's done it. You Tube has taken the video off the air. What ... Cathay P. threatened them with legal action? Or is it the red faced pilot? Who knows? But this is just another example of needless censorship.

Salalah, Salalah, Oman

Perhaps Capt. Wilkinson has initiated a new category of ticket sales-- adventure class.

R Grant, Niagara, Canada

Since he has been a pilot for Cathay for 15 years, I think he will have a comfortable retirement. And its amazing that, despite several people pointing out your crass "Jumbo Jet" error, you still haven't fixed it.

R. Allen, Auckland, New Zealand

really is that it..??? I have seen worse from pilots not as good coming into Leeds Bradford on a windy day... stupid people

Kaitlin Dunbar, Leeds, West Yorkshire

A friend for mine works as a Qantas pilot. Apparently they regularly fly their jumbos under the Sydney Harbour bridge in the simulators for a bit of a laugh. I'd love to see that in real life!

Rex, Cairns, Qld

I was sacked from Fisco for a similar manoeuvre with one of their larger machines. I had been a working there since 1982 and I could drive one of those beauties singled handed with one eye open. Then we got the new model in - the Xl330 ....and man was it just so smooth and fast. I lined her up about 100ft from the trolley bay and just went for it. I was cheered on by onlookers and fans alike as I took her in as close as a few inches from the unforgiving metal posts of the trolley bay. The swoop has become a hot topic on internet forums for supermarkets, with some praising the stunt but others criticising it as dangerous. Fisco has issued a notice to all staff reminding them of the company’s policy.

Laurence , Dublin, Ireland

Cathay Pac gets caught after what was, no doubt, something they knew well in advance and their reprehensible answer is to sack the Captain. Such old time (ie. Party above all) behavior is absurd and, worse, dishonest. I shall walk rather than embark on Cathay Pacific. If they had any decency, they would reinstate the Captain AND apologize to him and the public in general!

Mario, Miami, FL/US

To all those who say "hey whats the problem". There are many instances of ego's getting the better of pilots over the years. Do a search of "b-52 crash (longer version)" on YouTube and you will see the result of a pilot that had a string of minor offences, who showed little respect for the rules. As a professional aviator, he should have known better. the company were right to fire him. What will be interesting is if he manages to get another job with another airline.

Tim, Scotland, .

Wait a minute. Wasn't there a senior executive of Cathay in the cockpit? So, clearly the pilot's actions were sanctioned by his employer - where's the gross misconduct?

Ed, Bath,

Just Plain Shocking.

Lewis, Leverett, MA/USA

I know nothing about flying except I'm quite nervous, But if I knew this man was at the helm? I'd be more confident.

Jennyhen, Blackpool, England

there are no "old bold" pilots.......

lyn, santa barbara, usa, california

Won't be flying Cathay pacific again even if they are very good. This pilot was flying a private group of people connected with his company, not fare paying passengers. The company chiefs knew what he did and only sacked him due to the publicity. If he broke regulations he should have been reprimanded on the spot. He wasn't. Cathay's decision is based on public relations, not the right or wrongs of the situation. Shameful corporate behaviour

Julian Smith, rio de Janeiro, brazil

Right, let's get this right. A highly trained pilot with a large number of hours under his belt flying these aircraft takes it for a manoeuvre that is certainly not beyond his capabilities. The chairman of his company is onboard with a bunch of other corporate personnel at the same time. There is no complaint in the immediate before,during and aftermath of the flight from said personnel. as far as I can make out, they have given their tacit consent by not raising their concerns in some shape or form. This flight was taken over "private" airspace and in a plane that had passed it's airworthiness tests. I fail to see how this ,manouvre would need regulatory authority for essentially a private flight. I am more worried that a number of corporate personel were all on the same flight -I thought corporate policy routinely forbade this in case of accidents and the board was eliminated, say. This is all PR-focussed and will be brushed under the carpet in time.

John, Knutsford, UK

As an ex USAF pilot the whole thing seems a lot of fuss about nothing. I flew B-52s for hours at very low altitudes, at high speeds, in the mountains, sometimes at night or in clouds. I can remember several instances where I was low enough that I would not have been able to bank more than a few degrees because the wing tips would have hit the ground. On the other hand I trained for this type of flying, as did most USAF pilots at the time, I doubt that Cathay pilots do much low level work.

