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Old 16th Aug 2012, 19:48
  #149 (permalink)  
BEagle
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Quite near 'An aerodrome somewhere in England'
Posts: 26,835
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Hi Courtney! Yes, that's what I thought.

The problem with double PC failure, if I recall correctly, was that the stabilator would move to an extreme position and abandonment could be severely hampered.

Double utilities / single PC failure was something we practised during OCU training and in the simulator - but double PC failure meant saying good-bye to the simulator exercise.

I recall trailing an F-4 north to ASI, which suffered a double utilities failure. The captain's plan was to start a descent, settle him down at around 20 miles, then land before the RW was blacked with a RHAG engagement, clear off into the high speed exit and wait for him to land. No point in staying airborne to give him any gas as he would have needed an emergency probe extension - and extra fuel was of no use at ASI.

My captain wouldn't listen to my brief about calling the descent, slowly reducing thrust and checking the descent rate was OK for the F-4 mate (no speedbrakes!). So when I called 'descending', I was given an earful from the irritable sod in the LHS...Then came an anguished yelp for 'more power' from the F-4 to ease the descent, so I gave the captain a "Well, there you go - told you so!" expression.

As we approached ASI, he couldn't even navigate himself to 'COLTS' (as it then was) without being spoon-fed by 'Uncle Chuckles', his equally grumpy ex-Victor navigator. We landed, the F-4 took the wire and was towed in, before we all stacked.

Later in the bar, the captain acted as though he'd somehow saved the F-4 mates' day (or rather, very dark night)....

So I went and had a beer with the F-4 crew instead.

"Let me guess - I'll bet he's a Wing Commander", said the F-4 nav....

Correctamundo!

Last edited by BEagle; 16th Aug 2012 at 21:25.
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