HD Yak 50 Engine Failure, April 2010, UK

[Les]

That was one of the most stressful things I've ever seen.

Despite their professionalism, the pilot's tone of voice and head movements, and the voices of air-traffic control, along with what they choose to say, all reveal the stress of the situation. You can see and hear some of the thought processes the pilot was going through, and easily imagine what was going on on the ground, with the talk later of other planes looking for him and their relief when the pilot is confirmed to have landed safely.

And while not wanting to trivialize the life or death situation the pilot was in, I have to say, having done similar things in Il-2 Sturmovik, I think I can relate at least in some way to what he must have been going through. Desperately checking all your options as every second they get narrower and narrower, until you have no choice at all and you have to commit...

But with your actual life on the line! Bloody hell.

And yeah, okay, before anyone starts (and I know no-one did), okay, we're all heroes and could have done what he did, only better, and he overshot the field he was aiming at and almost hit a wall, and it wasn't really all that dangerous, just doing what they were trained to do...whatever.

That was a pretty good video of a pretty good landing and I think it's a testament to Oleg and the sim that at least one person in the world can understand, better than he would have otherwise, what was going on there.

And thinking about it, the same thing can be said about WW2 air combat in general, though it's something I realized quite a while ago and not something I dwell on. Namely, I didn't have a clue, until I 'played' Il-2, just what those guys (and girls) went through and did back then, for real. But trying to do it myself, even in a 'game', has been a real education, that along with all the historical information that I've then encountered on the periphery of the 'game', via the forums etc.

So, yeah, thanks Oleg, and all involved in that. As I said, I don't dwell on it, and will always be a bit of dilettante when it comes to the whole subject, but I appreciate what I've been able to learn through all this.

And there, as a final point, I've just stumbled across what is, for me, the most important distinction between a game and a sim, especially one that deals with historical subject-matter. Sims can teach people how to relate to the experiences of others, by allowing them to have those experiences themselves, even if not for real. While games just teach you how to play games.

Anyway. Will shut up now. Have been posting too much lately, caught up in all the excitement of BOB nearing completion. Should probably leave altogether before the sim comes out and this place turns into one big shitfight.

Afraid to press Submit Reply now, but I think there was something worth saying/reading in all that and I can't be bothered editing it.

[Skoshi Tiger]

Originally Posted by T}{OR

True. Congrats to the pilot.

Although my impression is that he was avoiding a fence just before the flare - hence the 'drop like a rock' final landing.

+1

Who the hell would pile rocks up in lines across a perfectly good landing ground! Bloody farmers!

[Splitter]

Originally Posted by Les

That was one of the most stressful things I've ever seen.

Nah, that's a good post .

That landing is why soldiers train, players practice, and pilots work on emergency situations. When the stuff hits the fan you tend to fall back on training. I think the guy held it together great. As you said, his options were getting more limited by the second and that tends to drive up the heart rate lol. He followed the basic rule of "fly the plane" when the problem started cascading into catastrophe.

I think I understand why he went in wheels up not knowing the conditions on the ground and having no option to check them out first. Damaged airplane, but intact pilot is a good trade .

Splitter

[Blackdog_kt]

Awesome video. Aside from the real-life value of it, it also has an extra kind of value for us pretend-pilots like Les pointed out in his post.

For me, it was very interesting to see how much it takes a piston engine to seize when its left without oil. I'm just glad the guy got out of it ok so i won't feel bad for gaining knowledge from other people's misfortunes.
Although to say the truth, i think damaging that bird does account for a significant amount of grief but things were definitively under control at all times and risk to life and limb (not only the pilot's, but people on the ground as well) was minimized through proper operation of the aircraft, well done to the guy.

Most of these aerobatic fliers go up with parachutes strapped on, maybe he could have just trimmed it to fly into the ground at an empty spot and bail out, but he chose to stick with it and try to save both the aircraft and the people on the ground.

And now for the million dollar question: after watching this in almost first person view thanks to the guy's helmet-mounted camera and seeing that wall of rocks on the field border, are you sure you still want hedgerows modelled in SoW?

[AndyJWest]

And now for the million dollar question: after watching this in almost first person view thanks to the guy's helmet-mounted camera and seeing that wall of rocks on the field border, are you sure you still want hedgerows modelled in SoW?

Hedgerows, maybe. Dry-stone walls? No!

It was certainly a demonstration of coolness under pressure, and confidence in 'seat of the pants' flying - he wasn't reluctant to turn at low altitude to get into the field he was aiming at. I'll see if I can find out more about this incident, but for now, here's what's in the YouTube notes:

Post major maintenance/life extension at EGMJ a YAK 50 loses oil pressure over the Lake District at 1250ft.
Engine runs until dry before seizing, gearbox u/s and windmilling prop at 3100ft followed by glide, wheels up (no flaps on the 50) into a rough field with an upslope at 500ft amsl.
First impact to full stop 47 metres, first belly impact approx 35 metres.
Aircraft did not go through wall, right aileron did contact with a fence post.
Wind reported at Carlisle less than 5kts - windmills visible not turning and shutdown. Ground soft.
When the engine seized it caused the reduction gearbox to disintegrate hence a windmillling prop and engine shut down with mags off and fuel cut. On inspection the cylinders completely solid, engine core since scrapped.

Edit: Thread on the PPRuNe forums
http://www.pprune.org/private-flying...ing-video.html
They seem to be of two minds as to how good the landing was.

Edit 2: AAIB report
http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources...KK%2008-10.pdf
"the oil pressure adjustment valve was missing from the oil scavenge pump housing" - ouch!

[bf-110]

Hey,he landed as I usualy do in IL2.The difference is that I don´t know how,his Yak didn´t broke its "legs".

[AndyJWest]

Originally Posted by bf-110

Hey,he landed as I usualy do in IL2.The difference is that I don´t know how,his Yak didn´t broke its "legs".

I think it was wheels up, intentionally.

[Splitter]

The terrain was completely unrealistic, like something out of 2001. Color was all wrong. Clouds were too "cotton ball". Flight model was obviously wrong. The markings were the wrong color. The weathering on the airframe was unrealistic. Gouges in the ground were not modeled correctly. The instrument panel was from a different sub type.

Other than that it was a good video.



Splitter

[swiss]

Maybe someone can post again with AA on.

thx

[BadAim]

I can almost taste the adrenaline.