The real problem here is judgement, not of the safety issue because I don't think this was very dangerous, but of the legal ramifications. I knew that when I wanted to "try something" I had to be alone or with a crew I could trust to not talk about what we had done. Doing a low flight at Boing or Everett field is going to get you caught. There are people who sit there all day long taking pictures, and so he got busted. I think if he waits a while until things calm down he'll be OK.

captbilly, Sacramento, USA/CA

If the fly-by was really at 28 feet ( all the footage appears to show it at significantly higher altitude), and the gear was up then he got exactly what was coming to him. If you drive a coach at 90 mph on the motorway with passengers aboard and are spotted on CCTV and reported then you will be fired. It's a dangerous, stupid thing to do. In your own car it's your own risk, and your own asset you are imperilling. This plane belonged to somebody else. It's stupid, unprofessional behaviour. Before anybody asks "yes, for forty years"

John Wood, Uxbridge, UK

What's all the fuss about?
This was a highly trained and responsible Chief Pilot doing (admittedly without wheels) the same thing he and his passengers did every time they landed at Kai - Tak! What's the big deal???
I would fly with this man any where and at any time.
Grow up all you self-righteous namby-pambies.
(and its a brilliant plane. I hold to the maxim "If it ain't Boeing, I aint goin' "

David Michael, London, UK

The poor guy (Captain Wilkinson) was probably missing Kai Tak (airport*)!

*The old airport which has been replaced by the Hong Kong International Airport. I miss that beige and brown decor of good old Kai Tak. Ah, the memories.

Jamie Howlett, London,

Two types of people have replied. Those who realise a top pilot can be trusted to perform a trivial manoeuvre like a low fly by, and officious types who love regulations and know nothing about aviation. Stay at home, you'll be safe there!

Giles Bradley, Exeter,

So a highly trainned Pilot did a fly by.

DId he go under a bridge?

Did he thumb an imaginary firing button and shout "Daka daka daka."?

No?

Get over it. I'd rather this guy flew me than some bumpkin who doesn't know what an aircraft can do.

James, Glasgow,

There is a famous story about the very first Boeing 707...

Alvin M. "Tex" Johnston was test pilot for Boeinb. He performed a Chandelle with the very first Boeing model Dash-80, the prototype of the 707) in a demonstration flight over Lake Washington on August 7, 1955

Anyway, the plane lands at Boeing field and Tex gets out and starts to walk away from the plane. A Boeing official comes running over to Tex and tells him Mr. Allen wants to see him NOW-Mr. Allen is the president of Boeing.

So Tex heads off across the street to the Boeing Exec offices and into Mr. Allens office.

Tex walks in. Mr Allen from behind his desk says "How are you Tex...Hows the family"? Tex answers the boss.

Mr Allen then says "I hear you rolled the plane today, Tex".
Tex says quietly....."Yes sir I did".

Mr Allen answers..."Don't do it again.......Bye Tex..say hello to the wife..".

That was the end of it.

True story

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ra_khhzuFlE

Curtis LeMay, Boston, USA

I learned to fly years ago at Blackbushe ("Pathfinder" Bennet's field), flew aerobatics in Tiger Club's Stampe Biplane G-AWEF. The CFI was an ex WWII Mosquito pilot
Learned "rule of 3"
One snag, suck it in.
Two snags, sweat it out.
Three snags, buy the farm.
No responsible pilot willingly gives away ANY margin, and especially a pro carrying passengers. This was a new aircraft and within the "infant mortality" window for unexpected failures.
If anything untoward happened he risked his passengers, and exposed the aircraft manufacturer, the field operator, and his company to substantial (uninsured) legal claims.
Some of the pilots of my era who flew the same sorts of aircraft as I are prematurely dead. I am not, and had tons of one snags, plus a few two snags too, (one a total engine oil loss ) While enthralled with aerobatics, I always leveled out a bit to check the numbers.
Flying can be the most exhilarating experience of your life. but doing it wrong can much abbreviated it.

J.Conrad, Pointe-Claire, Canada

Tex Johnston did an aileron roll over Lake Washington in the -8 and subsequently lost his job.

Wiley, Newberg, Oregon, USA

Negative Ghostrider, the pattern is full.

Rob, London,

As a longstanding Cathay customer my confidence in Cathay has fallen to know that they would have tolerated grandstanding reckless behaviour by Senior Pilots had the pictures not got out on the internet. He should have been sacked on landing and not weeks/months later.

Thacker, Hong Kong,

There is also an issue that Cathay may have factored into Captain Wilkinson's firing, and that is the potential for other pilots to try the same stunt. To be seen in actively stamping out rogue pilot actions, ensures that the standard of safety across the airline pilot industry remains professional. Would you want low time pilots thinking this is a great idea knowing that there weren't repercussions?

