Big screw up at Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome on Sunday

Flibster · 06-05-2009, 01:16

It was a Cold War Jets day. They normally have a couple a year and usually good fun. Get in all the old jets and trawl them down the runway at speed.

Comet, Buccaneers, Hunter, Jet Provost, Canberra and Lightnings amongst others, including on this fateful day, the Victor Tanker - Teasin' Tina

BTW - You haven't experienced noise until you have stood under 10 meters away from a Lightning with both engines on full afterburner.

Anyway, Teasin' Tina arrived at Bruntingthorpe in '93 and has been there ever since. When she arrived she was on the verge of airworthyness as all the Victor's has been flown to within an inch of their lives during the first Gulf Argument. She's called Teasin' Tina as she's still in her Gulf paintscheme and thats her nose art.

The aircraft themselves are insured as jetcars as they are not airworthy and don't fly - they normally have experieced crew members at the stick.

Sadly it didn't help on Sunday.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/57189808@N00/3498639970/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57189808@N00/3498639884/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57189808@N00/3498639828/

Yup - thats an unairworthy aircraft around 30feet up in the air.

It's otherwise known as a huge Whoops!

Teasin' Tina managed to get down on the ground... just... I'm still awaiting more info on it. Touchdown happened with one wheel bogey on the grass rather than the tarmac, but she stopped with a whole 150ft of useable tarmac to spare! Other than that, no damage that I have heard of.

Empty - that aircraft weighs 51tons - they normally keep them reasonably full of fuel as it stops water getting into the fuel systems - so possibly 70 tons of aircraft got airborne accidentally.

Luckilly no one watching or in the aircraft was injured - although I suspect the pilot of that flight may need his buttcheeks surgically seperated after that...

At the moment the Air Accidents Investigation Branch says it is "aware" of the incident, but it is not conducting an inquiry.

The CAA has been unable to comment further, pending clarification of the incident, but says the aircraft is not on the civil register.

A world of cack awaits someone... Allowing an aircraft to fly unregistered, not showing registration markings or holding a valid exemption, without a valid C of A/ Permit to Fly, Uninsured, without owners permission, endangerment to aircraft, endangerment to persons on board, endangerment to persons in the ground, endangerment to property, invalid mass & balance data, flight crew not holding suitable type ratings... amongst others

It's not the first time this has happened, notably Southends Vulcan and the Lancaster 'Just Jane' have both left the ground - but I believe this is the first time with several hundred witnesses...

The worst thing is I look at those pictures and think...

1) Thats really not good at all...
1) ...but it looks so cool! A Victor airborne again

2) ...and I missed it... Damn damn damn damn!

06-05-2009, 01:16	#1
Flibster Moonshine Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 3,388	Big screw up at Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome on Sunday It was a Cold War Jets day. They normally have a couple a year and usually good fun. Get in all the old jets and trawl them down the runway at speed. Comet, Buccaneers, Hunter, Jet Provost, Canberra and Lightnings amongst others, including on this fateful day, the Victor Tanker - Teasin' Tina BTW - You haven't experienced noise until you have stood under 10 meters away from a Lightning with both engines on full afterburner. Anyway, Teasin' Tina arrived at Bruntingthorpe in '93 and has been there ever since. When she arrived she was on the verge of airworthyness as all the Victor's has been flown to within an inch of their lives during the first Gulf Argument. She's called Teasin' Tina as she's still in her Gulf paintscheme and thats her nose art. The aircraft themselves are insured as jetcars as they are not airworthy and don't fly - they normally have experieced crew members at the stick. Sadly it didn't help on Sunday. http://www.flickr.com/photos/57189808@N00/3498639970/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/57189808@N00/3498639884/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/57189808@N00/3498639828/ Yup - thats an unairworthy aircraft around 30feet up in the air. It's otherwise known as a huge Whoops! Teasin' Tina managed to get down on the ground... just... I'm still awaiting more info on it. Touchdown happened with one wheel bogey on the grass rather than the tarmac, but she stopped with a whole 150ft of useable tarmac to spare! Other than that, no damage that I have heard of. Empty - that aircraft weighs 51tons - they normally keep them reasonably full of fuel as it stops water getting into the fuel systems - so possibly 70 tons of aircraft got airborne accidentally. Luckilly no one watching or in the aircraft was injured - although I suspect the pilot of that flight may need his buttcheeks surgically seperated after that... At the moment the Air Accidents Investigation Branch says it is "aware" of the incident, but it is not conducting an inquiry. The CAA has been unable to comment further, pending clarification of the incident, but says the aircraft is not on the civil register. A world of cack awaits someone... Allowing an aircraft to fly unregistered, not showing registration markings or holding a valid exemption, without a valid C of A/ Permit to Fly, Uninsured, without owners permission, endangerment to aircraft, endangerment to persons on board, endangerment to persons in the ground, endangerment to property, invalid mass & balance data, flight crew not holding suitable type ratings... amongst others It's not the first time this has happened, notably Southends Vulcan and the Lancaster 'Just Jane' have both left the ground - but I believe this is the first time with several hundred witnesses... The worst thing is I look at those pictures and think... 1) Thats really not good at all... 1) ...but it looks so cool! A Victor airborne again 2) ...and I missed it... Damn damn damn damn! __________________ Last edited by Flibster; 06-05-2009 at 01:25.