Flying the Sea Harrier FA2 | Andrew Neofytou (Part 2)

Former Sea Harrier FA2 pilot, Andrew Neofytou, shares what it was like to fly the mighty SHAR FA2!
Watch part one of Andrew's interview here - www.aircrewinterview.tv/#/haw...
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Filmed at boscombedownaviationcollection...
Original thumbnail photo by Sean Power

[@davidcarter6737]

Another great interview Mike, seems such a down to earth guy that you'd like to call a mate. So matter of fact, when describing the two emergencies, loss of engine, crummy weather etc and to come through it twice, phenomenal. He must have received some sort of Airmanship award. Modest to boot and a real credit to the nation. Fine example to follow for our future young men and women pilots. Thanks for this.

[@Aircrewinterview]

Thanks David!

[@paulkerry666]

Great interview. I have to admit I followed Andrew’s career via his Dad. His Dad was our GP and every time I had to visit I made sure I wore aircraft t-shirt so every visit ended talking about his son. Have to admit I was jealous.

[@KenGriffiths]

What a nice geezer, you just know he is competent and get's on with all types of folk...BZ

[@bernieinsaudi]

Was going to say the same. What a great guy.

[@1975scrabble]

Thank you, guys!

[@waynec1618]

What a charmingly and infectiously pleasant chap and a lovely rapport with the interviewer, luckily there is quality like this that makes YT worthwhile, bravo.

[@Aircrewinterview]

Great to hear you enjoyed it and thank you for the very kind words, Wayne.

[@darrenramsdale6655]

This pilots dad was my Doctor when I was a kid. nice to see him again.

[@nickbreen287]

I did not think a Harrier with a bad engine could land, then this guy says he's done it... twice! Fly Navy.

[@rainhart458]

Thank you for these interviews with former fighter pilots. And I’m looking forward to the 16th

[@matthayward7889]

The Shar in the thumbnail looks gorgeous!

[@waratahdavid696]

That aeroplanes looks like an absolute beast. Performed pretty well too. I wish we could find the keys to the harrier factory again, and get some economical s/vtol planes back in service for countries with helicopter carriers.

[@fat_biker]

There was a very well written argument made by a Sea Harrier fan explaining why that won’t happen. Basically, irrespective of the merits of the F35B, it’s approach to VTOL is so technically superior to the rotating nozzles on Harrier as to render the design concept instantly obsolete.

[@waratahdavid696]

@@fat_biker fair enough, but that would only come into play of the potential harrier country was fighting the f35b contry. I'm thinking of senarios where if theres a choice between f5b and nothing it will nothing.

[@Michael-4]

Cream of the cream.

[@meltvision]

Mike, thanks again for an informative program....Andrew thank you for your service and cheers from California...

[@Aircrewinterview]

Cheers mate.

[@poplok22]

Great interview with a great bloke.

[@Solidboat123]

Surely most people aren't surprised Sea Harrier could do ground attack? For one thing the clue was in their designations - FRS.1 (Fighter/Reconnaissance/Strike) and FA2 (Fighter/Attack). Plus Sea Harriers performed many ground attack missions in the Falklands (and some recce too).

[@aviovintage]

Reading Harrier 809 and this came just in time for some extra Sea Harrier goodies :D Great interview!

[@finchleyflyer]

Great interview, really brings home how challenging the Harrier was to fly.

[@Aircrewinterview]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Peter.

[@wylafpv641]

Top bloke….really enjoyed this one ☝️

[@Twirlyhead]

I do think that the late version Sea Harrier with the Blue Vixen radar looks fantastic; purposeful.

[@wayneschenk5512]

Great interview.

[@matthewmcgee]

I'd love to hear more of Andrew's flying stories!

[@1975scrabble]

Take a listen to the For Flying Out Loud podcast :)

[@MattproThe]

Thanks you for all these interviews. Greetings from Argentina

[@tylerhyvonen8036]

Read harrier 809 book, well worth it

[@Steeyuv]

I SO know what he means about having the capacity - I learned to fly a helicopter at an advanced age and it really does use everything you've got

[@sbwords]

Super interview.

[@Aircrewinterview]

Cheers!

[@weirdguy564]

I used to think the latest Harrier II+ of the USMC would be the "best" Harrier. Then I read the book of test pilot John Farley and he gave out the tidbit that the fastest Harrier model was the Sea Harrier. The AV-8B planes are good, but speed is life in air to air. The newer Harriers use the same engine, so they put on a lightweight, but big wing in order to haul more fuel and bombs, making them 80 knots slower in level flight.

[@AA-xo9uw]

Different engine variant - Pegasus 105 - in the Harrier II - which was designed as a CAS platform - than in the SHARs which were fitted with Pegasus 104s and 106s. Later Night Attack and + Harrier IIs were equipped with the Pegasus 11-61.

