Runway arresting gear
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Laarbruch-Weeze
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Runway arresting gear
The photo is dated November 1960.
It should be RAF Laarbruch.
The squadron crest is not really clear to be seen.
In 1960 the resident Canberra squadrons were 31 Sqn with PR 7 and T4 and
16 Sqn with Bi8 .
Were all runways fitted with arrestor barriers?
It should be RAF Laarbruch.
The squadron crest is not really clear to be seen.
In 1960 the resident Canberra squadrons were 31 Sqn with PR 7 and T4 and
16 Sqn with Bi8 .
Were all runways fitted with arrestor barriers?
That's a Mk 6 Safeland barrier.
Runways at airfields where the operational types could safely engage barriers had them installed. They were operated by ATC, who would state the barrier position when passing landing or takeoff clearance and were usually left in the raised position unless a pilot requested they be lowered, or unless a particular type was not cleared to engage.
Cable arresting systems were treated similarly.
Runways at airfields where the operational types could safely engage barriers had them installed. They were operated by ATC, who would state the barrier position when passing landing or takeoff clearance and were usually left in the raised position unless a pilot requested they be lowered, or unless a particular type was not cleared to engage.
Cable arresting systems were treated similarly.
One of my old RAF mates was just getting airborne from one of the Clutch airfields heading west in his Canberra (I think it might have been Bruggen) when he had a double compressor stall so he threw it back on to what was left of the runway and called "BARRIER". (Meaning that he was likely to overrun and enter the barrier).
The barrier was already up but the ATC Assistant in the Tower decided to be super helpful and hit the barrier switch.
So it was that my mate who had got all tensed up for a barrier arrest, saw the thing go flat on the ground and so he almost ended up in Holland!
The barrier was already up but the ATC Assistant in the Tower decided to be super helpful and hit the barrier switch.
So it was that my mate who had got all tensed up for a barrier arrest, saw the thing go flat on the ground and so he almost ended up in Holland!
The only occasions that I recall the barriers on Edinburgh's old 13/31 runway being deployed were when Ferranti were flying their Canberras.
There seems to be a theme developing here ...
There seems to be a theme developing here ...
At the end of a PAR into Farnborough, the talkdown controller instructed the pilot of a Buccaneer to 'contact tower stud 1' and then remarked to me 'oh he said cable cable'.
The overrun arrestor cable was always raised when the Buccaneer was flying so it was ready for an unplanned arrest.
Incidentally JW, I only did a weeks visit to Bruggen but to my recollection, the west end of the runway was in Holland!!
The overrun arrestor cable was always raised when the Buccaneer was flying so it was ready for an unplanned arrest.
Incidentally JW, I only did a weeks visit to Bruggen but to my recollection, the west end of the runway was in Holland!!
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Cloud 9
Posts: 2,948
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
At Honington, at the time, they operated Buccaneers and they also had a few Hunters that were decked out as if they were Buccaneers (for crew training purposes) including a hook in the tail.
Honington's runway was equipped with RHAG's (Rotary Hydraulic Arrester Gears) at both ends of the runway, the Buccaneer, being built like a brick sh1thouse, could take the fast end (touchdown) RHAG (as Buccaneers did on carriers) but the Hunter could only take the slow end (t'other end of the runway) RHAG, one day the pilot forgot this and I spent much of that day retrieving bits of Hunter from the touchdown end of the runway
Honington's runway was equipped with RHAG's (Rotary Hydraulic Arrester Gears) at both ends of the runway, the Buccaneer, being built like a brick sh1thouse, could take the fast end (touchdown) RHAG (as Buccaneers did on carriers) but the Hunter could only take the slow end (t'other end of the runway) RHAG, one day the pilot forgot this and I spent much of that day retrieving bits of Hunter from the touchdown end of the runway
Many years ago, an Italian Air Force Fiat G91, Fricce Tricolore (sp?), called for the barrier at RAF Luqa:- " GINA, GINA, GINA ". I'll leave you to work out the significance 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Cloud 9
Posts: 2,948
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Many years ago, 1970's, a Gnat from Valley called for the barrier going in to Shawbury but the air traffic control assistant activated the barrier at the wrong end causing the Gnat to 'trip over' it on final approach.
They got the pilot out but by all accounts he was a mess.
They got the pilot out but by all accounts he was a mess.
