Amazing Dutch F-16 bailout pics

[beaky]

Found a link to this forum on yet another forum: some birdwatchers got excellent pics of a post-birdstrike(?) F-16 trainer bailout recently... a remarkable thing is that the plane seemed to just say "OK then, I'll just be landing without you guys... later!"

http://www.dynamictruth.com/ubb/ultimat ... 05293.html

[expat]

Once in a lifetime set of pictures. If marketed properly, he could make a bit from them. The Mig midair picture sold for 100,000 pounds sterling. Not quite the same here, but nice.

Matt

[C]

I think these were posted last week...


Amazing shots though...

[Saitek]

They are incredible. Why did they eject just because of the birdstrike?  ???

[beaky]

[quote]They are incredible. Why did they eject just because of the birdstrike?

[Chris_F]

Reading the thread on the other page, it sounds like the bird got ingested and killed the engine.  Standard operating procedure is to fly the plane and try to restart until you get too low.  I could see a pilot lose the engine, head toward the airport trying to re-light.  When he hits the point where he's too low he points the plane towards the airport and punches out.  The plane simply drifts down on to airport property.

[Hagar]

[quote]I could see a pilot lose the engine, head toward the airport trying to re-light.

[C]

They are incredible. Why did they eject just because of the birdstrike?  ???

If a bird (that size) goes down the intake of a single engine jet (which judging by the photos was between 500-1000ft - I'd say nearer 500ft and in the circuit) and the engine winds down, you don't hang about to see what happens - you get out.

As for the speculation about why the burner appears to be operating - the pilots first response would have probably been to firewall the throttles - either to avoid the bird(s) or as a reaction to a loss of power (seeing as closing the throttle at that height would be somewhat futile)...

[beaky]

If a bird (that size) goes down the intake of a single engine jet (which judging by the photos was between 500-1000ft - I'd say nearer 500ft and in the circuit) and the engine winds down, you don't hang about to see what happens - you get out.

Oh my, yes...

As for the speculation about why the burner appears to be operating - the pilots first response would have probably been to firewall the throttles - either to avoid the bird(s) or as a reaction to a loss of power (seeing as closing the throttle at that height would be somewhat futile)...

Well, you can't see any flame in the first shot that shows the nozzle, but maybe that flash later was just from the engine coming apart with fuel flowing... it really is important to get away from a jet when the engine suffers critical damage- hot stuff, and high fuel flow rate... I'd take the ride in the seat over the ride down in that flying crematorium anyday!
But oddly enough, the plane wasn't too badly damaged when it arrived; wasn't trailing smoke on the way down, either.
Whatever- I can't blame them for punching out, and other than the plane, no harm done.

[TSC.]

Shame they didn't have time to pop the gear down before punching out - now that would've been an interesting landing

Cheers,

TSC.

[Mees]

Going Dutch....

[Saitek]

Shame they didn't have time to pop the gear down before punching out - now that would've been an interesting landing

That made me laugh all right.

[ozzy72]

Thank goodness for Bernard Lynch and the clever eggs at Martin Baker

[matt2190]

Standard operating procedure is to fly the plane and try to restart until you get too low.  I could see a pilot lose the engine, head toward the airport trying to re-light.  When he hits the point where he's too low he points the plane towards the airport and punches out.  The plane simply drifts down on to airport property.

I think that is true. Here is a video of another F-16 birdstrike.

http://jeremy.zawodny.com/video/F_16_vs ... ection.wmv

The pilot tried restarting and stayed in until he had to eject.

[C]

I think that is true. Here is a video of another F-16 birdstrike.

http://jeremy.zawodny.com/video/F_16_vs ... ection.wmv

The pilot tried restarting and stayed in until he had to eject.

Unless you're low to start with!

I have to agree with you Sean - I think the glow is the engine making itself into a very expensive piece of scrap metal.