Aug 1968

Tac Attack

Training & Discipline Page 3

for efficiut tactical air power

current interest
lAC ATTACK TRAINING AND AIR DISCIPLINE
An expert's approach to max performance
Pg 3

JULY 1968 maneuvering

Vol. 8 No. 8 Pg 9
THE F- 111A CREW ESCAPE MODULE
TACTICAL AIR COMMAND How it functions

LIFE SUPPORT TRAINING ... THE ULTIMATE Pg 14

COMMANDER
The Air Force Academy's unique approach
GENERAL WILLIAM W. MOMYER
SCUBA AND YOU ... Pg 16
VICE COMMANDER A pleasant pastime that requires understanding
LT GEN GORDON M. GRAHAM
KEEP YOURSELF ORIENTED Pg 20

Published by the Chief of Safety Beware of marginal weather

COLONEL R. L. LILES WATER WORKS Pg 21

When extinguishing Mark 24 flares

departments
Pilot of Distinction Pg 8

TAC Tips Pg 12

CHIEF SAFETY PUBLICATIONS Chock Talk Pg 18

L T COL CARL E. PEARSON Better Mousetrap Pg 19

editor Flight Leaders Pg 24

Maj John M. Lowery A Second Look Pg 26

assistant editor Crew Chief/ Maintenance Man

Award Pg 29
Don Reynolds
Letters Pg 30
art editor TAC Tally Pg 31
Stan Hardison
TACRP 127-1

layout & production Articles, accident briefs, and associated material In this magazine a r e non-direc·
tlve in nature. All suggestions and recommendations are in t ended to remain within the
scope of existing direc ti ves. Information used to brie f acciden t s and incidents does
Tsgt John K. Miller not identify the persons, places, o r units Involved and may not be construed as In·
c riminating unde r Article 31 o f the Uniform Code of Military justice. Names, dates,
and places used in conjunct ion with accident s t ories a r e fictitious. Air Force units
editorial assistant are encour aged to r epub li sh the material contained herein; however, content s a r e not
for public re l ease. Written permission must be ob tain ed from HQ TA C before ma t erial
Moriella W. Andrews may be republished by othe r than Department of Defense o rganizations.
Cont ri butions of a rti cles, photos, and items o f inte r est from pe rsonne l in the field
a r e encouraged, as a r e commen t s and criticism. We reserve the riQht to edit all manu-
scripts lor clarity and r eadability. Dire c t communlc~tion is authorized with: The Edi-
tor. TAC ATTACK, HQ TAC (OSEPA) , LanAiev AFB. Va. 23365.
printing
Distribution F, Con tro lled by OSEPA - TAC Publications Bulletin No. 22, dated 3
Hq TAC Field Printing Plant June 1966
TRAINING AND AIR DISCIPLINE ...

by Capt M.A. McPeak

Lead Solo
USAF Thunderbirds

key to maximum performance

Any fighter pilot worth his flight pay can do low different show sites, around varying ground obstacles
altitude acrobatics ... with practice. But if he at- and with show site elevations ranging from sea level
tempts to fly upside down at skip bomb altitude, then at Langley to about 6500 feet at the Air Force
the important consideration is his success rate . The Academy. And, of course, the only acceptable success
Thunderbirds demonstrate sustained inverted flight rate is 100 percent.
literally a thousand times a year, at 100 or more Thunderbirds Five and Six are the solo pilots,

Photos by Robert L. Lawson

TAC ATTACK 3
TRAINING AND AIR DISCIPLINE
 number Five being the lead solo, and number Six the is ideal preparation for maximum performance fly-
second solo. While the pilots of the ''Diamond'' for- ing.
mation demonstrate the beauty and grace of precision So, at the outset we emphasize formation pro-
formation acrobatics, the solos are in the maximum ficiency and take relatively short breaks for solo
performance business, flying upside down, doing work. During the breaks, number Six will start learn-
maximum deflection rolls, or demonstrating low ing the more simple maneuvers, such as the slow roll
speed handling characteristics, all with minimum or inverted flight. He learns to do these maneuvers at
terrain clearance. During a routine airshow, the solo altitudes well above show height while being chased by
pilots make five head-on opposing passes with a pro- the solo leader, who calls each maneuver. As his for-
grammed closure rate of 850 knots and a miss dis- mation proficiency increases, more time can be de-
tance of 25 feet. voted to solo maneuvers and terrain clearance. These
To the uninitiated, these and other solo maneuvers can gradually be decreased, and the more difficult
seem to be hair-raising "stunts" reminiscent ofthe maneuvers, such as the roll on takeoff, point rolls
old barn-storming days. The truth is that the tradi- and over-the-top maneuvers can be introduced. Only
tional military concepts of training and discipline after the second solo has demonstrated mastery of
are the building blocks of our airshow. How this is so, these maneuvers do the solos begin to fly them head-
can be understood by examining some of the "inner on. Even then the lead solo pilot calls all the shots.
workings" of the operation. The second solo tries to match the altitude and nose
TRAINING rotation rates of the leader for each maneuver. Thus
The Diamond pilots, lead, left wing, right wing, the training process is phased from the relatively
and slot, fly one position for their entire two-year easy to the more difficult. Each phase is mastered
tour with the team. However, a solo pilot spends his before the next step is taken.
first year as solo wingman and then one year as solo Equally as important, we train hard . The solos
leader. When he graduates to lead solo, number Five normally fly twice a day during the training season.
trains his new number Six. This is an ideal progres- The missions last one hour, and there isn't much
sion, since the year spent as number Six provides the droning around turning cold air into hot. Although we
best possible preparation for solo leadership and for do only one set of opposed aileron rolls in the a ir-
the execution of some of the more difficult maneuvers show, we may spend days doing one set after another
performed by the lead solo singly. up and down our training area. "Train hard, fight
Initially, the new solo pilot learnstoflyprecision easy ." It's usually a reliefto wind up training and hit
formation. During the first few training sorties, he the road. Flying official a i rshows then takes ca re of
does very little on his own. This is important because most of our training requirement.
number Six spends quite a lot of time on the wing. During the training period we develop the habit
During the Ca lypso Pass for instance he flies a nor- patterns that are used throughout the show s eason.
mal wing pos ition on the lead solo who is inverted. The importance of developing corre ct habit patte rns
Moreover, the solos fly the outside wingpositions for cannot be overemphasized. From engine start to shut
six-ship acrobatics. The outside of a six-ship roll or down we strive to make each Thunderbird perform-
loop is not very comfortable if you can't formate. In ance identical. All radio calls are broadcast in the
addition, as Capt Jack Dickey, our slot pilot, pointed s ame way every time. After start checks are made in
out in the May issue, we feel that formation training the same order, every time. Even certain "jokes " a r e

TAC ATTACK 5
TRAINING AND AIR DISCIPLINE
•

Opposing maneuvers are flown at closure

rates of 850 knots, with a 25 faot miss
distance.

Solo pilots perform the calypso pass.

Lead solo flies inverted at idle power to
reduce demand on standard 1.6 gallon in-
verted fl .ight fuel tank. Wingman uses
partie I speed brake so that some power
is available to maneuver.

