January 1978

Tac Attack

We do it first ..pg 4
TAC ATTACK JANUARY 1978 VOLUME 18 NUMBER

FOR EFFICIENT TACTICAL AIR POWER

TACTICAL AIR COMMAND

GENERAL ROBERT J. DIXON

COMMANDER
FEATURES LT GENERAL JAMES A. KNIGHT, JR .
WE DO IT FIRST 4
VICE COMMANDER
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ARRESTED? 12
F-4 ENGINE ENVELOPE 18
WHY GET BURNED? 22
WHAT IS A WEAPONS CONTROLLER? 24

DEPARTMENTS COL GEORGE M. SAULS

CHIEF OF SAFETY
Angle of Attack 3
CAPT MARTY STEERE
Phyz Biz 8
CAPT PETE ABLER
Weapon· s Words 11
EDITORS
Aircrew of Distinction 15
F-100 16 STAN HARDISON
TAC Tips 20 ART EDITOR
Emergency Situation Training 25
Chock Talk 26 MARY KONOPNICKI
Safety Awards 28 EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
letters 29
SSGT JAMES H. BROWN
TAC Tally 31
STAFF ARTIST

TACRP 127 -1
Articles , accident briefs, and associated material in this magazine are nondirective in nature. All suggestions and recom -
mendations are intended to remain within the scope of existing directives . Information used to brief accidents and incidents does
not identify the persons, places, or units involved and may not be construed as incriminating under Article 31 of the Uniform
Code of M ilitary Justice. Names, dates, and places used in conjunction with accident stories are fictitious . Air Force units are en-
couraged to republish the material contained herein; however, contents are not for public release. Written permission must be
obtained from HQ TAC before material may be republished by other than Department of Defense organizations.
Contributions of articles, photos, and items of interest from personnel in the field are encouraged, as are comments and
criticism . We reserve the right to edit all manuscripts for clarity and readability . Direct communication is authorized with: The
Editor, TAC ATIACK, HQ TAC/ SEPP, Langley AFB, VA 23665. Autovon 432 -2937
Distribution FX, Controlled by SEPP.
 Angle
of
ATTACK
(POST). The tactical air forces are streamlining
therr organizations, operating methods, and intro-
ducing scheduling procedures which are
essentially similar to what we would use during
wartime. Despite new demands, quality must not
suffer.
POMO includes a reorganization of the
maintenance complex oriented along operational
lines. It means that the operations and
maintenance team which gets the job done dur-
ing peacetime will go to war together should the
occasion arise. Normally, separate functions like
avionics, weapons, and many field maintenance
tasks are combined in flightline operations under
1978 A Year of Challen.ge one flight. This combines the capabilities of the
crew chief and the expertise of specialists into a
more responsive, flexible unit. The training
The New Year is a time when we make resolu- program required to make this reorganization go
tions to improve ourselves, our environment, and will have to be second to none . Additionally, the
our operations -- resolutions which begin to responsibility of making this new organization go
wane about kickoff time at the Rose Bowl. 1978 rests squarely on the shoulders of flightline
will be another challenging year for us in Tactical supervisors.
Air Command. Operations in many areas will POST is a system which recognizes that future
continue to test our flexibility and capabilities. conflicts will not be fought on a 5-day, 40-hour
With the resolution to treat problems as opportu- basis with flying spread evenly throughout the
nities to excel instead of irritants, 1978 can be week. Under POST, units will "surge" once a
another successful year for TAC. It has to be. week as their particular mission requires, w ith
1978 will see the continuing acquisition of residual flying the remainder of the week. In the
new aircraft, the AWACS, F-15, and A-1 0 . We past, we simply were not exercising our ca-
will also begin preparing to operate the F-4G pability to rapidly shift to a wartime posture. The
Wild Weasel and the F-16 lightweight fighter. idea now is to train like we are going to fight.
Combined with our continuing efforts to maintain Intense flight operations, heavier support re-
maximum readiness by participation in training quirements, and increased responsibilities at the
programs such as Red Flag, Blue Flag, and nu- lower levels in our operations wi ll characterize
merous joint exercises, our ability to manage TAC during 1978. The potential for mistakes and
these new challenges will be taxed and stressed mishaps is self-evident. With sound planning,
as never before. Additionally, the pace of our hard work, and effective execution in these
TAC-gained ANG and AFRES unit conversions areas, I have confidence that we will be able to
will increase significantly, making this a year of make 1978 a year of exceptional accomplish-
challenge for all personnel. ments for Tactical Air Command. So, make your
To enhance our maintenance posture, two resolutions and hang on to them throughout
maintenance programs completed testing in 1978. ~
1977. Implementation has begun at several
bases with most of the command to follow in
1978. These are the Production Oriented
Maintenance Organization (POMO) and the
)nA~
Production Oriented Scheduling Technique Colonel, USAF
 ~
/ we do it firast

/
/

irs
By Maj Davy M . Bass
4485 Test Squadron
Eglin AFB, FL

Tucked away in
one corner of Eglin Air
force Bose, Florida, is a
unique squadron with one of
::::::::!!!:::........l!.tl.!l..>L........,.,---'he best flying missions in TAC.
The purpose of this article is
to expose this well-kept secret to
the line fighter jock and introduce
a series of articles detailing the
product of the 4485th Jest Squadron . .

Act ivated on 1 April 1971. the 4485 TESTS is (USAFTAWC) and performs Operational Test and
located in the heart of Florida 's panhandle of Evaluation (OT&E) under TAWC's direction .
unbelievably white beaches , blue Gulf waters TAWC. in turn . reports directly to TAC and
and Southern hospitality -- so the real estate responds to a variety of tasking requirements.
brokers say. The squadron is the flying arm of including OT&E . Aircrew manning is set at one
the USAF Tactical Air Warfare Center crew per each of the 12 unit equipped aircraft.
4 JANUARY 1978
This makes for a small. close-knit group. fully Guided Bomb. and Quick Strike Reconnaissance
aware of each other's flying skills and allows for (QSR)/Strike Control and Reconnaissance
personalized management of aircrews and test (SCAR) .
missions . The unit presently flies F-4D . F-4E .
and RF-4 aircraft; and all aircrews are current in
all three aircraft. Ten fighter crews. however. AN/TPB-lC
handle weapons delivery tests and two recce
crews fly the recce tests . Our crews are drawn The AN / TPB-1 C Ground Directed Bombing
from USAF's line aircrew resources and are not System is an automatic tracking radar system
professional test pilots . The average experience designed to follow beacon equipped aircraft.
level of our crews. over 2.500 flying hours . is The system also has skin track capabi lity. The
much higher than that of USAF's line fighter / radar tracking information is fed to a digital
recce units . This enables the crews to perform computer and combined with manual inputs
the precise mission profiles demanded by time such as weapon type. wind data. et c. The com-
sensitive test projects with a minimum delay for puter provides vector guidance to the pilot by
additional training . way of the TACAN bearing pointer and aural
The squadron's unique mission revolves tones over the headset to a calcu lated weapons
around new equipment -- the kind of gear you release point. Old heads will remember the "sky
dream of as " it would be nice if ...... As TACR 23- spot" of SEA where you had a straight and level
45 states. our main thrust is to conduct Opera- run-in of 30+ miles and a CEP almost that big .
tional Test and Evaluation (OT&E) on tactical This system gives you the capability to choose
fighter and reconnaissance systems. This phase your own attack heading . altitude. and airspeed .
of testing determines the operational suitability Since it updates itself continually. your straight
of new equipment to include development of op- and level time is cut down tremendously. You
timum tactics . techniques . procedures.and con- can even jink to your heart's desire before you
cepts for system operation under realistic condi- start the final delivery leg . So far. the test CEP
tions . Efforts on some test projects involve initial has been about three times better than you
OT&E (IOT&E) of pre-production items. so that would expect.
TAWC can assist TAC and the Air Staff in mak-
ing a "buy" decision . In addition . some follow-on
Test & Evaluation (FOT&E) is conducted on
production items to assure the quality of
production equipment. Our sister squadron at
Nellis AFB . the 422 FWS . has primary responsi-
bility for follow-on tests. but we also conduct
FOT&E on some systems . Finally. there are a few
high priority projects that are so time critical
that they require a combined IOT&E and
Development Test and Evaluation (DT&E) . In a
joint test . this DT&E is the responsibility of the
Armament Development and Test Center also
located at Eglin AFB. As a result. we find our
line jocks flying some of the same tests as
the "g olden armed" test pilots
To give you an indication of just what kind of
test this alphabet soup describes and to
enlighten you on what's coming down the pike.
the following few paragraphs will cover some of
our most current programs . These tests will be
covered in greater detail in later articles. They
are the AN / TPB-1 C Ground Directed Bomb
System ; AN / AV0-26 Pave Tack combination; the
Guided Bomb Unit (GBU-1 5) Electro-Optical

