my head. Anyone hear if this one was 'pre approved' or was there some fall out?

http://wn.com/TCU_at_NAVY_FLY_BY!

watch the #3 video for extra slow motion...
 
Oh geez, I feel so immature right now. :redface: And I am the Mom at our house! But I really do have faith in those guys flying ability, initially. But if you play the what if (?) card, well then, shame on him! :eek:
 
Rules written in blood are good rules to follow, generally speaking...

Low altitude flying over a crowded area is a calculated risk. Insanely low flying over crowded areas is not an acceptable risk. We are talking about fractions of a second between "Oooh" and "boom." You can be a GREAT stick-and-rudder pilot, but you are still human. Disregarding safety margins and ops limits is a definite NO-GO.

"Truly superior pilots are those who use their superior judgment to avoid those situations where they might have to use their superior skills." ...something he clearly ignored.
 
When I was a 1st lt, stationed at an aircraft control and warning squadron in Iceland, the RAF pilots loved to drop as close to the water as they could--out of radar detection--and break over the site supersonic no more than 100-200 feet off the ground. I know the Buccaneer--an enormous fighter bomber--isn't supposed to be supersonic, but I swear one went over us supersonic one afternoon. I was aware of a silent fast shadow passing overhead, followed a half-second later by a boom that just about knocked me over. I still don't understand how they got away with doing that. But I did have a USAF pilot tell me that the Brits were not under as many flight restrictions as USAF pilots.

Hot-dogging at low altitude can kill. A good friend of mine was the medical chief of staff at the Fairchild AFB base hospital in the early 1990s when a certain lt col attempted to make an extreme turn at low altitude while hot-dogging in a B-52. The entire crew was killed. My friend had some sad and gruesome duties to perform in the aftermath. It might be the most infamous case of careless and needless risk-taking by a pilot in recent memory.
 
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That B-52 case is a classic case taught to all cadets in various levels with honor and accountability. Every USAFA grad will know of hear that story.
 
GA TECH flyover

I was in the stands during this flyover. Both naval aviators lost their wings, and both were grads of Ga Tech.

Pilots grounded for good after low flyover - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times http://goo.gl/DdqpX
 
Then I wonder what they did to the Blue Angels who flew over Navy/Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on 29MAY91, because there is NO WAY those guys were above 1,000 feet.

We loved every (split) second of it. :biggrin:
 
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