Military Aviation A forum for the professionals who fly military hardware. Also for the backroom boys and girls who support the flying and maintain the equipment, and without whom nothing would ever leave the ground. All armies, navies and air forces of the world equally welcome here.

F-104 1 Gnat 0

Old 7th Apr 2021, 09:24
  #1 (permalink)  
Thought police antagonist
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Where I always have been...firmly in the real world
Posts: 1,369
Received 86 Likes on 60 Posts
F-104 1 Gnat 0

I know it's been mentioned on here before, however, this is the first photo I've seen of this "up close and a bit too personal " meeting. Acknowledgements to a contributor on the RAF Valley FB page for the shot.

How the Gnat continued to defy gravity after this encounter is one of aviation's mysteries ......

Krystal n chips is offline  
Old 7th Apr 2021, 10:26
  #2 (permalink)  
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Peripatetic
Posts: 17,233
Received 1,502 Likes on 679 Posts
Bit of filler and duct tape and good as new....
ORAC is online now  
Old 7th Apr 2021, 10:27
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,060
Received 64 Likes on 39 Posts
Air-to-air pedicure for the Gnat-pilot?
Less Hair is online now  
Old 7th Apr 2021, 10:53
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: FL450
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
My two all time favorite aircraft decided to have a mid air snog!
Kelly Hopper is offline  
Old 7th Apr 2021, 11:29
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Here 'n' there!
Posts: 582
Received 9 Likes on 5 Posts
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=56500

1975! I like the fact it seems they flew a formation approach - maybe due to the fact that the ASI was showing a bit of an odd reading given where the pitot tube wasn't!!!
Hot 'n' High is offline  
Old 7th Apr 2021, 11:42
  #6 (permalink)  

Avoid imitations
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,561
Received 402 Likes on 210 Posts
Originally Posted by Krystal n chips
I know it's been mentioned on here before, however, this is the first photo I've seen of this "up close and a bit too personal " meeting. Acknowledgements to a contributor on the RAF Valley FB page for the shot.

How the Gnat continued to defy gravity after this encounter is one of aviation's mysteries ......

The location of the photo is another mystery.
ShyTorque is offline  
Old 7th Apr 2021, 11:55
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,060
Received 64 Likes on 39 Posts
Leck air base, Germany.
https://images.app.goo.gl/WiyPHsHqs4fbG8oo8
Less Hair is online now  
Old 7th Apr 2021, 12:00
  #8 (permalink)  
Thought police antagonist
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Where I always have been...firmly in the real world
Posts: 1,369
Received 86 Likes on 60 Posts
Originally Posted by ShyTorque
The location of the photo is another mystery.
As indeed it was to the C/T who went up initially to inspect the damage....he had a "scenic tour " of N.Germany before he found it. Nice base actually.
Krystal n chips is offline  
Old 7th Apr 2021, 12:09
  #9 (permalink)  

Avoid imitations
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,561
Received 402 Likes on 210 Posts
I know where Leck is - I was Germany based for three years.

What I meant was that there is no photo of the incident showing on my screen!
ShyTorque is offline  
Old 7th Apr 2021, 12:14
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,060
Received 64 Likes on 39 Posts
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...9644107&type=3
Less Hair is online now  
Old 7th Apr 2021, 12:23
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 32,471
Received 2,596 Likes on 1,099 Posts
That's just a scuff, I remember the Hawk where you could see the pilots feet and rudder pedals through the hole...

NutLoose is offline  
Old 7th Apr 2021, 12:35
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Cumbria
Posts: 353
Received 145 Likes on 45 Posts
Originally Posted by Hot 'n' High
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=56500

1975! I like the fact it seems they flew a formation approach - maybe due to the fact that the ASI was showing a bit of an odd reading given where the pitot tube wasn't!!!
One imagines that airspeed would be proportional to the wind up his trouser leg.
DuncanDoenitz is offline  
Old 7th Apr 2021, 12:39
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Richard Burtonville, South Wales.
Posts: 2,338
Received 60 Likes on 43 Posts
Originally Posted by DuncanDoenitz
One imagines that airspeed would be proportional to the wind up his trouser leg.
He wouldn't have noticed that, what with the wind going down his trouser leg!

