A SAA 747-400 put on an impressive demo at Farnborough. Flying at around 160kts he keep it inside the airfield boundary the whole time. His finally was a go round from 600′ then a spiral climb inside the boundary to 8000′! He was very light (for a 747) 🙂
mmitch.
By: NFDC - 27th July 2004 at 20:58
That SAA 747-400 display was one of the best I’ve ever seen in more then 30 years of attending airshows. The spiral climb at the end was pure magic, I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
By: Mark L - 26th July 2004 at 18:01
Sorry, yes a go around is a much less safe manouver than a flypast…
By: Bmused55 - 26th July 2004 at 17:43
As Skycruiser said all the plane did was two flybys, whats different between them and a go around, except this one is not below 600ft and a GA might be at 0ft?
A huge difference, and you know it mark 😉
By: Mark L - 26th July 2004 at 17:15
As Skycruiser said all the plane did was two flybys, whats different between them and a go around, except this one is not below 600ft and a GA might be at 0ft?
By: Jeanske_SN - 26th July 2004 at 17:04
Cathay Pacific will have a B747-400 at Farnborough this weekend. It will be doing a couple of flybys , one at 350kts.
Wow, That’s it’s max IAS at sea level!
By: Bmused55 - 26th July 2004 at 15:15
Was a nice display from the CX 744, not as spectacular as the SAA one, but still nice to see another 744 at Farnborough, and the 600ft passes were a nice end to its vist.
I gather the flight didn’t bring passengers, was it because it was organised at short notice?
Generaly, aircraft flying displays and/or formations are only to carry essential flight crew only.
CAA rules
By: Mark L - 26th July 2004 at 14:47
Was a nice display from the CX 744, not as spectacular as the SAA one, but still nice to see another 744 at Farnborough, and the 600ft passes were a nice end to its vist.
I gather the flight didn’t bring passengers, was it because it was organised at short notice?
By: skycruiser - 26th July 2004 at 14:37
What about the pilots. Are they pilots from CX or Boeing’s ?
CX crew.
By: Airline owner - 25th July 2004 at 18:18
Nice shots, I was lucky to enough to see the first SAA display at Duxford last year. Simply amazing, especially the touch-and-go on a wet runway 😀
I was going to say…didnt SAA do something like that last year
By: Hand87_5 - 25th July 2004 at 18:15
Cathay Pacific will have a B747-400 at Farnborough this weekend. It will be doing a couple of flybys , one at 350kts.
What about the pilots. Are they pilots from CX or Boeing’s ?
By: Tempest - 25th July 2004 at 17:32
I think the display pilot on Saturday was someone called Scully Levine who, when he is not flying 744’s for SAA in his spare time, is a professional acrobatic pilot flying Pitts Specials and Spitfire Mk 21’s. Now you know.
http://www.icon.co.za/~rbgmrk/pitts/scully.html
Amazing what one can do with a 744 when you put you mind to it. 😀
By: bmi-star - 25th July 2004 at 17:23
Yep i saw here when i was there on the Friday. Got a demo0 of the KC 10 tanker! And the Cabin of the 7E7 all thanks to my aunt
By: mmitch - 25th July 2004 at 15:33
The SAA commentator (another pilot) said that the display pilot had about 17,000 hours in his book. Stratton Richie (who flies 777s) said afterwards that he tried doing that display in BAs 747 simulator and found he needed a lot of practise. 🙂
mmitch.
By: Tempest - 25th July 2004 at 13:36
Er no, Bmused.
The 744 simply had better pilots than the 340 on this day. 😀
I once did an airshow in South Africa as passenger on a display 744 . It did pretty much the same routine. Quite different to your average passenger flight I can tell you.
By: wannabe pilot - 25th July 2004 at 12:41
Nice shots, I was lucky to enough to see the first SAA display at Duxford last year. Simply amazing, especially the touch-and-go on a wet runway 😀
By: LBARULES - 25th July 2004 at 12:28
Great shots, SAA always put on a good show.
By: Bmused55 - 25th July 2004 at 12:05
gret pics guys!
So the 747 stole the limelight from the A340….. excellent! 😀
By: skycruiser - 25th July 2004 at 05:12
Cathay Pacific will have a B747-400 at Farnborough this weekend. It will be doing a couple of flybys , one at 350kts.
By: Tempest - 25th July 2004 at 00:36
That SAA 744 display was great. Full throttle RR’s all the time, nothing like it. It beat the Airbus 346 by a long way, that 346 display was really slow in comparison.
That spiral climb to 8000ft at the end was really impressive. It just went straight up like a fighter(almost). To think I’ve caught the same plane on regular passenger service – well why didn’t they fly it like that, I want my money back!
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July 24, 2004 at 10:14 pm