TACATIACK 5
we do it first whose own digital computer "talks" with that of
the AN/ ARN-1 01 .
The Pave Tack System is an externally carried
pod containing an infrared detection set and a
narrow beam laser range/designator slaved to a
highly stabi lized line-of-sight which is control!-
AN/ ARN-101/PAVE TACK able over the lower hemisphere of the aircraft.
It is designed to provide the TAF with the ca-
The AN/ ARN 101 is a new system destined to pability to detect. locate . and identify a target
replace the old electro-mechanical analog AN / during day. night. and marginal weather condi-
ASN-46A Navigational Computer Set tions . The target may be engaged at once using
(the "i nertial" for all you pilots) . The system em- self-designation and delivery; or the target in-
ploys a digital computer for navigation and formation can be passed to the TAC S or directly
weapons delivery computations and receives to a strike aircraft. which may employ conven-
inputs from the LORAN Inertial. It surpasses tional or laser guided ordnance.
both the functional and accuracy performance The test conducted on this system was a
of the old dive-toss and dive laydown modes . No combined DT&E/IOT&E. A unique fea t ure of the
preset selected altitudes. velocity. or aircraft ma- test was that a simultaneous "fly-off" between
neuver are required. The digital method of two competitors for the infrared detecting set
operation enables it to be linked with many of was being conducted. During the test. it was de-
the new designator systems requiring digital termined that the Pave Tack System is able to
inputs. One of these is the Pave Tack System detect and identify tactical targets ranging in

6 JANUARY 1978
 Major Davy M. Bass
is this month's
Fleagle T-shirt winner

size from large power plants at long ranges to link between the GBU-1 5 and the launch air-
individual troops in the field at short ranges . craft. Effective standoff is increased because it
either day or night. The Pave Tack sight line was is only necessa ry to acquire the general target
accurately cued by the AN / ARN- 101 to low- area before launch . The specific aimpoint can be
level starting points. search areas. and naviga- located after launch and updated guidance pro-
tion points. vided to the weapon during its flight. The system
has 28 possible configurations made up of
interchangeable modular components. allowing
QSR/SCAR it to be designed to suit the mission delivery
parameters and target specifications . It will nor-
The OSR program puts it all together for our mally be employed against pre-selected . high
recce troops. A OSR aircraft is an RF-4C value targets where the attack aircraft's
modified with the AN/ ARN-1 01 digital avionics survivability will depend on a safe standoff
set. AN / AV0-26 Pave Tack Pod. AN / AVG-8 something the fighter crew can appreciate.
Helmet Mounted Sight and much. much more.
We know that enemy ground forces have theca-
pability to move rapidly over rugged terrain. day
or night. and under unfavorable weather condi -
tions. Further. their combat effectiveness is
enhanced by the use of concealment tech-
niques . All of this makes detection by conven-
tional recce forces difficult. To combat this. air-
borne OSR systems consisting of imaging
sensors. cockpit displays. and data link are used
to detect. locate. and identify mobile/moving
and other time-sensitive targets requiring rapid
response. This imagery is transmitted in near
real time from the OSR sensor aircraft to a
ground exploitation facility for target detection /
identification . A target report. containing
essential target data. is then sent to the Tactical
Air Control Center (TACC) for strike decisions .
When tasked for a Strike Control and Recon -
naissance (SCAR) mission. the tactical com-
mander delegates strike authority to the SCAR
aircrew (flying a OSR bird) who may laser I
smoke mark the target for attack aircraft. pass
target information directly to them. or act in the
pathfinder role for blind bombing . Finally, the
OSR systems will be used to provide immediate
bomb damage assessment (BOA) back to the
tactical commander.

GBU-15 We know all this sounds super whiz- bang, and

The GBU-1 5 is a Modular Guided Weapon there are skeptics out there who basically dis-
System which provides the capability for trust any black box. However. this is the age of
standoff. television-guided. accurate delivery of Star Wars. and when Darth Vadar is breathing
the MK-84 warhead. It is primarily designed for down your neck. you have to come up with
an indirect attack using the longer range something new -- that works . And that's the job
capablity provided by a video / command data of the 4485 TESTS -- to find out if it works. ~

