Check this out guys, Was this picture taking from very far away or is this kinda close ??????


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There not touching yet...

Notice the on on the left has it's speed brakes open..........time to hit the brakes!
Chris

It's an optical illusion. They're at least 1 plane length separated. The trailing pilot calls the break when separation is clear. This is a picture taken from a long lense so the depth of field is low giving the illusion they're very close. The trailing pilot always has his speed brakes open at this point. They pass overhead in perfect line abreast formation, then once they're far enough out in front of the crowd, the trailer pops the boards, gets separation, and calls the break. Gives a great impression of collision effect.

Hi Johnny,

The Red Arrows (RAF Aero Team) do a similar manouver with 4 Hawks in box formation breaking whilst pointing towards crowd centre. Looks very spectacular but, if you view them from directly below, they are actually nowhere near each other at any point and it's all very safe.

Cheers,

Dick
England

Hi Dick, I'm going to the Paris Airshow next year so I'll get the pleasure to see them perform, cant wait.



Johnny Hernandez

Johnny,

Make sure you allow time to drop by and fly with us here in England (bring some Florida weather with you too!).

Cheers,

Dick

Close enough? no trick angle here!
Rgds, Enrique

The snowbirds do it with 6

This is close
Brian

LOL

If they were "not " that close then why does one have full speed brakes deployed???? Slowing down it not part of the stunt. [8D]

Heres the explanation I got when I got this photo from a friend:

"Too close for comfort I'd say...

This one was really close. Big post flight hose-down. Check out the speed brakes fully deployed on the F-16 on the left! Obviously the timing was off in this maneuver. The lead plane flies a constant airspeed, and the second plane adjusts his airspeed (relative motion) to stay as close possible without having a mid-air. In the photo, the second plane was going too fast and pulled his speed brakes and idled his engine (decreased contrail). He also was changing his altitude, based on the aeronautical law that states that two planes cannot occupy the same airspace at the same time. The altitude change was what saved his butt. I still can't believe they didn't swap paint. This is why people like air shows!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "

They weren't even close! Doug's explanation is the same one that is on Truth or Fiction .com (or maybe Snopes...) This one made the circuit several weeks ago with the "dress down" quotes....
Long lens, small depth of field...

Greg

I would say it's a pretty good job with PhotoShop or some other editing software. I blew this picture up 600% and it's clear that the verticle fin on the ship on the left is obscuring part of the canopy of the ship on the right. If this were actual, I don't believe there is any way they could have missed each other.

If you had ever watched this one from the side, you would know that slowing down is part of it. They come around and join up abreast, then the trail plane eases back as soon as they fly out away from the crowd, until he is half a plane behind the lead. Yokels at the airshow don't see this if they aren't looking for it. If you are looking for it, it's obvious. Once the clearance is there, they roll up & break.

And this:

Is obviously part of the urban legend. The illusion is why people like airshows, but it's just an illusion as described by Doug. Planned to look exactly like this. As for it being a photoshop, there's no reason it would be. I pulled it into photoshop so I could take a look at the relative image sizes. Even though it's pretty obvious that the left plane is closer as the image size is larger, I counted & compared the wingspans. This shows that the right image is about 95% the size of the left image. That indicates the right plane is about 5% closer to the eyepoint. At a range of 1500 feet, a reasonable assumption, 5% equates to 75 feet - that's almost exactly 1.5 times the length of an F-16. Seems like good clearance to me. There's nothing about the fact that vertical on the left plane is in front of the plane on the right that causes an incongruity. The plane on the left is obviously closer and should occult the right plane.

So there you have it. Oh, and fighters aren't the only ones that do this at airshows:

the 2 f-18 the hit just a few hrs ago is as close as it gets happened near spokan

This was close. Burned my eyebrows

Took this one of the Reds displaying yesterday at B'mouth, its no the move you mention, but its similar in scare factor!! I videoed the one where they seem to fly into each other then break formation..... Cant get enough of them!!!!!!!!!!!

synchro pair........

[sm=thumbup.gif] lovin it

Those pictures are awesome Dave !!!!!!!


Johnny Hernandez

cheers I was so obsessed, it took a photo of every flypast.......Got a soft spot for the Reds......was tuned into the local tower to hear when they're were about to depart!!!