For anyone interested, I can highly recommend 'Redefining Airmanship' by Anthony T Kern.

Alex, Guernsey,

When I worked at the L-1011 plant in Palmdale, CA in the early '80's, there were traditional flybys of the assembly buildings done by the crew who was flying the plane away to its new owners, either USA-based or overseas. This was always a big day reflecting the excitement of the completion and delivery of the plane and EVERYBODY watched . It all came to an end after crew determined to "show their stuff" (in this unspoken competition between all crews) didn't calibrate something quite right. They flew down the runway at a serious angle, something got miscalibrated and they had a "drift" that brought them FAR nearer the building than intended. Let's just say the guys on the cherry-pickers wanting a close look got a real close look. That was the end of the flybys. As a complete layperson who stood on the edges watching the professionals, I agree with the pilots' comments above: these guys are good! It's the desk jockies that freak out, afraid of the PR fallout.

Ann, Fergus Falls, Minnesota

A couple of points; firstly it wasn't a jumbo jet, it was a 777. Secondly the passengers were not 'astonished', as a senior airline executive was in the cockpit at the time, and such fly-bys are common.

Alex, Leeds,

The 777 is serving as a newer replacement to the 747 for many airlines' long-haul aircraft. The odds of a technical failure within two engines is lower than in four. Yeah, it has two engines, but each are bout the size of the fuselage on a 737. Have hopped the pond several times on a 777.

While surely no one that has ever flown wants some wackjob in the cockpit, surely this captain took what he thought was a calculated risk, the risk of which was very low. This isn't like firing some cashier at McDonald's - someone that senior is more highly trained and experienced than most of us can fathom. A real loss for this Cathay Pacific passenger.

M Evans, Houston, TX, USA

I want all my pilots to have this level of skill.

I don't want any of my pilots actually doing this type of stunt with me on board!

R Bingham, Lauzun, France

Wow, how stupid! A plane crashed with passengers on board doing this same thing a few years ago, buzzing an air show, and 3 people died and the pilot was arrested. You can see the video on youtube if you don't believe me. Go to youtube and search for "Airbus A320 Plane Crash" and it is the first result. This pilot was totally irresponsible for what he did and it could have been a tragedy.

Jesse, Cleveland, Ohio

Extremely dangerous and no other course of action apart from dismissal appropiate. Cathay need a high level enquiry as to why this took so long to come to light. High levels of skill does not mean disregard for company policy,

Adrian, SIngapore, Singapore

Mr. Wilkinson's ego is writing checks his body can't cash!

That's right! Ice... man. I am dangerous

Why didn't the tower tell him that the pattern was full?

Doug, SAINT LOUIS, MO

While I don't find it particularly dangerous, another Pilot foe boeing during the hydroplane race in Seattle did a barrel roll in a 747 before an astonished crowed.

The fact is this guy is a highly trained pilot he is well aware of what th epalne is capable of, amd what it's restrictions are, and while he should have known better, I am sure that he is smart enough to know that would be the end of his career (with that airline), but he can and will find another job as an Airline pilot.

And maybe that's the way he wanted it, to go out knowing that what he did was something that he will be remembered for. The airline should have given him a raise, not fired him. As a pilot myself, I found it to be fantastic.

James Young, redmond, usa

30 ft is not a lot in a jumbo and anyone thinks this fly-by was like a go around doesn't know much about either.

this is not about red tape; it should scare you that this kind of thing is ever approved.

being a good pilot is not about proving you have the skill to perform such a manoeuvre, it is about the safety of your passengers being paramount.

jem, london, uk

I didn't know they made two engine Jumbo jets!

Dave, Vancouver, Canada

This is the reason why I will fly Cathay above most other Asian carriers because the pilots have the skills and abilities to know what they are doing.
This fly by is a positive for the company not a negative.

charlie thomson, Singapore, singapore

Ridiculous. Totally irresponsible. And with passengers aboard? I'm sorry, but the man deserved to be let go.

Emily, Delano,

it just looks like what you would normally see anyday at any airport with the exception that the wheels are retracted.

A Stewart, Wellington, New Zealand

When Chief Corporate Test Pilot Tex Johnston looped-the-loop in the prototype Boeing 707, he didn't get this treatment, even though the CEO of Boeing was looking on.

Commercial aviation is too stuffy. Applaud the guy's panache and skill.

DP, Ashland, KY, USA

About time someone did this. With all the red tape involved with everything we do (let's face ti before long you'll need forms in triplicate to take a shower), we need some people out there shaking the dust off the system with crazy stunts like this. On the first flight of the Boeing 747 series, the test pilot did a barrel roll above the crowd and all he got was applause and a nice bonus off Boeing! Rather than damage Cathay's reputation, it will probably be a welcome boost of publicity from all those adrenaline fueled air passengers out there.

