GregP
Major
Heard a rather tragic story today at the Museum from a guy who there in Viet Nam. His name is Juri Van der Wood, and he used to fly for the Dutch Air Force after WWII, and came to the USA, became a citizen, and joined the USAF.
He was at Takhli in Thailand. He said an F-100 came into the landing pattern and made his approach, and near touchdown began a rapid descent. The pilot hit afterburner and raised the nose and retracted the gear! The nose went up to about 75° and the F-100 did a perfect, nose-high, tail-walk all the way down the runway while descending very slowly. Near the end, the horizontal stabilators touched down, the pilot pulled power and the F-100 flopped down on the runway and slid to a stop without catching fire!
They went out to the plane as rapidly as they could and found the pilot dead in the cockpit ... he had thrown up in his mask, inhaled it, and it was in his lungs. Had he not done that, he would have survived a Sabre Dance! The plane was repaired and flew ops again afterward!
What a shame.
He was at Takhli in Thailand. He said an F-100 came into the landing pattern and made his approach, and near touchdown began a rapid descent. The pilot hit afterburner and raised the nose and retracted the gear! The nose went up to about 75° and the F-100 did a perfect, nose-high, tail-walk all the way down the runway while descending very slowly. Near the end, the horizontal stabilators touched down, the pilot pulled power and the F-100 flopped down on the runway and slid to a stop without catching fire!
They went out to the plane as rapidly as they could and found the pilot dead in the cockpit ... he had thrown up in his mask, inhaled it, and it was in his lungs. Had he not done that, he would have survived a Sabre Dance! The plane was repaired and flew ops again afterward!
What a shame.