TAC ATIACK 7
 phyz-biz

CO: THE SILENT SUMMONS

By lt Col Harold Andersen
HQ TAC Physiological Training Coordinator

Some anonymous author called carbon and industrial areas . Note the prominence of the
monoxide gas the " silent summons" because of home as the most lethal place of all. followed by
the way it acts -- never awakening the sleeping the place of work. It is estimated that there are
and never warning the awake . an additional 10.000 sub-lethal exposure cases
There are two words which describe carbon each year in the US.
monoxide (CO) : "insidious" and "ubiquitous." Carbon monoxide is generated by the incom-
The former means "working harmfully in a plete combustion of any organic material. If this
subtle or stealthy manner" and gives rise to the carbon is oxidized in an oxygen-poor environ-
nickname " silent summons"; while the latter ment. carbon monoxide is formed . In most
means " being or seeming to be everywhere at instances. the incomplete combustion also
the same time ." It is these two characteristics produces smoke which is readily detectable. So.
which permit CO to take more lives in the US anytime you have smoke in your cockpit. you
each year than any other poison except alcohol. can be sure that CO is present and you must im-
Frequently. we read newspaper headlines which mediately go to a 100% oxygen setting and use
announce the demise of individuals and entire "safety" pressure if available. However. don't
families due to carbon monoxide. Yet. people assume that the absence of smoke is an indica-
seem to refuse to admit that a problem exists. tor of no CO. Fumes in the cockpit can also indi-
The problem is as old as the discovery of fire. cate combustion and should be treated with the
Once man learned to control fire and realized its same respect and actions.
desirable properties. fire was moved indoors (in- Gas hot water heaters are another source of
side the cave. that is). and the stage was set for CO. Whenever a flame touches a surface which
the first "silent summons ." Campers and out- is cooler than the ignition temperature of the
doorsmen. modern counterparts of the caveman . gaseous part of the flame. such as the bottom of
continue the tradition by lighting fires in hiba- a water heater. CO will be formed . If the CO is
chis and charcoal grills in tents . cabins . not effectively vented outside. the interior room
campers. and boats . There _(s even a record of environment will be quickly contaminated . In
CO poisoning in a foxhole covered by a poncho! one case. a tragedy was caused by a bird's nest
The nature of the CO hazard is best illustrated built inside the vent pipe! Gas appliances and
by a few statistics : In 1972 . there were 432 automobile exhaust are other common sources
deaths attributed to CO in the US . Of these. 192 of CO . In general . you must beware of any type
were in the home. and over 100 were in mines of burning process which takes place 1n a
8 JANUARY 1978
 closed. poorly ventilated. or unventilated area . been found that the COHb content of aircrews
The mechanism by which CO produces its blood streams increased while waiting in line to
lethal results should be well-known to all take off. When smoking was permitted. the addi-
aircrews because it is presented as part of every tional CO from cigarette smoke raised the crews'
discussion of hypoxia during Refresher Training . COHb to 20% or more . This is significant be-
Inhaled carbon monoxide has an affinity for the cause it only takes a 2 - 5% COHb level to im-
hemoglobin (Hb) in red blood cells -- as high as pair vision. judgment. and reduce attentiveness
300 times as great as the affinity between to sounds . A 10% COHb level causes a 25% loss
oxygen and hemoglobin. Because of this CO-he- in visual acuity and the ability to see dim lights .
moglobin affinity. the compound carboxy-hemo- Vision continues to decline as COHb levels
globin (COHb) is formed which is very stable increase above 10%.
and long-lasting . Oxygen hungry tissues are de- Common symptoms are other examples of the
prived of oxygen by a " double-barreled" effect. insidious nature of CO poisoning . Because early
First. the hemoglobin which is carrying CO can- warning symptoms like headaches. dizziness.
not carry 0 2 ; and second . the oxygen which is and nausea can resemble the onset of numerous
attached to hemoglobin becomes more tightly diseases like the common cold. stomach flu.
bound and is less available to the tissues . In the etc .. it is little wonder that there is confusion in
first instance. there is less oxygen being circu- identifying the problem . The symptoms exhibited
lated to the tissues. The second effect com- by 15 children exposed to a high level of CO in
p-ounds the problem by reducing the availability a Seattle ice-skating rink incident were first
o the oxygen which is present in the blood as diagnosed as "food poisoning " ! Symptoms can
H -02 (o -hemoglobin) . be corre ated with the percent of concentration
CO enters the body via the lungs and quickly of CO hemoglobin as shown in Table 1.
diffuses across the alveolar membrane into the The time required to produce an 80% satura-
blood . The rapidity with which the blood be- tion volume of COHb in the blood stream
comes saturated with CO depends upon several largely depends on the concentration of CO in
other conditions such as respiratory rate. dura- the air being breathed . It may take as long as 5
tion of exposure. concentration of CO in the air. or 6 hours with CO concentration of 0 .02% -
and altitude . The increase in respiratory volume 0 .03% or as short a time as 2 - 1 5 minutes at
due to exercise may be as much as 10 times the CO concentrations of 0 .51% - 1 .00% .
resting rate . This de.ep breathing brings more Heavy smokers may range as high as 6 - 8 or
CO into contact with an increased volume of even 10 percent COHb concentrations. and
blood. which is circulating at a faster rate due to veryone breathing the air of a smoke-filled
the exercise . Simply put. a person working room is exposed to the same hazards as the
vigorously will experience the symptoms of CO smoker. but perhaps to a lesser degree . There
poisoning much more quickly than one who is are also strong indications of important physical
sedentary or at rest. and physiological damage by low CO concentra -
Altitude is also an important environmental tions and these will be examined in a future
cause because less oxygen is available as the article .
barometric pressure decreases . Recognizing this Oxygen is a specific antagonist to CO . In ef-
effect. one author recommends that at altitudes fecting the rescue and treatment of victims of
of 5.000 - 8.000 feet. exposure standards CO poisoning. the first step is to remove him
should be lowered to compensate for the loss from the toxic environment. Second. have him
of oxygen saturation of the blood . In 1970. a breathe 100% oxygen while keeping him warm
British writer reported the deaths of 87 people and at rest. The elimination of CO follows a "rule
in an airliner crash caused by a faulty cockpit of halves ." If the victim is breathing pure air. it
heater . In this same context. a group of will take about 320 minutes to reduce the CO
professional airline pilots. in June 1976. peti- level in his blood to one-half its initial value . In
tioned the FAA to "forbid all smoking in cockpits the next 320 minutes . half of the remainder will
of commercial flights and to ban smoking a- be dissipated . and so on . If 100% oxygen is
mong flight crews eight hours before takeoff ..."! breathed. this elimination half-time will be
The pilots noted that. "exposure to carbon reduced to 80 minutes . If the victim is placed in
monoxide causes substantial impairments to a compression chamber and supplied with
vital brain and nervous system functions. " It has 100% oxygen at a pressure of 3 atmospheres .

TAC ATIACK 9
 CO: the silent summons
the time requi red to clear one-half the CO will same holds true for appliances such as gas
be reduced to 23 minutes . water heaters. stoves . and refrigerators. If gas.
NOTE: A heavy smoker with a 1 0% COHb load coal. or wood stoves are used for heating. espe-
would have to refrain from smoking for about cial ly if they have been recently installed to aug-
10-2 / 3 hours to reduce his CO burden to ment the original heating plant. or if oil space
2-1/ 2%. Since most don 't re f rai n from smoking heaters are used. ventilatio n must be maintained
that long. they probably never clear their blood at proper levels in working and sleeping areas .
streams of CO . Sufficient draft is a must for fireplaces .
Prevention of CO poisoning requires attention
to those areas which have been shown to be
hazardous. such as the home. work place. and
automobiles .
AUTOMOBILES
Focus on the exhaust system ; check and
THE HOME repair defective systems immediately; avoid in-
door ope ration of gasoline engines -- open the
W ith all the emphasis on saving energy. garage door before starting the engine to wa rm
homes wit h storm windows and insulation are it on a cool morning; be carefu l not to .b lock the
more air tight. increasing the possibility of CO tailpipe with mud . snow. or water .
poisoning . Heating equipment should be in- Finally. one writer suggests. "stop smoking to-
spected periodically; all gas and oil burners bacco products. or try to cut down on their
must be properly vented and adjusted ; and use ." Following these suggestions should pre-
chimneys and flues must be checked for clude the presentation of a " Silent Summons" to
blockages. and defects promptly repaired . The you or your family .

SYMPTOMS CAUSED BY VARIOUS AMOUNTS OF CARBON MONOXIDE HEMOGLOBIN IN THE

BLOOD
Blood Saturation , %
CO Hemoglobin Symptoms

0 - 10 No symptoms .

10 - 20 Tightness across forehead; possibly slight headache, dilation

of cutaneous blood vessels .

20 - 30 Headache and throbbing in temples.

30 - 40 Severe headache, weakness, dizziness, dimness of vision,

nausea , vom iting, and collapse.

40 - 50 Same as previous item w ith more possibility of collapse and

fainti ng, and increased resp irat ion and pulse.

50- 60 Fa inting, increased respirat ion and pulse, coma with in-
termittent convulsions, and intermittent respiration .

60 - 70 Coma with intermittent convulsions, depressed heart action

and respirat ion , and possibly death.

70 - 80 Weak pulse and slow respiration, respiratory failure, and

death .

TABLE 1
 weapons words

Horseplay doesn't PAY!------

By Capt David E. Ellis
HQ TAC / SEW

T wo security policemen. after a typical

weekend guardmount. were assigned duty at the
main gate. The events which followed turned
their weekend into an unforgettable tragedy.
During a routine security check of the main
gate. the roving law enforcement vehicle driver
was asked if he would get some coffee for the
two airmen at the main gate. Since he was by
himself and could not drive and carry coffee at
the same time. he requested another law
enforcement team. which was already at the
chow hall. deliver the coffee. After the law
enforcement team had finished their coffee Many things can be said about this incident.
break. they delivered the two cups of coffee to but let's get to the crux of the matter . First.
the main gate. When they arrived. they handed weapons are not toys. Service revolvers are to
the coffee cups through the driver's window to be unholstered only when the application of
the gate guard. He set them on the ground next deadly force is required. and they should never
to the gate shack and began to talk to the law be pointed at another person in jest . Second.
enforcement team. A few minutes later. the first not only is horseplay forbidden by regulation. it
vehicle returned to the main gate . The driver shows a lack of common sense . Discipline and
parked his vehicle and walked over to the gate common sense go hand-in-hand . Air Force
shack. He didn't notice the coffee cups on the weapons training is designed to teach all Air
ground as he approached and knocked both of Force personnel. and especially security po-
them over . The ensuing moments brought about licemen. how to respond during a crisis situa-
light-hearted joking and efforts to relieve the tion Finally. the issuing of a weapon is a trust
tension . During this time. one of the gate guards placed in the service member by the Air Force .
unholstered his revolver and pointed it through This trust. in part. demonstrates how important
the window of the law enforcement vehicle . The security forces are to the Air Force mission . We
next voice that was heard was the passenger of are all a part of the team and must realize how
the law enforcement vehicle who shouted. ''I've our actions can destroy material and even kill .
been shot." He was dead on arrival at the USAF Don 't let a similar circumstance make you or
hospital . your friend a statistic . ~