P.S. Dave makes a good point, I would also prefer to ride with this guy, long haul flights are too boring as things stand now.

Tom, Manchester, England

"negative Ghostrider, the pattern is full"

Jock, Dundee, Scotland

The pilot's actions are completely unacceptable. There is no middle ground here. The pilot is responsible for the welfare and safety of his/her passengers. At no point should he willingly or intentionally put his passengers in danger.

As a surgeon, this is a rule which is inviolable. Would you sue your surgeon if he went and did some "high japes" in your body, which could have potentially killed you? (However low that risk may be). Anaesthetised patients, like airline passengers, have no choice once they 'board' and are at the mercy of the operator. The faith that the operator will act in the best interests of their patient/client is sacrosanct and cannot be breached.

Dismissal is completely justified. His actions are even more regrettable considering his skill and expertise. But skill and expertise is not licence to play around with other people's lives.

K, London,

The fly by was safe...Pilots do not own the aircraft and he ought to have known what procedure was. He is or was overpaid anyway. Bring him back at a reasonable rate after 30 days cooling his heals and allow the swelling on his heads to go down.

Frank Madigan, Capreol, Canada

we need him here in the states, if he can fly like that. i hope when i fly he is my pilot. this shows he can handle any problem that could occur.

grm, asheville, usa/nc

This is quite common & he was their best pilot, there was no safety issue

Mike, Long Beach, California USA

I'm pretty sure the point of the dismissal was that the landing gear was up at the time of the whole 20 feet off the ground thing.

AW, Bristol,

I am pretty sure most airline pilots bring the jet craft within 20 feet of a large obstacle nearly every flight. As a matter of fact, I would be surprised to learn of one that did not.

DT, Cleveland,

Every time the takeoff or land I would say, just more whining political correctness.

John W, Fort Worth, USA

Here here. I agree I'd rather ride with Capt. Wilkinson anyday and agree with David in Akron. I even phoned the company at 415-982-3242 and email at customerrelations@cathay.ca to let them know my opinion. Great pilot bad move to let him go. Hope he'd like to move the US.

Emme Fierra, Issaquah, WA/USA

I am pretty sure most airline pilots bring the jet craft within 20 feet of a large obstacle nearly every flight. As a matter of fact, I would be surprised to learn of one that did not.

DT, Cleveland,

Delivery flights usually do some sort of manoever (flyby this time) to show their thanks to Boeing or Airbus when they receive the plane. It's usually amazing to watch, but it is unfortunate that something like this happened.

Darren, Toronto,

"322 @ <30' "

Capt. failed to follow company procedure and once the event became public knowledge and known to the firm's insurance company, appropriate aviation authorities and public alike, he was done.

Cathey must put the welfare of the firm (along with their insurors) first, of course.

Then again, perhaps this wasn't the first time in these respects.

Bob Shlafer, Stamford, USA, CT

As a Navy pilot and a Pan Am Pilot for 30 years, I applaud the Pilot in Command. He operated his aircraft in maneuver that is perfectly safe for an experienced a pilot, with clearance from the Boeing Tower, the controlling authority.
Go back to your cubicles and keep writing rules.

Ted Pateas, halesite, NY

Can he be our next prime minister please, or Jeremy Clarkson's deputy?

Jake, Dumfries, Scotland

Imagine a bus driver actually parking off pavement on grass; he should be fired immediately and his career destroyed. Consdier that the bus could have sunk unevenly into soft ground and overturned! The engine could have exploded! The collateral environmental damage is unconscionable! How dare he take lives into his own hands that way. And all this without a prior government study....the horror!

John, Atlanta Georgia, USA

To Jem, London:
"I don't care how good a pilot he was - 30ft for a jumbo is nothing and it was irresponsibly dangerous"

Thats why your not a pilot!
It is a manouver that is done all the time: This chap has probably done it many times as well.
A typical emotional, knee-jerk, girly reaction.

Stu, Edinburgh,

Cyril - "nothing but bus drivers" ..! Driving a bus safely to DSA standards is highly demanding, requiring 100% concentration all the time - unlike piloting a large aircraft (so I'm led to believe).

John, Bangor, UK

He must be ex-Air Force. Ex Navy would have done it inverted!
I would rather ride w/ this guy than on a regional jet w/ First Officers holding less that 300 hrs. Yes folks, this is true.
Let me use an analogy. You are riding in a German cab on the autobahn @ 400 kts and the driver is 14 years old.

