Cathay pilot finds that flight stunts aren't so funny in a new era - Flyby

[Marc]

From the International Herald Tribune

Originally Posted by IHT

HONG KONG: Poor judgment as a flyer, maybe. Poor judgment of the mood of his bosses, definitely.

The Cathay Pacific pilot Ian Wilkinson, 55, is taking some time off in an undisclosed location and refuses to talk to the media after he was dismissed for making a low-level airfield flyby in January that the airline says was unauthorized.

On Jan. 30, Wilkinson, the captain and the airline's chief pilot, was dispatched to Seattle to collect one of the airline's new flagship planes and bring it to Hong Kong, with dozens of crew members and special guests to celebrate the voyage.

But once he cleared the runway in the new long-range Boeing 777-300 ER, he banked after takeoff, made a return approach to the airstrip, came in very low and climbed away again.

A video of the stunt has managed to find its way onto YouTube and has created chatter on the Web and made front-page headlines in Hong Kong.

The flyby, although not frequently performed, has been something of an aviation tradition - a kind of salute to the manufacturers and those on the ground.

Cathay has in the past authorized such moves only at air shows. Wilkinson has been fired.

It was later reported that seated behind Wilkinson was the chairman of the airline, Christopher Pratt.

At the announcement of Cathay's annual financial results Wednesday, Pratt was guarded about his own reactions to the stunt and the appropriateness of Wilkinson's firing.

"It was an interesting experience," he said. "It was a regrettable and unfortunate incident. We have disciplinary procedures for it and they have happened." But did he enjoy it? "It was interesting," Pratt said with a wide grin.

On the day, Pratt was said to have, indeed, enjoyed the maneuver. There were about 69 crew members and special invited guests on the plane, most of whom did not even notice it had happened, said a Cathay executive on board, who requested anonymity because an investigation was continuing.

"I thought, 'This is pretty cool,' " said the executive, who was on the plane, adding: "It was evident we were pretty close to the ground." There is no suggestion that Pratt had agreed to the flyby or knew it had not been authorized, the Cathay executive said.

[fletch]

*dough*



I'm sure the exec is hanging onto his job as well...

[Randy]

That ain't low.............Low is when you land there are grass stains on your boots and weeds stuck in your skids......That's low!

[Boingo-boingo]

The video of the event:

[amanbhai]

You make me

[Randy]

We would have flown under the plane!