A few days ago I’ve published a dramatic picture of a Tornado ECR perfoming a low level passage after take off from Cameri here http://cencio4.wordpress.com/2009/03/25/low-level-tornado-ecr/. Those who commented the picture have different opinions: some believe that maneuver was suicidal or at least too risky; others thinks that things like that are extremely funny. I too believe that kind of low passage is spectacular but that kind of +45° left turn performed a few meters above the tarmac after take off, is too dangerous. The turn is made towards a crowd that is watching and filming the show and this makes the maneuver even more risky.
I witnessed something perhaps less spectacular but safer in October 2004, when the Hellenic Air Force F-4 Phantoms were deployed to Grazzanise for Ex. Destined Glory. The following photo-sequence (or “postcard”) shows a low passage, performed along the runway 24 centerline, immediately after take off by one the HAF F-4s.
A higher resolution version (3000×319 px) of the photo-sequence can be found here.
