Holden's Lightning Flight

by astdbon 6/14/2021, 5:55:13 AM with 9 comments
  • by adamjbon 6/15/2021, 3:34:59 PM

    Interesting tidbit from the first person account linked as a reference

    >Some years after the incident, my hidden fears of high speed flight came to the surface and I had to spend two periods in hospital. I had not come to terms with the emotional side of the event. To return to my wife and family, after five close encounters with death, was indeed a miraculous experience, but I had not been honest with myself, to accept it as such, so I needed psychiatric help. I could recall the technicalities of the flight without any hang-ups, but was unwilling to talk about that emotional side of the ordeal until I was placed under medical drugs and to bring these emotions to the surface. That was a rewarding experience and it gave me a much better understanding of people who might need that kind of help, after similar unfortunate occurrences

    http://www.nzrafaaa.dx.am/Halton%20Wheel%20Issue%2021%20Sept...

  • by tobmlton 6/15/2021, 6:41:58 AM

    I had a professor who flew the electric lightning later in his flying career (early in his overall career;). Beast of a plane.

    The most he said of it was: “it was a real hot ship”

    This fellow had stories for days.

  • by kleibaon 6/15/2021, 6:45:01 AM

    Just for a second, imagine yourself in that situation... Amazing that he was able to land safely and with only repairable damage to the plane.

  • by _carbyau_on 6/15/2021, 5:20:34 AM

    I love that he messed up, and the brass regales him with stories too. Lesson learned, job done, clear to go...

  • by watersbon 6/15/2021, 8:05:44 AM

    Perfect metaphor of me, in any programming job ever.

  • by alangibsonon 6/15/2021, 8:44:37 AM

    It's impressive that he had the presence of mind to land heading away from the village, knowing there was a good chance he'd run off the runway and/or crash.

  • by zh3on 6/15/2021, 3:10:20 PM

    I remember seeing Lightnings at the Farnborough air show, many years ago - the standard trick was a low pass along the runway just in the front of the crowds (on full afterburner), and at the end go absolutely vertical until out of sight. The noise (and the heat that would drift across the crowd afterwards) was incredible.

  • by simonhon 6/15/2021, 9:51:41 AM

    I hope he at least got a fast jet wings badge out of it, even if he couldn't wear it on his uniform.

  • by mobilioon 6/15/2021, 9:54:32 AM

    This remind me of SpaceCamp movie: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceCamp