Attached is a rarely seen perspective: A video of a U. S. Navy SEAL extraction was filmed from inside an MH-47 Chinook helicopter.

The pilot has lowered the ramp, dipped the tail end into the water to partially flood the compartment (a maneuver that requires quite precise flying) and awaits the Navy Seals to board in their F470 Zodiac. So awesome, it gives me chills!! You have to LOVE the skill of our military.

How to make a really bad landing

Cross wind landings

F-35 Lightning II Fighter

The new F-35 Lightning II Fighter should be operational in the U.S. and British Air Forces within a few years 3,000 total are to be built.  Other Allies will also buy the F-35, for a total of over 6,000 projected aircraft. 

 The F-35 can fly at speeds above the sound barrier (Mach +) and it can also hover, like a helicopter.  

Gulfstream Night Landing in Aspen, Colorado

To better understand this night landing read the description below before you open the video. This is a Gulfstream on a visual landing to Aspen, Colorado at night. The right half of the view is the pilot's normal visual path to the runway during darkness, in other words totally black.

To see the enhanced vision system on the Gulfstream website go to:

        http://www.gulfstream.com:80/product_enhancement/evs/

The left side of the screen is the Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) which paints the heat signature of the outside terrain for pilots so we can see at night as though it were daytime.

FLIR Technology is a great addition to the cockpit of commercial as well to military aircraft. It enables a pilot to successfully land an aircraft at night under VFR (Visual Flight Rules)

Left side picture is the FLIR landing system presentation.
Right Side - View out of the cockpit.
Voices of the pilots and tower operator are audible.  

Tegucialpa, Honduras Approach and Landing

S-3 Viking Making a Aircraft Carrier Landing

Here's some video footage of an S-3 Viking with TF-34 engines approaching an aircraft carrier and landing. It was taken from the cockpit by the copilot. The conditions are ideal...... calm sea, daylight and a stable aircraft. This is for all of us who have not had the privilege.

With the volume up, you can even hear the power changes necessary to maintain precision glide slope and prepare for bolter (a.k.a. abort the landing) in the event the arrest wire is missed. Feels like you are in the aircraft.

Poor Preflight of PT-6-67 causes crash

It hurts to watch this video but it's a dramatic reminder that there really are good reasons to do a thorough preflight and to make sure the controls are free. This happened just north of Winnipeg, Canada and the aircraft was the first version with PT-6-67 Turboprops.

The Canadian DOT concluded that the control locks were still locked when the aircraft took off. You who have flown the Caribou wonder how that could have happened when it is physically impossible to advance the throttles with the lock on - but this aircraft was being modified (still restricted category) and the throttle quadrant was not properly rigged to accommodate the throttle levers for the turbine engines. Three people were on board; two test pilots and an engineer.

Take this thought home and apply it to your cars, lawnmowers, weed eaters, waffle irons, extension cords, etc.

Alaskan bush pilots short takeoff & landing competition

How the Russians wash a Helicopter

Stunt Flying

Bad Helicopter Crash

Copyright © 2005-2008 Walt Carnes, All rights reserved.