I remember the years long campaign by Flight magazine in the late sixties to have accidents by military aircraft published in order that people might learn from them. One of the last accident during that campaign was the RAF jet hitting an agricultural aircraft working in East Anglia because it was working in a secret low flying corridor.
J-15 carrier fighter thread
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
szbd
Junior Member
if a pilot always put come back alive at top priority, how do you expect him to win a battle?
szbd
Junior Member
It's not working in China this way. The margin is basically fixed and when the company needs money for other projects, the country will give that money.
I would've ejected and let my baby crash into the sand berm while I slowly glide down to earth in relative safety. Perhaps this is why I'm not a naval aviator 
Exactly, but when you are an aviator, any accident resulting in "class A damage", (over a million bucks) is a potentially career ending incident! Yuan Wei is a "HERO!", he exemplified extraordinary airmanship in the face of life threatening circumstances, being considerate of those on the ground, he made the decision to actually overfly the area in the "high hopes" that he could save his aircraft and himself!
Yuan would likely be a candidate for the "Collier Trophy" here in the US, and he will no doubt be a real hero in China...I know you Kwai, you are indeed an extraordinary gentlemen, and thank you so much for your service to our country in the United States Navy! proud of you as well young man, and proud to call you my SDF Brother!
104 may be at least a partial write-off like 055, and our own F-35A at Tindale, as I'm sure you well know JP burns very hot, and any structural elements of that airfcraft, that received ANY significant heat are likely damaged beyond repair. Whether metallic or carbon fibre, that damage is not always visually discernible, but they will tear into 104 and do a very detailed inspection and test prior to deciding whether or not to repair her!
I would've ejected and let my baby crash into the sand berm while I slowly glide down to earth in relative safety. Perhaps this is why I'm not a naval aviator
Well its too late to edit my last post, but NO PILOT wants to take a chance on that ejection seat, and NO PILOT wants to be swimmer when flying off the boat!
so, while that stuffs all comforting as a last resort,,,, nobody really wants to "try it out", lots of dead and wounded aviators pulled those handles for the last time..
Yuan Wie "knew" in his heart of hearts that he could save his airplane and himself, and choose to "take a chance" on what he knew. I will guarantee you that Yuan's fellow pilots would have rated him a "superior aviator" prior to this accident, and it takes "balls" to stay with it.
Yuan Wie has a wife and kids,,,, like "Cougar" in top gun, your family is always in the back of your mind.
Every pilot believes he will survive every mission, nobody is a "Kamikaze" on purpose, we might do that to save our families, country, etc. but all pilots have a very strong sense of self preservation, and good pilots work hard for that very reason. Confidant in our God-Given talents, and "bullet-proof" in our own minds, Yuan Wei is a prime example,,, he will be rewarded for his valor and airmanship, his "Wifey" will look at him in a new way, his children will know that their Daddy is a Hero, and his "fellows will look to him for "leadership", that friends makes it all worth it!
now had Yuan realized his bird was going to blow, he would have pointed it in as safe a direction as possible, and pulled those handles!
I once had an engine "Quit" shortly after pulling to about a 60 degree vertical line in an aerobatic aircraft at about 300' ft AGL... with God's help, and a lot of sweat, I pushed it back to level to maintain flying speed and began rolling in the flaps and cranking that sucker into a very steep, 60 degrees + bank and was able to land on the runway that I had just finished giving a very low "buzz job"... I did this in front of at least 200 people watching at a very small fly-in,,, I'm sure the knowledgable thought this idiot is gonna kill himself, others knew I was gonna "prang" that bird!
One young lad walked up and asked if I could give him "aerobatic" lessons??? LOL
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That's always your top priority Bub, pilots are confident in their own abilities to accomplish the mission and "come back alive", if you have a crew, they are your first priority. Lots of pilots have stayed at the controls long enough for your bros in back to "bail", if that's NOT possible, lots of airman have rode it in, in the long shot of saving both others and themselves.
kwaigonegin
Colonel
I Understand.. a well trained pilot has to process a million things at once during an emergency. His life, those below him and the 'life' of his ride. I would argue that the lives below him takes prc fence even over his own. He will steer his aircraft to avoid populated areas as best he could and try to land as best he could. A lesser pilot would eject straight away and even an ejection is no guarantee of safety either. Injuries even death may be quite possible.
The good pilot did well and executed a textbook extraction. It was the best possible outcome. No one got hurt included himself and he saved the aircraft.
A lesser pilot would've crapped himself, panicked and pull the eject.
