Neato: Go Water Skiing With Your Plane On

This is not something you see everyday.

The South African Flying Lions demonstrate that you can water ski while flying a T6 Texan/Harvard.

 

Formation flying with your wheels in the water is rather impressive.

Snowbird Down

A Canadian Forces CT-114 Tutor Aircraft of the Snowbirds Aerobatic team has gone down near Kamploops BC.

Global News: CF Snowbird crashes near Kamloops during B.C. stop of cross-Canada tour

There's video of the incident at the link

At least one of the occupants ejected from the aircraft, but there are unconfirmed report is that there is a fatality involved.

Here's to hoping that the report of a fatality is wrong.

Update: Sadly, it's confirmed that one of the team members has died in the crash and the other on board was seriously injured, but is expected to survive. A pilot and a team technician were on board. No names are being given out yet.

May there be a speedy and full recovery to the injured team member.

RIP to the lost Snowbird's team member in this crash, you were an inspiration and example of excellence not just to the people of Canada but also beyond its borders.

Further Update: It was just announced the lost team member was Captain Jenn Casey, the team's public affairs officer. The injured pilot is Captain Richard MacDougall.

TOM2018 - The Amazing Sean Tucker In The Oracle Challenger III

To say that Sean Tucker is a master aerobatic pilot would be a massive understatement.

Hammerhead rolls, loops, inverted maneuvers by the ton, and many more thrilling maneuvers were done and he made them all look easy.

Sean Tucker is the only pilot to perform a triple ribbon cut during a show. He flies through the ribbons, which are only 25 feet off the ground, at speed in a right knife-edge for the first ribbon, then left knife-edge, and finally inverted.

Here he zooms in toward the ribbon hanging between the poles, then  turning to make a knife-edge approach.

   He then snaps over to cut the ribbon in a knife-edge pass (Click to embiggen, I rather like this shot that I got just as he hit the ribbon):

All passes were low, fast, and perfect ribbon cuts. He didn't miss at any time.

Later, he landed with ease and taxi'd on by, waving to the audience to thunderous and well-deserved applause.

The incredible custom-built Oracle Challenger III is being donated by Sean Tucker to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

An Amazing talent and a thrilling aerobatic display.