6 AUGUST 1968
 cracked, every time in the same help navigate and visually cle ar training and air discipline a r e
way. They get a little corny but if the flight. Wing-tip clearance is based on the contributions m ade
they weren't said it would affect then held throughout cruising by over fifty pretty good fighter
the rhythm of show, disrupt the flight. In other words, the fact that pilots who have flown with the
habit pattern or possibly counter- no one is watching is not allowed team over the last fifteen ye ar s .
act consistent performance. And to breed sloppy work. Each year the a ccumulated knowl-
consistent performance is the Air discipline means that we edge and tradition is passe d on t o
name of the game. Nomatterwhat try to fly every maneuver in every the new team members, m aking it
the elevation of the show site, or airshow perfectly. So far as I possible for us t o operate the way
how bad the show line, or who is know, none of us has ever succeed- we do. Indeed, these concepts a re
watching, proper habit patterns ed. Perfection is an elusive thing. endorsed by successful militar y
protect us from fatal mistakes. But the airs how is spectacular and organizations everywhere, and the
It's often the unplanned, unprac- crowd-pleasing and safe because fact that they form the corne r-
ticed maneuver that gets a jock of this disciplined approach. stone of the Thunderbird ope r ation
into trouble. CONCLUSION should not surprise the old , and
AIR DISCIPLINE These ideas about the worth of still bold, TAC fighter pilot.__:::::..
Training insures that each man
knows what is required of him and
how to accomplish it. Air disci-
pline is based on a grimdetermi-
nation to do the job properly.
Pretty close is not close enough.
Solo pilots, for instance, never ap-
proach a show with the attitude,
''Today, I'm really going to show
them how low I can fly inverted."
We try to show everyone the same
inverted pass we were trained to
make. We don't get any points for
frightening ourselves or the spec-
tators, so we strive to do the ma-
neuvers as programmed. We are
required to enter and exit the show
maneuvers at some minimum safe
altitude; we shoot for that and no
lower.
Discipline permeates all of our
ground and air operations ... even
those not directl y involving the
air show. :I:or instance, on flights ·
between show sites we cruise in
''Thunderbird Spread" formation.
In spread, the wingmen move from
three-foot wing over-lap out to
wing-tip clearance where they can

TAC ATTACK 7
 PILOT
OF
DISTINCTION

Major S. L. Sisco

Major Sanford L. Sisco of the 29th Reconnais- He quickly maneuvered the heavy aircraft into
sance Squadron , Shaw Air Force Base, South Caro- a modified landing pattern at a required final ap-
lina, has been selected as a Tactical Air Command proach speed in excess of 200 knots. Despite smoke
Pilot of Distinction . in the cockpit, he skillfully landed without tire or
Major Sisco was flying a functional check flight brake damage.
in a RF-101A. Immediately after takeoff, he heard Later investigation revealed the hot air shut-
a muffled explosion. The camera compartment over- off valve controlling air from the 16th stage of the
head light illuminated and the aft camera compart- engine compressor had failed. The intense heat had
ment temperature gauge began rising rapidly. severely damaged the aircraft wiring and charred
Checklist emergency procedures fa iled to con- several structural mem bers .
trol the temperatu re. In less than three minutes, the Major Sisco's professiona I airmansh ip undoubt-
gauge indicated 150 degrees and smoke entered the edly prevented loss of the aircraft. His calm and
cockpit. Reali zing the gravity of the situation , superior approach to flying qualifies him as a Tacti-
Major Sisco selected 100 percent oxygen , completed cal Air Command Pilot of Distinction.
the emergency checklist, and declared an emergency. ~

8 AUGUST 1968
 The F-lllA crew escape module
by Grover C. Tate
General Dynamics

COL HENRY BROWN

(STAND lNG RIGHT) AND
LT COL JOE JORDAN
(LEFT ) WERE THE FIRST
T A C PI L0 T S T0 SUCCESS-
FULLY USE THE F-111 CREW
ESCAPE MODULE .

An article describing the F-111 crew escape

module concluded, ''When all ofthis becomes reality,
situation. First, the performance envelope of the
module had to be as good as that of the aircraft. This
and when everything works as advertised, crew- meant that it had to have an operational envelope from
members will have a more reliable, safe escape zero speed, zero altitude, through supersonic at se a
system with their own bird's nest on the ground." level and up to 2.5 mach at altitudes above 60,000
(USAF AEROSPACE SAFETY, June 1964.) feet.
Since that article appeared, F-11ls have ac- The load factors imposed upon crewmembers
cumulated more than 9000 flying hours and during under any of these conditions had to be within human
that time the escape module has been used four times. tolerance. The module had to be stab 1 e when sep-
The reasons and conditions were different on each arated from the aircraft under all operational con-
flight, but in each case the module did perform ''as ditions.
advertised" and the crewmembers escaped without It was necessary that the module have its own
injury. oxygen and pressurization systems and that it afford
These four successful module ejections demon- crewmembers protection from windblast and cold.
strate that the escape systems of high performance The shock of landing normally, or under adverse
aircraft are now matching the flight envelopes ofthe conditions, had to be attenuated. Provisions for post-
aircraft. A scant 15 years ago, 93percentof all air- landing survival had to be made.
borne escapes were over-the-side bailouts. By 1964, A major culprit in post-ejection fatalities has
only eight percent were over-the-side jumps and the been water landings. The F-111 escape module was
more exotic ejection systems were in the majority. designed to float and as a backup, in case of module
The crew capsules of the B-58 and the B-70 were damage, flotation bags were added . Locating aids and
the next major advances in the art of aerial escape. survival equipment were also required.
However, these did not provide static escape. In ad- The F-111 module met the design challenges and
dition, the added weight of the individual capsules is now an integrated portion of the forward fuselage,
imposed an undesirable penalty. including the pressurized cockpit and a portion ofthe
The F-111 crew escape module is the newestap- wing-glove, so that the normal environment of the
proach to the crew survivalproblemandhas now been cockpit is retained in the module. Thus, the module
successfully demonstrated. serves as both an operational cockpit and as an es-
During design of the module an attempt was made cape vehicle in an emergency.
to consider all aspects of the escape and survival Either crewmember can initiate ejection by

TAC ATTACK 9
squeezing and pulling a handle located on each side of taneously with rocket motor firing, although the
the center console. Pulling the handle will fire an rocket is actually fired first.
initiator that will sequentially retract powered inertia The rocket motor has a dual thrust capability:
reels and ignite the 47 ,500-pound-thrust rocket normal, or reduced. The reduced thrust mode is used
motor. As rocket motor pressure builds up, two other above 380 knots to avoid excessive G forces on crew-
initiators are fired by the pressure. members. Thrust reduction is achieved by actuation
The first of these two additional initiators deto- of a Q-sensing selector, normally dormant until sep-
nates an explosive train resulting in actuation of aration is initiated. It then fires a mild-detonating-
emergency oxygen and pressurization systems, chaff cord train (at 380 knots) to detonate a shaped charge
dispenser, and crew module severance systems. which severs the lower ring forging of the rocket
The severance systems ensure complete detach- nozzle housing. This allows a nozzle insert and ex-
ment of crew module-to-airplane s p 1 ice plates by tension to be ejected. The resulting increase in ex-
disconnecting or cutting of all controls, tubing, and haust flow area will shift the motor operating pres-
wiring. This disconnecting of the module-to-aircraft sure to a lower value resulting in reduced thrust and
splice plates is achieved by an explosive formed in extended operating time.
an inverted ''V'' cross section and sheathed in a thin After separation the forward portion of the ail"-
metal cover. It is made up in exact lengths for use craft wing glove, which remains a part of the module,
in the severance system and is called a Flexible acts as a stabilizer until the recovery parachute is
Linear-Shaped Charge (FLSC). This charge is shaped deployed and supporting the module. This stabiliza-
to the form of the particular skin or cover that is to tion glove contains one of the module's self-righting
be cut. Shielded mild-detonating-cord detonates the bags, two flotation bags, and a stabilization chute.
shaped charge and initiates cutting action of the Pitch flaps in the under surface of the glove assist in
severance system. horizontal stability.
Separation following severance is achieved by the The stabilization-brake chute is ejected aft from
rocket motor. The motor has a design thrust of 4 7,500 a compartment on the top side of the glove . It is
pounds with a total burning time of .67 seconds. timed to deploy .15 seconds after rocket motor ig-
Rocket thrust propels the crew module to aheight of nition and is fully effective at time of separation.
approximately 450 feet at zero airspeed, zero alti- This brake chute is a ribbon type with a six-foot flat
tude, providing safe on-the-deck recovery. Crew diameter.
module severance is accomplished almost simul- A seventy-foot flat diameter recovery parachute

