Fear of screwing up in front of a very large group of people is a fear that rules most. It must skyrocket during large public displays, like at the Wonsan Air Festival in North Korea earlier this month. Especially if you land your MiG-21 clumsily in front of a group of spectators. And you live in North Korea.
The tail strike incident happened at North Korea’s very first airshow, where all types of aviation enthusiasts were invited to attend. Like, international ones. Like, as guests.
It looks like the plane came in at too steep an angle. Everything was fine after, but damn, that could have been a lot worse.
There are very real concerns about North Koreans who screw up in public, so hopefully the pilot is alright after this little oopsie.
(h/t to Chris!)