TAC Attack

JUn£ 1982

..

..
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 Angle of Attack

We are getting into the heart of boating season . a quirk in the F-16 that we need to be aware of if we're
Right now, the Coast Guard Auxiliary is having their going to fly the electric jet-or hope to fly it. "How to
National Courtesy Marine Examination Month to pro- Avoid a Blind Date with Terri Firma" applies to those
mote the fact that they'll give your boat a tree safety of us who fly any airplane. The article otters some
inspection. June 6-12th is National Safe Boating good reasons why " legal" minimums shouldn't nec-
Week. And we have a feature article on boating tips essarily be our minimums.
called "Summer Boating Refresher" to help you In the air or on the water, don't press the bad
launch the season . weather. If you have doubts, don't launch. Why make
Most of us haven't dealt directly with the factories a bad day worse. Instead, wait tor a good day and
that make our airplanes. There's a small military make it better. This summer's bound to have plenty of
detachment at the plants to ensure that we get the good days.
quality product we're supposed to get. That's what
" How They Do It at the Factory" is all about. It's a
reminder that quality assurance has to be applied at

R~::fz. USAF
all levels of our operations.
Two articles on flying give us something to think
about. "The Computer Aims to Please" tells us about
Chief of Safety

2
 READINESS IS OUR PROFESSION

GEN W. L. CREECH
COMMANDER
LT GEN THOMAS H. McMULLEN
VICE COMMANDER
Contents
The Computer Aims to Please 4
Aircrew of Distinction 6
Safety Awards 7
How They Do It at the Factory 8
TAG Tips 12
Now What do I do? 15
COL RICHARD K. ELY F-106 16
CHIEF OF SAFETY Summer Boating Refresher 18
Chock Talk 22
MAJ JIM MACKIN Quarterly Safety Awards 25
EDITOR A Blind Date with Terri Firma 26
STAN HARDISON Down to Earth 28
ART EDITOR TAG Tally 31
MARTY DILLER
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
SGT DAVID GARCIA
STAFF ARTIST

TACRP 127-1
TAG Attack is not directive in nature . Recommendations are intended to comply with existing directives. Opinions expressed are
those of the authors and not necessarily the positions of TAC or USAF. Mishap information does not identify the persons , places , or units
involved and may not be construed as incriminating under Article 31 of the USMJ . Photos and artwork are representative and not
necessarily of the aircraft or equipment involved .
Contributions are encouraged , as are comments and criticism. We reserve the right to edit all manuscripts for readability and good
taste. Write the Editor, TAG Attack , HQ TAC/SEPP, Langley AFB, VA 23665; or call AUTOVON 432-3658.
Distribution (FX) is controlled by TAC/SEPP through the PDQ , based on a ratio of 1 copy per 10 persons assigned . For DOD units oth-
er than USAF, there is no fixed ratio ; requests will be considered individually.
Subscriptions are available from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington , D.C. 20402 . Price:
$14.00 domestic, $17 .50 foreign per year. Single issues can be purchased for $2 .50 domestic and $3.15 foreign . All correspondence on
subscription service should be directed to the superintendent, not to TAC/SEPP .
Authority to publish this periodical automatically expires on 26 Oct 1983 unless approval to continue is given before that date.
TAG Attack (USPS 531-170) is published monthly by HQ TAC/SEPP, Langley AFB, VA. Second Class postage paid at Richmond,
VA.
POSTMASTER Send address changes to TAG Attack , TAC/SEPP, Langley AFB r VA 23665.
VOLUME 22 NUMBER 6
 The computer aims to please

are overriden by the flight control ·computer (FLCC) is

in the landing rollout. Block 10 and previous aircraft
show a tendency for the nose to rise with no add ition-
al input required by the pilot when the weight-on-
wheels (WOW) switch mates . This action cuts out the
angle-of-attack (AOA) input to the computer and
By Major Bill Powley results in a slight pitch up of about 2 degrees. If
PACAF Flight Safety maximum aero braking is being held at 13 deg rees
AOA. this could result in an overshoot of 15 degrees
AOA, damaging the engine nozzle and speed-
Imagine, if you will , that you have just parked your brakes. All of this is without any pilot input on the
Fox 4 or Alpha 7 in the stall for the last time . You stick. As a matter of fact , the pilot may have to take
saunter up to the bar just in case your buddies would action to prevent the computer from allowing this
like to talk about your new assignment-the F-16 pitch up to occur.
" Electric Jet." You really feel good. You know that all This situation is corrected in Block 15 aircraft by a
the experience you have gained in conventional software change that fades out the AOA input when
(now to be forever known as " non-electric") aircraft the WOW switch mates rather than allowing an
will be used to great advantage with the superior immediate AOA cutout . During AOA fade-out , the tail
performance and handling qualities of the F-16. Not gradually moves to the null (neutral) position.
so fast, G/. Only 98 percent of that experience can be Another not-so-obvious situation when the pilot
used . The other 2 percent will not "compute ." This is input is changed by the computer is during a nose-
most obvious during takeoff and landing while the down command when the aircraft is on the runway
aircraft is on the runway. The pitch input made by the and the weight is off the main gear. This may seem
pilot in some cases only " initiates" a sequence; it like an unusual situation to be in , but experience to
does not tell the whole story. date shows that two mishaps are related to this type
The most obvious situation where pilot stick inputs of maneuver. Fortunately both pilots walked away.

4 JUNE 1982
 on a hot landing, where the nose gear was lowered
and held on the runway immediately after touch-
down. In each case, the nose gear tire blew out.
Here's a simplified version of what happens. A Consider landing in a high crosswind where the
slight (two pounds of pressure) nose-down input on approach speed may be a little above normal to
the runway is correctly interpreted 'by the computer account for gusts and the like. The Dash One says,
as a fly-down command . At airspeeds above 100 "If the crosswind is significant, fly the nosewheel to
knots (depending on gross weight) there is sufficient the runway immediately after touchdown. " Here a
lift on the tail to reduce the weight on the main great big red warning flag should go up in you r mind
landing gear enough to put the FLCC in the airborne that says, "DO NOT APPLY NOSE DOWN PRES-
mode of operation. Trying its best to please the pilot, SURE TO HOLD THE NOSE GEAR FIRMLY ON THE
the computer senses the aircraft is not doing what RUNWAY." The choice of words "fly the nosewheel"
the pilot wants, which is really not to fly down but to in the Dash One is critical. (As a matter of fact,
stay on the runway. Not knowing the difference, takeoffs at higher than computed speeds have
however, the computer commands more nose-down shown that the nosewheel will stay on the runway
slab authority without any additional input by the without any stick input. You have to pull back to get it
pilot. This process continues until the computer has off the runway.) You don't hamfist the F-16 in the
commanded full nose-down slab authority (full hori- landing pattern. You use your kid gloves. And you fly
zontal tail trailing edge down). it just where you want it (not stop-to-stop) all the way
At the higher airspeeds this gets very sporty. You to turnoff.
are now in command of a 17,000 pound wheelbar- The old axiom that the mission is not over until
row. Flying the F-16 on the nose gear only is not a you're at the bar is still true for the F-16. An additional
recommended procedure. axiom, though, for the responsive electric jet is that
The point to remember is that there is enough the flight is not over until you are at least 50 feet away
stabilator authority at high airspeed to lift the two from the aircraft. (The flight starts, therefore, whenev-
main gear off the runway with the only pilot input er you approach within 50 feet.) The air-chine was
being two pounds of forward stick pressure, a seem- built to fly and it does it superbly. In fact, it doesn't
ingly innocuous pilot action . The nose gear tire does want to quit. With the narrow wheelbase and light
not hold up well under these conditions and soon weight of the F-16, you don't get the feeling that
fails . What happens after this depends upon many you've real ly landed and are on terra firma until
variables, but the chain of events is probably not you 're at taxi speed.
going to be pleasant. A few new habit patterns have to be established
Where could this scenario happen? It has already for the electric jet. One is, "What you see isn't always
happened on takeoff, where the aircraft was inten- what you get." Sometimes your computer is not your
tionally held on the ground above takeoff speed, and best friend- but it does aim to please. ___..::::....

