"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:y26pb.83950$HS4.686079@attbi_s01...
Make no mistake, this stunt would have to have set up in meticulous
detail
and agreed with the authorities.

Sort of spoils the fun.

True, except the fun comes from the unexpected reaction of the host! :-)

I don't think any advance prep work could prepare a guy for a close
encounter with death like *that*...
--

Perception of death more than the reality.

If it had been that close the cameraman and sound crew would also have been
out of sight rather than keeping the cameras and sound rolling in such a
controlled manner.

I suspect that the presenter was under prepared for what was going to
happen. The crew would have set up their marks in the absence of the
presenter and had a couple of run throughs with the pilot. This would have
enabled the pilot to identify his marks so that he could fly an accurate
line too both for height and direction.

Without that there would have been a big chance of the Spitfire going out of
shot. As the Spitfire stayed in shot with very little adjustment of the
camera crew it shows that the stunt had been meticulously planned and
executed. The only problem it seems would have been the unpreparedness of
the presenter.

Sorry to be such a kill joy but the near death nature was a perception not a
reality. Otherwise there would have been a pilot prosecuted and there was
not. An official from the CAA would have likely been there to observe that
the stunts were being done in line with the dispensation.

Dave