Fighter Jet Narrowly Avoids Disaster At Spanish Air Show Over The Weekend

If you've ever been to an air show in your life, you are familiar with the sights and sounds of low-flying jets.

At times, it can look like you could stick your hand out and touch the bottom of the plane.

It may even appear that the jet is ready to crash, but, of course, these pilots are consummate professionals.

For this F/A-18 Hornet pilot at an air show in Spain over the weekend, a crash may have been all but inevitable if not for some quick thinking on his part.

That is absolutely horrifying to watch.

Imagine hanging out on one of the most exquisite beaches in Europe, enjoying some of the local fare and soaking up the sun while watching some of the best maneuvers the Spanish Air Force has to offer, only for your life to flash before your eyes.

Each angle you watch this video from is more terrifying than the last, but I have to give plenty of kudos to the beachgoers and spectators in attendance.

It's hard to tell in the videos provided, but it looks like most of them don't even flinch as the jet starts to lose control relatively close to the ground.

I certainly would have soiled myself, partly from the jet and also because I don't think my anglo-gut could handle the paella.

While the story is that the pilot was trying to avoid crashing, the comments are generally split down the middle on whether this was a planned maneuver or a last-second reaction that saved countless lives.

Then there is a third theory that the pilot flew through a flock of birds that caused him to panic and pull out of a simple aileron roll.

Judging by this angle, it looks like that could be a possibility.

You can see what looks like debris (feathers, perhaps) flying up right as the plane goes into its stunt maneuver, so I wouldn't rule the theory of the birds out just yet.

Regardless, the pilot was able to react in time, otherwise this headline and subsequent story would be a lot more grim.

As for me, I think I'm going to skip airshows for a while after seeing this.

I don't need that kind of danger in my life anymore.

If I need to experience a real adrenaline rush, I'll do it the old-fashioned way, like going to a Cincinnati jazz festival.