The insane spitfire video clip

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message news:Uw0nb.38133
use of strong language.

http://alexisparkinn.com/oh_my_god.htm

Glad you like it -- I think it's the best one of the bunch! (I'll bet
they
ever used that footage in the documentary they were filming -- at least
not
with sound! :-)

I've only watched it about a hundred times now. Let's see...ballpark
estimates would put the prop diameter at around 7', and he appears to have
been some fraction of that off the ground, GEAR UP...

Good God. I just can't imagine who would do that. Reminds me of Piece of
Cake where they're flying under the stone bridge (best flying footage in
anything I've ever watched, really.)

Do you know any details about the shoot? What airplane was it?

-c

I've only watched it about a hundred times now. Let's see...ballpark
estimates would put the prop diameter at around 7', and he appears to have
been some fraction of that off the ground, GEAR UP...

Good God. I just can't imagine who would do that.

It really IS insane, isn't it?

That's what makes it so incredible.

Big John -- or VLenoch -- you reading this? Care to comment on this crazy
Spitfire driver's pass?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Good God. I just can't imagine who would do that.

It really IS insane, isn't it?

That's what makes it so incredible.

Big John -- or VLenoch -- you reading this? Care to comment on this crazy
Spitfire driver's pass?

Whew. For awhile there, reading the thread, I thought I must have posted to
comp.video.geeks and not rec.aviation...

:

Anybody know about that flyby? Did he take off and retract his gear or did
he actually get down that low with his gear up?

-c

gatt wrote:

What airplane was it?

Judging from the radiators, it's a Spitfire Mk IX.

George Patterson
You can dress a hog in a tuxedo, but he still wants to roll in the mud.

"G.R. Patterson III" wrote in message What
airplane was it?

Judging from the radiators, it's a Spitfire Mk IX.

That's what I guessed. It matches the painting on my living room wall.

That reporter got one hell of a haircut!

-c

On Mon, 27 Oct 2003 19:50:03 GMT, gatt wrote:
I've only watched it about a hundred times now. Let's see...ballpark
estimates would put the prop diameter at around 7', and he appears to have
been some fraction of that off the ground, GEAR UP...

If it's the video I'm thinking of, I got it a while ago, and I load it
up whenever I need a good laugh :-)

--
Dylan Smith, Castletown, Isle of Man
Flying: http://www.dylansmith.net
Frontier Elite Universe: http://www.alioth.net
"Maintain thine airspeed, lest the ground come up and smite thee"

On Mon, 27 Oct 2003 19:50:03 GMT, "gatt" wrote:

I've only watched it about a hundred times now. Let's see...ballpark
estimates would put the prop diameter at around 7', and he appears to have
been some fraction of that off the ground, GEAR UP...

Good God. I just can't imagine who would do that. Reminds me of Piece of
Cake where they're flying under the stone bridge (best flying footage in
anything I've ever watched, really.)

Do you know any details about the shoot? What airplane was it?

I read an explanation in another group.

The gist is as follows: It was to be an introduction to a Discovery
program, if I remember right, and is about two years old. The
"talent" is supposed to introduce the piece and he's supposed to
finish his introduction in time for the Spitfire to zoom past.

I will extrapolate a bit and suggest that very likely the Spitfire had
run a pass or two ahead of time so that the filmers could time his
approach and work out how long the intro could be.

This could have happened at any time prior to the "talent" arriving
for his part. I say this because it seems pretty obvious that the guy
has no idea how close the pass will be.

This, again pretty obviously, is the first take.

Here's an additional detail: the pilot of the Spitfire is a guy who
flies it in shows a lot and has the reputation for flying extremely
low. If you watch the approach carefully, you'll notice that the guy
is so low, he actually has to climb a bit to clear the camera crew.
His prop disc, at one point, appears to be only about four feet above
the turf.

It was a pass in which the Spitfire circles out of camera view, and
dives down to begin the approach. He isn't taking off and climbing
out right over the crew.

Corky Scott

(Corky Scott) wrote in message ...

The gist is as follows: It was to be an introduction to a Discovery
program, if I remember right, and is about two years old. The
"talent" is supposed to introduce the piece and he's supposed to
finish his introduction in time for the Spitfire to zoom past.

SNIP

The announcer is Alain de Cadenet from Speed TV. They used to have
aviation programs before Fox bought the network.

"Corky Scott" wrote in message

I read an explanation in another group.

Alright! Thanks for the info, Mr. Scott!

Here's an additional detail: the pilot of the Spitfire is a guy who
flies it in shows a lot and has the reputation for flying extremely
low. If you watch the approach carefully, you'll notice that the guy
is so low, he actually has to climb a bit to clear the camera crew.
His prop disc, at one point, appears to be only about four feet above
the turf.

Yeah....I was looking at it frame by frame and looking at a Spit model I
had, and comparing wingspan dimensions and stuff to try to determine the
prop diameter and, thus, his "altitude."
Turns out it's difficult to find the prop diameter of a Spit if you don't
have immediate access to a bookstore.

It was a pass in which the Spitfire circles out of camera view, and
dives down to begin the approach. He isn't taking off and climbing
out right over the crew.

Crazycrazy. That's Bob Hoover crazy, except Bob Hoover isn't actually
crazy.

-c