10 AUGUST 1968
is housed in a container between the seat bulkhead ten and twenty feet, an underwater severance
and aft pressure bulkhead. Two bridle lines attach initiator will perform all of the same functions and
the parachute to the crew module. Recovery action float the crew module to the surface in an upright
is initiated by the rocket motor through a pressure- position.
actuated initiator. A Q-actuated selector monitors The crew module is water tight and will float with-
aircraft speed. It selects an appropriate time delay out additional aids. The aft flotation bags simply
to assure module deceleration to a safe parachute afford additional buoyance. Another flotation bag on
deployment speed prior to actuating a barostat delay. the nose of the module can be inflated. Changing pin
The barostat delay prevents parachute deployment positions at the foot of the control stick will convert
above 15,000 feet. the stick into a bilge pump or an air pump for the
A manual override is provided and may be actuat- flotation bags.
ed at the crewmembers discretion. Upon reaching Search and rescue aids consist of a chaff dispenser
15,000 feet the barostat bellows is compressed that can be armed or disarmed prior to ejection, an
enough to release the firing pins that fire a catapult AN/URT-21 radio beacon, and an AN/URC-10 radio.
which forcibly deploys the recovery parachute. The In addition, the module has a portable distress beacon
parachute is deployed in a reefed configuration. A that produces a powerful flashing light.
line cutter dereefs the parachute after line stretch Standard survival equipment includes a .38 pistol,
is reached. Once the catapult fires, an explosive- snake bite kit, first aid kits, gill net, fishing kit, ski
operated pin retractor releases a repositioning cable, socks, ski goggles, wire saw, lensatic compass,
and the crew module assumes correct touch-down shark repellent, snare, ammo, knife, soap, minirad
attitude. rate meter, moccasins,mosquitonet,drinkingwater,
After the recovery parachute has been deployed, life preservers, water container, survival manual,
another train of events causes nitrogen bottle valves sleeping bags, file, SRU 18/P multi-purpose survival
to be opened. These inflate a landing attenuation bag. tool, rations, foil, and ponchos. This equipment can
Differential pressure between ambient (outside) air be changed to fit the potential environmental needs of
and nitrogen within the bag is automatically main- the theatre in which the aircraft is flying.
tained to prevent possible bag rupture during descent Although it sounds as if all of the surprises of a
from high altitude. Chinese New Year's celebration have been built into
If the crew module lands in water after ejection, the F-111 crew escape module, she still behaves like
a crewmember can pull the flotation handle. This a lady. Squeeze and pull a handle and the cockpit
will cause the flotation and self-righting bags to in- severs from the aircraft. It is propelled clear, sta-
flate. If the module is still attached to a ditched air- bilizes, slows down, and is gently lowered by a re-
craft, pulling the flotation handle will cause crew covery parachute. The module can touchdown on land
module separation without activating the rocket. In or sea, and provides all survival tools necessary for
addition , the emergency oxygen bottles will be acti- its occupants.
vated. Should both crewmembers be incapacitated The gap between aircraft performance and crew
and the airplane is submerged to a depth of between escape systems has been successfully bridged.~

TAC ATTACK 11
 ... interest items, mishaps

TfiC TIPS with morals, for the

aircrewman.
TAC

emergency braking the

F-4 (not noted in the
dash one)
On landing rollout the brakes checked good, but
near the turnoff, the pilotfoundtheywereineffective.
He pulled the emergency brake handle, noting no
braking improvement. The Phantom stopped five feet
short of the overrun.
The pilot did not deactivate the antiskid system,
believing that the emergency system would override
it. He was wrong!
Early model Phantoms will not respond to emer-
gency braking if normal utility pressure exists. And
if utility pressure is good but braking bad, antiskid
is probably the culprit. So before normal or emer-
gency braking can be effective, the malfunctioning
antiskid must be turned off with the paddle switch or
antiskid switch.
This deficiency was corrected by McDonnell, be-
ginning with aircraft numbers RF-4C, 65-897; F-4D,
65-603; and all E models. The braking system was
changed to give the emergency system precedence
over the normal utility braking system if made in-
effective by a malfunctioning antiskid. However, for
smoke switch
best braking when antiskid malfunction is suspect, The OHR read, ''Smoke bombs were delivered to
the Dash One procedure still holds: the drop zone .•. The airmen stated they were from
Wheel brakes - RELEASE the Aerial Port Flight building and were supposed to
Antiskid switch - OFF be the ones normally used. But when the smoke
Wheel brakes- REAPPLY bombs were activated a veryloudexplosionoccurred
If braking returns, leave antiskid switch OFF; if resulting in the entire area being subjected to
not, activate the emergency brake system. shrapnel-like particles of me t a 1. I was hit by a
In early model Phantoms,emergencybrakepres- portion of this metal and injured on the left hand and
sure is channeled to the brakes through a portion of stomach. I heartily recommend all items of this na-
the normal brake system. If normal brake pressure ture be removed from the area."
exists, it will block emergency braking. Well guys, the reason for this mishap was rela-
In later model aircraft, a modified valve directs tively simple. The smoke bombs used to mark drop
emergency brake pressure directly to the wheels, zones come in soft drink-like cans and have letters
bypassing the normal braking system. Therefore, and numbers which read "M 18, Smoke, Yellow,
the antiskid system is bypassed during emergency PBA-1-30. The hazardous ''item'' mentioned above is
brake operation. It is important to remember this contained in a pressure-like cylinder and its label
difference between models, because retrofit of reads, "Smoke, W. P." The W. P. stands for White
earlier models, with the modified valve is not Phosphorous. Best we start reading the labels on
planned. cans. Otherwise, we could be killed seriously dead.

12 AUGUST 1968
tail twisting tale
A recent near-accident in a C-130 was caused by
failure of the pintle hook on a salvaged jeep during a
practice LAPES delivery. The jeep was rigged on a
platform with the extraction chute connected to the
jeep's pintle hook. In this case the pint 1 e hook
opened and the extraction force was transferred to
the main cargo chutes. These chutes opened while the
load was still in the aircraft. The load was then
extracted with a force sufficient to raise the platform
approximately two feet off the floor. Had the load
twisted or raised a bit higher, aircraft damage could
have seriously effected the structuralintegrity of the
empennage. A 10,000 pound tie down chain looped
through the extraction chute clevis and around the
vehicle frame structure is now a required safety
measure to ensure retention of the extraction chute
should the clevis hook fail.

basket case ?•
bum steer An F-100 pilot recently brought the refueling
The Caribou crew shot six touch-and- gos and a basket home due to an apparent breakdown in com-
simulated engine-out full stop landing. Then the IP munications between the boomer and pilot. While
changed student pilots . On the next takeoff the gear taking on fuel the flight leader was told, "You have
handle light stayed on after retraction. The flight one-half hose length." The flight leader then asked,
mechanic found the nose wheel cocked at 60 degrees "What does that mean?" The boomer explained that
and jammed against partially closed doors. by being too far forward the receiver runs the risk of
The IP lowered the main gear normally, but the fouling the refueling hose with the fighter's probe.
nose didn't move. He applied positive Gs to the C-7 This is a required call to warn the receiver that
and the nose gear slowly extended .•. but cocked 30 he is inside the normal contact position (ref T .0.
degrees to the right. A radio call to electrical spe- 1-1C-1-3, page 4-8). However, a check shows that it
cialists paid off. They told him how to bypass the is not listed in the F-100 refueling manual T .0.
nose gear strut switches and operate the nose wheel 1-lC-1-10.
steering in flight. The IP "steered" the nose wheel While recycling, the number Three pilot was
to center and landed okay. given the same warning" ...You have one-half hose
Inspectors found the pins attaching the top center- length." He replied, ''Roger," but moved further for-
ing cam to the nose strut had failed. This allowed the ward. This allowed the hose to loop around and over
nose gear to retract without centering. They figured his probe. The boomer then asked the receiver to hold
that extended use of nose wheel steering with very his position so that the hose could be untangled. In-
light nose wheel loading during a crosswind takeoff stead the pilot dropped back and caused a brute force
may have failed the attaching pins. They suggest disconnect. The basket did just what you'd expect ...
adjusting the nose gear weight switch so it will broke off and stayed with the fighter's probe. Though
actuate before axle travel reaches one and a half everyone landed without further problems the incident
inches from full extension. points out the need for very close teamworkbetween
Also, they'd like careful use of nose wheel steer- the boomer and receiver. It also looks like a good
ing under minimal nose landing gear loading by some reason for an AFTO 847 on the F-100 refueling
oversteering pilots. manual.

