LONDON: The Major of the US Air Force 15E Strike Eagle does not work.
Ian Simpson stood outside the royal air force base in the East England and hit the pictures of fighter planes departing when he saw a shower splash flying from behind the plane.
He and a group of flight fans listen to flight control traffic realize the pilot does not seem to know there is a problem with the plane.
So Simpson, who used to work in the aviation industry, googled telephone number RAF Lakenheath and persuaded a switchboard operator to put it in flight operations at the base, home to the 48th combat wings of the US Air Force.
“I said, ‘Look, something is wrong with the plane, for sure.
We have a lot of photo sparks that come out,”‘ Simpson, 56, told the Associated Press.
Word is forwarded to the pilot.
Asked to see, the wings confirm the damage to one of the machines, the base said.
The pilot returned to the base, “just to be safe.” “For most of us here, this is a very rare event that we have not personally witnessed,” said Airbase in a statement.
“It’s fun to know that Wing Liberty has a great partnership with the local community – and the courage shown Ian is not at all.” Simpson said he was motivated by the death of another young American pilot whose aircraft fell to the North Sea on June 15, 2020.
“I think someone has to call,” he said.
“I don’t want anything like that to happen to another family.” On Wednesday, Thompson said thank you by giving a Simpson hat and a symbol and then throwing the shoulder patch for a good size.
“It’s a good touch,” Simpson said.
The base recorded Simpson’s actions at the Facebook post that won wide attention, especially from Americans who were grateful for his help.
“For me, the most demeaning thing has become a family of soldiers who thanked me for doing what I did,” he said.
“I don’t expect to get so many thanks.”