David , Akron, Ohio,

Overkill.One month suspension would have been enough. All the years of experience and training and brainpower down the drain. Sad.Great loss for the airlines.

Kirk, Mississauga, Canada

What Cathay Pacific did was right (by firing the pilot). There must be proper procedures for everything, especially when you are flying a million dollar jumbo plane and with the lives of so many behind the helm of your hands. Be responsible. If the pilot wants to fly his own plane with no passengers, he has my blessing. But there is certainly no room for people who do not follow protocols.

Andrew, Hong Kong,

This is exactly the type of maneuver good pilots are trained to do! The pilot in question is clearly very well qualified and senior, or he would not have been given the assignment of picking up a new aircraft with VIP passengers on board. One must take it in the proper context, this was not a commercial flight, it was a celebration. I don't believe he should be punished. Cathay Pacific is over reacting, I'd be pleased to fly with such an experienced pilot.

Julia, San Jose, USA

Most have probably forgotten, in1954, Tex Johnson, Boeing test Pilot, did a slow roll over the Seattle, Washington Harbor in a 707. The Boeing CEO said, "Please don't do that again".

Richard Frey, Cardston, Canada/ Alberta

"322 mph 28' off the ground"

Failed to follow known company procedures. A month's suspension without pay? Firing the experienced one seems
a bit over-the-top UNLESS he's got a record in these respects.

OTOH, once such events get out to the public (and the insurors) there's bound to be a flap as the Company's rep.
comes into play (airline/pax on board - safety first) and you
know the insuror's will certainly have a word or two to contribute.

Bob Shlafer, Stamford, USA, CT

30 ft is not a lot in a jumbo and anyone thinks this fly-by was like a go around doesn't know much about either.

this is not about red tape; it should scare you that this kind of thing is ever approved.

being a good pilot is not about proving you have the skill to perform such a manoeuvre, it is about the safety of your passengers being paramount.

jem, london, uk

What a dumb and dangerous stunt. If there were "VIP's" aboard that plane and they did nothing about the incident until it hit the internet, they also should be dismissed by Cathay Pacific.

Alan, Grantham, New Hampshire

This haughty pilot is getting what he deserves. I agree that he most likely had full control of the craft but unfortunately no one else knew that he planned to pull such a foolish stunt. Policies are in place for good reason. A pilot who knowingly disregards in-flight protocol should be fired immediately.

Brian, Grapevine/Texas, USA

There are rules and regulations in place for a reaso; he absolutely deserved to be fired, not only due to the risk involved (I'm no aviation expert, but anyone can see this is an unnecessary risk.)
I wonder if all the passengers were complicit - if I was on board this plane I would be royally pissed off, and would consider suing him.
He was supposed to be 'one of the elite' of the airline, therefore he should have known the correct procedure and should have been setting an example.

Ton, Whickham,

This incident is simply a manifestation of the spirit of aviation and yearning to fly like the birds that has lived in mankind for millenia, and that was able to come to fruition in only the last hundred or so years. Without this spirit and yearning, we would still be crossing continents by rail and oceans by ship. (BTW, those are wonderful ways to travel that I personally thoroughly enjoy.) Moreover, I am sure that the flyby was the thrill of a lifetime for many of the passengers.

Edward, Tucson, Arizona

Typical! Anyone deviating from the dreary norm is punished!

Good Luck to him for being an individual.

Bob Christie, Fife, Scotland

He was fired because he didn't have "permission". That scarcely reflects on the safety of the event. Hell we are at the point we need "permission" to wipe with more than single ply , single segment toilet paper.

Jones, reelsville, In

To carry out that skill, proved his abilitiy to control the plane, I am sure he didn't put his passengers in danger. The company has lost an asset in a good pilot. Good luck with his appeal, maybe a telling off would have been sufficient.
Mary, Suffolk. England

Mary Parr, Felixstowe, Suffolk

I'm puzzled. Why didn't Cathy's Chairman, Chris Pratt, who was on board at the time say something when it happened?

Either his silence was de facto approval (retro-active) or fair is fair and he should be fired for not objecting at the time.

I am a private pilot. As long as the tower and air controllers approved/cleared him, this is neither a difficult nor dangerous maneuver. It's just a landing approach without actually touching down on the runway. Something any pilot would do if he were just practicing approaches or aborted a landing to do a go around.

Years ago, I was on a commercial flight on one of the top US carriers island hopping on a scheduled flight along the Southern Crescent in the Pacific. Before landing at Truk Lagoon, the pilot performed an extremely low fly by in order to scare the goats off the runway before landing. The pilot simply told the passengers what he was going to do and no on even looked up from reading their magazines.