TAC ATTACK 13
 Academy Cadets in advanced parachute training get specialized instruc-
tion for oircrew egress, including free-fall stabilizing techn iques.

The Air Force Academy's program for training

future Air Force officers reaches far beyond the
three "Rs "and close order drill. The breadth of in-
struction and leadership experiences offered to these
future airmen exceed any program possible through
the ROTC or OTS commissioning sources.
The most professionally related programs of the
Commandant of Cadets are those offered by the Air-
manship Division. These include T-33 orientation
flights, a 35 hour T-41 training course, the Cadet
Aviation Club with Cessna 172s, five soaring pro-
grams, and six parachuting activities. All courses

life support training... and activities are directed toward putting the cadet
into the air and motivating him toward a rated career
in aviation.
The parachuting courses are unique within the Air
Force and encompass activities from Army paratroop

THE ULTIMATE
training to national competitive jumping. Each year
some 450 cadets volunteer for the exhausting three
weeks of airborne infantry training at Fort Benning,
Georgia. There they train side by side with the
Army's combat paratroopers who are destined for
Vietnam. The program not only builds within the
cadet a spirit of courage and manhood but also gives
him a better understanding of the Army's role in
by Ma j or John J. Ga rrit y ,Jr. modern warfare . It establishes a rapport between
OIC , Parachute Branch the ground soldier and the future pilot who one day
USAF Academy , Colo rado will support his sister service with airlift and
fighter-bomber operations. Through this training,
many of our cadets who are physically unqualified
for aircrew duty are motivated toward active careers
as combat controllers or the various parachuting

14 AUGUST 1968
 Collapsing canopy with quick release clips (left), and practicing para-
c hute landing falls (below) eliminates chuting hazards for cadets.

activities of the Air Commandos. weekend professional continuation course for those
After airborne school the cadet may volunteer for who want to make more than the ten training jumps .
more parachute training, this time, specifically Once each year a Jumpmaster Course is offered
directed to the aircrew member's need for knowledge. to the more advanced parachutists. In addition to
The Academy's Advanced Parachute Training Course more ground and aerial training, it encompasses
is based on the premise that aircrews have a better night, water,and a ltitude jumps from18,000feet.The
chance of survival and will sustain fewer injuries on more motivated cadets progress through a series of
bailout if they are given a basic understanding and courses culminating with their assignment to in-
practical application of free fall parachuting._ structor duties as assistants to the training staff.
The course consists of some 35 hours of ground For the sport-minded cadet, the Cadet Compe -
training including extensive use of practical training tition Parachute Team offers a challenge found in
aids and simulators. This training is followed by 10 few other places. Their athleticfieldlies in the skie s
parachute jumps. Each of these jumps consist of a over Colorado. This team competes against other
ten second free-fall prior to manually activating the colleges and universities, military teams and civilian
p arachute. The first eight jumps are made with large clubs throughout the United States . While enjoying the
training parachutes. The last two are a close fac- sporting nature of parachuting and favorably repre-
simile of the real emergency bailout. senting the Academy in their various tournaments,
The student is equipped with the HGU-2AP aircrew these future pilots are building a fierce desire in the
helmet, face shield, oxygen mask, aircrew B-20 area of competitive aviation which may one day pay
parachute and MB2 survival kit firmly attached be- off in the field of combat over Hanoi or some other
neath the buttocks . Free fall while breathing oxygen distant land.
under pressure is followed by the sharp crack of the The parachute courses offered by the Academy
opening parachute. Air Force tech order procedures are closely related to the life support training of the
are then followed in cutting four marked lines of the Tactical Air Command, and one day may influence
canopy and deploying the survival kit. The jumper Air Force wide implementation of a simi.lar pa r a-
then turns his now maneuverable chute into the wind chute training program. In the interim, it behooves
and follows through with a parachute landing fall on each aircrew member to take maximum advantage of
the Academy's drop zone which is some 6500 feet the training and literature available to him through
above sea level. Although this program may at first his local training programs. For one day they too may
appear hazardous, a record of one "lost time injury" be a parachuting pilot but without benefit of the
in 1967 out of over 4000 jumps speaks for itself. Other Academy's training.
parachuting opportunities at the Academy include a

TAC ATTACK 15
 scuba&you
A young pilot sustained grave injuries while sta-
tioned in Southeast Asia, because he disregarded the
hazards of SCUBA diving. Had he been completely
indoctrinated in the principles and techniques of
SCUBA and had he followed the rules 1 he would have
avoided his near fatal incident.
He made his first dive to 150 feet, staying down
about 35 minutes. The diving tables state that he
should have made two decompression stops on ascent,
one at 20 feet for eight minutes and one at 10 feet for
24 minutes. He exceeded the tables by a great margin
on this first dive but without ill effects. One hour and
15 minutes later (he should have waited twelve hours)
he again descended to below 150 feet and stayed down
until his air was gone ... about 30 minutes. The as-
cent was again made without stops, in the usual ''slow
but steady" manner.
According to the tables 1 this time decompression
should have lasted two hours and seven minutes in
ascent. The pilot was playing with fire and this time
was burned ... badly. Luckily, it was not fatal. He
developed joint pain and bilateral leg paralysis soon
after the second ascent. He was quickly flown to a
facility with a compression chamber. There he spent
38 hours before returning to sea level pressures.
Completely paralyzed from the waist down, he was
transferred to the Air Force's largest medicalfacil-
ity where the best in neurological care was available.
Several months later the paralysis disappearedbuta
year later he was still unable to walk without leg
braces and two canes.
The use of self-contained underwater breathing
apparatus, or SCUBA diving, has gained enormous
popularity as a recreational pastime. The use of
SCUBA gear enables the diver to go to considerable hyper-baric (increased pressure )conditions.
depths for extended periods of time because he can The greatest danger to the diver is decompres-
take his own air supply with him. However, the SCUBA sion sickness, better known as the bends. Bends are
diver is faced with several hazards. Not only is he produced in the following physiological manner: in-
faced with environmental hazards, which he readily creased air pressure in a diver's lungs during res-
accepts, but most important, the physiological danger piration brings about increased absorption into the
of the direct effects of pressure. blood stream of all components of respired air. The
Just as 40,000 feet is an alien world for the av- primary ingredient of air involved in creating bends
iator, so is 100 feet to the SCUBA diver. As a pilot is nitrogen. Nitrogen in the air is in equilibrium with
is informed about the effect on his body of rarified the gaseous nitrogen dissolved in man ' s tissues. The
atmosphere, so should the diver be informed about equilibration between air nitrogen and tissue nitro-

16 AUG UST 1968

by Capt C.R. Hoyt fast enough, in the above manner, nitrogen in the
tissue "bubbles" producing pain with sometimes
Flight Medical Officer
lethal results.
and So it is with an aviator. A pilot ascending from
Capt P .J. Sheffield sea level to 33,000 feet is subjected to the same de-
Physiological Training Officer gree of decompression as a diver comingtothe sur-
Langley AFB, Virginia face from a depth of 100 feet. However, various tis-
sues take up nitrogen at different rates sothat short
exposures to increased air pressure won't produce
the bends upon rapid ascent.