TAC ATTACK 5
 Aircrew of Col Richard G. Wheeler 366 TFW Mountain Home AFB ID

Distinctioa
On 14 December 1981, CoL RICHARD C. WHEELER
and CAPT EMMET R. BEEKER Ill were ftying an F 111A
on a local surface-attack training sortie. During a 500-
ft run-In for a pop-up attack, the crew auddeniV eaw
several birds In front of them. They pulled up hflrd. bUf
at least one of the birds hit the nose of the ~
and buckled the radorne. The entire radome shred·
ded and peeled back over the nose of the ~·
The crew continued to pull up to gain altitude for
possible ejection. The stall warning hom eounded,
the left engine rolled back to Idle, and both engine
spike lights carne on.
Colonel Wheeler moved the wings forward ..
C&ptain Beeker selected override on both spike con-
trols to Insure proper spike positioning. The flight lead
was Informed of the situation and asked to rejoin.
he joined, he saw fiberglass strands from the ~
ded radome streaming down the right aide of U.
aircraft. The crew decided to land Immediately ..,...
cause their only good engine was threatened. They
headed directly toward Mountain Home AJr Fcne
Base about 25 miles away, notifying approach~ Capt Emmet R. Beeker III 389 TFTS, 366 TFW Mountain Home AFB ID

and the supervisor of flying of their emergency

The aircrew prepared themselves for the poeaibPJty
that the airplane might yaw when the slats came Qt&
since the damaged beta probe coutd be proVfclng
wrong information. They completed the single eng1rij
checklist, and the aircraft did yaw about 10 ~
left when the slats were extended. The ali"ci'eW
moved the flight control disconnect switch to . . , .
to eliminate the yaw and then lowered the._ end
landing gear without further problems. On ftnel ap-
proach at 300 feet above the ground, the escort
aircraft told them their airspeed was 180 knQta and
started his go-around as Captain Beeker Cf088oo
checked the inertial system's ground speed ...adOUf.
which was the crew's only source of aircraft spaect.
Just then a part of the shredded radome bleCked
Colonel Wheeler's vtew of the runway. He ~
transferred control to Captain Beeker, Who ~
landed the airplane.
The quick reactions, superior systems kno\ltedge,
excellent crew coordination, and prolasaiOnal C011'1p!t-
tence displayed by Colonel Wheeler and C8Pfliln
Beeker prevented the loss of a valuable alrcr8ft and
possibly their own lives. They have earned the T_.
cal Air Command Alrcrew of Distinction Award• ...>
8
 TAC Safety Awards
~"" ~~ Sljetf A•"t
A 1C MARK WEDEMEIER is this month's winner of
the Tactical Air Command Crew Chief Safety Award.
Airman Wedemeier is a member of the 561 st Aircraft
Maintenance Unit, 37th Aircraft Generation Squad-
ron, 37th Tactical Fighter Wing, George Air Force
Base, california. Airman Wedemeier has earned this
award by his alertness on at least two occasions.
On the first, Airman Wedemeier was launching an
F-4G. The preflight inspection had been performed by
the previous shift. Airman Wedemeier and the aircrew
made their walk-around inspection; then the aircrew
entered the cockpit. After strapping the aircrew in,
Airman Wedemeier started down the boarding ladder,
taking one last look around. Just then he noticed that
the canopy interlock block was hanging loose rather
A1C Mark Wedemeier
than attached to the seat. The mission was aborted.
Airman Wedemeier's attention to detail in finding the
loose interlock block possibly prevented an inadver-
tent ejection or ejection through the canopy. made a walk-around. At the very least, he saved the
The following day, Airman Wedemeier was launch- sortie, which would have been grounded for lost-tool
Ing another F-4G. The aircraft had also already been procedures.
prefllghted, but it had required some last-minute Airman Wedemeler is a dedicated professional with
maintenance. Airman Wedemeier found a 10-inch a strong concern for safety. He has earned the
screwdriver inside the auxiliary air door when he Tactical Air Command Crew Chief Safety Award.

SSGr JOSEPH E. WINN is this month's winner of the

Tactical Air Command Individual Safety Award. Ser-
geant Winn is a weapons load crew chief with the
429th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 474th Aircraft Gen-
eration Squadron, 474th Tactical Fighter Wing, Nellis
Air Force Base, Nevada.
Sergeant Winn has a keen eye for unsafe condi-
tions and corrects them on the spot. During end-of-
runway duties, Sergeant Winn's load crew was arm-
ing F-16s before takeoff. Sergeant Winn detected a
cotter pin missing from the striker plate of a BDU-
33018 practice bomb loaded in a SUU-20 bomb
dispenser. He notified the pilot of the explosive and
FOD potential and corrected the problem. Sergeant
Winn's system knowledge and alertness prevented SSgt Joseph E. Wlnn
possible damage to equipment and injury to person-
nel. condition and prevented possible Injury to the people
Another time Sergeant Winn smelled an odor of working In the building.
natural gas in the AMU. He reacted quickly and found Sergeant Winn is competent, enthusiastic, and
a leaking underground gas line. He evacuated per- safety conscious. He sets an outstanding example
sonnel from the area and called civil engineers. His and has earned the Tactical Air Command Individual
quick thinking and direct action stopped a hazardous Safety Award.
TAC ATTACK 7
 how they do it at the factory

When an engine does stall , it really gets your atten-

tion. You think the back of the plane has come
unglued . A very loud bang shakes the whole air-
plane, and it will be followed by a few more bangs if
you don 't get back to MIL power rapidly. But my
closest brush with any type of disaster happened
while flying in an F-18 . I was in the rear cockpit of a
By Capt Gale E. Clouse, Jr. TF model making a departure out of Saint Louis when
we lost the canopy. This was the first time the F-18
(Editor's Note: This is a tri-command article. It's an was tested without the canopy; obviously it was not
interview with Maj George Knirsch of Systems Com- planned . It was quite windy but interesting data was
mand; he is a USAF F-15 acceptance pilot at Detach- gathered , which led to design changes which will
ment 42, Air Force Contract Manufacturing Division prevent that from happening again .
(AFCMD), McDonnell Douglas Corporation, Saint Any other close calls?
Louis, Missouri. The interview was done for TAG Major Knirsch: One of the pilots here at the plant
Attack by Capt Gale E. Clouse, Jr., associate editor had a compressor stall on an F-15 engine after
of the MAC Flyer, Scott AFB, Illinois. The purpose is passing 6,000-7,000 feet . The engine torched off a
to give us a better idea of how the Air Force plant good-sized flame . It was an afterburner blowout
representative's office (AFPRO) can help provide a which caused the engine to stall . It's exciting in the
safer product to us, the users.) cockpit; quite a bit of thrust is lost. He brought the
airplane around and landed without . further prob-
What emergencies have you had during flight lems. We also had an isolated problem with the
acceptance? antiskid which caused blown tires and aircraft depar-
Major Knirsch: The F-15 has been a pretty clean ture from the runway.
machine for me. In the early part of the program, we Could you explain what the AFPRO office does?
had a few engines that stalled . Engine problems Major Knirsch: The purpose of the AFPRO office is
have been the largest number of our flight emergen- to ensure that the government gets a quality product
cies. Since July 1980 that problem has seemed to from the contractor. The purpose of Air Force flight
disappear, however. We're operating now in a rela- operations at the AFPRO is to be the end-line quality
tively stall-free environment with current aircraft. control of the total system . We make sure that all of

