Two Airlink Embraer 190s perform dangerously low flyover at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium

Grant said:
View attachment 1933293

View attachment 1933294

View attachment 1933295

View attachment 1933296
Click to expand...

Those photos are not the same aircraft paint scheme, nor the same flypast, nor the same weather. Stop being stupid, and look at what others have posted:
itareanlnotani

Post in thread 'Two Airlink Embraer 190s perform dangerously low flyover at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium'

Grant said:
"flying thru" - you say:
View attachment 1933289

View attachment 1933290

i'm not sure where i mentioned my friend is an expert - in fact i'm certain i never mentioned anything of the sort, you are now simply making things up now.
Click to expand...
1788065795039.png

Another angle. Lucky the pilot didn't react harshly to flying into that.
  • Like
  • Wow
 
Blu82 said:
Since airlink is using it as marketing it may have been planned.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2093813204191265146
Click to expand...

It was definitely planned, but we don't know for sure if the execution followed the plan. Barometric altitude is not an exact science, nor is GPS, when operating at such low margins:
"The two aircraft were flown by a highly experienced crew, with each comprised of three senior captains operating in the roles of commander, co-pilot and safety/technical officer. The flight data recorded by both aircraft confirms that the flights were performed within the SACAA's approved and rehearsed safety altitude and speed limits for the flypast."
Click to expand...

Google:
Barometric altitude accuracy depends on proper calibration, stable weather conditions, and ambient air pressure.
Aviation Instruments: Aircraft barometric altimeters are generally required to be accurate within ±50 feet when set to the local barometric pressure.
Common Error Factors
Weather Changes: Natural shifts in barometric pressure caused by weather fronts change the reading without any actual movement in elevation.
Temperature Variations: Extremely cold air makes the air denser than standard atmospheric models, causing the device to read higher than your true altitude.
Click to expand...

Edit: As I noted earlier, flying from sea to land can produce temperatures changes, which affect air pressure and calculated elevation. The most accurate way to measure altitude is via ground proximity radar altimeters, but these cannot be used over cluttered built up areas.
 
Last edited:
Gordon_R said:
It was definitely planned, but we don't know for sure if the execution followed the plan. Barometric altitude is not an exact science, nor is GPS, when operating at such low margins:


Google:


Edit: As I noted earlier, flying from sea to land can produce temperatures changes, which affect air pressure and calculated elevation. The most accurate way to measure altitude is via ground proximity radar altimeters, but these cannot be used over cluttered built up areas.
Click to expand...
Are pilots fully reliant on instrumentation, or can they use their eyes too?
 
Gordon_R said:
It was definitely planned, but we don't know for sure if the execution followed the plan. Barometric altitude is not an exact science, nor is GPS, when operating at such low margins:


Google:


Edit: As I noted earlier, flying from sea to land can produce temperatures changes, which affect air pressure and calculated elevation. The most accurate way to measure altitude is via ground proximity radar altimeters, but these cannot be used over cluttered built up areas.
Click to expand...
In this case I wonder if the saw they were lower than planned, checked their limits and decided to hold.
 
Last edited:
Speedster said:
Are pilots fully reliant on instrumentation, or can they use their eyes too?
Click to expand...

It is not possible to judge altitude using eyes only, that is why pilots have Instruments. It is possible to estimate altitude based on experience and visual clues, but that kind of guesswork is frowned upon when the margins are small.

Several recent disasters illustrate such risks:
en.wikipedia.org

2025 Potomac River mid-air collision - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org

2015 Shoreham Airshow crash - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

And the best one ever:
abcnews.com

United Airlines plane hits bakery truck during landing

A United Airlines plane hit a bakery truck that was driving on the New Jersey Turnpike as it was landing at Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday afternoon.
abcnews.com abcnews.com
 
Speedster said:
Are pilots fully reliant on instrumentation, or can they use their eyes too?
Click to expand...
If I was a pilot I would imagine I would know by instinct the extremities of my ride, same philosophy of not giving a taxi a ****ing inch when they try merge into traffic after violating a few civilised laws that dont seem to apply when a country is decolonised, exhibit a: pedestrian crossings in uk are no longer functioning as they have since time imamorial before they too let in the 3rd world where it’s size that matters and when a 3rd world unintergrated ends up wiping someone with a pram out, the courts in all their glory dont want to be called racist and make up new interpretations of the law on the spot to accommodate the poor traumatised souls that travelled through 50 safe countries on long walk for refugee status when they toss their papers in the drink because they don’t need that inconvenience anymore.
 
