By: spitfireman - 8th June 2011 at 22:46
I was buzzed by a Buccaneer on the southern taxyway at RAF St Mawgan during an ‘airfield attack’ a few years ago (from behind so never saw it coming!)
Air traffic said later that he pulled up to go over me, then sank down to 6ft or so and continued to the boundary.
I invented 4 new swearwords before he reached it.
Although the air red was given and the sirens sounded, I was exercise exempt, as a part of the flight safety team, so was bimbling about as usual. The pilot (part of a 4 ship attack) spotted the only thing moving on the airfield and went for it!
A most interesting moment.
Baz
By: Mark A - 8th June 2011 at 21:46
The fact that he’s on a taxi-way not a runway may also be a clue.
By: ozjag - 8th June 2011 at 12:25
OK Thanks, agreed that photoshop it is.
Paul
By: spitfireman - 8th June 2011 at 11:01
Agree with DC Page.
This is a taxiing jet. The wind is from right to left (flag), the heat haze from the exhaust is also right to left, etc
I’ve messed around with photoshop so many times that its quite easy to recognise tampered photos.
By: slicer - 8th June 2011 at 10:11
Definite Photoshop job. Irregularity around the inner edges of the fuselage tanks, stuff in the underwing wheel well area, and simply too close to those trees behind… really low flying happens over wide open spaces, not dropping down in the space of a few hundred yards.
By: scotavia - 8th June 2011 at 08:22
Under starboard wing, darker patch could be wheel well open.
By: keithnewsome - 8th June 2011 at 07:12
I do think those two white flags behind the aircraft would be feeling the effects of that jet exhaust ??? not flapping around at 90 degrees to the direction of travel ….. just my view ??
Keith 🙂
By: DC Page - 8th June 2011 at 04:01
I believe this is a Polish Fitter and the picture has been altered. Take a look at a picture of a Fitter with the landing gear down and you will see the remnants of the landing gear support struts in the shadows under the wings. Those couldn’t be there unless the gear were down. There are many other artifacts that show up in Photoshop where parts were erased and cloned to make the aircraft appear to be gear up. Also take note of the amount and shape of the heat distortion behind the aircraft, this is an aircraft that is taxiing and not an aircraft at takeoff or flight power levels. Also take note of how little runway is behind the Fitter, it couldn’t have gotten to this configuration in so short a distance so this would have to be a flyby low pass and that appears unlikely. Taking off on a taxiway is unlikely as well. All evidence I can see says this is an altered image of a Polish Fitter taxiing. I’ll bet the original image is floating around out there somewhere.
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June 8, 2011 at 1:01 am