munitalP
Suspended
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2006
- Posts
- 3,802
A PILOT for Cathay Pacific airlines has been sacked for a "Top Gun"-style swoop just metres over a US runway in a new Boeing passenger jet.
Pilot Ian Wilkinson was flying the Boeing 777-300ER on its maiden flight from the manufacturer's plant in Everett, Washington, when he turned around after takeoff and swooped about 10m above the runway, the South China Sunday Morning Post reported.
Cathay Pacific chairman Chris Pratt was among the VIP passengers on board the plane when Mr Wilkinson did his unauthorised fly-by of the Boeing factory on January 30, the newspaper said.
Mr Wilkinson was sacked last week while a second pilot, believed to be the co-pilot, had been suspended from training duties for six months, according to the Post.
Videos and photographs of the swoop have been posted on the internet and pilots' gossip forums, with some praising the stunt but others describing it as dangerous and poorly executed.
A Cathay Pacific spokeswoman said Mr Wilkinson insisted the fly-by was not dangerous but said he had been sacked for not seeking approval for the manoeuvre.
The airline had a well-established approval process for such manoeuvres and had conducted them in the past at air shows but only "with proper approval in place'', she said.
Pilot Ian Wilkinson was flying the Boeing 777-300ER on its maiden flight from the manufacturer's plant in Everett, Washington, when he turned around after takeoff and swooped about 10m above the runway, the South China Sunday Morning Post reported.
Cathay Pacific chairman Chris Pratt was among the VIP passengers on board the plane when Mr Wilkinson did his unauthorised fly-by of the Boeing factory on January 30, the newspaper said.
Mr Wilkinson was sacked last week while a second pilot, believed to be the co-pilot, had been suspended from training duties for six months, according to the Post.
Videos and photographs of the swoop have been posted on the internet and pilots' gossip forums, with some praising the stunt but others describing it as dangerous and poorly executed.
A Cathay Pacific spokeswoman said Mr Wilkinson insisted the fly-by was not dangerous but said he had been sacked for not seeking approval for the manoeuvre.
The airline had a well-established approval process for such manoeuvres and had conducted them in the past at air shows but only "with proper approval in place'', she said.
