RE: Clarkson triggers 999 alert

RE: Clarkson triggers 999 alert

Thursday 14th October 2004

Clarkson triggers 999 alert

Tries to land a Hercules on a beach, apparently...


Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson triggered a 999 alert with his latest stunt - landing a giant Hercules plane on a scenic beach.

The television presenter took a test drive in a new 160mph Jaguar sports car in the back of a massive 112ft-long RAF transporter plane. And the Hercules then flew more than 100 miles to touch down on the Welsh beach so Clarkson's car could roar out of the back.

But his stunt triggered alarm among villagers at Pembrey. Police were flooded with calls about the "crashed" aircraft. Gwilym Roberts, who lives nearby, said, "I saw it dip below the trees and not reappear. I was relieved to hear it was just an exercise. But I did call the police because I thought it had crashed."

The RAF had agreed to give Clarkson, 44, a lift to its former bombing range for his show. The Hercules, based at RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire, was having its ability to land on sand tested at Cefn Sidan beach.

Clarkson said, "If Cefn Sidan was for sale I'd buy it. It's two miles wide - when the tide's out - and eight miles long, smooth as silk and perfect for car testing.

"The best thing of all, there's not a speed camera in sight."

Author
Discussion

klassiekerrally

Original Poster:

2,543 posts

254 months

Thursday 14th October 2004
quotequote all
That's why Clarkson rules:
He doesn't care about the rules!
I almost can't wait 'till next sunday...

Stig

11,817 posts

283 months

Thursday 14th October 2004
quotequote all
"Clarkson said, "If Cefn Sidan was for sale I'd buy it. It's two miles wide - when the tide's out - and eight miles long, smooth as silk and perfect for car testing. "

Yes, exceptyour car gets shotblasted to pieces and rusts to bits within a week of being on the sands.

'Perfect for car testing OTHER people's cars'

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

254 months

Thursday 14th October 2004
quotequote all
"The Hercules.....was having its ability to land on sand tested at Cefn Sidan beach."

That's a potential Oooops situation, if ever I heard of one.........

"Hello base, we need a JCB and a shovel........

























JCB to get us out, and shovel to bury Clarkson........."


RobDickinson

31,343 posts

253 months

Thursday 14th October 2004
quotequote all
So whats the new 160mph jag then?

towman

14,938 posts

238 months

Thursday 14th October 2004
quotequote all
mybrainhurts said:
JCB to get us out, and shovel to bury Clarkson........."


So I`m not the only one to think JC is a tw@t then?

Steve



>> Edited by towman on Thursday 14th October 09:57

Munter

31,319 posts

240 months

Thursday 14th October 2004
quotequote all
The did get one stuck on a short grass runway in Wales a few years back. The ground was a bit soft at the end where it came to rest and it sank in. Took about 3 days to shift it.....

Marki

15,763 posts

269 months

Thursday 14th October 2004
quotequote all
[quote=Stig

Yes, exceptyour car gets shotblasted to pieces and rusts to bits within a week of being on the sands.

'Perfect for car testing OTHER people's cars' [/quote]


Exactly what i thought when i saw a Top gear recently
(excuse me for being behind but im in Sweden ) he tested a 911 XKR and a BMW 645 on possibley the same beach , a more pointless place to comparison test 3 coupes i can not think of

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

254 months

Thursday 14th October 2004
quotequote all
towman said:

mybrainhurts said:
JCB to get us out, and shovel to bury Clarkson........."



So I`m not the only one to think JC is a tw@t then?

Steve




Oi...I didn't say that.......

towman

14,938 posts

238 months

Thursday 14th October 2004
quotequote all
Ok. Apologies. But I will!

Steve

raf dug

3,515 posts

253 months

Thursday 14th October 2004
quotequote all
The newspapers said it was a stunt to avoid paying the severn bridge toll. Seems a bit of an expensive way to save a few quid

v8thunder

27,646 posts

257 months

Thursday 14th October 2004
quotequote all
It's a sad state of affairs, isn't it, where you have to go to these lengths to test a car instead of being prosecuted on the roads.

Hopefully it'll make a great stunt though - and I hope we see the aftermath

Mad Dave

7,158 posts

262 months

Thursday 14th October 2004
quotequote all
Marki said:
[quote=Stig

Yes, exceptyour car gets shotblasted to pieces and rusts to bits within a week of being on the sands.

'Perfect for car testing OTHER people's cars'



Exactly what i thought when i saw a Top gear recently
(excuse me for being behind but im in Sweden ) he tested a 911 XKR and a BMW 645 on possibley the same beach , a more pointless place to comparison test 3 coupes i can not think of[/quote]

That looked like fantastic fun though!!

tuttle

3,427 posts

236 months

Thursday 14th October 2004
quotequote all
v8thunder said:

Hopefully it'll make a great stunt though - and I hope we see the aftermath


they should have rolled the car out with a parachute,THAT would have been a stunt.

Dakkon

7,826 posts

252 months

Thursday 14th October 2004
quotequote all
towman said:

mybrainhurts said:
JCB to get us out, and shovel to bury Clarkson........."



So I`m not the only one to think JC is a tw@t then?