TACATIACK 11
 n.
RJ. '¥
II~. I11n1J r•~rn
U q· c·II ~·~·n· Q ·A .. If Df£11
Have you ever been

Since then . the systems have improved

By Capt Pete Abler
considerably to the point where the barrier has
saved many an aircraft and aircrew. Barriers also
The first arrested landing probably occurred permit high-speed aircraft to safely land on
when a pterodactyl. or a close relation. snagged boats (ships?) giving our Navy and Marine coun-
his leg on a vine . tree branch . or other obstacle. terparts . and a few insane AF members. vi-

12 JANUARY 1978
A ESTE° ?Arrested?

carious thrills and a sense of disdane for "land- tailhook pendant 35 feet ahead of the barrier
lubbers." Their systems, however, are a bit more webbing. For tailhook aircraft, it reduces cable
exotic than those in the USAF.1 dents in gear doors and the danger of single-
Basically, there are three types of barriers in gear or missed engagements. Capacity of the
use at TAC bases today. The following is a brief system is 12,500 lbs at 150 Kts or 40,000 lbs
discussion of each system and its capabilities. at 82 Kts. Several TAC bases have an MA1A/
An overall comparison can be found in Fig 1. BAK-9 interconnect discussed under the BAK-9.
The MA1A was designed in the days of the The BAK-9 was the first truly bidirectional
15.000 - 20,000 pound fighters for engage- barrier system that comes closer to handling the
ment speeds below 150 Kts, The MA1 A has an weight and speed of current fighters. The arrest-
incremental mass (anchor chain) to stop the air- ing cable is attached to a heavy nylon tape that
craft. It is located in the overrun, is unidirec- is stored on reels at either side of the runway.
tional, and designed specifically for departure The energy absorption system consists of two
engagements. In operation, a nylon webbing self-energizing rotary friction brakes (B-52
raises a cable to catch your bird around the wheel brakes). The BAK-9 is designed for
main gear. If you are within weight and speed tailhooks only and has a capacity of 190 Kts at
limitations at engagement, you will stop within 28,000 lbs or 117 Kts at 80,000 lbs. The BAK-
1,000 feet. A modification to the MA1 A added a 9 is usually located in the overrun, but can be

fIG RE 1
Modified BAK-9
MA1A MA1A MA1A BAK-9 BAK-12

950'/
Runout 1,000' 1,000' 950' 950' 1,200'

Max 150 Kts @ Same as 190Kts @ 190 Kts @ 190 Kts

Engage Speed 12,500 # MA1A 28,000 # 28,000 # 42,000#/
60,000 #

Arresting Rotary Rotary Rotary

Device Chain Chain Brakes Brakes Brakes

Gasoline
Reset Manual Manual Electric Electric Engine

I. Consult your FLIP IFR Enroute Supplement for Navy/Marine land base equivalents to USAF systems.

TAC ATTACK 13
have you ever been arrested ?
located on the runway. Tape runout is designed tape runout of 950 feet and is capable of
to be 950'. NOTE: The BAK-9 barrier is usually absorbing 65 million ft/lbs of energy. The BAK -
stressed to the limits of its performance en- 1 2 with the 1,200 foot runout can handle the
velope during the approach-end engagement of F-111 and has a capacity of 85 million ft/lbs
heavier aircraft such as the F-4. of energy. The barrier is usually located 1,000-
The BAK-9/MA1A interconnected system has 1,500 feet into the runway to allow touchdown
the same capacity as the basic BAK-9. It for approach engagement on smooth, lighted
provides dual engagement potential in the event pavement, and is usually bidirectional. The
of hook bounce. The system does have some BAK-12 has the fastest reset capability of all
disadvantages: The webbing must be removed to barriers and can be reset in 5 minutes by an
allow approach-end engagements and minor air- experienced crew.
craft damage is likely to result from dual en- The preceding is not designed to make you an
gagement. This interconnect also allows the expert. It should give you a good general
BAK-9 to stop non-hook aircraft. knowledge of the arresting systems at stateside
The BAK-12 is an improvement over the BAK- TAC bases. It's up to you to compare this ca-
9; and the latest model (1,200 ft runout) pability to the specifics listed in your aircraft's
provides approach-end arrestment capabilities flight manual. Combine this with information
for all aircraft, including the F-111 at all but about your home base and divert or X-country
extreme weight/speed combinations. The BAK- airfield's barriers and you'll feel a bit more com-
12 uses four B-52 brakes to develop its energy fortable should an arrested takeoff/landing be
absorbing capability. The standard barrier has a required.
See you at the next engagement.

BAK BAK BAK BAK

BASE PRIMARY RUNWAY MA-1 SECONDARY RUNWAY MA-1
12 9 12 9

BERGSTROM 17R/35L --- 300 X 12,250 17L/35R 150 X 10,000 Jets Prohibited
I
CANNON 03/21 --- 150 X 10,000 12/30 --- 150 X 8,200