I'd fly with him

FMB, Tampa, Florida, USA

Mike writes: "'Captain Ian Wilkinson astonished passengers by taking the 230-tonne Cathay Pacific jet to within 28ft (8.5m) of the ground'

All pilots do this regularly. In the trade it's called 'landing'..."

Mike, this is not the same as when the full landing gear is ready for landing. This was a gimmick of sorts and a very dangerous one too!

Yang, Shanghai, China

What nonsense. He is a highly experienced pilot, and it seems that a bunch of jobworthies have stuck the knife into him. I hope that his appeal succeeds.

RB, Aberdeen,

Stop blaming the Americans for everything Sue. How silly. I dont know about you, but if you had my mega-buck jet and decided to do a fly by like that you'd be sacked too. And Dennis, you can bet your first born... Richard Branson would have relieved the pilot of the controls as soon as it was safe to do so. Aviation is serious business. He played with the lives of his passengers, the lives of people on the ground, a 200 million dollar jet and two companies reputations. There is no room for antics here, he should be sacked.

Jason, Calgary, Canada

God Bless the Brits!!!! We love every one of you! Was it dangerous? Maybe a little. Fun? Hell yeah. Should he be fired? Hell No!

DAK, Milwaukee, WI USA

Excuse my ignorance but is "jumbo" now a general term for all jets that are larger than a Boeing 737? Or was the plane in the YouTube video a 747 with 2 engines missing?

gert eben , bremen, germany

Theres a right place and a right time to have a little fun, with passengers on board was not the brightest idea.
However firing the pilot was a bit dramatic.

Eric, Beale AFB , CA

Could it be that the top brass on-board the plane were putting pressure on the flight crew to do an impromtu fly-by, hence the lack of an approval?

I am also a pilot and view the airline industry as a good career but not particularly fun or expressive of the skills that pilots take years to learn, only to have to use them once in a while in case something (rarely) goes wrong. I would rather (and do) vent my adventurous flying side through aerobatics (though not as low) than "play" with a considerably less manoeuvrable aeroplane (not to mention that nervous passengers might not think it's a great idea either).

I don't know of any approaches or go arounds at 322 mph without gear down - not an everyday occurence despite some of the comments above.

Alex, Guernsey,

To all the folks making the remark that "piloting a commercial airliner must be one of the dullest jobs around" and then adding that "They're nothing but bus drivers at 32,000 feet", well that is about as naive a comment as you can make. Buses don't have beautiful flight attendants.

Mike, Chagrin Falls, USA

I say , good show ! It has made my day .....like all jolly japes ....it probably seemed like a damn good idea at the time .

Alexander Mackie, London, UK

Once again a good person and employee became a patsy for leaders and executives without balls to stand up for one of their own.

Rod, Cary, NC

With all his years of experience, I am very sure he knew what he was doing.
Good luck, to him

Flavius Fernandes, London,

So if Cathy's Chairman Chris Pratt was on board and had presumably given permission for the fly-by plus also air traffic control, what was the problem? It was probably a bit stupid to do it because some busy-body would no doubt have complained and some passengers may have been concerned for their own safety.
I hope Ian Wilkinson (not a ralative of mine) gets his job back but his employer will probably have to deal with soneone's loss of face and over-reaction.
There but the grace of God go many other pilots. I say no more.

Clive W, Witney, UK

I to am a pilot , this guy new what he was doing, and put nobody at risk! What a shame for him that someone chose to end his career for this. And now a wasted talent.

Gary Davies, market harborough, uk

I don't care how good a pilot he was - 30ft for a jumbo is nothing and it was irresponsibly dangerous. the astonishing part of the story is the suggestion that permission is frequently given for such stunts. 30ft sounds about right for a fly-by in a two-seater.

jem, london, uk

Typical of this risk-averse nanny culture. My sympathy to Capt. Wilkinson, I wish I could have seen it, I certainly would have cheered. I can only imagine the mountains of paperwork, forms in quintuplicate, signed wavers, etc etc, ad nauseum which might have been necessary for "official" permission - even before the local equivalent of the Health & Safety Executive said no - where's the fun gone?

Adrian Ryan, Donegal, Ireland

stupid thing to do,no very dangerous just politically stupid,do this stuff in your own airplane not your company bird full of paying passengers

chris lawry, granbury, texas

If I fly with this guy,I don't need to worry about a plane being on the runway

t fleck, hartlepool, england

Dont play with others life!!! Trade your skills with your own life and enjoy the rest.

