We have had a week when Bournemouth has made the front page of all the UK national newspapers. First it was the floods. Running through the center of Bournemouth is Bourne stream, about 5 feet wide. On Thursday last we had 2 inches of rain in about 2 hours and the place was flooded. The stream overflowed its boundaries and became a lake. The promenade became a waterfall and Westover Road split, as gas pipes burst.
The next day everything was cleared after a remarkable work party and cleaned the streets. All was set for the Bournemouth Air show. Then the tragedy of the lost wing man of the Red Arrows. It seems that it was a bird strike that caused the loss of power. The pilot bravely flew his plane away from the village of Throop before crashing on the banks of the River Stour. He apparently ejected but at too low an altitude.
we will never know the truth behind why Jon did not(or could not eject - last year the Hawks were grounded for malfunctioning ejection-seats) but Jon was surely an exceptionally talented and brave pilot and we who were witnesses to that should believe that whatever happened he did the best he could (even if it meant sacrificing himself as his gran said) and respect him for that...there goes a man.
ReplyDeleteThere is an auto-eject feature on impact it seems, but witnesses said the plane was angled at 90degrees to the ground so...they found the parachute on a tree and the seat separate and his body somewhere in the river.
ReplyDeleteand the Martin-Baker seat is supposed to eject from zero altitude.
ReplyDelete90 degrees laterally that is one wingtip tilted towards the ground...
ReplyDelete