8 JUNE 1982
 the rest of the agencies that have spent time and On your A TP, do you fly a standard FCF profile?
money to produce the airframe and components Major Knirsch: It is not quite a standard FCF profile
have done their job properly and that the airplane is in the light of the Dash Six that everyone in the Air
ready for delivery. The AFPRO itself has many differ- Force is accustomed to seeing . Our radar profile is
ent operations. It's not just a flying organization . It the major difference. We fly the aircraft to the Part II
has quite an engineering effort, a very large con- specifications as spelled out in the contract, versus
tracts division , and industrial property and safety. We the particular FCF standards for the airplane. We
all assure the tax dollars are spent wisely. check it in depth a little bit more than what an FCF
Tell us, how is the F-15 put together? will.
Major Knirsch: The main assembly process is done
in three major sections : the cockpit forward fuselage
areas, the main fuselage area, and the tail section of
the aircraft. The major section parts are identified by
aircraft ship number during the process of building
up the aircraft. For example, F-15C number 150 had
its wings, main fuselage, tail section , and forward
fuselage being built all at the same time in different
sections of the main assembly area. As those parts
grow into the shape of an aircraft, they move forward
towards the main production area door. They reach a
splicing area as a complete whole section; there the
main three sections are spliced together. The sys-
tems are checked out to make sure the wiring is
good, and they move out the front door of the
building .
What occurs between the time the F-15 leaves the
assembly line and the acceptance flight?
Major Knirsch: During that time the aircraft moves
through a watershed hangar where the nose section
is subjected to quite a gush of water to make sure the
areas that hold electronic equipment are all water-
tight. Next, the F-15 avionics are installed. After this
black-box installation and checkout, the aircraft is
painted and readied for the flying status. Prior to the
Air Force flying the aircraft, McDonnell Douglas test
pilots fly it on its first airworthiness flight and any
other flights required to assure each of the systems
functionally check in accordance with the accep-
Photo courtesy of McDonnell Douglas
tance criteria. After that, Air Force accepts the air- Corporation
craft in accordance with the same acceptance crite-
ria, rechecking some equipment and checking
anything not accomplished by MCAIR. How do you interface with company flight testing?
After the F-15 is released for flight, what type of Major Knirsch: We interface with the company in
ground checks do you do prior to flight? two ways . We fly dual sorties with them in two-seat
Major Knirsch: The major portion of our ground aircraft whenever we get the chance. And we fly as
checks are basically the same as the F-15 Dash Six support for the company pilots whenever they need
profile . There are no special checks that we do. In us as chase or target. The company pilots also fly as
fact the Dash Six ground checks are modeled much targets for our sorties .
after our acceptance test profile (ATP) . Most of the How many flights does it take to "iron out the
different parts within the airplane are "ATP'd" at the bugs"?
vendor prior to delivery to Saint Louis . We then ATP Major Knirsch: Right now, it's taking a little more
the whole airplane to make sure that all those parts than four flights per aircraft. The norm is to see two
work together properly. company flights and two customer (Air Force) flights .

TAC ATTACK 9
HOW THEY DO IT
AT THE FACTORY
It's not unusual to see the effort down at 3. 7 flights
per aircraft or as high as 4.3. This seems to be the
normal rate for the last 2 years. The company just
about demands two flights out of the aircraft. After
their airworthiness flight where they speed-run the
aircraft out to V MAX, there's very little fuel left to
accomplish the lengthy radar checks that are neces-
sary. If everything works just absolutely perfectly and
a target is available in the right place at the right time,
they will be able to get it in one flight . But it's a pretty
comprehensive amount to do with the fuel available
after making a speed run.
What is the crew composition for acceptance
flights?
Major Knirsch: One pilot per aircraft. Every seventh
F-15 off the production line is a two-seat model. The
two-seat F-15D is flown on its acceptance flight with
both front and back aircrew members fully qualified.
We do integrate with contractor crewmembers. We
very often fly target for the company, and they fly
chase or target for us.
Where do your pilots come from? What's their
experience level?
Major Knirsch: The pilots come from the Tactical Air
Forces. When I first arrived in Saint Louis, I was
qualified in the F-4. I checked out in the F-15 locally,
as have two of my other pilots. Captain Skip Boles
came to us from Bitburg AB , Germany. He was the
first F-15 pilot to come from an operational squadron .
We try to keep a person in the office who is tactically
up to date so that we have a "realistic" acceptance
flight check. We are not test pilots, and don't neces-
sarily look for a test-pilot background for the job here
in Saint Louis. We accept the aircraft for the govern-
ment, and we like to consider ourselves tactically
oriented .
What are the weather limitations you operate under
for the F-15 flights?
Major Knirsch: We look for 1,500-foot cei ling and 3
miles visibility- basic VFR. We will not fly a first flight
profile or a profile where we must shut down the
engines unless we can get back to Lambert VFR . We
plan for that time where total electrical failure may Major Knirsch: The aircraft engines are borescoped
occur, or an engine just wi ll not start. Our primary to make sure there is no damage to any of their
weather requirement is to see the g round , but we do internal sections prior to delivery. The airplane is
fly many sorties where the amount of cloud cover cosmetically cleaned up; McDonnell Douglas touch-
makes no difference. es up paint that may have been damaged or dis-
At the completion of your F-15 acceptance flight, turbed through the acceptance process. They hang
what takes place before the plane gets to its initial external tanks and check them to assure they trans-
TAG unit? fer fuel properly. Generally, they clean up any other

10 JUNE 1982
 Do you provide any special services to delivery
pilots?
Major Knirsch: We sure do. Each delivery pilot that
comes in to pick up his aircraft gets a face-to-face
briefing from one of our AFPRO flight acceptance
pilots. This briefing includes local area procedures
and safety hazards, his particular aircraft and main-
tenance problems we 've had with it, and how those
problems were resolved. The pilot usually gets a tour
through the factory to see how his Eagle jet is put
together. We assure that we have a supervisor of
flying (SOF) available for his takeoff so that if he has
any questions about his aircraft or problems once he
gets airborne , we can help.
How important is flying safety to your operations?
Major Knirsch: Safety to our operations is absolutely
paramount. We realize constantly that we are work-
ing with aircraft that could have some latent problem
in them from the manufacturing process , which could
be devastating to the pilot at any time. Each of my
pilots is highly qualified and has to be able to work
alone in an environment where he's the only decision
maker. We cannot accept anything less than a totally
safe operation . We cancel flights if all conditions do
not favor safety.
What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
Major Knirsch: It's in the compliments we receive
from the field when they get their new airplane free of
"squawks." In the past we ran a string of squawk-free
deliveries that was up to 130 before we had one
minor squawk. That's a very satisfying part of the job,
when you consider the immense effort to produce an
aircraft. Other satisfactions are assuring that con-
tractual problems are solved .
We understand the U.S. Navy will take over the
management of AFPRO and begin to perform flight
acceptance on the F-15. Is that true?
Major Knirsch: The United States Navy is replacing
the Air Force's management function in contract
administration . We 're in the process of bring ing Navy
flyers up to speed in the acceptance flying of the F-
15 and F-18. At the present time I'm the govern-
ment's only F-18 qualified acceptance pilot at Mc-
Donnell Douglas . We have three pilots checked out
as F-15 acceptance pilots . Soon , we 'll have a Marine
discrepancies that have not been corrected prior to pilot checked out. To cover the interim period after
that time . When the airplane is cleaned and readied the Navy takes over and before all their people have
to go, the company quality assurance personnel arrived , two Air Force pilots (Captain Skip Boles and
present it to AFPRO quality control people, who myself) will remain at the plant until the summer of
make a final aircraft inspection and sign the bill of 1983. We'll assure that there's a smooth transition
sale (DD Form 250) . At that time Tactical Air Com- and that all the new Navy pilots accept the F-15 to
mand is notified that the F-15 is ready at the factory the standards that the Air Force has been used to in
for pickup . the past. ___:::-

TAC ATTACK 11
 TAC Tips
... interest items,
mishaps with
morals, for the
Any fool can criticize, condemn and
complain-and most fools do.
T AC aircrewman
-Dale Carnegie

was cracked . He declared an emergency and land-

ed without any problems.
AIRPLANE WARNS, NO ONE LISTENS The cracks, of course, were caused by the boom
hitting the windscreen . The cracks spread out from a
On an air refueling mission at night, the A-1 0 pilot small fracture at the bottom right corner of the
couldn't get a Ready light when he tried to open his windscreen . The so-called sparks were apparently a
air refueling receptacle. The pilot asked the boomer glow in the cracks caused by the defog/deice
in the tanker whether or not the air refueling recepta- system.
cle door appeared to be open . The boomer said he The cracked windshield was the result of the pilot
could see light around the door, so they tried to hook ignoring what the airplane was trying to tell him. It
up and refuel. The boom bounced off the refueling wasn't ready to refuel. The Ready light comes on
receptacle and struck the center windscreen. That when the refueling receptacle door is open all the
convinced the pilot not to refuel. But shortly after- way. But the receptacle lights, which are what the
wards, the Ready light came on . The pilot then boomer saw, come on when the pilot selects Open
refueled without any problems. on his air refueling control. Moisture in the door may
An hour later, the pilot was on final approach for have frozen the mechanism at altitude. Without a
landing. He saw what looked like sparks on his Ready light, the pilot should not have been refueling.
center windscreen and noticed that the windscreen The airplane tried to tell him , but he wouldn 't listen.