Now finally we have some authentic data;
ADS-B altitude data includes barometric altitude reported at standard pressure in feet above mean sea level. To determine the height above terrain, one must know the local air pressure, the elevation of the location in question, and height of any structures. In this case we can determine within a margin of error that the aircraft passed less than 50 feet above the top of the stadium.

Lowest ADS-B altitude (standard pressue above mean sea level): 50 ft.
Altitude corrected for QNH (1019 hPa): 205-210 feet AMSL.
DHL Stadium elevation: near sea level
DHL Stadium height: 164 ft.
Clearance over stadium: 41-46 ft.
Click to expand...
 
Gordon_R said:
It is not possible to judge altitude using eyes only, that is why pilots have Instruments. It is possible to estimate altitude based on experience and visual clues, but that kind of guesswork is frowned upon when the margins are small.

Several recent disasters illustrate such risks:
en.wikipedia.org

2025 Potomac River mid-air collision - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org

2015 Shoreham Airshow crash - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

And the best one ever:
abcnews.com

United Airlines plane hits bakery truck during landing

A United Airlines plane hit a bakery truck that was driving on the New Jersey Turnpike as it was landing at Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday afternoon.
abcnews.com abcnews.com
Click to expand...
They don't need to judge altitude off the ground just ask, am I above this thing in front of me
 
Speedster said:
They don't need to judge altitude off the ground just ask, am I above this thing in front of me
Click to expand...

Really!? The way to judge if you are higher than an object, is by reference to the local horizon. They were flying directly towards Signal Hill, making that impractical. Anyway, read the link I just posted. And @Grant too...
 
Grant said:
so i got what i would regard as expert opinion.
msg between me and a cousin in hong kong
View attachment 1933318
her husband is a director of air traffic control at hk int airport
Click to expand...

Six pilots in total, including a 'safety' pilot in each aircraft.

Same anodyne statement:
30 August 2026, Cape Town – Airlink notes the concerns expressed in various social media and online forums regarding yesterday’s formation flyby over Cape Town’s DHL Stadium.

The flight demanded careful planning and rehearsal, as it required navigating at low altitude, at around 150 knots. The South African Civil Aviation Authority and Air Traffic Navigation Services provided valuable guidance, approval and support to ensure a safe flyby.

The two aircraft were flown by highly-experienced crew, with each comprised of three senior captains operating in the roles of commander, co-pilot and safety/technical officer.

The flight data recorded by both aircraft confirms that the flights were performed within the SACAA’s approved and rehearsed safety altitude and speed limits for the flypast.
Click to expand...
 
Grant said:
so i got what i would regard as expert opinion.
msg between me and a cousin in hong kong
View attachment 1933318
her husband is a director of air traffic control at hk int airport
Click to expand...
Reinforces my affirmative action deployees theory. No pilot there in their job on pure merit would do something like this. Reminds me of that time recently where some airports company sensor plane crashed in the mountains for no reason.
 
wingnut771 said:
If I was a pilot I would imagine I would know by instinct the extremities of my ride, same philosophy of not giving a taxi a ****ing inch when they try merge into traffic after violating a few civilised laws that dont seem to apply when a country is decolonised, exhibit a: pedestrian crossings in uk are no longer functioning as they have since time imamorial before they too let in the 3rd world where it’s size that matters and when a 3rd world unintergrated ends up wiping someone with a pram out, the courts in all their glory dont want to be called racist and make up new interpretations of the law on the spot to accommodate the poor traumatised souls that travelled through 50 safe countries on long walk for refugee status when they toss their papers in the drink because they don’t need that inconvenience anymore.
Click to expand...

Who told you that pedestrian crossings in the UK don't work anymore?

They work very well, which still amazes me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X