Steve



>> Edited by towman on Thursday 14th October 09:57


At times he can be very funny, and I thought his documentary bit about Brunel was fantastic, but these days he does tend to love himself a little too much, and his attempts at humour can be wildly off, giving way to nervous laughter more than anything else.

however, Topgear is still the best TV motoring program made at present. I just wish the lap times were more accurate and not just a finger in the air, which manufacturer do I like this week.

fish

3,975 posts

281 months

Thursday 14th October 2004
quotequote all
I wonder if they could do a test where stig ie unidentifyable drives from london to manchester as fast as possible to see how many gatsos get him..........


.....I'll shut up shall i..

iaint

10,040 posts

237 months

Thursday 14th October 2004
quotequote all
Dakkon said:
however, Topgear is still the best TV motoring program made at present. I just wish the lap times were more accurate and not just a finger in the air, which manufacturer do I like this week.


Was talking to one of the production staff about this and 'The Stig' tries his best to put in the best possible lap times so I can't see how it's dependant on the flavour of the week manufacturer.

I raised the question about the Stig having an off day and not performing too well and it was pointed out that both Stigs were good enough drivers to find the limits of the cars within a few laps and produce 'close to the edge' lap times. Obviously weather conditions make it a bit of a lottery.

I totally agree after watching htis week's 5th gear that TG is by far the best - the 5th gera/driven format is pretty old hat and TG seem to have the flair and contacts to do some fun stuff in the show. How many other shows could get a gunship to chase an exige round the track???

Unfortunately I couldn't get him to tell me who the current Stig is even though I was holding him hostage in my car at the time!!!

Off to see the show on the 1st so will try to do some back-stage snooping

Iain

towman

14,938 posts

238 months

Thursday 14th October 2004
quotequote all
Dakkon said:

Topgear is still the best TV motoring program made at present.


Undoubtedly. I just wish JC would turn back the clock a bit and stop believing his own publicity (and the sycophantic audience he surrounds himself with).

Steve

veg

497 posts

282 months

Thursday 14th October 2004
quotequote all
The average pilots landing in a Hercules would require a complete drive train and new shocks all round.
Roar! More like roll, cough and die.

cdp

7,454 posts

253 months

Thursday 14th October 2004
quotequote all
iaint said:

Dakkon said:
however, Topgear is still the best TV motoring program made at present. I just wish the lap times were more accurate and not just a finger in the air, which manufacturer do I like this week.



Was talking to one of the production staff about this and 'The Stig' tries his best to put in the best possible lap times so I can't see how it's dependant on the flavour of the week manufacturer.

I raised the question about the Stig having an off day and not performing too well and it was pointed out that both Stigs were good enough drivers to find the limits of the cars within a few laps and produce 'close to the edge' lap times. Obviously weather conditions make it a bit of a lottery.

I totally agree after watching htis week's 5th gear that TG is by far the best - the 5th gera/driven format is pretty old hat and TG seem to have the flair and contacts to do some fun stuff in the show. How many other shows could get a gunship to chase an exige round the track???

Unfortunately I couldn't get him to tell me who the current Stig is even though I was holding him hostage in my car at the time!!!

Off to see the show on the 1st so will try to do some back-stage snooping

Iain


5th gear did a race around a circuit 911 (with Tiff) against an RAF Lynx helicopter - the most agile in the world (they claim). That has to be comparable with the helicopter gunship. JC did the playing bit as he hasn't nearly to match the skill of TN or "the Stig".

This Stig bit is getting old hat now. The reason they have an "unknown racer" is because JC can't stand being upstaged.

The borrowing of London City airport, emptying the docks and the use of the three Hondas is another equal with the Gunship. Even though it was a pretty obvious publicity stunt for Honda.

I like Top Gear but I must say that JC needs to take a break every now and again (which he does) as his self appreciation gets annoying through the series. If the series didn't have seasons it would get extremely stale.

iaint

10,040 posts

237 months

Thursday 14th October 2004
quotequote all
cdp said:

5th gear did a race around a circuit 911 (with Tiff) against an RAF Lynx helicopter - the most agile in the world (they claim). That has to be comparable with the helicopter gunship. JC did the playing bit as he hasn't nearly to match the skill of TN or "the Stig".

This Stig bit is getting old hat now. The reason they have an "unknown racer" is because JC can't stand being upstaged.

The borrowing of London City airport, emptying the docks and the use of the three Hondas is another equal with the Gunship. Even though it was a pretty obvious publicity stunt for Honda.

I like Top Gear but I must say that JC needs to take a break every now and again (which he does) as his self appreciation gets annoying through the series. If the series didn't have seasons it would get extremely stale.


I'd forgotten about the 911 v lynx - that was good but realistically it'll never corner the same as a 911 (or pretty much any sports car).

I'd discounted the Toyota advert they ran as pointless PR.

I watch pretty much all the progs on TV and prefer TG mostly because of Clarkson - his self-opinionated rants and ego are top entertainment. THey're only annoying to people who take it to heart and think he takes it seriously (I choose to believe JC doesn't even if he does!!). I watch the TV to be entertained, I read PH for informed opinion and gave up long ago sarching for facts as they blatantly don't exist!!!

Iain