.FORMS GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT

It was o'dark-thirty when the F-16 pilot went out to
preflight his airplane. At the airplane he reviewed the
aircraft forms, did his walkaround , and climbed into
the cockpit. The crew chief checked the intake and
exhaust areas with a flashlight. Then the pilot
cranked the engine; it started normally. As the pilot
began to taxi, an expediter noticed sparks coming
out of the tailpipe. The expediter told the crew chief,
and the crew chief got the pilot's attention and had
him shut down the engine.
12 JUNE 1982
 Inside the engine they found the aircraft forms
partially ingested . As best the pilot remembered , he
had laid the forms down on the concrete after
checking them . But it seemed to the crew chief that
the pilot had actually placed the forms on the lip of
the intake. If that's where they were, then the crew
chief missed them when he checked the intake with
his flashlight before engine start.
Wherever the forms really were , neither the crew you get down there, the tanker can 't pull the boom
chief nor the pilot made sure that the forms were out. We heard that before there were F-15s, but it
removed to a safe area before the engine was seems just as true today .
started . That oversight on both their parts cost us
seven sets of fan blades, a bearing assembly, and a
fan case assembly. That's about $40,000 worth of
damage. THE MISSING WRITE-UP
On a transition mission in an F-15B, the instructor
in the back seat took control of the airplane to give
FORWARD AND LOW-LOOK OUT the student an unusual attitude from which to recov-
er. The instructor noticed a lack of pitch response : he
An F-15 pilot was having trouble air refueling . On could only get 2% Gs with full aft stick at 375 knots .
his first attempt to make contact, he became erratic The front cockpit's stick seemed to work OK; so the
in the envelope; and the boomer sent the F-15 back student in the front seat took back control , flew home,
to the precontact position to get stabilized . The pilot and landed without any problem .
then moved in more smoothly and established con- Two days earlier, the airplane had been aborted
tact with the KC-135 . After taking on about 500 for control augmentation problems . During trouble-
pounds of fuel , the F-15 suddenly moved forward shooting , the technician asked the pilots in both
and down to the inner and lower limits of the refueling cockpits to disconnect the stick-force-sensor cannon
envelope . The boomer called , "Disconnect," fol- plugs . They did , but the sensors proved not to be the
lowed immediately by " Breakaway! " problem. The pilots were asked to reconnect the
But the tanker couldn 't disconnect, because the cannon plugs . The pilot in the rear seat had trouble
nozzle was binding in the receptacle . The F-15 pilot reconnecting the plug , so he told the technician that
lowered the nose when he heard the breakaway call , the plug wasn 't secure . Then both pilots left to fly the
but he didn 't pull the power back or make sure he spare . No one wrote up what they had done or the
was clear of the boom . The result was a brute-force fact that the connector was loose.
disconnect below the refueling envelope . However, Maintenance worked on the airplane, but they
the disconnect was between the boom nozzle and didn 't notice the loose connector. The next day, the
the boom , not the receiver's receptacle . The F-15 airplane flew ; but the pilot in the rear seat never tried
flew home with the tanker's nozzle in its receptacle . flying it. When the problem turned up on this flight , it
We had often heard that forward and low was the fortunately wasn 't at a critical point in fl ight. But it
worst place to be in the refueling envelope . When could have happened when the instructor was taking

TAG ATTACK 13
 TAC TIPS
control to prevent a collision with another airplane or
conflict and asked the F-111 flight leader to confirm
his altitude . That 's when the F-111 flight leader first
told the controller that he was not climbing because
the ground. of the clouds .
So, who was responsible for writing up the prob-
lem? The technician could have helped ; but, ulti-
mately, it was the responsibility of the rear seat pilot
who aborted to write up the condition of the cockpit
he was leaving-even if he was in a hurry to get to
the spare. Our responsibility to make good write-ups
protects our fellow pilots and ourselves. It's more
important than taking off on time .

CLEARED TO CLIMB
Here's a situation you 've probably either been in
or will be someday: You 're leading a flight of fighters;
and the weather's not so great, but it's supposed to
be good enough to join up underneath . You know
that you might not be able to join up on top if you do a
trail departure, so you decide to join up underneath .
After takeoff you 're cleared to climb to 10,000 feet .
But as you near the base of the clouds , your flight The civilian pilot spotted the F-111 s, and they also
hasn't joined up yet. What do you do? saw him . Even though they had very little vertical
That problem came up recently when a flight of two separation , the airplanes stayed well clear horizon-
F-111 s took off from the base where they had de- tally. The civilian pilot estimated that the F-111 s
ployed . When the leader reached the ragged base of passed 2,000 feet in front of him. Of course, the
the clouds at about 3,500 feet , his wingman still 2,000 feet of separation was by chance, not design .
hadn't joined up ; but the wingman was close enough The airplanes could just as easily have been on top
that entering the clouds could have been hazardous . of each other. The point is , they were supposed to
So the flight leader decided to stay beneath the have vertical separation .
clouds . Why didn't they? Because the F-111 pilot deviated
At the same time, departure control was clearing from his clearance without advising the controller.
another aircraft through the airspace below the According to the Airman 's Information Manual, when
clouds at 3,000 feet. Since the F-111 flight leader you as a pilot have been issued a clearance to climb
had not requested a deviation from his clearance to that does not include the phrase "at pilot's discre-
climb to 10,000 feet, the radar controller assumed tion, " you must notify air traffic control anytime you
there would be no conflict between the F-111 s and cannot climb at a rate of at least 500 feet per minute.
the other airplane . The radar controller may have The same holds true for descents. If your clearance
anticipated even more separation than was available includes the phrase "at pilot's discretion ," you may
because he was used to the climb rate of F-16s temporarily level off at an intermediate altitude. But,
instead of fully loaded F-111 s. Nevertheless, with a even then , once you 've vacated an altitude, you may
continued climb, the F-111 s should have been clear not return to it.
of the opposing traffic. So, there 's your dilemma. You don 't want to go into
But the F-111 s hadn 't continued their climb . To the clouds with your wingman closing on you , but
avoid the clouds, the flight leader had stopped you may not level off or descend to avoid the clouds .
climbing and may even have descended a couple of What do you do? The only way out of the dilemma is
hundred feet. The departure controller noticed the to notify air traffic control that you have to deviate
problem when the F-111 s were one mile away from from the clearance . If air traffic control is working with
the other traffic: their altitude readout indicated that you , they need to know what you 're doing ; so tell
they were only 300 feet above the civilian plane . The them . Save your unpredictability for the tactical
controller warned the civilian pilot of the potential phase of flight.