- ---- If a pilot SCUBA dives and flies soon afterward,

he would experience an even greater and more rapid
nitrogen differential thereby accentuating the se-
verity and onset of the bends. AFR 50-27, paragraph
8e, states that "no individual is to be exposed to cab-
in pressure of more than 18,000 feet within twelve
hours after SCUBA diving to a depth of 30 feet or
more.''
Decompressing, or going from high pressure to
lower pressure, can be safe if standards (calculated
for time and depth) are followed. These standards are
available in tables published in the U.S. Navy Diving
Manual.
When repetitive dives are undertaken (dives less
than twelve hours apart), excess nitrogen is not com-
pletely lost from the body. This excess nitrogen is
then added to the absorbed nitrogen in the tissues
resulting in consequences s i mil a r to the SCUBA
diving pilot. Again, the Navy diving t_a bles were de-
signed to prevent this.
Don't risk possible injury through ignorance of
the physiological forces of an alien environment.
Learn from the experiences of others. Adhere to the
following rules of SCUBA diving:
1. Before diving be completely familiar with the
principle and technique of SCUBA through a formal
course of instruction by a certified SCUBA instructor.
2. Know basic anatomy and physiology as re-
lated to underwater diving.
3. Use the diving tables in the US Navy Diving
Manual ... don't make ANY dive without first consult-
gen is carried out via the lungs. ing these tables,
An ascending aircrewmember loses nitrogen 4. Dive with a buddy, never alone, Ifyoudive into
through breathing, thereby equalizing reduced nitro- the dangerous decompression region be certain that
gen pressure at altitude with tissue nitrogen. Con- both you and your buddy are equipped with the best
versely, when diving, the diver is breathing air at gear available.
many-atmospheres pressure, causing additional 5. SCUBA diving and flying during the same day
nitrogen to dissolve in the diver's tissue. On return is an open invitation to disaster. It is also an infrac-
to the surface, the excess nitrogen which was ab- tion of an Air Force Regulation,
sorbed is diffused from the tissues into the blood 6. Know the location of Air Force and Navy de-
stream and then is eliminated by the lungs. If ascent compression chambers throughout the U.S.A. and
is too rapid and excess nitrogen cannot be eliminated overseas areas where you may be stationed. ___>.

TAC ATTACK 17
 .... incidents and incidentals
Chock Talk

aviation maintenance tight'n that nut,

and mathematics safety that bolt !
Aviation maintenance and mathematics have an An F-100 pilot rolled down the runway after a
intere sting point in common. There is no such thing satisfactory pre-takeoff control check. At 150 KIAS,
as a little mistake in either. he applied aft stick pressure for rotation. The stick
In mathematics, 2 x 2 = 3 is not a smaller mistake wouldn't budge from neutral position!
than 2 x 2 = 7. Each is a deviation from the prin- After aborting, the Supersabre hit the BAK-9 and
ciple of mathematics, each is wrong and each is MA-lA barriers at 120 knots, and stopped a little
intolerable. And there are no small, unimportant more than 600 feet into the overrun with external
deviations from the principle which governs our work. stores intact.
All deviations are intolerable, if we are to do a safe Inspectors found that a bolt had backed out of the
and acceptable job. link connecting the control rod turnbuckle to the
Recently we read of a serious accident that oc- horizontal stabilator bell crank. Disconnect wasn't
curred because someone installed a mild steel nut complete but the protruding bolt jammed the linkage
where the specs required one of high tensile, stain- in place. They found the nut in the bird's belly but
less steel. This might have been called a small mis- the cotter pin was conspicuous by its absence.
take, confusing one 5/8 inch nut for another of the Fortunately, this was just a hairy incident. Is
same size. But the threads of the soft nut stripped, there a maintenance man who cares to name the end
permitting nose wheel shimmy, which caused ex- of the game, had loss of lateral control occurred a
cessive side loads and failure of the gear. The small few minutes later ... at the end of the pilot's ord-
mistake wasn't small. It was vastly important. nance delivery dive?
Every aviation mechanic should face up to the
fact that the code or principle under which he works
is strict, always . We can find another parallel in
mathematics.
cross control ?
2 x 2 will always be 4. The principle that makes A sergeant came on duty at 0800 hours. He was
it 4 is strict and unchanging. 2 x 2 = 3 will never be monitoring and launching aircraft in "B" Section.
true, because it is not in accord with that principle. The accident happened while he performed the flight
Actually, it is not even mathematics. It is just a mis- control check after engine start. The flaps were
take about mathematics that brings us trouble as long cleared for full down and BLC checked, then cleared
as we think it is true. for the one-half position and BLC checked. The pilot
Knowledge, craftsmanship and integrity will received clearance for his flight control check. The
always be the basis and the backbone of aviation stabilator was checked full up, and down. The ser-
maintenance, because they comprise its unchanging geant then squatted down and placed his right hand on
principle. Anything less, any ignorance or sloppiness the corner of the right flap to check for clearance.
or unreliability is totally unrelated to our way of You can probably see the accident on its way! The
work. Anythin5 less is a trouble breeding mistake, pilot then moved the stick full left; the right aileron
which, fortunately, we need not make. worked as advertised and clobbered the sergeant's
right hand between the flap and aileron. He then went
Adapted from: MECHANIC'S BULLETIN to the flightline dispensary and was sent to the hos-

18 AUGUST 1968
with a maintenance slant.

pital. One tetanus shot and eight stitches later, he pilot felt a thump, and his wingman informed him
was released for duty. that he had lost his drag chute. A no-chute landing
This incident re-emphasizes the need for con- was subsequently made without further incident.
stant coordination between aircrews and ground When the drag chute system was checked, it was
crews. The danger of an aircraft with its engines seen that the drag chute doors had not been fully
running to a busy ground crewman can't be over- latched at the time the drag chute was installed. Be-
emphasized: the flaps can crush you; the flight con- cause the door latch was bent, the door latch channel
trols can clobber you; the engines can swallow you; did not fully bottom.
the tail area can singe you; the tires can mash you. The technical manual, "Fuel and Utility Sys-
Need we say more? tems," T .0. 1F-100( )-2-2, contain specific instruc-
tions for securing the drag chute door latch.
drag chute door latch Read and heed.

The preflight, end of the runway check, and take- Operations And Service News
off were all normal for an F-100C. However, ap- North American/Rockwell Corp
proximately 3 minutes after clearing the base, the Mar 8, 1968

HERKY GEAR-DOWN CHECK Visual gear-down inspection

for C-130s has been improved by
painting a white line on the face of
the four main landing gear inspec-
tion windows. The line eliminates
guess work by giving the load-
master a positive reference point
in determining down and locked
position.
When the top of the traveling
nut, raised and lowered by a jack
screw, is level with the white line,
the landing gear is in correct land-
ing position. If the top of the nut
is not at I in e level, gear is not
down and locked.
Herkys in the 316th TAW at
Langley AFB and in PACAF are
using the inspection technique. A
Class 1 modification is expected
to be approved in TAC for com-
mand-wide application of this
LAN.DING GEAR IS DOWN AND LOCKED WHEN THE TRAVEL lNG positive gear-down inspect~~m
NUT IS ALIGNED WITH THE WHITE REFERENCE LINE. method.

TAC ATTACK 19
 keep yourself
A helicopter wingman flew into the water from
about 500 feet after losing sight of the leader during
marginal weather at night.
Each of the above cases involved an unexpected
situation and resulted in accidents which could have
been avoided by the application of basic techniques.
If fa ced with unexpected instrument conditions,
don't be too quick to change the aircraft attitude.
Initially establish a level flight attitude as a primar y
effort. After a moment, a normal instrument scan
can be developed. Then, and only then, the pilot can

