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[Politics] Important story on the Shoreham disaster today - *update, petition to stop Andy Hill flying*



Springal

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2005
23,850
GOSBTS
Incorrect, read the AAIB report. He did not bail out, pilot was still in the aircraft when it hit the ground.

If you hit the ground at the bottom of a loop there is no choice where to "put down". It's a very different scenario to the WW2 bomber that had time to select where to ditch.

Please don't get me wrong, I'm in no way defending the lack of flying skills of Andy Hill. His first mistake was insufficient speed going onto his loop assent, this then ment his second mistake was the top of his loop was too low. If he'd glanced at one of his two altimeters he would have known and aborted the manoeuvre at the top of the loop, his 3rd and fateful mistake. Once committed to the loop descent, he was doomed. He ran out of altitude and it was a tragic fluke that point of impact was the A27.

50 foot higher at the top of the loop would likely have missed the road and hit the field, 100 foot higher and he may not have hit the ground at all.

Sad and tragic misjudgement.
Surely the first mistake was attempting a manoeuvre not in his flight plans and unknown to the organisers ?
 




chickens

Intending to survive this time of asset strippers
Oct 12, 2022
1,866
Today's society. Such vehemence. So black and white.

He made a catastrophic mistake with horrendous consequences, as have many people have in the past. He is not the only person to be responsible for killing due to a misjudgement, negligence, or however you want to label it, but do drivers that kill get their licence back eventually ?

I hope you never make a mistake, there is only a small margin between mistakes being inconsequential and tragic.

This in no way should be read as anything other a reply to the post and not a comment on the actual tragedy that occurred.

I don’t believe in “the divine right to drive” either. I’m not talking about the type of accident where a kid has run out from between parked cars and there’s nothing the driver can do, I’m talking about the sort of bellendery where someone’s doing 50 in a 30 zone, or got pissed and mounted the pavement. Their judgement has proven so poor that they simply shouldn’t get back on the road.

There’s nothing mistaken about the decision to go 20mph faster than the speed limit, or get pissed and then get in a car. People need to own their choices.

This clown thought he’d show off in front of a paying audience, there was no fault with the aircraft, he chose.
 


Chicken Run

Member Since Jul 2003
NSC Patron
Jul 17, 2003
18,490
Valley of Hangleton
it wasn’t in the flight plan nor approved.

Seeing as his ‘memory loss’ was also a big problem I’d question how someone suffering from that is a suitable pilot
These two reasons alone are reasons enough for this chap to be kept away from aircraft for the rest of his life ! Ex RAF showboating ****
 


tedebear

Legal Alien
Jul 7, 2003
16,841
In my computer
Incorrect, read the AAIB report. He did not bail out, pilot was still in the aircraft when it hit the ground.

If you hit the ground at the bottom of a loop there is no choice where to "put down". It's a very different scenario to the WW2 bomber that had time to select where to ditch.

Please don't get me wrong, I'm in no way defending the lack of flying skills of Andy Hill. His first mistake was insufficient speed going into his loop assent, this then ment his second mistake was the top of his loop was too low. If he'd glanced at one of his two altimeters he would have realised and aborted the manoeuvre at the top of the loop, his 3rd and fateful mistake. Once committed to the loop descent, he was doomed. He ran out of altitude and it was a tragic fluke that point of impact was the A27.

50 foot higher at the top of the loop would likely have missed the road and hit the field, 100 foot higher and he may not have hit the ground at all.

Sad and tragic misjudgement.

Quite frankly I don't care if he was to high or too low, was in the plan or not, he killed 11 people with his recklessness. He was renowned for this and the Air Show organisers failed to protect the public from him. Many people have had multiple life sentences for less. Not flying again ever is a small price for someone to pay.

I sat on that hill and watched him do this, ploughing into traffic which was held on a red light, trying to explain to our young children what was happening and keep them away from watching, when you could see people were dying below me will stay with me forever.
 










Uncle Spielberg

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 6, 2003
42,821
Lancing
This is shameful and unbelievable. Signed
 




ROSM

Well-known member
Dec 26, 2005
6,224
Just far enough away from LDC
Emergency services were put at risk in saving him from the wreckage.

People died as a result of his actions/inactions

He was unable to explain what happened due to reported amnesia

Those are the facts. For that alone, if it were me, I would never be able to pilot a plane again.
 


scoobiewhite

Well-known member
Jan 29, 2012
423
Albourne / Brighton
Signed. Read the room Andy Hill

Re-applying for his licence is shameful and shows a complete lack of remorse or empathy for his victims and their families.

Flying is not an essential form of transport, the only reason he wants his licence back is because he misses flying, not because he needs to travel for work or personal reasons.

He should have thought about that before showing off and endangering the lives of others.
 


Commander

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Apr 28, 2004
12,947
London
Surely the first mistake was attempting a manoeuvre not in his flight plans and unknown to the organisers ?
If this is true, I can't understand how he could get off the manslaughter charges. I have no real knowledge of the case though, other than what I've read on here.
 




Springal

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2005
23,850
GOSBTS


Mellotron

I've asked for soup
Jul 2, 2008
31,859
Brighton
Flying is not an essential form of transport.
I think this is a key point, when people talk about driving licences being reapplied for - it's not the same thing.
 






Peteinblack

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jun 3, 2004
3,623
Bath, Somerset.
Signed, and made a donation towards costs of publicising the petition more widely.
 


Midget

Concourse Kabe. *Posts may be affected by alcohol.
Aug 16, 2015
821
Lurking
When you consider the context, in that air crash investigations worldwide are usually carried out in a purposefully blame-free way, to ensure safety findings aren't lost due to arse-covering... the causal and contributory factors given in that report are pretty damning for someone who wants their licence back. Imho.

The operational aspects don't read too well either.
 




hart's shirt

Well-known member
Jul 8, 2003
10,198
Kitbag in Dubai
Outside the court after the trial Hill read out the names of all those killed in the incident and said "I am truly sorry for the part I played in their deaths, and it is all I will remember for the rest of my life."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Shoreham_Airshow_crash


This isn't just a simple case of getting back on the horse after failure.

If Andy Hill is still truly sorry, he won't want to add insult to injury by returning to the specific occupation that caused 11 deaths.

What's changed?

A life sentence of not being able to fly aircraft pales into insignificance with the life sentences handed to the loved ones of those lost.

If the man had a shred of dignity, his exile would be self-imposed. As it appears that he doesn't, the decision should be taken for him.
 






Brok

😐
Dec 26, 2011
4,352
I don't know if this has been mentioned in the thread so far, if so, then apologies for repeating...
A few years ago, (guessing, about 2007?) me and my girl were watching the Shoreham air show from the hills near Lancing College.
There were a few dozen of us there, when this bloody great jet came at us. If the pilot was trying to scare us, he did a bloody good job. I honestly thought we were going to die.
Same pilot?
 


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