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Post by jonnyblooz on Apr 19, 2021 19:59:25 GMT -5
Apparently he broke away from formation and headed to the shallows with engine trouble. A little too close for comfort in relation to the swimmers, but I'd say he performed an outstanding ditch. You can see by the frame rate the propeller is spinning down, and the engine is slowing. Can't tell if it is dying or if he is feathering, but he flared and possibly cut the throttle perfectly. Looks like flaps deployed, possibly spoilers? Avengers didn't have dive brakes, so I'm assuming flaps set for "landing". That's a lot of quick multiple actions required to lay that thing smoothly into the water.
No injuries.
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Post by Leftee on Apr 19, 2021 20:01:50 GMT -5
My beach trips are relatively boring.
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Post by Mfitz804 on Apr 19, 2021 20:46:51 GMT -5
My beach trips are relatively boring. They all are, unless a shark gets hungry or someone has to do the jellyfish sting pee thing. |
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Post by Taildragger on Apr 19, 2021 21:49:48 GMT -5
Ooops: double post...
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Post by Taildragger on Apr 19, 2021 21:50:59 GMT -5
First and foremost, glad nobody was hurt.
Hope the plane can be salvaged. I doubt there are many of those Grumman TBF Avengers left.
Not that it matters, but I actually surfed that same beach once upon a time.
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Post by Opie on Apr 20, 2021 6:07:41 GMT -5
Oh man,those guys kept flying over my house the day or two before.There was an air show in Gainesville and they kept looping around and passing overhead. The sound those WW2 aircraft makes is unique, glad everything turned out ok. It's going to be stupid expensive to get it flying again,but I hope someone does.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Apr 20, 2021 11:10:37 GMT -5
HUGE respect to the pilot, who ditched perfectly. Planes often flip over on ditching from excessive airspeed, but this guy was right on the checklist. BRAVOLINGUS! I grew up there. He was probably looking for Flight 19 which was a formation of TBMs that disappeared in the Devil's Triangle in 1945. A Martin Mariner from Banana River NAS(now called Patrick Air Force Base, just south of Cocoa Beach) involved in the SAR effort was also lost. More info here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_19 |
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Post by bluzcat on Apr 20, 2021 12:11:55 GMT -5
HUGE respect to the pilot, who ditched perfectly. Planes often flip over on ditching from excessive airspeed, but this guy was right on the checklist. BRAVOLINGUS! I grew up there. He was probably looking for Flight 19 which was a formation of TBMs that disappeared in the Devil's Triangle in 1945. A Martin Mariner from Banana River NAS(now called Patrick Air Force Base, just south of Cocoa Beach) involved in the SAR effort was also lost. More info here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_19Maybe he WAS from Flight 19 back fresh from the wormhole... |
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Post by bluzcat on Apr 20, 2021 12:12:36 GMT -5
Band name: Fresh From The Wormhole 🤟
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Buster
Wholenote
Posts: 213
Formerly Known As: Buster Strings
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Post by Buster on Apr 20, 2021 12:19:20 GMT -5
I appreciate the guy at the end of the video that, after the planes passes just feet over his head, gets up on his surfboard like it's no big deal.
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Post by modbus on Apr 20, 2021 12:19:59 GMT -5
I worked for a place that had a DC-3. Whenever a DC-3 was involved in a incident, they'd have to ground the plane for a few years because insurance rates would go sky high.
I hope that's not the case here. I'm not sure how old WWII planes used for exhibition are insured.
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Post by Taildragger on Apr 20, 2021 19:51:36 GMT -5
Updates:
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Tequila Rob
Wholenote
Posts: 683
Formerly Known As: Guitar Fool
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Post by Tequila Rob on Apr 20, 2021 21:19:36 GMT -5
this was close by to me , but I had to work and wasn't able to be there...but watching the video, reminded me of George Gay.....
the pilot who put this plane down was a stud....
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Post by jonnyblooz on Apr 21, 2021 16:50:10 GMT -5
HUGE respect to the pilot, who ditched perfectly. Planes often flip over on ditching from excessive airspeed, but this guy was right on the checklist. BRAVOLINGUS! I grew up there. He was probably looking for Flight 19 which was a formation of TBMs that disappeared in the Devil's Triangle in 1945. A Martin Mariner from Banana River NAS(now called Patrick Air Force Base, just south of Cocoa Beach) involved in the SAR effort was also lost. More info here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_19Maybe he WAS from Flight 19 back fresh from the wormhole... That thought did cross my mind. |
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Post by Ragtop on Apr 22, 2021 4:43:08 GMT -5
Isn't that the plane that President Bush flew during WWII?
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BigBadJohn
Wholenote
I Lurk, therefore I am.
Posts: 222
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Post by BigBadJohn on Apr 24, 2021 4:28:59 GMT -5
Any landing you can walk swim away from is a good one.
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Post by langford on Apr 24, 2021 17:03:07 GMT -5
Anybody here know how the pilot would have accounted for swimmers? It seems that he'd picked his spot carefully, but even then, it must have been scary with the nose up. I'd certainly be in need of some tidying after that.
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Post by Taildragger on Apr 24, 2021 18:19:30 GMT -5
Isn't that the plane that President Bush flew during WWII? Affirmative. He had to ditch near Chi Chi Jima but was picked up by a USN submarine crew before Japanese patrol boats could get to him. Other US airmen were not so fortunate and, after capture by the Japanese, were tortured and murdered. Bush's 2 crew members didn't make it out of the plane. |
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Post by 6l6 on Apr 25, 2021 14:19:51 GMT -5
Excellent job by the pilot for sure!
When you're flying single engine planes you are (or should be) taught to always pick out a spot to put the plane down should the engine fail. In USAF Pilot Training (T-41) we knew that on every dual mission at some point the instructor would retard the throttle to "Idle" and we had to get lined up for a good landing without power. At the last second, the Instructor would give you clearance to add power again.
That training carried with me throughout my 23 year USAF flying career. I was always thinking of where I would put the plane down if I had to in an emergency. I suspect this pilot had planned ahead and figured a close in water landing to avert the potential for fire and to minimize damage.
Regardless, it was a job very well done and I too hope money will come forth rebuild this rare machine.
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