Thunderbird Pilot - Having a Bad Day?

Hi there

In my trawling through my images from the RIAT at Fairford, I came across this shot of the USAF Thunderbird F16 doing a flypast.

On closer inspection the pilot appears to be gesturing to the crowd of photographers who were there taking pictures on the Thursday before the main display at the weekend.

Now giving our American cousins the benefit of the doubt here, what he may have been trying to show was a "V" for Victory sign as made famous by Winston Churchill in the 2nd World War.

However what he was actually doing was giving the good old British 2 fingered salute, equivalent over here of the American raised middle finger or "bird".

Now it may have been by accident or intent but it made me smile, and I thought I would share it.

So lets here it for "Major Scott Poteet" Thunderbird 4 as he strikes a blow for UK - US relations.

John

I really like this picture and the fact that there's enough resolution to see the pilots gesture.

V for victory is more like it! The V is shown, upright and kept there as a salute.

V for the "finger", to my memory involves lifting a V as one flicks up the wrist.

The latter often can start with the fingers almost horizontal. The jerk upwards is the flip-off signal.

In any case, why on earth would the photographers miff the pilot? Do the lenses flash glare to the cockpit or what, LOL?

Asher

A lefthanded bowman?

Not that anyone outside the UK would know what that meant Ray! I think that the V sign is UK specific, the history of it certainly was.

Well, some of us on the outside do know

But there is a difference between showing the V sign palm forward or not right? I though the "historic" V sign was supposed to be shown with the palm facing out, no?

Another Bad Day!!

Hi There

Keeping on the Thunderbird thread and the pilot having a bad day, i thought i would share this photo which was taken by SSgt Bennie J Davis III a still photographer with the USAF.

It is of a Thunderbird F16 displaying at Mountain Home Airbase IDAHO in September of 2003

In performing a "Split S" maneuver the pilot was meant to climb to 2500 feet and then pull out of the loop. Owing to Pilot error and confusion over procedure on altimeter settings he only went to 1700 feet.

In trying to pull out of the loop he ran out of altitude and ejected 0.8 of a second before his plane hit the ground. Bad day for the plane $21 million dollar write off, but good day for the pilot who walked away unscathed.

John

Wow, what a split-second-capture (the ejecting pilot) - amazing! This shot could have earned him big bucks, I would imagine... (let's hear it for servo focus tracking!)