14 JUNE 1982
 now what do I do?

How do I do it? surfaces very frequently . An answer

is, simply through motivation , that's how. Here are
some specific ways to motivate people :
• First, get to know them . If you don't take time and
show interest, you can 't beg in to motivate peo-
ple .
• Find ways to enlarge or enrich the job. Restruc-
ture it to make it more interesting to the worker.
• Rotate people's jobs. Change them to relieve
boredom .
• Find ways to offer people more important, chal-
lenging, and interesting assignments.
• Praise people for work well done. Many manag-
ers are too " busy" or thoughtless to recognize
and reward good work.
• Provide people the opportunity to discuss and
participate in plans and decisions which affect
them.
• Show genuine respect for your people .
• Provide your people opportunities for training
and growth , personal and career.
• Explain the reasons for and the importance of the
job or assignment.
• Encourage a friendly social atmosphere for the
group.
• Help your people develop a high personal and
professional pride in the quality and value of their
work.
By MSgt Phillip G. Henriksen
• Provide clear, specific, and reasonable job
HQ T AC Ground Safety
goals .
This list certainly isn 't all-inclusive , and there are
Congratulations, ROTC , OTS , Academy, or PME 3 other variations on the same theme . But most impor-
graduate. Welcome to your first supervisory assign- tantly for the new supervisor, it's a place to start.
ment. This is your office and here is a list of the The next question is What do I motivate them to
people you will be supervising . do? Again the answer is simple: to do the job-the
Me, a supervisor? Manage that many people? right way. You are leading them to use common
What did my instructor say? I can 't remember. Where sense and to follow the tech data. If they do, then
do I begin? They are all just sitting there. safety will follow naturally. Every good supervisor is
Sound familiar? At some point every supervisor or concerned about the safety of his or her people and
manager has been confronted with the realization the people who rely on their product.
that he or she is the boss and is responsible to get There is no real conflict between safety and the
the job done, the sortie produced , the report written . mission . That's why in TAC we say, Safety is the by-
To do that, the supervisor must lead his or her people product of doing the job right. It's also the byproduct
to meet the established requirements . The question of good supervision . _::::>

TAC ATTACK 15
F-106A Delta Dart
 summer boating refresher

By Ms. Marty Diller

Summer's here , and to many of us that means it's vehicle weight and tongue weight. Too much tongue
time for recreational boating . It's probably been a weight makes the towing vehicle hard to handle; too
while since you had to think about your boating skills ,
so here's a little refresher course on several different
aspects of boating .
First , remember before you start out to give your
boating plan to someone who 's staying behind and
tell them when to expect you back.
Trailering. Keep in mind that the trailer, towing
vehicle, and boat are a team and have to support
each other. The length and width of the boat deter-
mine the length and width of the trailer. The boat
should be supported at as many points under the hull
as possible. When figuring the weight, make allow-
ances for extra equipment and gasoline (gasoline
averages 6.6 pounds per gallon) . Weight distribution
is important. You need to know both the total gross

18 JUNE 1982
little makes the trailer fishtail. Hitches should be beached bow first , board over the bow. Put things
attached to the towing vehicle 's frame . Safety chains away as you bring them on board . Keep the load as
should be hooked in the form of an X to the frame of low as possible . The total weight of gear, people, and
the towing vehicle so they will catch and hold the engine should not exceed the figure on the capacity
tongue if the hitch fails . Your safety check should plate . Distribute the load evenly. The boat at rest
include the lights, hitch , mirrors, brakes, wheel bear- should float so the waterline is even with the water
ings , tie downs, safety chains, and tires. and visible . The number of seats in a small boat is not
an indicator of the number of people the boat was
Launching. Prepare your boat away from the designed to carry.
ramp . Raise the lower unit or outboard , install the
drain plug , release tie downs, and disconnect lights. Fueling. Most boat fires occur just after fueling ; so
If you have a sailboat with a metal mast, make sure be very careful. Check the entire fuel system for
there 's no overhead wires between you and the ramp leaks. Make sure bilges are free of oil and gasoline .
before setting up the mast . Keep the car engine Shut off anything that might cause a spark like
running and parking brake set while working the boat
on or off the trailer. Let the trailer hubs cool down .
The bearings will be damaged if they enter water
when they're hot. Make sure someone is on the shore

or pier to catch the bow line ; you 'd like to go with the electrical equipment and radios. Close all compart-
boat when it goes to sea. When throwing lines have ments to prevent gas vapors from seeping into the
them coiled and throw underhand . boat. Don 't smoke. Whether filling from a gas can or
pump, make sure the nozzle touches the tank to
Boarding and Loading. Step into the middle of ground it and prevent a spark. Leave room for gas
the boat, don 't jump. If you 're moored by bow line or expansion and-know your fuel gage . Remember the
fuel rule : One-third to go, one-third to get back, and
one-third in reserve . Wipe up any gas spills and
throw the rag away, but not on the boat. Don 't fuel at
night unless you 're in a well-l it area. Ventilate the
boat of gas vapors before starting the engine; and
don't get mad at the guy in front of you if he doesn't
leave the fuel area quick-he might be ventilating his
boat. When filling a gas can or adding and mi xing oil ,
don't do it in the boat.

Handling the Boat. Both planing and displace-

ment hulls follow the same general rules ; but planing
hulls respond more quickly, so you'll have less
reaction time with a planing hull. A loaded boat is
more stable but less able to rise and pass over
waves . Wind affects an empty boat more than a

TAC ATTACK 19
 changes in water level and rough water. If you're
SUMMER BOATING mooring away from piers, allow enough clearance for
a fu ll-circle swing of the boat and the swing of boats
REFRESHER moored nearby. Know your knots: square knot, bow-
line, anchor bend , clove hitch, and half hitch. Use a
bow and stern line for short pier stays; add a breast
loaded one-a point to remember when docking. A line for longer pier stays. Make sure your lines are
boat always turns at the rear, swinging the bow in always in good shape.
and the stern out. When backing up, the boat will To anchor, pick a spot with a level, holding bottom .
follow its stern . To reduce speed, throttle back. To Approach into the wind and stop the boat. When the
stop, put the engine in reverse. When docking , head
into the current and wind, or whichever is strongest.
Come in at an angle so the bow points in. Normally
you back into slips; but if either the current or wind is

boat moves backward, lower the anchor over the

side of the boat hand-over-hand. Don't throw the
strong, go in bow first . When leaving a dock, remem- anchor, and make sure no one is standing in the
ber the boat turns from the rear, so make allowances. anchor line coil. When the anchor hits bottom, let out
Push the bow off to make a slight angle with the dock line so the ratio of line length to water depth is no less
and then ease slowly ahead till you're clear. than 3 : 1. Now tie the line to the cleat and put the
engine in reverse. If the anchor catches, the line will
Mooring and Anchoring. Secure the bow line first be taut. Shut off the engine and let out the rest of your
then the stern line. Don't shut off the engine until all line. For normal cond itions and short-term anchoring,
lines are tied . When mooring , allow enough line for 5 feet of anchor line for every foot of depth from the
bottom up to the boat's deck is recommended . If the
boat is left unattended, 7 feet of line for 1 foot of
depth is better. In a storm, 10 feet to 1 foot is good.
To raise the anchor, move ahead slowly, taking in line
as you go until the anchor line is straight up and
down; then pull the anchor free.

Rules of the Road. The three situations to remem-

ber are meeting head on, crossing each other's path ,
and overtaking and passing another vessel. When
meeting , neither boat has the right-of-way and each
should swing right, then straighten course to pass,
ieft side to left side. But it's better to pass right side to
right side than to exchange positions if you have to
cross in front of each other to do it. When in a

20 JUNE 1982
crossing situation , the boat on the right has the right- too deep for the anchor to hold, the weight will hold
of-way. He should maintain his course and speed . your boat's bow into the wind and sea-the safest
The other boat operator takes action to get clear. In position in rough water.
an overtaking situation , the boat being overtaken
always has the right-of-way. When passing, swing
clear of the overtaken boat's wake, preferably on the
left side. Pass quickly.
Sailboats have the right-of-way over engine-driven
vessels except when passing (the overtaken boat
then has the right-of-way) . No small vessel has the
right-of-way over a large vessel in a narrow channel.
When two sailboats approach one another and they
each have the wind on a different side, the vessel
with the wind on the left side shall keep out of the
way. When they have the wind on the same side, the
vessel to windward shall keep out of the way of the
vessel leeward .
All boats should watch their wake around piers,
docks, or bathhouses ; around vessels underway,
lying to, at anchor, or made fast to the shore ; and
around persons swimming or using water skis or
surfboards. A motorboat should reduce speed when
approaching sharp bends in narrow waterways or
approaching other obstructions (like bridges) and in
heavy weather or fog . Motorboats in narrow channels Well , that's our review this month . Next month we'll
should always keep to the right side. look at equipment you should have and the systems
of navigation aids . If you found some areas that
Heavy Weather. Always check the weather before seemed unfamiliar, maybe you need to know more
you go out. Some heavy weather indicators are dark before you take the boat out. For more information
clouds, an increase in wind, static on the AM radio , contact your local Coast Guard Auxiliary or your local
and a drop in barometer pressure. Most bad weather game and fisheries office .
changes come from the west and will more than likely As a boat owner, it's your responsibility to plan
hit soon. Storms to the north or east may pass over, ahead . Make sure you know your boat and how it
but be prepared . If you 're caught in heavy weather, handles, and take all the necessary safety precau -
reduce speed , put on your personal flotation devices tions. When you have guests on your boat, be sure to
and have everyone sit on the bottom of the boat near tell them what they should do in an emergency and
center. Secure loose items. Head for shore or a give them a brief rundown of your boating rules . As a
protected area. Point the bow into waves at a slight guest, make sure you know what the boat owner
angle and watch for floating debris. Keep bilges free wants you to do and be sure to tell him if you can do it
of water and have your emergency gear ready to or not. Safe boating is everyone's responsibility.
use. If your engine stops, anchor. Even if the water is Have fun and enjoy it. __::;;....

