747 Waves "Goodbye"
 

Delivery flight for Cargolux out of Everett, Washington earlier this week:

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If it looks like that much roll from the outside, from the cockpit it must feel like an aerobatic maneuver.

I guess the pilot was pretty sure the cargo was securely tied down.

If it was a plane delivery flight, wouldn't it be empty?

Pretty sure it was empty and the pilot was just checking to make sure they attached the wings properly before he got too high off the ground, less distance to fall that way.

Notice the lack of any flaps - it's completely empty, on its delivery flight. It's a long standing tradition around here to wave goodbye when they fly out for the last time.

Same when I was the chief military pilot at the Sikorsky factory...there is nothing like flying a helicopter that has that new car smell!

My airline mechanic friend that works out of SeaTac says they do that with all of the planes as the leave the factory.

A Cathay Pacific pilot picked up a new 777-300 at Everett a few years ago, came around for a low pass after takeoff and got in trouble with his company. Hot-dogging with corporate property is a no-no and if a Cargolux exec saw this the pilot could get a reprimand. Doesn't matter how "safe" the maneuver(ing) is, it's the liability exposure should something happen. If this guy had sucked birds into the engine(s) during the wing-rock he'd have to explain why he was rocking the wings--the investigators would use the 'showoff' maneuver to imply that was why birds were ingested and if the pilot had not been distracted by his wing-rock maneuver then he would have seen, and possibly avoided the birds (and the cost of repairs). Hypothetical yes, but sit through an accident/incident investigation and you'll see the focus being on the pilot adhering, or not, to Flight Manual and Company procedures. Every professional pilot has, or had better have, an education in the law. Expose your company to financial loss at your peril.

It never ceases to amaze me that wings can lift such heavy objects.

Paine Field, back in the day, we had real airshows there.



now pusssification for noise. no fighters, so go hug a tree instead.



While working at Boeing lunchtime practice runs during airshows were great.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDiH_Df9Fj8





way back when,

Those air shows at Paine Field were the real deal! I remember going to a few many many years ago. Don't recall when they stopped doing them though.

I was just over at Paine Field a few weeks ago watching Paul Allan's collection of vintage warbirds getting a workout. Let's see, there was a Zero, a Warhawk, a Mustang, a BF109, an FW 190, a Skyraider, a Mitchell, and one twin engined attack plane, sorta like an A36, but it wasn't. Can't remember what it was...

But yes, the old air show days. Every darn jet fighter in service, plus B-52's, B-1's, A-10's, and on and on. Show management somehow decided they wanted a more "family friendly" event with a less militaristic flavor, so the fun stuff was out. It turned into an endless show of different colored Pitts bipes, Extra 300's, and various Yak and Sukhoi aerobatic planes. It was nice to see a few at the old show, but to build an entire show around them? Yawn. In their efforts to make it "family friendly", they succeeded in making it so no kids wanted to go.

Those cargo guys like to hot dog because the plane is so light. Probably thinks he flying a Cub.

I can see doing a ceremonial wave on the way out, but that was pretty aggressive. Not a lot of wingtip clearance there on the first bank to the left. Have to assume that was a management pilot, any regular line pilot would get their ass handed to them over that:eek:

High probability it's a management pilot. Sexy gigs like factory delivery flights go to those guys. Funny thing, management pilots are often the least proficient pilots because they actively avoid flying line trips.

*cringe* low, dirty, :eek:

my first reaction was to think of this 747:

Dramatic Plane Crash soon after takeoff Live - A civilian 747 Cargo plane crashed at Bagram Airfield - YouTube

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That plane was fully loaded with heavy wheeled vehicles that were not tied down properly.

They shifted to the rear on TO. Nothing that could be done at that point.

Loadmaster at fault.