[@jonofalltradesmasterofnone832]

My late father was a senior trials engineer on the blue vixen radar.

[@seanpower773]

Thank you for using my photo as the thumbnail Mike, great video 👍

[@matthayward7889]

I just commented on it: the Shar looks good from any angle, but that’s a brilliant picture!

[@seanpower773]

@@matthayward7889 Thanks 😊

[@tacoenvy]

I gotta say man that is a gorgeous photo! One of my favorite Sea Harrier photos ever for sure, great job!

[@Aircrewinterview]

Thanks for allowing us to use the brilliant photo, Sean

[@seanpower773]

@@tacoenvy Thanks 😊

[@Volcano...F]

Saludos a Inglaterra desde Chile.......My friend.¡

[@bobshortland3079]

What a nice humble guy he is

[@ralphwatt8752]

Awaresome interview. Great a/c

[@Aircrewinterview]

Cheers Tony.

[@elliottkeen9933]

Top bloke

[@leethomas6624]

7:04 Great look you got going on Mike

[@Aircrewinterview]

😂

[@timwingham8952]

I'm late to the party with this one, (great interview by the way) but a question I'd like to ask is this - all the fast jet pilots interviewed seem to gloss over the use of guns. I realize in the modern world missile engagement - often beyond visual range - is normal, but a "merge" seems still a possibility, so do pilots still train to use guns air to air?

[@briananthony4044]

If it was to be built today, it would be flown by computer with the pilot offering suggestions to the computer. In the day it was built, the pilot was the computer handling all the input signals and deciding what to do in an instant. You did not want to fly the aircraft on an off day.

[@Will_CH1]

There is a market right now for 500 FA3 harriers.

[@markparry63]

Great interview. Do FAA pilots not say Ship as opposed to Boat? I always thought that was US Naval Aviators that said Boat? 👍

[@Aircrewinterview]

Thank you. Not too sure.

[@lrw3984]

more harrier....more harrier please

[@Then.72]

The supersonic Harrier P.1154: thrust vectoring afterburner was British design

[@AA-xo9uw]

That never made it past the concept stage due to infighting between the RAF and the RN and opposition from the French.

[@Then.72]

@@AA-xo9uw it was the Labour government that didn’t fund it but Russia stole the design and the USA then got it from them for the F35B

[@bastadimasta]

Harrier was one of the few iconic British industrial products in the 20th century. My respects to engineers and politicians who took the risk to build such a controversial aircraft.

[@AA-xo9uw]

Thanks should go to the US taxpayers who helped the concept move past the drafting table to reality with funding via the MWDP after the MoD said no.

[@hughoxford8735]

Where is part 1?

[@ATH_Berkshire]

Look up the hawk video.

[@Daveyboy1066]

What gets me is the situation he talks about where he is landing and only able to get 60% engine power because clearly the engine is throwing itself to bits with vibration (and i know he was landing fast but is st Athen runway short) but then he tries to use engine braking and selects 100% power wtf.

[@SSaugaCriss]

Freddie?

[@andrewterrell6994]

Call sign for the ‘Fighter Controller’ - Also called the ‘D’ - both Sea Harrier frontline squadrons had a fighter controller - the HQ squadron, 899, had a couple.

[@Pedro8k]

We should have kept the harrier proven in combat and great for ground attack the Spanish and the us marines still use their version a lot cheaper too great video

[@martinbayliss3868]

A Sea Harrier with digital fly by wire, 11-61 upgraded Pegasus upgraded engine, and numerous avionics would be a better combat jet than the f35.

[@sheldonholy5047]

On what basis do you make this comment? You seriously believe a 70 year old airframe design will outperform a 5th gen fighter?

[@AA-xo9uw]

The UK would have to start with a clean sheet of paper to overcome the limits of the platform and they can't afford to do that on their own just like they couldn't afford to develop the Kestrel/Harrier/Pegasus on their own without that huge influx of MWDP funding.

[@martinbayliss3868]

@@AA-xo9uw The UK originally planned and worked on all the upgrades to the Sea Harrier I suggested. The Mk107 Pegasus went into production for the plastic thick wing Harrier and the FBW system for the Harrier was developed by the UK on the VAAC Harrier (now the basis for the f35b FCS). The centre fuselage of the Sea Harrier would need to be remanufactured to fit the slightly larger diameter Mk107 engine. The Sea Vixen radar on the SHAR was already one of the best in the world so not much development required there. So 50 to 60 new build Sea Harriers with all the updates I suggest would in fact cost less than buying the poorly performing and problem ridden f35b. And back in the late 1950s and 60s the UK was going to develop the Harrier whether the US was involved or not. It was only in 1964 with the US plant ridden Labour Harold Wilson government that all the aircraft projects were cancelled.

[@meltvision]

Mike, thanks again for an informative program....Andrew thank you for your service and cheers from California...

[@Aircrewinterview]

Thanks very much.