TAC ATTACK 21
 tighten it. No one associated the loose panel with
potential problems beneath the panel.
Afterwards, we learned that the silver dollar panel
can be a clue to other problems . It can rotate for
several reasons : a loose screw in the panel ; bent
metal on the back of the panel where it fits around the
hinge bolt; or, as in this case, a loose hinge bolt nut
that allows the bolt to rotate . Another clue is if the
silver dollar panel protrudes beyond the wiper panel.
Anything strange about the silver dollar panel de-
serves investigating.
chock talk ..incidents and incidentals with a maintenance slant.

MOTHER KNEW SOMETHING

While buttoning up an F-15 before it taxied, a
new crew chief got too close to the intake. His
headset was pulled off his head and sucked down
the intake.

THE SILVER DOLLAR CLUE

An F-4E returned from its sortie without any
complaints by the aircrew, but postflight inspection
revealed damage to the wiper panel on the left slab .
Further investigation showed that the left stabilator
hinge bolt had moved enough for its bushing to
come out of the hinge. That allowed the stabilator to
twist and scrape the fuselage .
The hinge bolt should have been fastened by a
castellated nut secured by a cotter pin . But six
months earlier when the stabilator was changed, the
cotter pin was not installed. The supervisor who
inspected the stabilator replacement didn't notice
the error. So the castellated nut eventually backed off
the bolt.
The week that the problem was discovered , the
airplane flew five times. During preflight for the
second flight of the week, the pilot noticed that the
"silver dollar" panel on the left stabilator hinge bolt
was rotated out of its normal position . The crew chief
simply realigned the panel. Between the third and
fourth sorties, the airplane was ground aborted once
when the silver dollar panel was found rotated and Remember when your mother used to say, "Good
loose. Again the fix was just to realign the panel and thing your head is screwed on ... "? It sure is.

22 JUNE 1982
 good, though , because they weren't used . The cart
BRAKES AND BRAINS was freewheeling when the jet blast, accompanied
by the already strong winds, hit it. Maybe you could
We expect that about everyone , pilots and main- call this "A Tale of Two Brakes"; one worked too well ,
tainers, can learn from this incident. It happened to and one didn 't work at all . But in the midst of all the
an F-4 , but it could have been any airplane. brake problems , brains properly applied could have
After start and pretaxi checks, the pilot pushed up made a difference.
the throttles to taxi out of the chocks. The pilot had to
increase the rpm to 77 percent before the airplane
would move . The aircrew supposed that the high F·4 FLIGHT CONTROL BINDING
thrust required was due to heavy gross weight,
strong gusty headwinds , and early morning stiffness Two instructor pilots were practicing instrument
in the wheels. After they finally were rolling , the pilot flying. On a 6-mile final approach , the instructor in
began a right turn . After thirty degrees of turn, the the rear cockpit found that he could not roll the
airplane quit rolling . airplane out of the 10-degree right bank it was in . The
A Dash 60 cart took up the slack: when the F-4 front seater took control of the airplane and forcefully
stopped, the cart, which was behind the airplane, righted it. He declared an emergency and landed out
began to roll . It picked up speed and headed toward of that approach without any other problems.
another F-4. The exhaust stack on the cart crunched The stick-well cover in the front cockpit was found
into the underside of the right wing of the parked F-4. bent in about % inch from the top rear. So the bent
Then everything quit rolling. well cover was binding against the base of the
The F-4 that was trying to taxi had a locked brake . control stick just under the boot cover. The aircrew
The Dash 60 had no brakes . That 's why the cart had not detected the binding during their flight
rolled when the airplane wouldn't. With the high control checks before takeoff.
thrust setting it took to get the airplane rolling , the The airplane had just come out of a 600-hour
engines probably hadn 't returned to idle thrust when periodic inspection . During that inspection both ejec-
the pilot began his turn, even though he may have tion seats were removed . Checks of the flight con-
pulled the throttles back to idle just before he turned . trols were done with the seats out, so the cover was
The jet blast from the engines was pointed at the probably OK then . The front seat was installed the
Dash 60 when the airplane began to turn . night before this flight,and that's most likely when the
The Dash 60 was ready to roll because its braking damage was done. Someone may have rested
system was inoperative. The parts weren't available something heavy on the cover or stepped on it .
to fix it; so wheel chocks were provided , and the Guess the point is that the mouth isn 't the only
brakes were written up on a diagonal in the mainte- wrong place we can put our feet. Around an aircraft
nance forms for the cart. The chocks didn't do much there are lots of other wrong places to put them .

TAC ATTACK 23
CHOCK TALK
\

ASSUMPTIONS VERSUS TECH DATA the hyperextended gear broke the upper shrink link.
The transient maintenance sergeant had never
An F-4 was operating out of a deployed location been trained to service F-4 struts . Instead of getting
supported by that base's transient maintenance qualified help, he assumed the F-4 struts were the
branch. During preflight inspection the pilot found same as others he'd worked on . He never even
the right strut completely flat. He told the transient checked the tech data. As always, assumptions
maintenance sergeant, who got a high-pressure air proved to be a sorry substitute for tech data.
cart and serviced the strut. Since the strut then
showed proper extension, the pilot accepted the
airplane .
MURPHY'S GOT THE ODDS
During takeoff, as the aircraft weight lifted from the During a functional check flight of an F-5E, the
wheels , the aircraft heeled over to the left. Then when right engine compressor stalled , rolled back, and
he raised the gear, the pilot heard a bang. The right flamed out. The pilot restarted the engine and re-
main gear indicated that it was in an intermediate turned to base without any problems. After he shut
position. The pilot put the gear handle back down , down the engine , foreign-object damage (FOD) was
and all three gear showed down and locked . With the found in it.
gear down, the pilot diverted to the nearest base that The FOD was extensive in the compressor section ,
had F-4 maintenance. There he made a normal with metallic tracking throughout . Several semicircu-
landing without incident. lar imprints with thread marks were found . Postflight
When the transient maintenance troop had ser- inspection also showed that one screw was missing
viced the strut, he did it the way he serviced other from the right gun-gas-purge door. The size and
aircraft on the station . He connected high-pressure threads of a similar screw matched the imprints on
air to the upper strut fitting and increased pressure the compressor blades .
until the strut extended . That was fine for the other The door had 47 screws in it; eight of them were
aircraft he worked on, but totally wrong for the F-4 . the wrong ones . These screws were identical to the
The F-4 uses high-pressure air only in the lower proper screws in every detail except length. The
chamber for strut extension ; the upper chamber wrong size screws would engage the fasteners only
should have a measured charge of low-pressure air. to a depth of one and a half or two threads , and they
An overpressure in the upper chamber of as little as wouldn't engage the locking mechanism . So vibra-
10 psi can cause the strut to extend too much and tion could cause them to loosen and fall out. This unit
interfere with the retracting of the gear. decided to inspect the screws in the gun-gas-purge
This strut probably had over 1,000 psi in the upper doors on all of their F-5s . They found 165 of the
chamber. When the weight came off the gear, the wrong screws installed. That gave Murphy 165
right strut immediately hyperextended ; that 's why the chances to knock out an engine on this base . How
airplane heeled over to the left. The attempt to raise many chances does he have on yours?

