Second to last flight - A WW2 pilot's most risky flight?

[Mr Busby]

Hi, I seem to remember being told, many moons ago, that during WW2 it was believed that one of the most risky flights for a pilot was the second to last one immediately before he came off operations. Something to do with him throwing the aircraft around/carrying out impromptu aerobatics etc leading to crashes which he might not have had the opportunity to do on his last flight. Does anyone know if that's actually true and if so, where it might be documented please?

[rolling20]

The only one that springs to mind ( although I'm sure there are others) was F/O Cobber Cain
Prior to the collapse of France, he was relieved and being sent back to England. An impromptu aerobatic display to his squadron colleagues as he departed, led to him crashing and his untimely death.
He was at the time one of if not the leading ace in RAF, but he was supposedly suffering from fatigue and exhaustion.

[B2N2]

I’m just thinking of another factor that may have played a part of this was indeed statistically proven - second to last flight would still be a combat mission with the last flight maybe being a bit of a doozy patrol?

[Sue Vêtements]

I know what you mean really, but grammatically, you'd have to say the most dangerous flight is ... the last one :sad:

[Brewster Buffalo]

The imperial war museum web page on life and death in bomber command says "The most dangerous were the first and last five trips.". But it doesn't give any explanation why this was so..though on the first mission the crew are going be inexperienced.

[rolling20]

The imperial war museum web page on life and death in bomber command says "The most dangerous were the first and last five trips.". But it doesn't give any explanation why this was so..though on the first mission the crew are going be inexperienced.
Whilst experience counted for a lot, Bomber Command's Operational Research Section
​​​​​ came to the conclusion that experience did not reduce losses. Novice and expert crews were killed in equal measure.
Bomber Command refused to accept this as it contradicted the official dogma.

[Flugzeug A]

Didn’t Don Gentile crash the original ‘Shangri La ‘ having completed his missions & showing off for the media?
I think Blakeslee had him sent back to the ‘States as punishment.
(On another thread , there’s mention of Aces who were a pain. I always got the impression that Blakeslee was amongst them )

[DaveReidUK]

I know what you mean really, but grammatically, you'd have to say the most dangerous flight is ... the last one :sad:

Yes, it takes quite some doing to be killed on one's penultimate flight ...

[Mogwi]

My final SHAR flight (2 v 2 ACM) turned out to be my penultimate one. When I walked back in, I was collared for a PRL air test to get a jet back on the programme. The only reason I did it was to beat up the beach where my ex was holidaying before I wizzed up to FL 420 for the test. The first bit went well with ex diving for cover and kids screaming with delight but the second bit showed that the engine was still a bit out of tolerance.

‘Twas Friday afternoon, so I rolled on my back and aimed for base in a screaming dive, with a view to hitting happy-hour. At around 10k, I started to ease out of the 60 degree dive, only to find that the control column was jammed absolutely solid in pitch. Booger! Major handful of nozzle and a bit of throttle achieved level flight and I reduced speed and dirtied up in fairly slow time, retrimming the nozzles and throttle position as required. Luckily I had spent hours on boring CAP, seeing how many track reversals I could fly without touching the stick (no autopilot) and just using the rudders (manual), nozzles and throttle to control the flight path. I knew it would come in handy some day!

Long story short, I managed to set the jet up on very long finals, fully configured and plonk it on the runway, followed by a very gentle application of braking stop - still with a completely jammed pitch control run. Funniest thing was that a farmer set light to a field of stubble a few miles out on the approach and everyone thought that I had stumphed in!

Happy days!

Mog

[SASless]

During my second tour of duty in Vietnam my penultimate flight in a Chinook following an unscheduled landing brought about by some intentional FOD caused damage by some folks that objected to being overflown by helicopters carrying artillery pieces and howitzer ammo.

That resulted in a bit of a awkwardness followed by a hurried landing on a single engine and single flight control hydraulics in an aircraft that was seriously overweight for the power available.

The landing was quite similar to that of an arrested landing on a Carrier as we plowed into the barbed wire mine and trip flare equipped newly installed perimeter barrier of a newly erected Fire Support Base.

By new...I mean the infantry that were standing with their shovels and other tools admiring the just completed concentina wire were provided with the sight of that landing not very far from where they were standing.

We did some field repairs to the damage hydraulic system....fired the one good engine up and sat on the ground burning fuel down to the minimum needed for the return flight to home base...and managed to do a single engine flight back home.

We did a quick change of aircraft and off we went to complete our appointed rounds for that day.

Forty-five minutes later while in cloud with a sling load....in mountainous terrain...with an occasional hole in the cloud that afforded some sight of the jungle....we got hit by a single .51 Caliber MG round....which removed the pedal from under my left foot and ignited a hydraulic fluid fire that was fanned by the wind stream roaring through the missing now missing chin bubble.

We managed to get the aircraft back to our takeoff point and I was done with my second tour after only less than three months having earned an all expense paid month long sojourn in the US Army Burn Clinic in Japan and a Sleeper berth ride back to the States.

I would submit....in my experience both the flights....penultimate and final....were equally risky and only differed in outcome.

My thought is. never begin a serious venture on Fool's Day as happened on my second tour....having departed Travis AFB on April 1st, 1970.