ORIENTED consider his transition complete and aircraft ma-

neuvers can be attempted. All of this takes but a
moment but is often a step-by-step process ...
especially if unexpected!
When something other than flying instruments
needs to be done, such as adjusting power, switching
frequencies, or checking on matters outside the cock-
pit, don't look away from the instruments without
assurance that the aircraft attitude will be the same
when instrument scan is resumed. Trim the aircraft
for "hands-off" flight. When engaged "otherwise,"
by Lt Col J. L. Lillie, Jr., USMC frequently glance-back at the attitude gyro just to be
sure that the "right side is up."
During instrument flight, pilots must avoid un-
intentional displacement of the controls as a result
Aircraft accidents involving unexpected flight into of head movement. This is a natural tendency that
or through instrument conditions often occur because can result in an aircraft turning in the direction a
a pilot failed to initially establish his aircraft in a pilot turns his head. Another reason to be trimmed
basic normal flight attitude. It sounds simple, but up for hands-off flight. Your wingman would ap-
too often it's true! Pilot disorientation! preciate a special effort in this regard!
The causes and effects of this phenomenon are As visual references are lost, pilots must recog-
well documented, are frequently emphasized, and the nize the situation and make an immediate decision to
basic techniques to avoid such situations are known. transition to instruments. Searching for visual refer-
However, with the arrival of the summer "good ences in marginal weather conditions is a sure path
flying" weather it is human nature to relax a little to disaster. At night the odds are really stacked and
and consider such matters as seasonal affairs and there is no choice. Be willing to accept the circum-
not of real concern. But even in the summer there stances and go on the gauges without delay!
are those days ... and nights ... when such com- All pilots have talked about it, heard about it, and
placency could lead to trouble and perhaps prove fatal. may have experienced disorientation at one time or
The following accidents involve, in various ways, another. However, how many pilots have seriously
rapid transition to instrument flight or pilot dis- considered how this phenomena can be countered
orientation: and what steps should be taken when the time comes?
An A-4 wingman disappeared from view of other A few minutes reflection on the ground could result
flight members when the flight unexpectedly entered in great returns in the air. And don't be lulled into
instrument conditions at 29,000 feet. The aircraft complacency because summer has arrived. Think
was later found to have struck the ground in a near about it and ask yourself a few questions.
vertical dive. The pilot ejected near the base of the
weather at 500 feet.
Two aircraft collided and flew into the ground on From: THE PROFESSIONAL
a GCA final just after the leader was requested to First Marine Air Wing
visually check his no-radio wingman's landing gear. ~

20 AUGUST 1968
 Water Works

Mark-24 flares burn underwater but can be extinguished with a spray of H2O.

Grabbing a 5,000 degree candle by the tail is a part of student loadmaster training of the 4412th CCTS, England AFB. Students
learn that a Mark-24 flare, ignited while airborne, can be pitched overboard or extinguished with a container of WATER.

Hazards of a burning Mark-24 flare, ignited in the

aircraft by malfunction or small arms fire, have
given flare-launching loadmasters serious problems.
By Don Reynolds The flare burns at max intensity almost instantly -
almost 5000 degrees Fahrenheit and two-million
candle power - which is comparable to heat of a
welder's acetylene torch and as bright as 500 com-
bined auto headlights.
To extinguish the flare by conventional methods is
near impossible because it conta ins its own oxidizer
and will actually burn underwater. The he at melts
thick asbestos blankets. And in less than a minute of

TAC ATTACK 21
water works
the flare's three-minute duration, it can burn through
the deck and skin of an aircraft. Its dense, toxic
smoke will, in only a few seconds, cause temporary
blindness and unconsciousness. It has happened!
At dusk, a C-130 took off with a PN 53000 flare
launcher and 150 flares to illuminate a gunnery range
for night fighter training flights. A flare jammed in
the dispenser and, before it could be ejected manually,
it ignited. The cargo compartment was immediately
filled with brilliant light and toxic smoke. The load-
master felt blindly for the dual rail release handles
and quick-release tiedown chain. He was successful.
A platform, mounting the launcher andburningflare,
rolled aft through the open ramp door. The load-
master's quick action saved the aircraft and its crew.
Another incident was disastrous. An AC-47 was
flying a SEA mission. A flare ignited in the aircraft
by mishap or small arms fire. Unable to jettison, and
with no way to extinguish it, the loadmasters took
refuge in the flight compartment. The pilot headed
for the nearest landing strip, but all were apparently
This specially modified fire extinguisher will put aut a
Mork-24 flare (upper left) in from three to five sec onds. SSgt asphyxiated. Their bird flew into the ground as it
John Miskelley holds the three and one-half inch stainless neared the strip.
steel tubing and nozzle, installed on a standard two and Until recently, the only way to deal with a burning
one-half gallon, 100 pound pressurized water extinguisher. flare has been to get it out of the a ircraft - fast! And
An 18 inch length of medium pressure hose connects nozzle
tube. BELOW: TSgt Arthur Thompson installs a pair of ex-
this is still number one. But loadmasters ofthe 4412
tinguishers aboard an AC-47. The units are stowed on the CCTS at England AFB have designed a portable ex-
bulkhead in extinguisher brackets used on fire vehicles. tinguisher and given it an important role in their
emergency procedures.
The extinguisher is as contradictory as it is
simple. It is a conventional two and one-half gallon
pressurized container filled with water. The stock
hose and nozzle have been replaced with equipment
specifically designed to extinguish the flare. It works
in from three to five seconds. The water system
works, even though the flare will burn underwater,
because of dual action.
It's believed the pressurized water flushes away
burning m agnesium particles. These burnonlyonthe
surface without burning inward. At the same time,
some of the water is transformed into steam which
absorbs an enormous amount of thermal energy. Be-
cause the pressurized stream of water makes flushing
and evaporation continuous, the temperature of the
magnesium particles is quickly lowered below its
flash point of about 1100 degrees Fahrenheit, and the
fire goes out.
Positioning the nozzle to the burning surface is
critical. The nozzle, which delivers a conical shaped

22 AUGUST 1968
 Brightness of a burning flare is apparent during
a demonstration of the extinguisher by SSgt Mis-
kelley, photographed in bright sunlight through
welder goggles. Extinguisher is carried in one
hand by a handle, which when squeezed releases
water through nozzle held in the other hand. With
number 5 or 6 welder goggles, the fire fighter can
see to place nozzle in proper position for quick
extinguishing action. The long tube is bent on
the nozzle end to facilitate placing nozzle through
flame to within two inches of burning magnesium.
Water is released after nozzle is in position.
UPPER: Critical position of nozzle can be seen
as flare is nearly extinguished two seconds after
water release. Asbestos gloves are required to
protect hands from intense heat. Aboard aircraft,
fire fighter's oxygen mask is used for protection
from dense, toxic smoke generated by the flare.

spray, must be perpendicular and within two inches of pressurized water extinguisher.
the burning surface. Because of this limitation, the If a mishap occurs , and a flare ignites in the
system is usually ineffective on a flare shattered and aircraft, the launcher lowers his glasses to prevent
ignited by small arms fire. But regardless of this being blinded, then jettisons the flare by scooping it
drawback, the extinguisher could have saved the day out with the shovel. The flare position may prevent
for several crews who have experienced fuze mal- using the shovel, so he picks up the flare, using
functions and other mishaps. asbestos gloves, and throws it out.
The 4412th's emergency procedure calls for If the launcher has not completed jettison within
jettison as primary action and use of the extinguisher ten seconds, he will probably be overcome by smoke.
as backup. Their C-47 mission carries a pair of By this time, the assistant has donned his mask and
flare launching loadmasters. One is the launcher who gloves, approaches the fire through smoke so dense
throws the flares through the side door, and the other that welders goggles are not required, and extin-
delivers flares from storage racks to the door. guishes the fla re.
The launcher wears welder's goggles on his fore- Smoke removal systems are now being designed
head and keeps asbestos gloves and a snow shovel and will be installed on flare launching aircraft . This
nearby. His assistant is equipped with an MB-1 Air- will eliminate one hazard.
craft Firefighters' Assembly (face mask with port- The 4412th believes their extinguisher can beat
able low-pressure oxygen bottle set at 100 percent the remaining hazard and insure a successful mis-
delivery), asbestos gloves, and the specially designed sion. They know that water works! ~

TAC ATTACK 23
 . ' ...
--~- ---------,..--:::
,...~--::--....,.....--...,_-----=

·Farman 4.0- A2
··~
....
....,... ~-

: ~~ ;.-. -~·~t~.7 ~
r,, ~ ..·~l~.: ,_~-o:t·f;~"".,..;:..._~;.. .. ;.
_,...
 Flight Leaders
by Lt Col Carl E. Pearson