Teby, Cochin, India

Hey Maverick....what's the name of that truck-driving school...Trucking USA?

rich, richmond, va

The airline (Cathay?) should be glad they have a pilot with the steel nerves to successfullly buzz the tower at such a short distance. Tells me he deserves a medal for showing the manufacturer Boeing it's a plane that a good pilot can handle.

Al Phillips, Mt. Prospect, , USA/Illinois

I think IceMan said it best:

"Wilkinson, you're dangerous!"

I'm sure the pilot is simply devastated about being dismissed and having a two-week honeymoon with unemployment before being snatched up my another carrier. 15 year veteran of Cathay Pacific? Yeah, he'll have a real hard time finding something else!!!!

Scott Millson, Toronto, Canada

Desk bound office jerks running a company as usual, If you want to ruin a company let the paper pushers run it.

i Johnson, Ramsgate, UK

Low flying is always a thrill. During the war we did it regularly, but there wasn't the regulation then. Am sure it was fun Ian,but you did step out of line. Good luck in your appeal. Ray Piercey, old pilot.

Ray Piercey, West Byfleet, Surrey, U.K.

As an ex pilot the thrill would be great, the danger not so great....but having passengers on board changes everything!

Ken, warwick,

A go-around with wheels up is actually safer than one with wheels down. When a normal go-around is executed, the airplane is "dirty" i.e. a high-drag configuration and results in a minimum airspeed departure climb "close to the edge" with few options. Having the wheels down is of zero benefit as the usable runway is insufficent by the time the go-around is executed.

But with a clean configuration (wheels up) and a high-speed flyby you have many more assets to work with and aren't nearly so close to a departure stall on climbout. Airspeed is your life when flying. The pilot should probably be yelled at for not getting prior approval but not fired. By the way, some 95-97% of most aviation authories have never flown an airplane...go figure.

John, Atlanta Georgia, USA

If approval had been sought for this flyby I suspect it would have been granted, because the pilot is probably the best of the Cathay crew, why else would he be chosen for the flight in the first place, so why sack him for a technicality. A reminder of his of his resposibilities to follow procedures to the letter in future, and a final written warning would be appropriate, this would also serve as a warning to others that no matter how elitist they are, their right to do the job they love is not guaranteed.

mike, manchester, england

Are we sure that the BRITISH pilot hasn't just been sacked due to 'sour grapes' on the part of the Americans because none of their pilots would have the nerve to fly at that hight. x

Sue, Northamptonshire,

Friends,
please read carefully. The airline chief was on board. The stunt was most likely performed just to entertain the top brass. Probably at their request. Too bad the pilto got canned. If they are devent chaps, he will be back after the fuss dies down.

Slim Kallas, Bruxelles,

This doesn't seem dangerous at all compared to what they have to do in St. Maarten. Take a look http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAfQwDizpRo&feature=related
But again, there is no need for such antics in the air. Not within civil aviation.

JP, Ambler, PA

Glenn from Australia: "At least the relevant authorities are working and not sleeping on the job. He deserved to be be sacked, nothing less!!!!"

That is precisely the type of knee jerk self righteous over eaction that I detest.

You probably think that he should be jailed aswell.

He loses his job, his livelihood, for doing something he has done many times before, just because he did not get official approval? Surely some sort of written warning or temporary suspension would have been more suitable 'punishment'?

Pete, Bristol, UK

great pilot, give him a pay rise

t fleck, hartlepool, england

I find this highly amusing, so pilots do this on a regular basis, "it is called landing". Don't know what sort of plots (sorry, pilots) you have commenting on the flying, but in most cases, undercarrage down prior to landing is to be highly reccommended.
Showboating, and regretfully, no longer acceptable by the HSE brigade. Risk assessment would have shown the possibility of skid marks both on the underside of the fusilage and Y fronts.

Cliff, St Austell,

Either he was buzzing a control tower or he flew within 28 feet of the ground - it can't have been both unless he buzzed a very small control tower. Methinks we don't have the real story.

Peter S, London,

The guy in the tower must have spilled his coffee all over his chest.

Twin-aisle jet = jumbo.

Jonathan, Newbury Park, CA, USA

Dennis, South Africa: "A low pass in an aircraft like this is no more dangerous than a 'go round' executed on a daily basis by aircraft all over the world depending on weather and other conditions. "

I think you will find such 'go rounds' are always conducted with the undercarriage and wheels down.

The stupidity of the Captain in this instance, know ing the Chairman and guests of Cathay Pacific were aboard, was not seeking approval in advance.

