Imagine seeing THIS outside your plane!

[Spacehead]

Not possible, that was a carefully planned event with the plane flying very slow. Also somewhat dangerous as a plane that big is plowing a LOT of air around, they had to stay away from some areas or risk being spun out of control.

Watching that video i was wondering how fast they were flying. Anyone know? Or know how fast those jet packs can go?

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

I was waiting for one to get too close and get sucked up into the engine.

Or get behind engine exhaust and stall. Notice how they avoid getting behind the plane in the video.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

And what is this George miller Gif from?

 

[skyking]

Or get behind engine exhaust and stall. Notice how they avoid getting behind the plane in the video.

It is not the exhaust they are avoiding. Planes produce wake turbulence, essentially horizontal tornadoes that spiral out and down behind the wingtips.

This is strongest in heavy aircraft, flying slowly. That A380 was making a big mess.
It looks pretty here.

 

[Poulsonator]

And what is this George miller Gif from?

Twilight Zone: The Movie:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086491/

 

[flexy]

Twilight Zone: The Movie:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086491/

Him reading this book on the plane, "Micro Chip Logic", absolutely hilariously brilliant. I always loved that detail

 

[BUTCH1]

It is not the exhaust they are avoiding. Planes produce wake turbulence, essentially horizontal tornadoes that spiral out and down behind the wingtips.

This is strongest in heavy aircraft, flying slowly. That A380 was making a big mess.
It looks pretty here.

Yup, you nailed it. In fact the crash of AA #587 just 2 months after 911 was due to the pilot encountering turbulence from a 747 that had just departed before it. The pilot overreacted with wild rudder inputs that eventually caused the vertical stabilizer to rip off the plane entirely. The plane then went into a flat spin, both engines sheared off their pylons and the plane slammed into a crowded queens area and all on board were killed (260). link

 

[ViRGE]

Watching that video i was wondering how fast they were flying. Anyone know? Or know how fast those jet packs can go?

Probably the A380's minimum airspeed since the flaps were deployed.

 

[Ns1]

Emirates is the coolest airline ever.

 

[JasonCoder]

totally forgot that was Lithgow. I just remember the guy really falling apart. Lithgow... how is this man not in moar things? 3rd rock FTW

 

[Blitzvogel]

That's pretty awesome. Imagine people hijacking a plane using those suits and getting in with a battery operated sawzall. This needs to happen in an action flick.

Wonder how they managed to fly in a relatively controlled matter that close to the plane though. Even small planes flying too close have been known to lose control from the induced turbulance from the jet engines. I guess they are small enough that there's less surface area to affect them.

It's not the exhaust eflux creating that massive turbulence you're talking about, it's the incredibly powerful wing vortices coming off the wing tips and outer trailing edge, even with winglets around to manage it. You don't want to be behind the engines either, but what you're referring to is the wing vortices and has been the cause of airliner accidents when aircraft takeoffs are not spaced far enough apart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1ESmvyAmOs

Also they are flying above the wing tip and forward enough to be well out of the vortice zone, which tends to "spin" off in a downward motion off the far trailing edge due to the combination of downward redirection of air going under and around the wing, circulation of air to the upper wing surface at the leading edge, and "sweeping" action of air to the wingtip on the wing surfaces, being a swept wing and all.

 

[Bubbleawsome]

But yeah, that was probably a very carefully and slightly dangerous stunt there. Not just for the jet guys but for the big A380 too. You see it's got it's flaps at full (you're not really supposed to just fly around with them out.) and it looks like it might even be descending.

They probably got the 380 up there, then cut speed to just about stalling and tried to keep the plane in the air long enough to get the shots.

The A380 isn't slow, and the jetpacks aren't fast so I'm sure it was interesting.

 

[Blitzvogel]

But yeah, that was probably a very carefully and slightly dangerous stunt there. Not just for the jet guys but for the big A380 too. You see it's got it's flaps at full (you're not really supposed to just fly around with them out.) and it looks like it might even be descending.

They probably got the 380 up there, then cut speed to just about stalling and tried to keep the plane in the air long enough to get the shots.

The A380 isn't slow, and the jetpacks aren't fast so I'm sure it was interesting.

Those flaps were not at full.......but yes it was flying slow. Not sure what Jetman's current setup is capable of in terms of speed, but his first flights in 2007 were up to 189 MPH, so I would expect this publicity shoot to be around that speed. I wouldn't be surprised if they are hitting 200 MPH now.

Edit: Jetman's site said their setup is capable of 170 knots so that translates to 195 MPH (I assume true airspeed).

 

[skyking]

Yup, you nailed it. In fact the crash of AA #587 just 2 months after 911 was due to the pilot encountering turbulence from a 747 that had just departed before it. The pilot overreacted with wild rudder inputs that eventually caused the vertical stabilizer to rip off the plane entirely. The plane then went into a flat spin, both engines sheared off their pylons and the plane slammed into a crowded queens area and all on board were killed (260). link

I try hard not to "nail it", but I have had some big bumps from C141's here in the South sound area. Perfectly smooth day and you cross one of those wakes, even miles after the plane has passed and it is like hitting a big pothole.