Well done that person: a thread to post examples of people being very good at things

I don't do a lot of off topic posting, but I saw this today and thought 'half of those DIYAudio guys seem to be pilots, so maybe they'd be interested in this if they haven't seen it already':

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-13/plane-emergency-incident-newcastle-airport/103838786

Anyway, I thought it might be entertaining to have a thread where people can post things that made them go 'geez, they're not half bad at that'. A thread showing appreciation for those who really know their stuff. Link whatever impressed you.
 
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Here's an old video of a CAC (P-51) Mustang landing at Point Cook (Vic, Oz) after its undercarriage failed, also very impressive:

The link seems to just direct back to this thread, but I think I found the right video based on your description:


Impressive considering the age of the plane. I wonder if it's back up and flying now - like a lot of kids, I spent a lot of time looking at pictures of P-51s and Spitfires in my youth.
 
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Apologies, I didn't check what I pasted, it was supposed to be that YouTube link.

The damage wasn't too bad and the Mustang was repaired, it's Bob Eastgate's aircraft, the only two seat one in Oz.. There are, I think, four airworthy CAC/P51s in Victoria: this one, the RAAF Museum's 'shark mouth, Judy Pay's machine at Tyabb and Jeff Trappett's, based in Gippsland.

Geoff
 
Not to mention QF32, where an A380 lost an engine and much of its controllability, or United Airlines 232, where a DC-10 had its centre engine explode and with it, all flying surface control and the pilots had to steer, climb and descend using only engine power. Or Sully's landing on the Hudson River, or many other examples, of course.

All examples of how crew training and experience saved many lives

Geoff
 
Do you have the link to the video please, would be very interesting to watch

As another example of strange aerodynamics, there was a DC 2 1/2, run by CAAC in China; a DC-3 was damaged by strafing but there wasn't a spare DC-3 wing available - so the mechanics bolted on a DC-2 wing, which was around five feet shorter, it flew OK, apparently.

Geoff
 
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OT, but you Aussies might be interested in this SBS doco movie about the Spitfire if you haven't already seen it.

https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/movie/spitfire/2324292163536
There's a touching story in that video where one of the women who flew the Spits had signed the last one she ferried, a Mark VIII. A bloke in Italy had restored that very aircraft, with the signature intact. He flew it to England and got her to re-sign it; she was overjoyed to see 'her' Spitfire. She passed away a few months later, aged 100.

There's also a YouTube video called "Spitfire Sisters" which is well worth a look.

Geoff
 
Do you have the link to the video please, would be very interesting to watch

As another example of strange aerodynamics, there was a DC 2 1/2, run by CAAC in China; a Dc-3 was damaged by strafing but there wasn't a spare DC-3 wing available - so the mechanics bolted on a DC-2 wing, which was around five feet shorter, it flew OK, apparently.

Geoff
Plane landing with one wing.
 
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