Bergman Coffey, Belfast,

An awful over reaction. There are more pressing issues than to worry about good pilots demonstrating their years of experience with a fly-by.

Farrukh, Woking, UK

It's a pity we have become so PC and rules orientated You know a slap on the wrist a mouth full and that would have been enough. He is after all the best they have to offer and if they can not trust his judgment at the helm of a £100 million plain then why has he been flying for the past 30 or so years and one or their best. Heck live a little, personally I'd rather fly with some one who knows what his aircraft can and can not do because he has seen its limits rather than a text book jock

Armenio, Oxford, England

Actually piloting an airliner is much more boring than driving a bus. In order of most boring I think the ranking probably is airline pilots, express train drivers, commuter train and light rail drivers, and bus drivers.

Peter Copping, Manchester, England

If the Chairman of Cathay Pacific was among the VIP Passengers, could it be that Captain Wilkinson is keeping mum about the fact that he may obtained corporate authorisation (but not aviation authorisation) for the stunt? In which case, it is corporate authorisation versis regulatory authorisation - so let's see ... when the two conflicts, and scrap gpat is required, the doer of the deed gets axed?

Sylvia, Perth, Australia

A Boeing 777 which the report says he was flying isn't a jumbo jet! The nickname jumbo jet is given to the 747!

Luke Nicolaides, London, UK

That's not a jumbo (747) it's a 777-300ER as you state later in the piece

Graeme, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom

A low pass in an aircraft like this is no more dangerous than a 'go round' executed on a daily basis by aircraft all over the world depending on weather and other conditions.
Cathy Pacific have overreacted on what is essentially a question of 'permission'.
By all means exercise their managment muscle by hauling the pilot over the coals - but to dismiss the chap???
Could it be they wanted to rid themselves of him for the high salary or for other reasons???
Airline management rarely demonstrate exceptional skills either in people management or finances which is why most of them have gone to the wall.
Hopefully someone who understands both will offer Ian Wilkinson a job - that chap is Richard Branson who would probably have been standing on the wing!!
It's why I always fly Virgin.

Dennis, Johannesburg, South Africa.

So let's get this straight - he did something that is allowed and occurrs regularly. He just didn't get permission from a pencil-pusher first. So he lost his job over some red tape, not from incompetence. Id on't think he'll have much problem getting another job, somehow!

KR, Stockport,

flying is, for good reason, a highly formalised activity. It is essential that every aspect of passenger flying is covered by well documented procedures, which are rigorously enforced.

This stunt should have been carefully reviewed before the event. However, with a pilot of this seniority a thorough post event review should have been carried out and, if all is well, permission given retrospectively. He should then have been fined for not getting permission beforehand.

Safety is important.

Paul Sherlock, London, England

"Tower this is Ghostrider requesting a fly by"

Andy Kinghan, London,

Was this "dangerous"? NO. It's a spectacular trick that appears thrilling and dangerous but in reality is perfectly safe.

So why was he fired?

Because the PAPERWORK was not not done!?!?!

NO. He was fired because 99% of the flying public are 100% ignorant about everything except that they are served free booze.

Once the pictures got out then the authorities had to be seen to be doing something. Regardless of whether it imporves passenger safety or not.

A great shame that a hugely respected pilot is canned for the sake of PR.

Lance, Crawley, UK

"Captain Ian Wilkinson astonished passengers by taking the 230-tonne Cathay Pacific jet to within 28ft (8.5m) of the ground"

All pilots do this regularly. In the trade it's called 'landing'...

Mike Poulsen, Reading, Berkshire

I'm sure h'll get another placement with another commercial airliner. Any other airliner would die to snatch a Senior pilot from Cathay Pacific.

Martin, liverpool, Meryside

*dons biggles style goggles*

DU DUR DUR DUR DU DU DUR DUR DURRRR DUR DUR DU DU DU DUR DUR

*holds out arms 'plane style*

ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK.

Alan, Peterborough, Cambs

Well,

At least the relevant authorities are working and not sleeping on the job. He deserved to be be sacked, nothing less!!!!

Glenn, Brisbane, Australia

Where's the surprise? The pilot did what most pilots probably dream of doing; something a little different, in order to show off their hard-earned skills. Piloting commercial airliners must be one of the dullest jobs around. They're nothing but bus drivers at 32,000 feet. No wonder from time to time you see one of them take time out to do something a little more challenging.

Cyril Franklin, Willenhall,

what an awfull shame , as a pilot myself i can see the thrill of this one ( i regularly get caught ) .
never mind good luck to the pilot

mark, stratford, england