Jets Crash, Pilot Spreads Love

By Rob McDonagh, Tanit Cortes, Zoe Zaczek and Aoibhínn Clancy, Storyful

Perth, Sept 25: Two military jets crashed during training flights in Europe this week, with all three pilots involved surviving after ejecting.
A United States Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon went down near Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany at about 2.30pm on Tuesday, 22 September. The jet, assigned to the base’s 52nd Fighter Wing, crashed “following a routine training flight involving four F-16s”, according to a statement from US military officials at Spangdahlem.
The pilot ejected safely and received medical care. Officials said the other three aircraft diverted to Ramstein Air Base and landed safely. Emergency crews from the base responded alongside local German fire and medical services. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

A day later, on Wednesday, 23 September, two Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots were injured after ejecting moments before their Hawk T2 aircraft crashed in north Wales. Footage captured by local resident Danni Jones shows the pair parachuting down as the jet nosedived and exploded close to homes in the village of Llanfaelog.

The pilots had been on a training flight out of RAF Valley, less than two miles from the village. The RAF said both were expected to make a full recovery, and that Hawk T1 and Hawk T2 flights had been suspended pending an investigation.
Also on Wednesday, a pilot over northwestern Arkansas used his flight path to send a very different message. A 3D visualisation from AirNav Radar shows a giant fingerprint and the words “you are loved” taking shape after the aircraft took off from Bentonville.

The route was flown by Benjamin McDaniel, a self-described pilot and artist who shares his flight-path creations, including a recreation of the Mona Lisa, on his Instagram account @thepilotpicasso. Flying a Cessna R182 Skylane RG, McDaniel spent about five hours and 20 minutes in the air to complete the artwork, according to flight data.
“Call your family and friends to tell them you love them,” McDaniel wrote on Instagram, alongside the number for the US Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
In Spain, an intense fire broke out on 24 September in the warehouse of a Chinese importer in an industrial area of Zaragoza, sending flames visible far and wide before spreading to neighbouring buildings. Aragon Noticias said the blaze destroyed two properties and damaged another.
And in a lighter moment, a drag queen refused to let an unexpected splash derail a birthday surprise. Erick Polinar had been asked to surprise an old friend by arriving in drag by boat, delivering a cake and performing songs.
As Polinar stepped off the boat with the cake, a man securing the vessel fell off the dock onto a flotation device. Polinar said he had been more worried about falling himself, given the heels and the cake. “I better not fall while passing the cake,” he recalled thinking, moments before the man went into the water.

Polinar carried on with the performance. “The show must go on,” he said.
Instagram commenters praised his priorities, with one joking, “Save the cake… no matter what!”