Wingwalking Air-to-Air

[speeddemon]

Re: Wingwalking Air-to-Air

PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong....but didn't some of the more well-known wing walkers of days of old do so without a thick, hefty safety cable attached to them?

I don't recall Johnny K or Gordie McCallum using one.....

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Wingwalking Air-to-Air

PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong....but didn't some of the more well-known wing walkers of days of old do so without a thick, hefty safety cable attached to them?

I don't recall Johnny K or Gordie McCallum using one.....

Speed... I think you're right but early fighter pilots flew without chutes as well... Bet your bro would take issue with that concept!

[speeddemon]

Re: Wingwalking Air-to-Air

Well Speedy flew without one also... well, sorta.

Yeah...we had 'em....but try FINDING it, putting it on, trying to do so while flying a 'crippled' plane, getting all 12 of the other guys 'out', letting go of the control column, and then running at full blast down the tube for a good 50 or 60 feet and trying to get out the door before the plane came apart, impacted terra cotta, or went so out of control that you were pinned inside.

And since the chutes had a decent rate equivellant of jumping out of a three story window and free-falling, you were better off trying to put the plane down as intact as possible.

Ask Air Race Addict. The only thing that parachutes were good for on a P-3 were as pillows on cross-ocean transits.

[speeddemon]

Re: Wingwalking Air-to-Air

Speed... I think you're right but early fighter pilots flew without chutes as well... Bet your bro would take issue with that concept!

And the pilots had a seat to sit in and a control column to play with. My comment was that the wing walkers I grew up watching not only didn't have a parachute, but didn't have a safety line clipped to the plane and themselves either.

Just made what they did that much more impressive, that's all.

[Leo]

Re: Wingwalking Air-to-Air

I would bet that ending up dangling from that rope would get you beat up pretty good against the airframe....
Long hair and no goggles. Must have eyes of steel! I cant even drive with the top down for too long before my eyes dry out and my hair beats my forehead raw!
Awesome shots Victor, never seen anything like them.

[ShermB]

Re: Wingwalking Air-to-Air

Ask Lee Oman, sometime, about hanging from the plane, and being rescued by friends in a pick-up truck. Really amazing to watch the video.
Betty

[Air Race Addict]

Re: Wingwalking Air-to-Air

Yeah...we had 'em....but try FINDING it, putting it on, trying to do so while flying a 'crippled' plane, getting all 12 of the other guys 'out', letting go of the control column, and then running at full blast down the tube for a good 50 or 60 feet and trying to get out the door before the plane came apart, impacted terra cotta, or went so out of control that you were pinned inside.

And since the chutes had a decent rate equivellant of jumping out of a three story window and free-falling, you were better off trying to put the plane down as intact as possible.

Ask Air Race Addict. The only thing that parachutes were good for on a P-3 were as pillows on cross-ocean transits.

I can confirm that my parachute only came out of the rack for drills, inspection by the riggers, and on long cross oceanic or continental flights. However, I did make three jumps in the standard 24' chute while in A&P school in Tulsa, just to see what it would have been like. Landing wasn't THAT bad, but steering totally sucked. I would like to take this opportunity to assure anyone who may have had them hanging around, (no pun intended), you would survive the impact with "terra cotta" Likewise with terra firma The practicallity of having them onboard for something other than a feel good item, is another issue altogether, as Speed notes above. Same with the "poopy suits"

[SpinB]

Re: Wingwalking Air-to-Air

PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong....but didn't some of the more well-known wing walkers of days of old do so without a thick, hefty safety cable attached to them?

I don't recall Johnny K or Gordie McCallum using one.....

I didn't mind Susan Sarandon falling off.........OHHH YYEEAAAAHHHH!!!!

[fenceliner01]

Re: Wingwalking Air-to-Air

Scotty G. made a good point on his board when Victor posted the photos over there, too... What kind of a view does the FAA take about things falling off of airplanes over populated areas? Might explain the most important reason for a safety cable.

[Aeronut7]

Re: Wingwalking Air-to-Air

I'd wager that she doesn't wear the cable during actual shows . . . it just seems to me that if you're going to fly that much higher around another airplane, you might as well wear the safety line . . .

But I dunno. Maybe now I'll have to inspect my pictures of Margie Stivers from last year now to find out :P

[knowsnothin]

Re: Wingwalking Air-to-Air

These are cool, Victor!
Once again thanks for all you post for us to enjoy!

JMurphy