Last day of flying 2005

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Cat Driver
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Last day of flying 2005

Post by Cat Driver »

If anyone is interested in flying through bridges go to this link.

http://www.catalina-pby.nl/site/index.php

As a grand finish to my airshow season this summer I landed in the river in downtown Rotterdam to drop off some big movers and shakers in the Dutch government.

Anyhow as I was taking off they asked me if I could do a low flyby for the Mayor of Rotterdam, and forgot to tell me how low, so go to this link and click on Fotos..then click on Wereldhavendagen.

There will be 29 pictures and look at #15 to get a look at the bridge.

Then look at # 25 and # 26 and you will see what I did, I flew right through the f.ckin opening between the tower and the support wire....

Everyone figured I would lose my license but in the end everyone just enjoyed seeing someone doing something that is only dreamed about by pilots.

So as you can see troops the o'l Cat is still young at heart and loves to perform neat flying tricks for those who ask....I bet they never dreamed I'd fly through the bridge.. :smt026

Cat.
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sprucemonkey
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Post by sprucemonkey »

Its 0320z right now......and cant get on again. wonder how may are trying the like right now?
:lol:
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Post by hazatude »

If you ever need a Linecrew....I'm there!
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w squared
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Post by w squared »

D@mn. Great big brass ones, Cat. Great big brass ones.

Wish I had seen it.
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Please don't tell my mother that I work in the Oilpatch...she still thinks that I'm the piano player at a whorehouse.
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Post by Cat Driver »

Not really W Squared, flying through the bridge was not all that hard to do as the opening is way bigger than the airplane.

Flying is all about pilot decision making skills and being able to assess any situation and make the decision to do or not to do any flight or part thereof knowing that you are not taking any risk that will compromize safety.

If you look at picture # 15 it is evident that there is lots of room to fly the Cat through the opening. f.ck I would have done it inverted if the Cat had an inverted system in it.

Before I took off I had a good look at the bridge and the space between the tower and the support cables and made sure there was no small wires that I couldn't see from the air, so it was no big deal flying through it.

Aviation is becomming more and more dummed down by idiots making rules for the sake of rules and I will soon be retireing from this as a job and said to myself, self, an opportunity like this will never again present its self so lets do it just for the sake of doing it.

Futhermore I am so well known in Holland and have done so much to help the Dutch keep their warplane flying as a national heritage aircraft that I was fairly sure that after it was all over and the thousands of people who were there enjoying the moment that I would be fairly safe asking forgiveness rather than permission.

And of course I know it just drives those pricks in Transport right up the walls of their cubicules knowing that they will never really get the chance to fly anything for fun. And as hard as they tried to ruin my career those pictures are proof that they failed completely. :supz:

Cat
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avcanada
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Post by avcanada »

Thanks .,

I enjoyed seeing the pics behind he story you told me the other day.

It looks like the bridge was packed with a huge crowd.
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CD
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Post by CD »

Thanks for the link to the photos... Truly an amazing sight - wish I could have been there to share the experience.
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Post by Cat Driver »

Thanks CD, I'm truly glad you enjoyed the moment.

And just to set the record straight my comments about pricks in TC is directed at the pricks that I have issues with, most thank God are decent people just trying to swim through the murk within the system and do the best they can.

Cat
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Post by Cat Driver »

Yeh , Joe the TV news estimated there were around 450,000 people there for the celebrations and I took into consideration all the people on the bridge and left a safety margin between them and us.... :mrgreen:

Anyhow it's getting late and I have to go to the hangar and freeze my ass off again working on the airplane...you coming over Joe?

Cat
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Post by avcanada »

Yes I plan to drop by around 2 today.
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Post by . ._ »

Nice pics, Cat!

I gotta get me some time in one of them nifty ugly/beautiful planes.

-istp :wink:
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