IL-62 Lands on Grass

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Vickers-VC-10-1100/0075987/M/

for pic of VC-10 crinkled fuselage

BCAL managed to break one in a heavy landing at Gatwick… photo of cracked fuselage on airliners.net somewhere

That was the prototype G-ARTA. If I remember rightly spoilers were deployed prematurely at the end of a positioning flight and she dropped the last few feet like a stone.
After she was duly dismantled, various components were mounted on blocks of wood and sold off for charity. I’ve got one of them somewhere in the house…must dig it up.
Gossip had it that a BCAL staff member was in the jump seat on his first-ever flight. His inquiry as the dust settled as to whether all landings were like that was met with an, erm, less than polite response. Understandable in the circumstances, but can anyone confirm/deny?

No, but my current boss was on an RAF VC-10 flight to an African airfield, apparently it landed on unprepared ground near the airport!
I think the VC-10 was designed with some degree of rough landing capability though?

I also thought alot of Russian types were designed with rough and field operations in mind?

Never heard of the VC-10s undercarriage being suitable for rough field use but it must have had the best landing and takeoff performance of the six abreast 4-engined airliners….they were all flown out of Weybridge when new (as were the Valiants)….google VC-10 White Waltham for one which nearly landed on grass :)….for all of its ‘being built like a brick… er …outhouse’ BCAL managed to break one in a heavy landing at Gatwick… photo of cracked fuselage on airliners.net somewhere

Planning this operation apparently took no less than two years. Interflug and the crew carried out lengthy and detailed calculations regarding the feasiblity. The pronounced pitch-up upon touchdown was deliberate and was intended to maximize braking. Parts of the strip were compacted as well to accept the aircraft, all unnecessary equipment was removed (i.e. all seats) and the aircraft was extremely low on fuel (the flight from wherever it had positioned in advance was only 20 minuted).

Capt Kalbach (spelling?) went on to fly for a German low-fare airline after the reunification and hit the headlines again when being sacked after having critizised the airline in public. He then went on to fly a Berlin-based DC-3 (D-CXXX) and is, I think, now retired.

I also wonder how much pressure the pilot was under; the propoganda value of the concerned onlookers watching the brave pilot and sturdy aircraft of the USSR is there to see.

The Russian psyche devoted to getting the job done while accepting a high level of personal risk struck me while reading Beevors ‘Stalingrad’. Considerations for the Mother Country came first over personal sacrifice.

Um this was 1989 in Germany…. Nothing to do with the USSR or Communism.

Its hard to fathom how you can be critical of what all aviators have done since the wright brothers…. take risks and explore the boundaries of their aircraft and its capabilities and the capabilities of the pilots themselves.

Pilots all over the world still fly aircraft in and out of the most dangerous airstrips in aircraft which are totally not suited for those conditions.

Lighten up and enjoy the video….. or dont post at all if your still checking for reds under the bed! :rolleyes:

Um, Had not East Germany been under communist control until that year? And where did I say I was being critical ‘of what all aviators have done since the Wright Brothers’? I didn’t. You seem to think there is a slight intended towards Russians. Wrong again. I merely opened the possibility that there could be a slightly different mindset due to cultural differences, what’s wrong with discussing that? I am in fact very interested and highly impressed by the acheivements of Soviet/Russian aviation throughout the years.

So less finger wagging, thanks. Let people post what they want and say what they want; the moderators will do the policing ‘;)’

.. I was told of a VC10 some time previously putting down on their small grass strip and getting off! – apparently part of a special trial, does anyone know of this?

No, but my current boss was on an RAF VC-10 flight to an African airfield, apparently it landed on unprepared ground near the airport!
I think the VC-10 was designed with some degree of rough landing capability though?

I also thought alot of Russian types were designed with rough and field operations in mind?

[QUOTE=TwinOtter23;1386755]There are a couple of black and white pictures in the new Tim O’Brien book – Last Post At Newton; that also notes similar grass landings at Newton for:

Shackleton T5 – WB849
Shackleton MR3 – WR990
Canberra B(I)8 – XM271

Shackleton T4, MR1 and MR2 along with the Canberra were all designed to operate from grass from the start. Napier operated Canberra WK163 from Luton for years when it was a grass airfield as did many RAF operators before the universal hard runway became the norm.

Not to start any sort of flame war but it’s easier to do things “better and cheaper” when risk to life and limb is of lesser importance. My .02 cents anyway.

Unfortunately that is very true

I also wonder how much pressure the pilot was under; the propoganda value of the concerned onlookers watching the brave pilot and sturdy aircraft of the USSR is there to see.

The Russian psyche devoted to getting the job done while accepting a high level of personal risk struck me while reading Beevors ‘Stalingrad’. Considerations for the Mother Country came first over personal sacrifice.

Um this was 1989 in Germany…. Nothing to do with the USSR or Communism.

Its hard to fathom how you can be critical of what all aviators have done since the wright brothers…. take risks and explore the boundaries of their aircraft and its capabilities and the capabilities of the pilots themselves.

Pilots all over the world still fly aircraft in and out of the most dangerous airstrips in aircraft which are totally not suited for those conditions.

Lighten up and enjoy the video….. or dont post at all if your still checking for reds under the bed! :rolleyes:

A few years back – maybe 5 – visiting Henlow, I was told of a VC10 some time previously putting down on their small grass strip and getting off! – apparently part of a special trial, does anyone know of this?

Cheers Brian.

I’m interested in the risks identified with this landing. Was the IL-62 designed for rough field landings? It doesn’t look as if the landing gear is field capable. There also appears to be a downward landing gradient as well as the trees.

I also wonder how much pressure the pilot was under; the propoganda value of the concerned onlookers watching the brave pilot and sturdy aircraft of the USSR is there to see.

The Russian psyche devoted to getting the job done while accepting a high level of personal risk struck me while reading Beevors ‘Stalingrad’. Considerations for the Mother Country came first over personal sacrifice.

And we think the western world is clever. The annoying thing is that they seem to do things better and cheaper than we can.

Not to start any sort of flame war but it’s easier to do things “better and cheaper” when risk to life and limb is of lesser importance. My .02 cents anyway.

There are a couple of black and white pictures in the new Tim O’Brien book – Last Post At Newton; that also notes similar grass landings at Newton for:

Shackleton T5 – WB849
Shackleton MR3 – WR990
Canberra B(I)8 – XM271

One of the first ever station visits I organised for myself was to RAF Newton to look round these aircraft, circa 1972-3. I went on the local service bus along the A46 and got to look inside all of the above mentioned aircraft plus the Vulcan. 😀

Have heard of these Vulcan grass arrivals before, would love to see pics.

September 1964 – Vulcan XA905 landed on the grass runway at RAF Newton; allegedly after the removal of several hedgerows to make it possible!

and a Comet; possibly two!

Bruce

Yes!

Didn’t a Vulcan arrive at RAF Halton (small/soggy grass runway) by air?

The RAF Comet that was preserved for a while by the now defunct Strathallan collection was delivered by air to the grass airfield – sadly one of its main u/c legs was wiped off in that landing.:eek:
Tim

And we think the western world is clever. The annoying thing is that they seem to do things better and cheaper than we can.