CG
charliegolf is online now  
Old 7th Apr 2021, 12:40
  #14 (permalink)  
Thought police antagonist
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Where I always have been...firmly in the real world
Posts: 1,369
Received 86 Likes on 60 Posts
Originally Posted by NutLoose
That's just a scuff, I remember the Hawk where you could see the pilots feet and rudder pedals through the hole...
OK. I'll swap your Hawk for a Harrier at Husum....the seagull came through the radome and then through the px bulkhead before finally stopping on the right rudder pedal. It was about 3-4 weeks before we got there to bring it back to Wildenrath on a low loader.......the deceased seagull remained in situ until that time

. " Fragrant " is not a word that springs to mind.
Krystal n chips is offline  
Old 7th Apr 2021, 12:56
  #15 (permalink)  

Avoid imitations
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,561
Received 402 Likes on 210 Posts
Seen it now - Mystery now is that the photo shows on my phone but not on my PC!
ShyTorque is offline  
Old 7th Apr 2021, 13:31
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: SW England
Age: 69
Posts: 1,491
Received 61 Likes on 33 Posts
Shy, your PC (like mine) probably has defences and blockers to prevent the myriad of 'services' that try to climb on board any page you try to open - this one has at least 15 detected by my primary line of defence. I still can't see the picture, but I can't be bothered to go through each link and temporarily 'allow' them one-at-a-time to find out which one is actually hiding the picture. Just goes to show how many businesses have access to your phone, if it allows the page to load unhindered, eh?
Thud_and_Blunder is offline  
Old 7th Apr 2021, 13:36
  #17 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Here 'n' there!
Posts: 582
Received 9 Likes on 5 Posts
Originally Posted by Krystal n chips
...... . " Fragrant " is not a word that springs to mind.
One Summer, a Sea King on Det in NI on fishery protection I believe (this being 1980 IIRC). On final departure a gift of a large crate of fresh fish was donated to the crew by some very grateful fishermen. Std transit back to Cu via Valley for lunch/fuel. Hot/CAVOK Wx + a nice toasty MRGB ensured cabin remained at "oven temperatures" for the duration of the transit.

Upon arrival at Cu, the A/C was unloaded and towed away from the Sqdn/Line and dumped on the grass - downwind of the Sqdn - whereupon all doors/windows were opened, emergency exit windows jettisoned etc. Thankfully, it was a nice spell of Cornish Summer - no rain to hinder the decontam process! Twice a day a "Team" were "specially selected" (ie ordered!) to approach the aircraft to ascertain it's condition.

Re-entry was finally achieved after something like 4 days.
Hot 'n' High is offline  
Old 7th Apr 2021, 16:16
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 32,471
Received 2,596 Likes on 1,099 Posts
I'll tell you a fish story, winter Olympics in Calgary, went to do an engine change on a Ten at Gander outside!
Anyway I was in some hotel bar listening some of the worst music known to man so I pooters off for a leak... standing there, this huge goliath of a man with a beard to match appears beside me, looks down and says are you British? I reply yes.. Ahh he says, in that funny language they speak, you wouldn't be interested in being my Agent in the UK for my fish would you.....
Now I must admit that's a first... but hey ho. what? I replied...he continues, I will send my catch through you and you will just need to sign the Customs paperwork etc for me and take a cut...
Thinking i need to get out of this madhouse I finish, decline his offer and leave.. relating it to the guys back at our hotel one of them goes ashen faced and asks did I get details, no I replied, he then tells me I just turned down a potential fortune and he had been looking for / trying to get such a deal for years. I was offered it on the first night lol.

Sorry thread drift.
NutLoose is offline  
Old 8th Apr 2021, 09:13
  #19 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 1,673
Likes: 0
Received 94 Likes on 62 Posts
For odorous aircraft, close to the 'top spot' would be dried shark meat in a Valetta (or any aircraft) - not left to 'improve', just carried! Needed a couple of weeks with the emergency windows open to approach normal.
Certainly in the 'Top Ten', a whole Camembert, bought in Pnomh Penh and left in the Devon nose compartment, in the Bangkok heat for a weekend, would 'rank' quite 'high' !
Cornish Jack is offline  
Old 10th Apr 2021, 14:16
  #20 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Scotland
Age: 72
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Back at the Gnat. I remember speakling to the pilot afterwards. Apparently the F104 airbrakes are rather better than the Gnat's. After disengaging from the 104's jetpipe he could see the ground past his feet on the rudder padals. A bit draughty. Lost the pitot head and had no airspeed indication. A pairs approach and an ok landing.
OldHunter is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.