Ever wonder what it would be like to fly a MiG-17? How about flying one at Oshkosh? In this recently posted video, you get to join pilot Jeff Kaney in the cockpit of his MiG-17 Fresco as he performs low-level fly-bys during the daily airshows at the 2017 EAA AirVenture.
Tourette’s Syndrome.
I too noticed the constant stick motion. Is the Mig 17 that twitchy? I would’ve enjoyed the video a lot more if I could hear the pilot’s radio chatter and not just the roar of air around the cockpit.
The pilot may be long on experience, but I was shocked to see how much he micromanaged the stick!
Was it really necessary to “stir the soup” as much as he did? Even on the rare moments of straight-and-level flying, he was all over the place. I have seen this before. In my 45 years of professional flying I came across many pilots who seem to come down with a mild case of Turret’s syndrome while flying. I am no master aviator, but I felt compelled to settle them down, allow them to enjoy flying, and teach them to caress the controls or simply let go, and smoothly guide the airplane.
Simply watch Bob Hoover’s hands in the few moments we have of footage of his flying, and you will understand what my point is.