Early in World War I the Farman 40-A2 biplane couldn't keep them off the Farman's tail. Formidable
performed well as an observation plane and part- as it looks, the mortar-like tube belched smoke and
time bomber. It wasn't fast for its time, but the pilot flame only.
and observer-gunner enjoyed great forward visi- A battery of movable landing lights mounted for-
bility. They also were exposed to wind blast and ward of the lower wing gave the Farman a limited
enemy fighter attack. Suspended between the wings night operational capability. And for those who think
in their bathtub-shaped "office" they shared it with Ram Air Turbines are a late aviation development
fuel tanks and a 160 hp Lorraine or de Dian in-line check the outboard side of the lower left wing. It
engine driving a wooden pusher prop. wasn't retractable, but it provided electrical power.
A workhorse in 1916, the Farman fell prey to The rocket mounts aren't fancy, but they look
rapid improvements in German fighters. As a result deadly. The angle at which they're mountedsuggests
it became a trainer in the later stages of the war. air-to-air use, but it would have to be close-in firing.
It wasn't a speedy reconnaissance type. Observa- Normally, the Farman co u 1 d n 't hold its own
tion planes didn't need much until both ground fire against the pictured diving Albatros fighters. On this
and enemy fighters increased their ability to knock flight it didn't matter.
slow-moving planes out of the sky. At its max gross It was a windy, gusty dayin0ctober1916, Oswald
weight of 2480 pounds the Farman climbed to 6500 Boelcke, then Germany's leading ace, holder of the
feet in thirteen a..'"ld a half minutes, cruising at 80 famed ''Blue Max'' ... nicknamed after its founder
mph. Climbing to 10,000 feet consumed twenty-four Maximilian Frederick ... creator of the feared Jagd-
minutes and lowered cruise airspeed to 75 mph. It staffel twelve-plane fighting formation, left his
carried 150 pounds of ordnance. A 325 pound fuel hunter-killer pack with his wingman. They dove on
load provided two and a half hours of full throttle two bombers.
operation at low altitude • . • respectable endurance A member of his Jagdstaffel, Baron Manfred von
for its day. Richthofen ... then a fledgling student of Boelcke's
No sweep back, no dihedral, no wing stagger, the . .. recorded his in-flight observations in his diary:
Farman couldn't be called classic in lines. Only the "It was the usual thing. Boelcke would shoot down
upper wings were aileron equipped and spanned 57 his opponent and I had to look on. Close to Boelcke
feet, twenty-one feet longer than the lower wing. The flew a good friend of his. It was an interesting strug-
chord of both wings was the same at six and one-half gle. Both man were shooting ... Suddenly I noticed an
feet. unnatural movement of the two German flying ma-
The double-wheeled main gear was mounted on chines. Immediately I thought: Collision. I had not
N-shaped struts. The stable, thirteen-foot gear yet seen a collision in the air. I had imagined that it
spread helped pilots •.• and later students ... avoid would look quite different. In reality, what happened
ground looping. Movable skids mounted between the was not a collision. The two machines merely touched
paired wheels served as brakes. one another. However, if two machines goatthe tre-
Four tail booms supported the horizontal fixed mendous pace of flying machines, the slightest con-
plane and elevator, plus a big, balanced rudder. The tact has the effect of a violent concussion ... Now
Farman didn't sport a vertical fin. The elevatorwas his machine was no longer steer able . It fell accom-
trapezoidal in shape and had a cutaway section to panied all the time by Boelcke's faithful friend. The
allow full swing of the rudder. It may look frail, but greatest pain was, of course, felt by the man who
proved airworthy. had the misfortune to be involved in the accident."
It was among the first to ring-mount a machine The "tremendous pace of flying machines" was
gun. Forward field of fire was a full, 180 degree then only a fraction of present fighter formation air-
sweep. But fighters wouldn't cooperate. They at- speeds. If midairs were deadly then, they're more
tacked the unprotected tail. Although threatening in so now.
appearance, the huge bayonet-shaped exhaust stack Wingman, hold that fighting-wing position! ~

TAC ATTACK 25
manual bailout

P. Lemmond, Jr.
nia ANG

It was 'Sunday, a drill w end. I had flown the

first mission that morning any was not scheduledfor
any more. But there was a little ix-upon the sched-
ule and one of the flows had two slots that he ob-
viously couldn't fly'Wthe same time. So I asked if I
could take one ... an Aerial Combat Tactics (ACT)
mission.
It was originally scheduled for four ships but
maintenance cancelled one, leaving us with three.
Lieutenants Charles W int z e r and Steve Anderson
were the other members of the flight.

26 AUGUST 1968
 After lunch we briefed for ACT. It was going to - Airport which is near Langley AFB, Virginia.
be a demonstration flight. !figured it would be an op- I had been trying to transmit on both channel 12
portune time to have them see what a defensive split 1
and Guard but the sound in the headset indicated the
looked like so that's what we briefed. UHF radio was channelizing continually.
We took off and proceeded to the ACT area and be- Over Patrick Henry Airport I looked down and
gan working below FL 240. steve Anderson was fly- saw about five airplanes. With no radio I decided to
ing number Three and made the first pass at us. The try for Langley.
object was to teach steve to recognize various de- The controls felt pretty well locked up at this
grees of overshoot and to keep his eyes on the high point. With both hands I could get five, maybe 10,
bird when the element splits. He made his pass and degrees of bank out of .the bird. The trim was still
Charlie and I split. I went high and he committed him- working all right. I was saving the emergency hy-
self to me. He overshot me so I called for rejoin. We draulic pump for a last 'resort because it runs off the
rejoined, and I took the attack role. I came down for battery and you never really know how long it will
my attack. They made a left turn and called the split. last.
The first time I went low, then high rather than All things considered I decided to land at Langley.
overshoot. I yo-yoed off the high bird to demonstrate I continued in my descent, and very quickly realized
that the attacker doesn't have to stay with either of that I'd be ~ntering at the low-key point in a left hand
them ... that he can yo-yo up and away leaving them SFO pattern for runway 25. This is a very heavily
split up with no mutual support. I then alternatively populated area, ami of course in any flame-out ap-
pos itioned myself behind each of them. proach there is always the chance of a miscalcula-
Probably three minutes elapsed from the time I tion. Therefore, I decided not to try landing.
made my first pass, until I heard the explosion. I paralleled the east-west runway and spotted a
Naturally, I was at full power ... airspeed about 350 marsh off the end. Ibeganputtingthingsaway, check-
indicated and altitude between 15 arid 18,000 feet. I . list, clipboard, and the bag of letdown books. I dis-
was in a 30 degree dive when I heard it ... a fairly connected the G-suit hose, oxygen hose, and radio
loud explosion. Smoke began filtering in from under- leads, and bottomed the seat, cinched up my oxygen
neath the seat. mask and chin strap (the visor was already down), and
About this time I started climbing, checked the waited until I got to a point where I knew the airplane
gauges, and called that I had an explosion. At that would hit in the marsh.
point Charlie said,' 'I know ,I saw it. "The first gauge Then I fired the canopy and squeezed the seat
I looked at was EGT. It was above 1000 degrees and trigger. The canopy went fine, but nothing happened
appeared pegged. when I squeezed the trigger .
I made another radio transmission that I 'was I was very careful to assume a very proper ejec-
shutting the engine down and heading for Langley tion position. In fact, I had the straightest back in the
AFB or Patrick Henry Airport. While making this state at that moment. . . feet in stirrups, elbows in
transmission, I shut the engine down. and everything. I didn't want to look down because I
At that point I was still climbing ... I don't really didn't want the seat to go with my neck bent.
know how high, probably about 18 or 19,000 feet. Without moving my head I made a conscious for-
Upon reaching 250 knots I leveled off. ward movement trying to push the ejection handles
In the meantime I was checking the other gauges. back down. I pushed down, then pulled up and aft on
My main concern was whether I was going to get a both triggers. I released the triggers and squeezed
fire warning or overheat light. It never entered my again. Nothing happened. I had fired the canopy at
mind that I would want to re-start. about 3500 feet.
My major worries: Was I going to catch on fire; I checked the altimeter ... below 3000 feet. !fig-
where am I going to land. The fire warning or over- ured if I was ever going to get out, I'd better do it
heat lights never came on, and the EGT finally did now . I was too low to invert. It was over the side or
go down·. nothing.
My concern then became where to make a forced I opened the lap belt and positioned myself in the
landing. Ejection, of course, was my second option. seat, put my arm out and checked the wind effect.
I had turned off everything electrical, but left the . Cautiously I began to stand up. I got my head in the
battery and radio on. I headed toward Patrick Henry slipstream and again checked the wind. Airspeed at