24 JUNE 1982
 Quarterly Safety Awards
64owti Sakti Awe oi t .Quiwa,
TSGT JAMES D. HAWKINS Is the recipient of the
Tactical Air Command Ground Safety Award for the
first quarter of 1982. Sergeant Hawkins is mainte-
nance supervisor for the missile maintenance sec-
tion, 33d Equipment Maintenance Squadron, 33d
Tactical Fighter Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
Sergeant Hawkins started a briefing program to
inform crew chiefs of technical order changes and
missile mishaps. His program has contributed to the
Improved safety record of the shop. He also installed
a retractable ground system in the AIM-9 mainte-
nance bay to eliminate a tripping hazard during all
operations. In addition, he designed and built an AIM-
9 influence-fuze holder That not only decreases the
time to clean and molly-coat the fuzes but allows the TSgt James D. Hawkins
fuzes to be held mechanically instead of by hand. On
another occasion, Sergeant Hawkins was checKing Sergeant Hawkins' day-tc-day efforts to ensure
on the transporting of 6,000-psi argon bottles when quality maintenance, coupled with his safety con-
he noticed the tanks kept shifting. He decided to put scious attitude, have made a safer environment for all
the bottles in pairs and added another strap, which those who work with him. He deserves the Tactical
has eliminated the shifting problem. Air Command Ground Safety Award of the Quarter.

Itiectpotu Saitiy Avid oi the k44Attit

TSGT GARRY E. BRADLEY is the recipient of the
Tactical Air Command Weapons Safety Award for the
first quarter of 1982. Sergeant Bradley is an academ-
ic instructor for the load standardization crew, 35th
Aircraft Generation Squadron, 35th Tactical Fighter
Wing, George Air Force Base, California.
Sergeant Bradley teaches explosives safety proce-
dures and practices and how the F-4E aircraft weap-
ons release system works to all newly assigned
workers in armament systems. He conducts courses
in conventional munitions and nuclear weapons sys-
tems safety not only to armament systems workers
but to everyone whose duties bring them in contact
with loaded aircraft. He also instructs those people
who assist the weapons load crew chief in handling
and loading ammunition into the F-4E gun systems
during combat turnaround exercises. This is a very ISgt Garry E. Bradley
important portion of the exercise since the ammuni- geant Bradley also has complete knowledge of the
tion is particularly sensitive to ignition by static elec- safety program. He is presently setting up new proce-
tricity or by mishandling. He recently started an dures and locations for the storage and handling of
armament systems trouble-shooting course for the each AMU's aircraft cartridges used for weapons
release system on the F-4E aircraft. Sergeant Brad- release systems.
ley is so successful at instructing these courses that Sergeant Bradley regularly shows his safety con-
there have been no explosives accidents or incdents sciousness and dedication to sound safety proce-
during this period. dures. He has earned the Tactical Air Command
As explosives safety NCO for his squadron, Ser- Weapons Safety Award of the Quarter.
 HOW TO AVOID A BLIND DATE
WITH TERRI FIRMA
By Capt Thomas A. Hughes
363 TTS

How many times have we launched into the wild

gray yonder faced with a marginal weather situation .
Do we really have everything working in our favor
when the weather is 300-and-1? It's exceedingly
important that we assess our capabilities and limita-
tions before actually jumping into an actual weather
approach flown to minimums. Granted , "command
guidance" says we may fly the approach with 300-
foot ceiling and 1-mile visibility but, again , let's
consider some points :

1. A reported weather ceiling of 300 feet and 1-

mile visibility is great for the weather troops who
walk out of their reporting station , look horizon-
tally, and see their favorite water tower a mile
away, but from where we sit as instructors our
visibility is much more restricted. At our altitude
above the ground when we reach decision
height, we may not have that luxury of 1-mile
slant range visibility. Chances are that mile to
the water tower may translate to V2- to %-mile
visibility to the runway. Strike One!

2. Speed is also important. Assuming you are

flying the 20-ton sled with an approach ground
speed of 160 kts, one mile to touchdown is
going to take approximately 22 seconds . Twenty
-two seconds sounds like an eternity to us with
hands stamped 24 Karat, right? But if that 1-mile
visibility is actually .65-mile slant range, that
touchdown time is cut to 14 seconds . Getting a
little more tense? Now, one more little factor:
flying instruments is not exactly the best position
from which to view the runway. There comes that
little need to sneak a peek out from behind the
instrument panel, to try to find what the instru-
ments tell us should be waiting out front. Let's
say we can do that in 4 seconds and positively
determine our position, drift, and height above

26 JUNE 1982
 the approach end. That puts our touchdown whether they be with the aircraft, weather, or
time down to 10 seconds. Still no sweat-right? ourselves, are things we must be prepared to
But now ol ' golden fist, let's say you're not in the analyze and overcome in seconds. They are
most advantageous position to land, and you factors which we cannot underestimate in order
need to correct to the centerline. Our good to achieve a safe, professional landing. Can we
friends from flight safety tell us the total reaction really afford to have that third strike?
time to see the needed correction , put in the
appropriate control movement, take out that These are but a few things that could go wrong . So
initial input when we have achieved our desired with all the possibilities to wreak havoc on our ol'
correction, and then assess what we have done bodies, what do we have at our disposal to help us in
is about 9 seconds. This means your margin for our quest for excellence? Well the answer should be
error is 1 second until touchdown. Barely a heart obvious-judgment. When the weather is called 300-
beat-one minor error and guess what? Strike and-1 , be prepared! Realize that just because Cap-
Two! tain Joe Weather can see his favorite landmark, that
doesn't mean you will be able to see the runway . Be
3. Limitations-you've got to know and respect aware of the speed as it equates to time to touch-
your limitations. Granted on most occasions our down. Also pay particular attention to the time to
hands are 24K . But what about those days (or touchdown when reaction time is brought in as an
approaches) when we can 't believe our eyes additional variable. As we've seen, time to touch-
and those 24K pure gold ones suddenly lose down decreases significantly when reaction to those
their luster and turn into 5 pounds of cured pork not-so-ideal factors are brought into play. Wind-
leg? Sometimes things like that happen. Couple screen distortion, cross wind component, bad
that with looking (or trying to look) for the ol' hands-all lead up to what could be a situation which
concrete through a distorted windscreen or with even the best of us could not recover from .
that dreaded crosswind condition which places Don't sacrifice good judgment by trying to recover
the nose of the aircraft in front of our favorite a bad approach. Judgment: if it doesn't look good or
lookout side, and that approach we're flying feel right-go around! We owe it to ourselves to
could turn into one of the best war horror stories continually strive for excellence. Only by always
ever told . These things all affect our ability to striving for excellence can we keep those dates with
safely accomplish our desired objective-get- Terri Firma controlled, happy, and most importantly,
ting our bodies safely on the ground. Limitations, safe. ~

TAC ATTACK 27
 PLANNING YOUR VACATION ?
down to earth Your vacation will be more enjoyable if you don 't
have to worry about the house you left behind. Make
yourself a little checklist of things to do about the
house now, while you 're planning the trip. Here are a
few things that can go on the list:
• Stop newspaper deliveries and arrange for a
neighbor to pick up the mail. A pile of newspa-
pers at the door or a mailbox full of mail may
draw some unwanted attention .

