Stunning maneuver makes Airbus A330 seem like it’s hovering on brink of stalling
- This Airbus A330 was filmed performing a unique maneuver
- It’s called High Alpha Pass, and it’s usually performed by much smaller aircraft
- The maneuver was filmed at the Farnborough Airshow
Published on Aug 22, 2024 at 6:55 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Aug 23, 2024 at 3:16 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
The pilot of this Cathay Pacific Airbus A330 performed a unique maneuver known as a High Alpha Pass.
It takes talent, and a good amount of courage, but the result is outstanding.
It almost looks like the plane is ‘hovering’ above the ground.
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Wide-body planes can do it too
This maneuver isn’t particularly easy, it is usually performed by fighter jets like the one in the image above.
But, as we can see from the clip filmed at the 1994 Farnborough Airshow and uploaded to YouTube by canalcaholic, wide-body airplanes such as the Airbus A330 can do it too.
A High Alpha Pass is maneuver where the aircraft flies at a high angle of attack and, on this occasion, it was even tougher due to the strong headwind the plane was facing.
This is the sort of maneuver pilots would get kudos for when they do it with an agile, lightweight plane, so just imagine how good you must be to do that with an Airbus A330.
Airbus A330 can do everything, apparently
The Airbus A330 comes in various models and sizes, but – generally speaking – they’re all quite large.
On average, the Airbus A330 is a 60-meter, 240-ton beast and yet it is surprisingly agile.
When the pilot knows what he’s doing, the Airbus A330 can land so smoothly it almost feels like it didn’t touch the ground at all.
We should also point out that this is a wide-body plane that’s capable of accommodating up to 300 or even 400 passengers in certain configurations.
But, at the same time, the A330 is one of those aircraft that Airbus will happily build as a private jet for its wealthy customers.
It looks like there’s nothing the plane cannot do.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