DAVIS MONTHAN 12/30 --- 200 X 13,645 I IC

EGLIN 01/19 --- 300 X 10,000 I YES 12/30 --- 300 X 12,000 30

ENGLAND 14/32 --- 150 X 9,350 IC 18/36 --- 150 X 7,000 TH

GEORGE 16/34 --- 150 X 10,050 IC 03/21 --- 150 X 9,130 IC

HILL 14/32 --- 150 X 13,500

16/34 --- 150 X 12,160 YES 07/25 --- 150 X 8,140 07

HOLLOMAN
04IC
04/22 --- 300 X 10,580
22TH

HOMESTEAD 05/23 --- 300 X 11,200 YES

i

HOWARD 18/36 --- 150 X 8,500 11111111

HURLBURT 17/35 --- 150 X 9,600 YES

LANGLEY 07/25 --- 150 X 10,000 YES 17/35 --- 150 X 5,840 YES

LUKE 03L/21R --- 150 X 10,000 1 YES 03R/21L --- 150 X 9,910 YES
11111

MACDILL 04/22 --- 500 X 11,420 IC

MOODY 18R/36L --- 150 X 8,000 YES 18L/36R --- 150 X 8,000 YES

MT HOME 12/30 --- 200 X 13,500

MYRTLE BEACH 17/35 --- 150 X 9,500

1111111111

NELLIS 03R/21L --- 150 X 10,050 IC 03L/21R --- 200 X 10,120 I IC

SEYMOUR JOHNSON 08/26 --- 300 X 11,760 1111111111 IC

SHAW 04L/22R --- 150 X 10,000 IC 04R/22L --- 150 X 8,000 TH

950 Ft Runout MEM 1200 Ft Runout TH - Tailhook Only IC - MA-1/BAK-9 Interconnect

111111111111111111
ating envelope?", it may be of interest to first say Temperature changes cause variations in engine
what this envelope is not. It is not exclusively a speed and airflow. These changes are effec-
simple line perimeter on a graphical plot of altitude tively offset by scheduling engine speed, variable
versus flight Mach number. This oversimplified def- stators, and acceleration fuel flow as a function
inition exists only in the engine model specification of T2 to maintain relatively constant corrected
and in the pilot's handbook for one-G flight. This engine parameters.
one-G perimeter is made as large as possible to pro- Altitude and Mach number both influence engine
vide maximum utility of the weapons system within inlet temperature and pressure. As noted above,
operating limits. Some of these limits are depicted inlet temperature changes are offset by the
on the envelope in the illustration. engine control schedules. The same is true for
These limits usually create little problem for the inlet pressure. This is accomplished by sched-
pilot since they are defined in terms of altitude and uling engine afterburner fuel flow and transient
Mach number (or airspeed), standard flight para- main fuel flow as a function of compressor dis-
meters readily available to and continuously moni- charge pressure which is directly affected by
tored by the pilot. However, a significant percent- inlet pressure.
age of flight time is spent at other than one-G condi- 4. Is the envelope as portrayed in the pilot's
tions where additional limits effectively reduce the operating handbook for a one-G altitude or is
flight envelope. These limits are not so readily mon- that only the left - hand margin?
itored by the pilot. The one-G designation applies to the entire
The most notable example of this type of limit is flight envelope. The parameter most greatly
inlet distortion. This compressor stall limit can be affected by operation beyogiliacie G is inlet dis-
reached at many combinations of aircraft angle of tortion.
attack (AOA), sideslip, yaw, altitude, airspeed, cor- 5. Why eigione engine operate outside the enve-
rected engine speed, bypass and bellmouth set- lope Mtn another may not?
tings, Reynold's Numbers, and hot gas ingestion. Assuming this refers to the low airspeed enve-
Compressor stall margin is further reduced during lope boundary, the answer is normal variation
transient acceleration on the MFC acceleration fuel in aircraft inlet distortion and engine stall margin.
schedule. This multitude of variables makes it These normal variations comprise a stack-up of
virtually impossible to establish a simple limit. tolerances on bellmouth schedule setting, by-
The airframer establishes maneuver limits aimed pass door position, compressor stall margin,
primarily at avoiding departure from controlled acceleration fuel schedule, etc.
flight. Difficulty occurs when the aircraft can ma- 6. What happens inside an engine in flight when it is
neuver to higher levels of inlet distortion than can be starved of air?
tolerated by the engine. This can result in com- Fuel-air ratios increase. Combustor may blow
pressor stall, sometimes accompanied by engine out. Compressor discharge pressure decreases.
flameout. This leads to handbook warnings regard- Inlet distortion increases. Compressor may stall.
ing possible stall-flameout at high AOA's, etc. From This is particularly true if the airflow is restricted
this discussion, it can be seen that the "flight by reduction in aircraft inlet capture area caused
envelope" can be influenced by a variety of factors by maneuver where the inlet is partially "blocked
beyond altitude and Mach number: out".

1. What is an envelope? hope the foregoing has helped you under-

I

Aircraft and engine constraints which limit stand some of the problems in defining what
operation to a flight region within the pre- constitutes the operating envelope. Probably the
scribed envelope perimeter. most significant point of the whole article is that
2. What does it represent? inlet distortion is the number-one cause of ab-
Low airspeed-no engine limit so long as air- normal engine operation. As we said before, high
craft inlet distortion is maintained at acceptable AOA and yaw or sideslip can easily lead to a
levels. compressor stall. Do your best to fly the aircraft
High airspeed, high altitude-T2 limit on engine within reasonable parameters and the engine
inlet components (front frame, T2 sensor, etc.).
should operate properly. However, since the en-
High airspeed, low altitude-High "Q" combus-
tor blowout and tailpipe pressure limits. velope is difficult to properly define, any indica-
High altitude-afterburner and main engine tion of abnormal operation should be cause for
combustor blowout. Overspeed and overtem- an expeditious RTB. Don't assume you flew the
perature at MFC minimum fuel flow setting. engine out of the envelope. You don't have the
3. What are the effects of temperature, altitude, and expertise to determine whether you did or not.
Mach numbers on the engine/envelope? Keep 'em flying.

TAC ATTACK 19
 ...interest items,
mishaps with
Tac tips
morals, for the
TAC aircrewman
Ours is the age which is proud of machines
that think, and suspicious of men who try to.
H. Mumford Jones
WHOA, AN SAY,
WNW

For those of you who labor under the delusion Aircraft touchdown was normal, 1,000 feet
that the Mark III Anti-Skid System (otherwise from runway threshold, and the tire marks did
known as TCTO 1062) has solved all the F-4 not indicate any problems at that time. Ap-
brake problems, please read on .... proximately 1,000 feet later, the right main tire
In PACAF recently, a Mark III equipped F-4D began a heavy skid and failed 350 feet later.
was returning from a routine exercise mission. Marks following the blowout indicated the
On touchdown, the backseater checked for good wheel was turning. About 1,300 feet later, the
chute deployment and noticed smoke blowing left main tire also started a light skid, followed
over the right wing. The aircraft started tracking by a heavy skid, and then blew out.
right, so the pilot engaged nose gear steering Because maintenance troubleshooting could
and used the paddle switch to disengage the not determine the cause of the right main tire
anti-skid. By this time, the aircraft was pulling going into a skid, a materiel deficiency report
violently right, so left rudder was applied. The (MDR) was submitted on the anti-skid control
aircraft did a hard left turn and tracked toward box.
the left side of the runway. Although the con- The new Mark III anti-skid system is a heck of
trols were reversed, the left,main gear departed a lot better than the Mark II syStem -- but don't
the runway as the nose of the aircraft arced let it lull you into a false sense of security. The
back to the right. The left main tire remained off system can, and has, failed, so know the emer-
the runway for about 400 feet. The aircraft was gency procedures and be prepared for the
finally brought to a stop on the hard surface. worst. Who knows what evil lurks

20 JANUARY 1978
LOOK OUT BELOW ... zone for an instrument approach is well down
the runway from the VFR touchdown zone. and
Whenever cock pit FOD is discovered . usually it's very easy to get in a high-sink rate from
during extension maneuvers. stab aug checks. which you will be unable to recover if you try to
etc .. the initial reaction is to capture same and achieve the normal VFR glide path. The best so-
return it to a more secure place. At times . this lution to the whole problem is to fly the instru-
initial reaction may be inappropriate . Consider ment approach glide path to touchdown if
the following : you're executing an instrument approach.
On the second leg of a 1 00 foot low-level . Besides being safer -- it's also less expensive .
wh ile executing a negative G maneuver over a
ridge . the pilot was distracted by a control lock
device which floated to the top of the canopy. DOWN WHERE THE GOPHERS PlAY
The pilot reached for the device and apparently
diverted his attention inside the cockpit long Flying at low altitude can be fun . However.
enough for the aircraft to descend below tree- due to the unforgiving nature of your average
top level. The aircraft impacted trees about 10 rock. tree. or other earthly outcropping . it can
feet below the tops (according to pilot) . He exe- also be a tad hazardous to your health -- and to
cuted an immediate ma x- G pull and recovered the structural integrity of your basic aerospace
from the trees. The pilot was unhurt and the air- vehicle . Two recent mishaps prove this point ... .
craft recovered at home statio n without further The first occurred to an F-1 OOF . The Hun was
incident . Estimated damage was $8.000 . number two in a flight of two on a 1 00-foot low
Every individual desires to increase his "visi - level checkout flight. The aircraft was flying
bility ." Th is. however. is not one of the recom- chase on the lead aircraft. and while maneuver-
mended methods . ing over a ridge line. struck a tree with the right
wing and right fuel tank. Fortunately. the aircraft
was flyable and landed OK .
THUD SCRAPES TAll The second mishap happened to an A-1 0
A recent F- 105F incident demonstrated. once which was maneuvering for a gun pass on a
again. the hazards involved during the transition ground target. During a 5-G wings-level pull-up
from an instrument approach to a visual landing . through a small valley to clea r a ridge line. the
The mission was an instrument/ proficiency pilot heard a loud pop and observed a bright
check being conducted during a unit inspection. orange flash. The outside glass panel of the
An FE was in the front seat and the checkee in cente r windscreen had a horizontal break
the rear . Everything was SOP until the final GCA between the two vertical frames. approximately
which was to terminate in a full-stop landing . At 12 inches from the base of the windscreen . Nu-
approximately one-half mile. with the aircraft on merous other cracks originated from the hori-
glide path and slightly right of centerline . the zontal break. running from the top to the bottom
jock in the rear cockpit transferred control of the of the windscreen . The pilot terminated the
aircraft to the FE in the front seat. The FE initially mission and landed .
reduced power. banked left to align the aircraft What happened? The jock flew into an electrical
with the runway and lowered the nose of the power cable which first con tacted the nose of
Thud in order to accomplish a landing in the the aircraft just forward of the air refueling
VFR touchdown zone. As he raised the nose of slipway door . The cable then slid aft towards the
the aircraft to establish the landing attitude. the front windscreen where it struck the protruding
aircraft entered a nose-high sink rate . Although rain removal duct. jumped the duct. and struck
the pilot applied more aft stick and full military the windscreen where the break occurred.
power. the aircraft contacted the runway aft sec - The Army had provided the A- 10 driver with a
tion first . The Thud bounced and remained air- map plot depicting electrical wires and cables
borne as a go-around was initiated . The gear in the target area . Unfortunately. this cable was
was left down. and the aircraft landed from a not depicted .
straight-in approach . Cost? $7 .362 .79 . As you can see. flying among the gophers isn 't
" Ducking " under GCA glide path to establish a easy. Even if you've planned the mission well .
normal VFR final approach and landing has led someone or something may foul it up -- sounds
to many an unhappy ending. The touchdown like what could happend in combat. doesn 't it?

