Top 10 Low Pass Flyby's of All Time

[tigisfat]

There's probably a good chance the pilot didn't have his hands on the controls at all as the F-1 has a Terrain Following Radar system. I have seen footage where the pilot is reading a map with both hands while smoking along the deck at near mach. Look Ma, no hands. Now you just have to hope the autopilot doesn't hiccup.

Regards, Rob:ernae:

Most modern terrain following systems' lowest numbers are classified to a point, but I don't think there are any that can be set to 5-10 feet.

 

[Ken Stallings]

Nope!

The lowest I've heard of is 50 feet in an F-111.

The MC-130E I used to fly went as low as 250 feet.

Like you wrote, never heard of one that could get down to 10 or less feet. Main reason is there are way too many objects with poor radar reflective characteristics that get that high or higher -- trees for instance.

Cheers,

Ken

 

[Bomber_12th]

Still my all-time favorite "low pass flyby" has to be the scene out of "The War Lover", when [FONT=HELVETICA,ARIAL]'Buzz' cuts the grass. The pilot who actually flew the B-17 for the sequence, was [/FONT][FONT=HELVETICA,ARIAL]John Crewdson.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewi-bPXFo_M&feature=channel[/FONT]

 

[viking3]

Low Level

I'm pretty sure you guys are right about not being able to set it that low. Even 50 feet at 500+ knots would be one heck of a ride. A good pal of mine spent many years in Cold Lake where he said it was not uncommon to pull spruce branches, etc. from returning aircraft. He even mentioned a story of a moose standing on a ridge being clipped by Phantom. Don't know how true that story is.

Regards, Rob:ernae:

 

[centuryseries]

Number 12 for me has to be:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8594KFiTek

and 13 my favourite although not strictly a flypast since it was taking off - but there is a flypast before he pulls up :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtNoY5lABnE

 

[GT182]

This one is cool. Includes Blue Angels C-130 JATO takeoff......... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0J6IChr2Rk&NR=1

 

[tigisfat]

I'm pretty sure you guys are right about not being able to set it that low. Even 50 feet at 500+ knots would be one heck of a ride. A good pal of mine spent many years in Cold Lake where he said it was not uncommon to pull spruce branches, etc. from returning aircraft. He even mentioned a story of a moose standing on a ridge being clipped by Phantom. Don't know how true that story is.

Regards, Rob:ernae:

If you would have told me that when I first started flying and fixing airplanes, I would've said it was BS. After ten years, I will believe just about anything. It's amazing how that works, eh?

Here's one reason: An unidentified crewmember from an unidentified AF told me once whitefaced after a landing that he and his crew went into la-la land during the intial descent over the ocean after an 18 hour flight. He saw the radar altimeter read 10 feet and YANKED on the stick as he applied full afterburner. Later I found aft compartments with water in them. The radar altimeter reads about ten, usually 7 on the ground. It's readings can be further away over the water because it doesn't read water the same.

 

[Bjoern]

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[kilo delta]

another...

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