Essendon today

[Lead Balloon]

A long time ago, at a RAAF Base that will remain nameless, a deeper level maintenance facility was set up for a needle-nosed delta-winged aluminium death-tube, of a type that will remain nameless. Post-maintenance checks included run-ups of the aircraft’s engine which was very good at turning Avtur into noise, heat and thrust very, very quickly. At full AB no park brake or chock would prevent the aircraft from moving.

Part of an existing taxiway was modified by ‘slotting’ metal ‘sleeves’ into which a special bracket inserted into the mainwheel axles of the aircraft would slide. Those metal brackets were of Sydney Harbour Bridge stanchion strength. During normal operations aircraft would just taxi over the slots. Anyhooo….

Comes the day to do the first engine test using the brackets inserted into the sleeves. Everything is set up with the brackets secured in the mainwheel axles and taxiway slots. Wind up the engine and everything’s looking secure and safe. Time for full AB. (Only those who work or have worked closely with these kinds of aircraft know the ‘whole of body’ experience that is being in close proximity to an engine in full AB. Most people would wear kidney belts to preserve those organs…)

The nose gear is at maximum compression as the jet is just aching to be let loose.

Then two things happened, only one of which was initially noticed by those in close proximity. The grass next to the taxiway caught fire because of the heat of the afterburner. Flame and smoke, but the fire front is a long distance from any valuable assets and propagating quite slowly. A distracting focus, nonetheless.

The second thing was a little more problematic and took a little longer to comprehend. The taxiway in front of the slots was starting to compress and crumble! The slot was being ‘bulldozed’ through the taxiway by the pressure.

When a sumpie in the cockpit of one of these things sees all his colleagues walking backwards slowly, waving one arm urgently while giving the ‘knife across the throat’ signal, the hint will usually be taken.

I reckon if the tarmac had given way completely while the engine was in full AB, the jet would have been in the main street of the town adjacent to the Base before the sumpie had a chance to react to shut the engine down.