Best Aerobatic Team?

[Glider]

I once saw a film of a couple of A4's from the NZ airforce. They did a display with one of them carrying a buddy refueling sytem and the other was plugged into it during the whole display.
I don't know if it was a formal display team but it was pretty impressive.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

What kind of maneuvers did they do. I would imagine not much being connected like that with a hose.

 

[Glider]

The only one I remember was a roll which must have been fun. They wouldn't have had much power to play with.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

The aero demostration team that Claire Chenault was in used to do that as well, chaining the aircraft together...

 

[Glider]

It was quite common between the wars for UK display teams to do a show with all the planes tied together but I don't know what types of maneuvers were undertaken

 

[FLYBOYJ]

It was quite common between the wars for UK display teams to do a show with all the planes tied together but I don't know what types of maneuvers were undertaken

Slow rolls, lazy 8s, loops, all in one tight formation!

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

That must be awesome to see. I have never even heard of it till now. Wish I could see that also.

 

[evangilder]

I would think it would be scariest on takeoff and landing.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Here's a picture of the team Chanault was in

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Wow cool pic.

 

[trackend]

It was quite common between the wars for UK display teams to do a show with all the planes tied together but I don't know what types of maneuvers were undertaken

As a lad my dad went to see Captain Blacks Flying Circus at
Maylands Airfield in Essex.
He said they did the cutting balloons with the wings trick while flying upside down ect and for half a crown (two shillings and sixpence),
Captain Black himself would take you up for a joy ride.
My dad and his mate only had four shillings between them but the old boy said he would take them both up together.
In they scrambled to this old biplane and the assistant strapped them down (one belt over both their laps). A couple humps on the prop and the engine coughed into life. Away they went down the grass runway everything rattling and shaking until it slowly rose into the air.
Even as a 11 year old my dad didnt like the way the wings appeared to move independantly to the fuslage all the rigging was so slack that the planes wings seemed to take off before the plane. After a ten minute fly round Captain Black bought the two boys back to ground in one piece.
A week later Captain Blacks flying circus was closed by the authorities due to unsafe aircraft.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Wow great story. Must have been a blast though even though the aircraft were deemed unsafe.

 

[evangilder]

Yikes! Good thing your dad made it through.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Hell like I allways say, an aircraft aint flying unless it is held together with duct tape, chewing gum, and piano wire!

 

[trackend]

My old man thinks its really funny as he thought it was great at the time like being a WW1 ace. Not that many working class people in the UK had ever been up in a plane in the early 30s, in fact my own first flight was a ten minute joy ride at 14 for a birthday present.
My first real flight was on a 707 at 21.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Damn must have been a lont time ago. Not many use the 707 anymore.

 

[trackend]

Steady on Adler It was a old plane when I used it I think in 1971 or 2, if I remember

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

LOL just trying to get a raz out of you.

 

[Glider]

My Fathers claim to fame was that he went on the Hindenberg in Germany before it went to the States and was destroyed. He has these photo's of typical British 30's types having tea in front of the unbelievably huge hanger doors. With the exception of the Kennedy Space Center I have never seen anything like it, you have no idea just how big these things look. The people having tea are simply dots on the bottom of the photo.
The Hindengurg was in the hanger and for obvious reasons no photo's were allowed inside.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Wow that is impressive!