The monthly Shackleton static engine run of Saturday, 30 June 2018,
was cut short due to it happening there was definitely not business as usual ....
no-one saw this one coming! The Museum at AFB Ysterplaat in Cape Town,
is in possession of the world's last remaining airworthy Avro Shackleton MR.3,
probably best known for those unique counter-rotating propellers. Since it is too valuable to fly,
the next best thing to thrill the public, is to experience the almighty roar
of those four Rolls-Royce Griffons 37 litre V12 engines near full throttle.
In summer, the prevailing winds are from the South-East, and since engine runs
are always done facing the wind, Pelican22 then gets parked with its
back to the hangars in the distance, and the spectators up against the parameter wall.
In winter, when the north-westerly normally blows, the setup is reversed.
This has never been a problem .... except on 30 June 2018!
Let's see how this engine-run went. As can be seen from the trees behind the aircraft beforehand,
it was a slightly windy day.
There goes the signal to start engine 3 ......
It is quite cold, so struggles a little to get going.
Keep en eye on those palm trees as nr. 3 picks up rev's.
Signal to start enige 4 ....
It struggled a bit more
Notice the palm trees now!
Nr. 2 starting .... see how relatively calm are the gum-trees in the background.
Johan took this very nice close-up of nr. 1 starting!
Zoomed out again, and watch those palms with four engines busy warming up
as the auxiliary power truck departs.
Johan also notices the palms and zooms in onto them.
Four minutes into the enige run, he pans away to the two fire trucks one by one
Hope he is not going to miss any action,
particularly with the guy in the orange overall getting into position!
That crouching position is always the que to brace himself for not getting sucked in to the props
when the engines are being throttled up!
Unfortunately the roar of those Griffons are so loud that they saturate the
camera's microphone and the stroboscopic beating of the camera frames does
not reflect the eniges being throttled up ... but today the palms help to tell the story!
A wheel chock being blown away is another clue that those V12's are now being pushed into the red!
As Johan's very sturdy tripod is having trouble staying still .... it happens!
Let's watch it again in slow motion! See how a crack first appears in the wall!
Now watch how the short wall also cracks up!
As it topples over, it takes the gate with it.
At exactly the same time, one of the palm trees also gets blown over.
Lucky Johan had the whole incident perfectly framed!
Watch it again while seeing the reaction of our kneeling observer on the right!
Watch him franticly communicating with the pilot and ground crew to abort the run!
As ground crew rushes to the scène, Johan zooms in on it as well.
Watch the guy in the camo-dress having to fight the force of the already throttled back propellers.
The next moment eniges 1, 2 and 3 are cut ....
... with nr. 4 still doing its last little rev.-up as always.
Nice!