Flight Daily News

Flight Daily News journalist Paul Derby was among a small band of writers who, to the envy of thousands of show-goers, had the opportunity to take to the skies in the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey here at Farnborough.

When you are asked the question: "Do you want to take a flight in the V-22?" it’s something of a no-brainer.

And when during the pre-flight briefing the aircrew spend time explaining the precise location of the airsickness bags with a glint in their eyes, the feeling that this might be a special experience is inescapable. We are not to be disappointed.

Tucked away in a corner of the airfield, far from the public eye, the second of the two MV-22 Ospreys flying at Farnborough is about to ‘go hot’ as we pull up on the bus. It is guarded, along with an array of other aircraft, by armed police – a sign of the protective curtain being thrown around the Osprey while it is in the UK.

While one MV-22 stands guard outside the enormous Bell chalet on static display, Storm 22 is ready to fly.

As the aircraft powers up it is enveloped by a cloud of smoke, a necessary result of pooled oil in the exhaust system being expelled. A short hike across the shimmering tarmac, with the rotor downwash in full effect and we are clambering up the rear ramp into the heart of a $69 million aircraft that has been decades in development and is now nearing operational capability.

The fact that this remains an operational test aircraft is crystal clear as the cabin is a maze of electrical wiring and cabling. We are going to fly ramp down for the duration of our half-hour in the air, ensuring that everyone on board checks they are buckled in more than once.
A short roll and we are airborne, the ground disappearing at an incredible rate as the true power of the Osprey in the climb is readily apparent. We are cleared to climb to 3,000ft (900m) during a flightplan that takes us out towards Salisbury.

The aircraft is flown by Boeing test pilot Steve Grohsmeyer alongside US Navy test pilot Lt Cmdr Matt Rising, who are clearly relishing having a bunch of journalists ‘in back’ and waste no time in executing the first of several steeply banked turns just to keep us on our toes.

Our pre-flight briefing had made it clear that public demonstration of the Osprey during show-week would be a highly sanitised affair, partly due to the airspace restrictions in place at Farnborough. But on this flight there are no such restrictions… and it shows.

We transition to forward flight after a rock steady hover which is so precise that it would have been possible to sip a cup of tea without spilling a drop. Cruising at close to 240kt (440km/h) in forward flight we have the opportunity, one by one, to take a peek ‘up front’. It is spectacular both in terms of the technology on display and the view from the aircraft of golden and green fields in a uniquely British patchwork.

The airstrip at Everley is our destination for a series of tactical manoeuvres designed to demonstrate how the MV-22 will be able to deploy Marines into the field, from the final quarter of 2007.

Flight Daily News enjoyed a close-up view of the capabilities of the MV-22.

A rather gentle first approach, confined by the presence of British Army Lynx and Squirrel helicopters in the vicinity, lulls us into a false sense of security. Next time around we complete a straight deceleration approach, one of several occasions during the flight when it feels like the 2g we are experiencing is somewhat higher.

The agility of the Osprey in a low level hover, transitioning to sideways flight is extraordinary and although it is impossible to hear a word inside the aircraft, the looks on every face tell a story.

We conduct a series of equally jaw-dropping approaches, with every moment committed to memory as any form of note taking is impossible for most of the flight. On the return approach to Farnborough, the chalet line is clearly visible, dominated by the unmistakeable Airbus A380. We see everyone within sight stop and stare, transfixed by the Osprey on approach.

The question of just how far we have pushed the envelope quickly puts our adventure into perspective – about six on a scale of one to 10 we are told. It’s a sobering thought that VMX-22, the USMC Operational and Test Evaluation Squadron, takes the aircraft far closer to the limit every day.

As we touch down back at the show, the interior is a swirl of tinder dry grass from the baked earth alongside the airstrip and although nobody articulates it, there is a sense of satisfaction that not only have we seen for ourselves a truly transformational aircraft in operation, but those dreaded airsickness bags never saw the light of day.