• Put an electric timer on the lights. Leave your

drapes or shades in their normal position . You
may not fool a professional thief, but at least
SAILORS, TAKE WARNING you might eliminate the vandal who's just
looking for a target of opportunity.
A sailboat owner took a co-worker sailing with • Let the police know you 're leaving and who
him on his catamaran . They went out together on a has your spare house key. In some areas the
small inland lake. Somehow, the sailboat overturned, police will make random checks of empty
and the two men were thrown into the water. But they houses .
were both able to swim to the shore and save • Just before you leave, walk through the house
themselves . and check that all appliances are off. You may
Then , for some reason, the two of them decided to want to have your water heater turned off to
swim back out and right the boat . The passenger save money.
dove under the boat and was trapped in the mainsail • Lock your windows and doors as you leave,
rigging. The owner dove under the boat three or four and give a neighbor a key. Then give your
times, trying to free the passenger from the rigging . neighbor a copy of your itinerary.
On the last dive the owner could no longer find the While you're checking off the steps in protecting
passenger. The body was recovered two days later. your house , don 't neglect getting your car ready for
Before you go sailing, even as a passenger, it the trip. Give it an overall physical and pay special
would pay to learn the proper way to right the boat if attention to tires, shocks, lights , fan belts, battery,
it capsizes. The proper way doesn't mean trying to windshield wipers , and brakes . It's probably smart to
do it when you're fatigued from swimming to the take along spare wiper blades , a fan belt, a quart of
shore and back. Fatigue , frustration , and ignorance oil, and a container of water. Also carry a tool kit,
can lead to trouble in a hurry. Don 't risk it. which includes flares, booster cables, a flashlight ,

28 JUNE 1982
duct tape, and a tire pump in addition to the normal replace the liquids in our body, we'll suffer from
hand tools . And , above all , make sure you have a dehydration. Even if we replace the water, we may
first-aid kit at hand when you travel. lack electrolytes in the body fluids . Electrolytes are
After the planning and preparation are over and trace minerals that are necessary to the body's
you 're on the road, remember your responsibilities . normal functioning . They must be replaced also.
Don 't drive after drinking . Don 't drive when you 're That's what products like Gatorade and Quick Kick
tired . If the kids are getting on your nerves, maybe do for athletes-they replace the electrolytes .
that's a sign that it's time to take a break or even stop Beer, of course, doesn 't do that. It only quenches
for the day. The extra miles aren 't worth the hassle or your thirst and fools you into not noticing your dehy-
the danger. Take it easier and enjoy the trip . And dration . Any number of beverages will be better for
remember, your whole family is trusting you for their your body at a picnic or beach party in the heat. And
safety. if you back off on the beer, you 'll also have a safer trip
home.

SUMMER HEAT AND BEER

HINTS FOR MOWING
At last the summer's here . It's getting nice and
warm out. Soon nice and warm will become hot. But Irs probably no surprise that the greatest danger
we won 't care. We'll be having too much fun outside , in using a power mower is accidental contact with
on the beach and at picnics , drinking beer and the rotating blade. Flying objects hurled by the blade
getting dehydrated . That's right-dehydrated. That's cause many injuries; but, still , 64 percent of all walk-
what happens when we drink beer in the heat. behind mower injuries are caused by contacting the
Although drinking beer seems to us to be replac- blade .
ing the fluids in the body, actually we 're losing them . Often the contact occurs when the operator clears
Beer makes you eliminate more fluid, just like coffee grass clippings out of the discharge chute while the
does ; those kinds of drinks are called diuretics. blade is turning. Another time is when the operator
tries to adjust the cutting height of the mower with the
engine running. And quite a few incidents of blade
contact happen when a foot slips under the mower
housing.

Alcohol also depresses the nervous system , which

increases our vulnerability to the physical effects of
heat.
Our body uses up fluids to cool us down. The most
obvious way is by sweating . Evaporation of the sweat
on the skin cools us. But a less apparent way the
body uses evaporation to cool us is in breathing . The Most of the time , blade contact results in lacera-
water vapor we breathe out is the product of evapo- tions ; but 15 percent of the injuries are fractures or
ration . In fact , that's the main evaporative system in dislocations , and 3 percent result in amputation . The
dogs; that's why they pant and don't sweat. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission esti-
Evaporative cooling is very effective ; but if we don 't mates that more than 120,000 people are injured in

TAC ATTACK 29
DOWN TO EARTH
power lawn mower accidents each year.
The commission offers these tips to do before
mowing to reduce chances of injury:
• Pick up all debris on the lawn .
• Check for hazards, especially near shrubs,
trees, and fences.
• Adjust the cutting height before starting the
mower.
• Fill the gas tank while the mower is still cool.
• If the lawn is wet, wait until it dries.
We have some suggestions to add to the list. First,
tune up the lawn mower. When the mower starts short shots
easily, we 're more likely to shut it down when we
should to clear the discharge chute or adjust the
cutting height. Second, when the lawn is dry and it
needs cutting , do it. Don't put it off. The next day the Could Your Job Performance Use a Little Jog?
lawn may be wet and hazardous to cut. Col (Dr.) Frank H. Brunstetter, Staff Surgeon at Aero-
space Rescue and Recovery Service says: "Enthusi-
astic joggers believe this exercise improves their
quality of life, despite scientific uncertainty as to
DRUNKEN DRIVERS BEGIN TO PAY whether or not regular jogging results in a long life
span. Before and after comparisons of regular run-
Drunken drivers are responsible for 26,000 ners with other people show improvements in job
deaths each year. They also account for a total of productivity, psychological outlook, enjoyment of life
800,000 crashes, 750,000 serious injuries, and $5 and libido after jogs of 15 to 30 miles a week. "
billion in economic losses. That's the price we pay as
a society for tolerating drunk drivers. Are You Hooked on Jogging? The National Insti-
On any given weekend night, 10 percent of the tutes of Health reports that regular vigorous exercise
drivers on the road are legally drunk. Historically, increases the secretion of a natural opium-like hor-
only 1 in 2,000 is ever arrested. But the story may be mone, beta-endorphin , in the blood . This hormone
changing. Many states are beginning to take a tough produces a sense of well-being and increases toler-
stance with the drunk driver. Arrests have risen by ance to pain . The increased beta-endorphin level
half again in New York state and doubled in Mary- during exercise may explain " runners ' high "-a con-
land and Maine since those states began crack- dition similar to drug-induced euphoria. The effects
downs. Other states have task forces working the of this hormone, though still speculative, could cause
problem ; and new, tougher laws are being written . runners to become depressed when they miss a day
None of us can assume that if we drive after drinking of exercise, similar to withdrawal symptoms .
too much , we'll get away with it. The odds of being
arrested are going up. And if you are arrested, you Buckle-up the Baby Too. Proper use of a child
can't expect to get off with a slap on the wrist safety seat increases your child's chances of surviv-
anymore. You better bring a toothbrush, because ing serious or fatal injury by 70 percent. Choose the
you may not be going home for a while. right seat for your car and child . Install the seat
Even if you aren 't arrested, the odds of an accident according to instructions. For maximum protection ,
may catch you. The 800,000 drunks involved in place seat in center of back seat. Tuck rolled-up
crashes last year didn't get away with anything . And receiving blankets on each side of an infant for
some of them are going to have to live with the additional support. Most important: Use the seat
knowledge that they killed an innocent person . That's every time you take baby for a ride . (Many hospitals
a worse sentence than any court can hand down ; and community agencies have infant car seat rental
and it's for life, at least. programs.)

30 JUNE 1982
 tac tally

TAC ANk.3 AFR

THRU APR THRU APK- THRU APR
APR APR APR
1982 1981 1982 tsar 1982 1982

CLASS A MISHAPS 2 12 12 3 3 0 0 0
AIRCREW FATALITIES 8 9 0 2 2 0

TOTAL EJECTIONS 3 11 14 0 2 0
SUCCESSFUL EJECTIONS 9 9

TAC's TOP 5 thru APRIL '82

TAC AIR DE NSE

class A mishap-fret months

111 57 FIS
64 5 FIS

61 48 FIS
20 318 FIS
11 87 FIS

TAC -GAINED FTR/RECCE TAC- GAINED MR DEFENSE TAC/GAINED Other Units

class A mishap-fro months class A mishap-tree months class A mishap-frte months1
120 188 TFG (ANG) 98 102 FIW 153 182 TASG (ANG)
112 138 TFG (ANG) 94 177 FIG 146 193 ECG (ANG)
111 917 TFG (AFR) 60 125 FIG 141 26 ADS
108 116 TFW (ANC) 43 119 FIG 8 142 FIG 137 110 TASG (ANG)
98 434 TFW (AFR) 33 144 FIW
ignimmok
133 USAFTAWC

CLASS A MISHAP COMPARISON RATE

(BASED ON ACCIDENTS PER 1:00;000 HOURS FLYING TIME)
-1..
TA0_, 1982 7.8 5.7 5.9 5.2

k..... 1981 '4.0 .._

3.0 3.2 5.6

A 1982 0.0 2.7 3.2 3.5

N, 198(, 9.3 1 4.8 4.6 3.3

A 1982 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

FR
1981 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
-

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

US GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1981 - 735-019/12