TAC ATTACK 27
MANUAL BAILOUT
this time was 220 knots . I was a little concerned that under because I got a mask full of water. Of course,
the wind would pin me in. I didn't know how deep the water was at that moment.
While I was gettti.ng up, I checked the position of All I knew was that I couldn't breathe with a mask
m y D-ring so that I would have no difficulty in find- full of water and my first effort was to get it off.
ing it when I got out. Then I stood up, my left foot on That was no problem ... just unfastened it in a nor-
the canopy rail, my right foot on the seat or arm mal fashion.
rest, and a handhold on thefrontwindscreen. Next thing, I grabbed one of my quick releases
I have always been told to dive at the wing in on the right side, opened the cover and at that point
order to miss the tail. So that's what I tried to do. my head came to the surface or my eyeballs caged
After that, the possibility of hitting the tail I didn't ... one or the other. I realized that my parachute was
have much control over. Either I did, or I didn't. already collapsed so I pulled the lanyard on my right
I got into a position where I felt I could clear the LPU and it inflated. Then my feet hit the bottom. I
aircraft with a positive launch. I jumped, tucked up, realized that I was in 3 or 4 feet of water. At that
and attempted to roll over the rights ide. In this man- point I didn't see any boats.
ner my back pack and the survival kit would be facing About 300 yards away I could see the smoking
aft so anything I hit would be taken by either the para- wreckage of my bird. I decided to walk to shore so I
chute or the survival kit. Apparently I actually did kept the LPU in case it got deeper enroute.
hit the wing as I was diving at the upper surface be- About that time I turned around and saw some
cause the bruises I got (none serious) were all on the boats converging on me, private fishing and water
right side. skiing boats. The first one that got to me was a 16-
The next thing I knew, I was on my back in the air footer.
in a semi-spread eagle position, and looking right up The boat pulled up alongside and I told the boat-
the tail pipe. I was almost dead 6 o'clock, about 25 man to cut his motor so that he wouldn't get all
feet behind the airplane. I pulled the D-ring but ex- fouled up in the parachute lines. I took off all my
perienced some difficulty bringing my arm over to equipment except my helmet, and handed it up into
the ring. the boat. Then I climbed in over the stern.
I recall vividly seeing my hand holding the D-ring The boat owner took me to Langley AFB Yacht
as far out as it could go. I felt the opening shock, Club. A couple of off-duty headquarters types gave
which was mild . I didn't see the canopy ... didn'thave me a blanket. Then I phoned my commander and my
time to look up to check it. But I do recall seeing my wife. At the hospital they examinedme,foundnothing
risers taut. Then I hit the water ... about 3 seconds wrong ... so I went on home.
after the opening shock. I must have gone completely

28 AUGUST 1968
 MAINTENANCE MAN OF THE MONTH

Staff Sergeant Roger L. Schmidt of the 333 Field

Maintenance Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Flor ida,
has been selected to receive the TAC Maintenance
Man Safety Award. Sergeant Schmidt will rece ive a
letter of appreciation from the Commander of Tactical
Air Command and an engraved award.

SSgt Schmidt

SSgt Jones

CREW CHIEF OF THE MONTH

Staff Sergeant Jewel L. Jones of the 524 Tac-

tical Fighter Squadron, Cannon Air Force Base,
New Mexico, has been selected to receive the T AC
Crew Chief Safety Award. Sergeant Jones will re-
ceive a letter of appreciation from the Commander
of Tactical Air Command and an engraved award .

TAC ATTACK 29
 Letters

Reference your Drownproofing

article in the TAC ATTACK, June
1968. The 4th Mobile Communica-
tions Group Safety Office at Altus
AFB, Okla., established a Drown-
proofing program in 1967 and trained
544 personnel in this technique of

lo IAe etlilor survival swimming. So far this year

310 personnel have attended this
training. These programs are held
in conjunction with the Air Force's
"101 Critical Days" campaign.
Credit was given to this Group's
Drownproofing program last year,
when a dependent child used the
Drownproofing method to stay afloat
after fa II ing into deep water.
UPDATING FLIGHT LEADERS
Drownproofing is an excellent
Our research on the Spad couldn't technique of survival swimming and
confirm the series of early deliveries should be given additional emphasis
to the 94th Pursuit Squadron in World througt10ut the Air Force.
War I. Our references pointed toward
the Spad VII. Lt Col R. F. Rose , Jr. , JAMES H. THORMAN , SSgt. , USAF
33 TFW, Eglin AFB, provided the Ground Safety NCO
missing info. His copy of the 94th's 4th Mobile Communications Group
diary identifies their birds as the Altus AFB, Oklahoma
more powerfu I, twin-gunned Spad XI II s.
We appreciate your letter Sgt
Thorman. Your base "drownproofing"
program would be a worthwhile project
for our Ground Safety types. We'll pass
Thanks, Co l. Rose . your message along.
- Ed. -Ed.

PEANUTS Courtesy of Ooi ly Press, Newport News, Vo.

@ United Feature Syndicate, Inc. 1966

NYAHH NYAHH NC/AHH!!

I I

'IOU CAN'T HIT ME!

30 AUGUST 1968
TAC TALLY MAJOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT RATES AS OF 30 JUNE 1968 *

MAJOR ACCIDENT RATE COMPARISON

5 15
TAC
THRU JUNE
-
10
l
~
---
____ ,.
-- ---
-8.5 --------- --- ••
10

AIRCRAFT
v ,---. I .....,.., ·---',....
ANG ,... ... - - -.... ........... ___
-
-

A-1
- 10
10
i r - 1.6 RB-66
·'
'rl / AFRes
F-86
10 10

F-111

F-100

Jon I F• b I Mao I Apr I May I J n I

"
n
Jul I A ug I
-
Sep

1968
I Oct - ·-··
I Hov Dec
RF-101

THRU JUNE UNITS - - 1967

THRU JUNE F-5
1968 1967 1968 1967
12 AF F-105
9 AF 7.5 9.6 6.8 7.2
4 TFW 9.9 0 23 TFW 8.6 6.0
F-104
15 TFW 15.8 30.4 123 TRW 0 21.6

33 TFW 14.2 14.6 27 TFW 6.2 10.9 F/ RF-4

113 TFW 23.3 11.3 140 TFW 0 16.0
C-47
4531 TFW 20.0 0 479 TFW 13.6 7.8

363 TRW 4 .8 14.9 474 TFW 52.5 0 KC-97

64 TAW 0 0 67 TRW 0 0
C-119
316 TAW 0 0 75 TRW 0 20.2

317 TAW 0 0 313 TAW 0 0

C-123
464 TAW 0 4.5 516 TAW 0 0

4442 CCTW 0 12.2 4453 CCTW 14.2 0 C-130

4510 CCTW 2.3 8.5
T-29

SPECIAL UNITS T-33

T-39
1 ACW 6.3 0 4500 ABW 0 0

4410 CCTW 17.6 8.3 4440 ADG 0 0 C-7

4409 SUP SQ 0 0 4525 FWW 28.0 24.7
0-1
4416 TSQ 75.5 0

TAC ATTACK 31
 SCUBA DO'S

• Get Instructions from a qual.lfled scuba

Instructor.

• Use the U S Navy diving tables If you plan to

go eeper than 30 feet.

• Use the buddy system.

• Avoid diving within 12 hours of flying.

• Know the location of the nearest

decompression chamber.

• Avoid diving with a cold.