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Sgt. Mike Viet Nam Humor
- Thread starter AJ
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AJ
US Veteran
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AJ
US Veteran
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AJ
US Veteran
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AJ
US Veteran
Day traps are difficult enough with continually adjusting to the angle deck...night traps...a whole new scenario
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AJ
US Veteran
Day traps are difficult enough with continually adjusting to the angle deck...night traps...a whole new scenario
As long as Cats equal Traps, it is all just a thing. Though sometimes you need a change of skivvies..........
I flew out of JRB Dobbins in the 90's when the Navy and USMC were there. They had arresting cables. When they were deployed it was a real PITA in the UC-35 having to touch down JUST past the cable. The UC-35 (Citation 560 Ultra) has real short landing gear with small tires and the doughnuts on the cable keep the wire a little too high for my comfort level.
US Army UC-35
US Army UC-35
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AJ
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Field Arresting Gear are used on Navy/Marine Carps Air Stations for practice and emergencies. I can remember the one at MCAS Cherry Point, NC keeping one of our A6's from massive damage. They took a Canadian Goose through the left wing root and it destroyed all the pneumatic and hydraulic lines located there. When the tried to lower the landing gear the right main came down and lock (the windstream helped force it to that position), the nose gear came partially down as the windstream force would not let it fully extend) and the left main landing gear did not move nor did the landing gear door open due to the damage located there. The aircrew pulled negative and positive "G's" trying to force the gear down, finally the nose gear fully extended and locked in place. The left main was still up. The Field Arresting Gear was rigged and the aircraft landed. The wing tip speed brakes were extended and the drop tanks were left on the bird. When they took the hook the pilot kepth the power up on the left engine and retarded the right engine. The plane stayed upright until just about stopped, then he chopped the left throttle. The left speed brake and the drop tank took the damage. When we picked the bird up with Tilly (a crane), one of my Hydralicsmen, took a large screwdriver and popped the left main landing gear door open. The left main gear fell down and locked in place. We pinned the gear and set the plane down on its landing gear. Towed the plane back to the hanger. There we did an overstress inspection on the airframe, removed & replaced the left outboard wing and replaced the drop tank. Also repaired at the busted hydraulic and pneumatic line, cleaned the goose parts out and jacked the bird up and cycled the landing gear. It had a test flight the next morning with the same aircrew as the day before. I signed it "Safe For Flight" for that Test Hop. The pilot was given a Commendation Medal for saving the plane. Without the Field Arresting Gear there would have been a lot more damage.
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An A-6 lives to fight another day. 
I know you were happy to see the left main down and locked. Sometimes things just seem to Fall in place.
I know you were happy to see the left main down and locked. Sometimes things just seem to Fall in place.
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AJ
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AJ
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I think I'd have those two claymore clackers in my hands. And yes, lots of things start to appear, real or not, at 0300 hrs.
Took rounds in the bunker sandbags one night about 0200-0300. Scared the bejesus out of me. Had a Blooper (M-79) with a WP round in the chamber and an HE in my hand to follow up the WP round. Was tracking waiting for more muzzle flash. The OD caught me and raised hell with me. We were in a No Fire Zone (had Dogpatch in front of us).
We had a village outside our section of perimeter in Tay Ninh as well. The VC would test us on occasion. I had OD on new years eve and decided to have some fun and touched off our Foo gas. The CO was not amused but all my guards thought it was pretty funny. I had to help recharge the foo gas barrel. That was an education. Christmas truce was a joke that year.
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