TAC ATIACK 21
 Why get

(hildren sometimes have to touch a stove pilot who always has to prove himself flying
before they learn that it's hot. Unfortunately. pi- lower. faster . farther . and pulling more Gs than
lots sometimes also get burned needlessly. anyone else. The moment of truth came one day
Learning doesn 't have to come that hard for on a close air support mission in support of an
professionals. Safety is given high priority in the Army exercise . Buzz bragged to his crew chief
Air Force . Even if you ignore the flying safety about getting down in the mud and picking off
meetings . accident reports. bulletin boards . the " Grunts ." On his third mission . a ground FAC
safety magazines. and countless other accident called an air strike against a tank hidden along a
prevention materials. there is another source of ridge line . Buzz ordered his wingman to orbit
information that is often oveN.ooked . That source high while he bent his aircraft around for a slic-
is the harrowing experiences of other pilots . ing low-angle bomb pass . Little things like de-
These occur more frequently than many realize livery parameters. dive angles . airspeed . or
and are often not reportable. altitude didn 't enter Buzz's mind . As it turned
A case in point occurred with an over zealous out. altitude available was almost exactly the
pilot we 'll call Captain Buzz. Buzz is the type sam·e as altitude required. and Buzz missed the

22 JANUARY 1978
 By Maj E. E. "Gene" McVay
188 TFG/Chief of Safety
Ebbing ANGB, AR

burned?

ground by only inches . Earth . trees . and tanks what had just happened . The expression on
went flashing by faster and closer than Buzz Buzz's face told the whole story as the crew
could ever have imagined . The pucker factor had chief came out from under the aircraft carrying
reached an all-time high as he maneuvered his the limb.
craft skyward again . Buzz's wingman had seen Buzz is now a new man . He understands and
the shadow and aircraft merge and the cloud of preas;hes abort parameters. He does his job as
dust kicked up as it almost impacted the ground . well as he ever did but not as recklessly as
Buzz's whole life flashed before his eyes. and he before.
saw ghost riders in the sky; but he made, it. No It's not necessary for pilots to come that close
accident investigation this time . The commander to disaster to learn. Next time you 're briefed on
and chaplain were spared the unpleasant duty of an accident or a fellow flyer tells you of his har-
notifying the next of kin . rowing experience. listen and learn . Ask some of
There was a long silence on the radio as the the more experienced pilots about their mistakes
flight returned to base. Buzz's crew chief had cut and profit from them . It is far better to touch the
a tree limb as a joke. although he didn 't know stove by proxy. ___:::....

TACATIACK 23
 WHAT IS A

WEAPON'S CONTROLLER?
By Capt Stephen D. Gray ing to resolve a problem . A great deal of
AF Advisor responsibility for men and equipment rests in
109 TCF/ANG his hands .
Utah ANGB, UT It's a job for those who can hack it. You have
to be able to handle 25 to 30 aircraft at any
given time . keeping them clear of one another.
weather. and the enemy. You will have to control
four cells of three KC-135s and eight to ten
oh. didn't you know. it's a person who handles flights of fighters and make sure that each flight
M-16s. bullets. and bazookas . Unfortunately for gets on the right tanker. This can happen in as
me . who is &ne of them thar critters . I get this little time as 7 minutes from initial fighter che c k-
from not only friends and neighbors . but also in to boom "contact" and in an area 20 by 100
from fellow Air Force personnel. Let's set the miles . For pure excitement. nothing beats trying
record straight so I can get some sleep at night . to direct a flamed-out F-4 to a descending
"Weapons" stands for aircraft from which tanker and get the gas going before the
weapons are dispensed. be it aircraft droppings altimeter reads zero .
or high velocity snout fired projectiles . " Control" Imagine the feeling of helplessness when
is the actual direction-giving process. needed to you 're talking to an OV-1 0 Forward Air Con-
place the aircraft in the right place at the right troller who is trying to use his rockets and mini -
time . In plain language. a Weapon's Controller gun to hold down 3.000 enemy troops sur-
directs the aircraft to a designated point to : hit a rounding a friendly compound of 120 men and
ground target. join up with a Forward Air Con- a typhoon has forced a move in fighter opera-
troller. receive gas from a tanker. or shoot down tions . You search half a continent trying to find
an enemy aircraft. any aircraft with ordnance that can make it; for .
He accomplishes these tasks by use of radar in this case. you don 't care if the bombs come
and radio communications. His job requires from Air Force or Navy or whatever.
knowledge of: aircraft and their associated When it's finally over and the FAC got shot
weapons capabilities; defensive and offensive down; and you 've coordinated the Navy strike
tactics and options ; intelligence evaluation. and Army choppers in to pick up the crew in the
reporting . and dissemination; refueling opera- paddies . you feel it's worth the frustration and
tions; air route traffic control procedures; air- thanklessness of being a controller. especially
space management and handoff procedures; when 108 of the 120 friend lies made it through
search and rescue operations; and most im- the night .
portant. how to treat an ulcer (our civilian coun- I'm not saying that we are indispensable in
terparts. the FAA controllers have the highest in- any situation. However. I would hate to be in the
cidence of ulcers in any profession) . fighter trying to do the job all on my own --
The controller keeps the pilot informed of any think about it . So. the next time you complete all
incoming enemy aircraft and artillery and missile your intercepts "mike alpha" -- just give us a
threats while performing his other functions. He word of thanks as you're checking out -- it'll do
must be capable of instantaneous decision-mak- a world of good . ~

