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Winner: Most interesting air force press release

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A thousand bonus points to the South African Air Force for managing to write this news release with an exclamation point and a hint of humor:

Astra lands minus passenger

By Dean Wingrin

In a highly unusual incident, a SAAF Astra training aircraft landed with one person less than which it took off!

South Afica Astra.jpg

The PC-7 MkII Astra, a two-seat training aircraft, is the aircraft flown by the SAAF's Silver Falcon aerobatic team. A member of the aerobatic team, Capt Gerhard Lourens, who occupies the number four position in the five man team, was flying with a passenger in the rear seat yesterday when the passenger unintentionally initiated the ejection seat.

The ejection seat is normally only used when the pilots need to exit the aircraft in a dire emergency as the aircraft is about to crash.

The unknown passenger landed without serious injury, apart from that to their pride. The Astra landed safely, but has suffered damage from the ejection.

 

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1 Comment

Point of order - the website you refer to is marked an "unofficial" website of the SAAF.

It's an amazing story nonetheless, but its value as a source is diminished by not being an 'official' release by the air force. On the other hand, that explains the unusual use of punctuation and humorous tone.

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