Editor’s Note: Admittedly, I’m kind of at a loss for words. As a pilot, I have absolutely no idea what this Su-35C Super Flanker pilot was thinking, and can think of no good reason for the perpendicular final to a 90-degree turn on short final. Hot dogging will kill you, ladies and gentlemen, and this Super Flanker pilot is lucky he didn’t kill himself, or anyone in the crowd. While he ultimately righted the aircraft and rolled out normally, the initial part of the landing could have been so much worse.
We know our headline is a bit harsh, but we’re not sure how to put in different words. Although we’ll give the pilot the fact that he DID in fact land and the plane was still in one piece, everything leading up to it just looked wrong. Scary, too.
We’ve translated the description of the video from Russian for you, and it seems like this landing took place at and airshow back in 2014. Taking place at the Dzemgi Airport in a town called Komsomolsk-on-Amur, the spectators could have gotten a much more eventful show if the pilot didn’t correct his mistake.
Photo courtesy of World War Wings.
Watch the video and let us know what you think about it. Here at World War Wings we’re aviation enthusiasts, but not pilots. So, if you know why this pilot came in at a 90° angle let us know. Also, once he touched down, it seemed like he floated a bit too, but we’re not sure if it was high crosswinds or simply pilot error.
At least he walked away from it, though. As the saying goes, “any landing you can walk away from is a good one. If you can use the plane next time, it’s a great landing.” This pilot did both, although he might not been able to use his pants again.
The original article can be viewed here.