24 JANUARY 1978
 r4 Emergency Situation Training

1111 - Old ../

/Ailligrat"---)11111' ' -

- voW--""w''="""1-=':
"=1117
--' 0Jarnes BrOWn 1877

By Capt Pete Abler

single-engine landing. While you're attempting
SITUATION: You're number two on a ground at- to burn down gas, you notice that the aircraft
tack training mission. During takeoff, as you will not maintain level flight and airspeed 10°1°11
terminate afterburner, you hear a muffled "bang" without afterburner. (Which is to be expected if
and observe high EGT on the number-one you are at high gross weight on a hot day or if
engine. Number three reports that you have there are other problems.) You have two
flames coming out of your left tailpipe. What are choices: (1) Reduce gross weight immediately
you going to do? by jettisoning the external tanks and dumping
OPTIONS: A. Zoom the aircraft and prepare to internal wing fuel. (2) Burning the gas down
eject. until the externals are dry and then dumping the
B. Shut down the engine and at- internal wings. In either case, you must have the
tempt an immediate airstart. external tanks dry before you dump internal
C. Reselect afterburner to insure wing fuel to keep the CG in an acceptable posi-
you remain airborne. tion. As you accomplish the second step of the
D. Shut down the left engine, single-engine landing checklist, you notice that
reduce gross weight and land. the right engine ramp is extended, and so is the
DISCUSSION: Option A is OK if you're faint of left one. This was probably the cause of your
heart and convinced that everything else is go- compressor stall on the left engine and also the
ing to quit in the next 10 seconds, which is not reason that you couldn't maintain level flight on
very likely. Besides, you're safely airborne and one engine without the afterburner. You might
presumably still climbing, so forget this option try cycling the ramp control circuit breakers, G6
for now. However, do continue your climb to a & G7, number two panel, in an attempt to close
safe ejection altitude. Shutting down the engine the ramps. However, if the CADC is the source
is OK, but do you need an immediate airstart? of the malfunction, this action will not work. In
Probably not -- even if you are an ex-Thud making up your mind as to how soon you have
driver. You need to concentrate more on flying to land, you have to consider the electrical
the aircraft at this point anyway, so Option B is system, i.e., if the Bus Tie should open, what
out. As for Option C, reselecting AB will most would your next move be? Getting back to
likely only aggravate your problem. Also, since basics, your problem is to safely and expedi-
you terminated AB to begin with, would
I tiously get the aircraft back on the ground. Only
assume you had flying airspeed and were climb- you can decide if you'll jettison the tanks and
ing safely when all this began. By process of land immediately, or if conditions allow you to
elimination (and since we always seem to put burn down fuel. Keep the SOF current on the
the correct answer last), you discover that Op- situation. He can.provide the information you will
tion D must be right. With the bang, high EGT, need to make your decisions.
and flames (even though you don't have a fire It would be wise to make a mental note to
light), you are probably obligated to shut the check the ramps whenever you have an engine
engine down. You could try bringing the engine malfunction, especially if the aircraft doesn't
to idle before shutting it down as in the case of seem to have the thrust it should. Most likely,
a fire or overheat light. Remember though, you the ramps or a nozzle has failed. In either case,
do have definite flames and engine shutdown is it would be nice to know what's wrong so you
probably your best option. Having done that, don't fly yourself into a situation where you don't
you are now single-engine and preparing for a have enough thrust to recover. -----
 ... iltddeltu urJ U£Udeittait
(J)iif£ a fltailtttMAU da~tt.

THINGS THAT GO BANG IN THE NIGHT

chock talk A combination of factors and errors led to 16
days in the hospital for a weapons loading crew
chief ....
Four men reported for duty on the swing
A REAL BLAST shift and received all required briefings . Two
An airman was completing the purging opera - hours later. the number-three man was released
tion on a T-38 LOX system . using a multipur- to go to the hospital. At 0230 . the undermanned
pose double-tank oxygen cart. The cart was crew was in the process of loading its fourth air-
equipped with two dual-reading type gauges craft. The number two and four man were load-
(Fig 1 ). The inside scale was for cubic feet of ing a SUU-20. while the crew chief proceeded
oxygen while the outer scale was for PSI. The to the TER by himself. The crew chief stated that
tech order called for 80 - 100 PSI pressure for the the BDU-33 safety pin felt loose during loading
operation. The airman adjusted the left gauge to of station number three . He heard a click and
a reading on the inside scale of 90 . equalling an assumed the bomb rack was locked but did not
actual pressure of 830 ' PSI. The LOX converter use the positive locking tool . While he was
ruptured sending the top half through the upper reaching for a TER bomb rack safety pin. the
forward aircraft skin . bomb fell. glancing off the toe of his right foot
The outer scale on the gauge didn't have any and impacting the ramp . In his attempt to catch
indication that it was for PSI. The unit's correc- the bomb. his left hand was in the immediate
tive action was to replace these gauges with a 0 vicinity of the bomb tail when it impacted the
- 500 PSI reading gauge. An examination of ramp . For an undetermined reason . the BDU-33
your unit's gaseous oxygen equipment might re - safety device was not installed . allowing the
veal similar gauges . Replacement of the gauges . spotting charge to function as designed . The
and detailed training of environmental systems crew chief suffered burns. lacerations. and fra c-
personnel should preclude recurrence of this tures to his left hand ; and his field jacket caught
type of incident. especially where a requirement on fire .
for relatively high pressure oxygen doesn't exist. Proper preparation and loading checklists
were available but not used . The wing changed
its procedures and will now only use underman-
ned crews for loading during mission-essential
situations when full crews are not available . I'm
certain members of this crew will pay much
closer attention to tech data and details .

JP-'1 STATIC ElECTRICITY HAZARDS

During the winter months of last year. TAC
experienced a number of JP-4 flash fires in air-
craft and grou nd equipment. The cause of these
fires has been identified as static electricity dis-
charging from the fuel to the surrounding metal
objects inside the tanks.
Atmospheric conditions that are most con-
ducive to cause ignition are low relative hu-
midity and low air temperatures . Although this

JANUARY 1978
problem has always been with us. the addition involved in fueling operations should be made
of polyurethane foam combined with the loca - aware of this hazard. It is particularly critical
tion of fuel outlet nozzles in the fuel tanks have during air temperatures between plus 15 and
compounded the problem. Aircraft which seem plus 40 degrees fahrenheit when low humidity
to be the most susceptible are the F-1 050/F. conditions exist.
the A-1 0. and UH-1 helicopter. For F-1 050/F units not involved in the addi-
AFSC has a combined command study in be- tive test program. it is recommended that refuel-
ing to resolve the problem . One possible solu- ing be accomplished at 20 - 25 PSI during
tion is a fuel additive which raises the conduc- winter months when mission workload permits .
tivity of the fuel allowing the static charge to This can be accomplished by cont roll ing the
bleed off. A field test program of additives is pump speed with the engine throttle while moni-
presently being conducted at Carswell. Davis toring the pressure gauge on the refueler con-
Monthan. Griffis. McChord. Mt Home. Myrtle trol panel
Beach. Nellis. and Travis AFBs. The fuel additive By next summer. the additive test program will
appears to be the only promising solution . be completed and we should have an Air Force-
Those bases not involved in the additive test wide solution accomplished prior to the fall
program will be more susceptible to fuel tank months of 1978.
fires during the coming months. All personnel

HOW NOT TO HANG A BAGGAGE POD- point aligned with a hole in the pylon and ap-
CHAPTER 217 peared to be properly hung except for a 2"
ove rhang to the rear (Fig 1) which obviously
After takeoff. on its first leg of a cross-country. went unnoticed by maintenance and the aircrew.
an F-40 experienced an unsafe indication on Another clue was provided but went unheeded:
the right main landing gear. A chase aircraft the front sway braces had to be tightened all the
confirmed that the right main gear was not fully way. while the rear braces had one inch of
retracted . As the gear was lowered. the forward thread still showing . F1gure 1 shows the
section of the travel pod fell off; the remainder overhang on the pod directly in line with the
of the pod lodged against the leading edge of gear doors -- after takeoff. when the gear is
the wing . external tank and landing gear . The raised. the wheel hits the pod and usually jams
pod fell off the aircraft during landing. short of full retraction . The danger to personnel
Postflight analysis revealed -- you guessed it . on the ground should the entire pod fall off the
The pod had been improperly hung . The for - aircraft is obvious . So is the chance of losing an
ward attaching point was connected to the rear aircraft over a small item. A lot of people had a
mounting lug of the pylon . The rear attaching chance to catch this one ... but no one did.

Figure 1 Figure 2

POD LOADED INCORRECTLY POD LOADED CORRECTLY

TAC ATTACK 27
 TAC
SAFETY AWARDS

Individual Safety Award

Airman First Class Bernard C. Gontko, 347th
Munitions Maintenance Squadron, 347th Tactical
Fighter Wing, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia,
has been selected to receive the Tactical Air
Command Individual Safety Award for this
month. Airman Gontko will receive a desk set
and letter of appreciation from the Vice Com-
mander, Tactical Air Command.

Al C Bernard C. Gontko

Crew Chief Safety Awar

Sergeant Preston W. Beach, 354th Organiza-
tional Maintenance Squadron, 354th Tactical
Fighter Wing, Myrtle Beach Air Force Base,
South Carolina, has been selected to receive the
Tactical Air Command Crew Chief Safety Award
for this month. Sergeant Beach will receive a
desk set and letter of appreciation from the Vice
Commander, Tactical Air Command.

28 JANUARY 1978
 Letters

Bob
The reason NA TOPS procedures differ from
USAF procedures is your Corsairs are equipped with
a CAT launch bar on the nose gear. The particular
incident you witnessed which resulted in a nose gear
up landing most likely resulted from a malfunction
of the CAT launch bar. The bar did not retract when
the wheels were raised, and the nose gear doors
closed on the bar. This could break the gear door ac-
tuators allowing them to flail around and foul up the
uplock mechanism.
Our A-7Ds don't have the launch bar. So we'll
stick with Option "D."
ED

Editor

In reference to the article, "Flying the E-3A," in

the Nov 77 issue ofT AC ATTACK, I wonder if Maj
Tagnesi has ever flown with a professional flight
engineer from the quote other command unquote. I
think if he does a little research he will probably find
tl Stan Hardison, 1977 that his T AC-trained engineers were really once in
MAC. They have probably flown C-124s, C-14ls, or
C-5s. I believe the remark about wiping his mouth
on his sleeve belittles the finest people in the Air
Force, MAC flight engineers.
Editor I see from his profile that he has flown with SAC
gunners and T AC flight mechanics but not with the
Re your article, entitled "Emergency Situation best. I flew with MAC for 12 years for over 6,000
Training-- A-7," in the September issue of TAC AT- hours. I am now a maintenance supervisor with an
TACK. It has been our experience in the Navy A-7 F-4 TFW, as are two other ex-MAC engineers; and
community that cycling the landing gear in an at- I'm junior to them, as they have over 12,000 hours
tempt to obtain an up-and-locked indication can and over 20 years in MAC. Maybe the Major should
compound the problem. If the unsafe up indication drive 100 miles southwest to Altus AFB, OK, and
is due to an uplock malfunction or misrigging, there observe the University of MAC train real
exists a distinct possibility that upon recycling, the professionals before he makes slurs again.
uplock mechanism will break and that particular
gear will become stuck in the up position. SMS Arthur M. Fowler
I have personally witnessed such an "incident," 31 OMS j MAOF
Homestead AFB, FL
and the flight terminated in a nose gear up landing.
In recognition of the hazard, our NATOPS manual
now instructs us not to recycle our landing gear in
the event of an unsafe up indication but to lower the
"Men will confess to treason, murder, arson, false
gear and land. Therefore, the Navy as well as the teeth, or a wig. How many of them will own up to a
lack of humor? "
Reserves will go with Option "B."
I enjoy T AC ATTACK and find many of your Colby
articles relevant to our community. Keep up the Sarge
good work!
Major Tagnesi's tongue-in-cheek style of writing
Lt Robert C. Rubel was a refreshing way to maintain reader interest and
Attack Sq 174 was not meant to slur anyone ... but try as we may,
NAS Cecil Fld, FL it's impossible to please all of our 180,000 readers.

TACATIACK 29
 Editor

LETTERS Your November article, entitled "TAC

Professionals," contained an account of the Thud
with control problems. The calm, cool manner in
which the aircrew safely landed was truly
inter-command jesting promotes healthy competi- professional; but there is another lesson to be
tion. We in TAC know we are the best. As for those learned here: Why did they continue the takeoff past
who are in MAC... well, if the spoon fits .... liftoff speed? If the aircraft had never gotten air-
borne, total loss of the Thud would have resulted,
ED along with possible injury to the crew.
Aircrews should be prepared to immediately deal
with go/no-go situations, as getting airborne can
In an effort to promote harmony with our sister service, and often compound the crisis.
to help you understand APPROACH magazine, we humbly offer
the following ...
Thank you for an excellent magazine. We in the
A6E community enjoy it very much.
AIR FORCE NAVY
Lt Jeff Coffey
at6rt General Quarters
Approach End Engagement Short Field Arrestment Attack Sq 196
Assignment Billet NAS Whidbey Island, WA
Barrier Engagement Long Field Arrestment
Bold Face No Navy Equivalent
Bounce Bolter Jeff
Broad Broad
Cable Pendant We agree that aircrews should be prepared to im-
Class 26 Strike
J,Controlled Crash Normal Carrier Touchdo mediately deal with golno-go situations. However, it
Crew Chief Plane Captain must be the aircrew's decision, based upon a large
. Dash One NATOPS amount of variables, whether to abort or to get air-
:Divert Bingo
: Element Section borne. There are circumstances where staying on the
'Field Grade Weather Commander's Moon ground may prove more hazardous than getting air-
, Flight Commander

I
Division
' FNG Nugget (Ensign)
borne. Again, it's up to the crew; but they should
FS0 ASO make their decision prior to taking the active -- it's
*.. GIB RIO no time for mental debate when the concrete avail-
Go Around Wave Off
Many Motor Puke Many Motor Puke able is rapidly diminishing.
Non-Rated Blackshoe ED
RAT EPP
Rated Pilot
4 Ship Division
Short Runway (6,000') Short Runway (600')
SOF ODO
Stan Eval Natops Check
TFS VA Squadron
TFTS Rag Squadron
TFTW RAG
Pass it on.. 9 people are waiting
Touch and Go Bounce
Transition Tng F AM Stage
U PT Flight Training
USAFA Boat School
Wing Commander CAG

It has come to our attention that the Novembe

1977 Thanksgiving Centerspread offended some o_
our native born American readers. It certainly was'
not our intention to defame anyone. To those indi-
viduals, and any others who may have been of-
fended, we offer our apologies.

30 JANUARY 1978
 TAl:
TALLY NOV
lAC
thru NOV
1977 1976
NOV
ANG
thru NOV
1977 1976
NOV
AFR
tbru NOV
1977 1976
MAJOR ACFT. ACCIDENTS ..... 1 25 30 3 12 9 0 1 2
AIRCREW FATALITIES ..... 2 28 15 3 6 5 0 0 1
TOTAL EJECTIONS ..... 0· 21 24 2 J1 5 0 1 1
SUCCESSFUL EJECTIONS ..... 0 16 18 1 7 5 0 1 0

lAC'S TOP HS" thru NOVEMBER

lAC FTR/RECCE lAC GAINED FTR/RECCE lAC/GAINED Other Units
class A mishap free months class A mishap free months class A mishap free months
25 4 TFW 68 127 TFW ANG 124 182 TASG ANG
19 474 TFW 34 156 TFG ANG 104 135 TASG ANG
17 56 TFW 23 434 TFW AFRES 96 507 TAIRCW lAC
14 67 TR:W 23 162 TFTG ANG 93 193 SOG ANG
13 35 . TFW 20 131 TFW ANG 85 110 TASG ANG

CLASS A MISHAP COMPARISON RATE 76/77

(BASED ON ACCIDENTS PER 100,000 HOURS FlYING TIME)
16 2.9 8.& 9.0 7.3 8.0 8.1 &.9 &.8 7.5 8.1 7.4 7.0
lAC 77 0.0 5.3 5.8 5.4 5.1 5.0 5.6 5.2 5.9 5.6 5.3
1& 10.5 5.0 &.5 4.8 3.8 3.9 3.4 3.5 3.7 3.9 4.0 4.1
ANG 77 0.0 3.1 1.9 5.7 4.4 5.4 5.4 5.3 5.3 4.8 5.8
7& 0.0 0.0 11.3 8.1 6.1 5.0 4.2 7.2 &.4 5.7 5.3 7.3
AFRES 77 0.0 0.0 10.1 7.4 5.8 4.7 4.0 3.4 3.0 . 2.7 2.5
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JON JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC _

"(:( U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1977-735-07 4/ 8

8/G DEAL. I GOT MORE TIME AT SO FEET
THAN THAT TURKEY'S GOT IN
THE AIR FORCE I