I remember taking the overrun RHAG on take-off in a heavy Jaguar (engine surge).
It paid out 1300 feet irrespective of the engagement speed.
150 knots to zero in 1300 ft is quite a retardation for non-carrier ops.
It paid out 1300 feet irrespective of the engagement speed.
150 knots to zero in 1300 ft is quite a retardation for non-carrier ops.
At Farnborough, we had a Buccaneer break the cable.
When the Bucc was flying, we always had the overrun cable rigged, but for a pre-meditated engagement, the approach end cable would be rigged. As this was before we had bowsprings installed, cable rigging involved several RAE departments; Inspection Department to raise the sheaves and cable drums, and AFRS to 'run out' the rubber grommets which raised the cable to the correct height. Anyway, the cable was reported ready and the Bucc landed and engaged, but after about 100yds, we saw it jerk sideways and saw the 'cable' flailing about. What had not been noticed by the various people involved in rigging the cable out on the runway was the sheave on one side of the runway had failed to activate and it was still flush with the ground, causing the canvas(?) tape on the end of the cable to break, the rest of the cable then pulling through the hook on the aircraft thus causing it to be jerked sideways.
Shortly after this, bowsprings were installed and raising the cable became a press of a single button in ATC.
When the Bucc was flying, we always had the overrun cable rigged, but for a pre-meditated engagement, the approach end cable would be rigged. As this was before we had bowsprings installed, cable rigging involved several RAE departments; Inspection Department to raise the sheaves and cable drums, and AFRS to 'run out' the rubber grommets which raised the cable to the correct height. Anyway, the cable was reported ready and the Bucc landed and engaged, but after about 100yds, we saw it jerk sideways and saw the 'cable' flailing about. What had not been noticed by the various people involved in rigging the cable out on the runway was the sheave on one side of the runway had failed to activate and it was still flush with the ground, causing the canvas(?) tape on the end of the cable to break, the rest of the cable then pulling through the hook on the aircraft thus causing it to be jerked sideways.
Shortly after this, bowsprings were installed and raising the cable became a press of a single button in ATC.
I seem to recall reading a tale of a Buccaneer at night taking off from somewhere and, after a certain amount of yards had been covered suddenly came to a WTF? type of crunching halt.
'twould seem that the arresting cable had been raised by mistake and the Bucc. had run into it.
'twould seem that the arresting cable had been raised by mistake and the Bucc. had run into it.
I heard, many years ago, of a Gannet taking a CHAG* in the wrong direction ... apparently there was a big bang and a lot of scraping noises!!
* CHain Arrester Gear. One direction only. It was based on the same principle of controlling ships when launched!
* CHain Arrester Gear. One direction only. It was based on the same principle of controlling ships when launched!
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: South Central UK
Posts: 254
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
chevron,
T'was not me that had the RHAG whoopsie, struggling to remember who was driving that day. RR keeps coming to mind
.
Ah, the vagaries of the RAE Dept responsibilities, happy memories that brings tears to the eyes
. Had that organisation, and a few similar, not been wilfully destroyed few, if any, of our major aircraft screw-ups would have occurred.
An Approach-End RHAG engagement landing was almost the SOP when operating Buccs from West Freugh. Shortish, damp to wet runway, almost guaranteed 90 degree x-wind and probably carrying the odd 1000 pounder or 2 meant better to be safe than sorry. Great sport whatever
.
lm
T'was not me that had the RHAG whoopsie, struggling to remember who was driving that day. RR keeps coming to mind
.Ah, the vagaries of the RAE Dept responsibilities, happy memories that brings tears to the eyes
. Had that organisation, and a few similar, not been wilfully destroyed few, if any, of our major aircraft screw-ups would have occurred.An Approach-End RHAG engagement landing was almost the SOP when operating Buccs from West Freugh. Shortish, damp to wet runway, almost guaranteed 90 degree x-wind and probably carrying the odd 1000 pounder or 2 meant better to be safe than sorry. Great sport whatever
.lm
95i:
Sorry, just picked up your post. I regret that I can't remember which year the Canberra incident happened.
I have two other memories of arrester gears etc. I think I am correct in stating that Decimomannu had CHAGS? I was driving Argosies at the time and we were taxiing out one day (squadron rotation) and the Italian controller told me that we were going to have a delay. He had a German F-104 inbound who was transmitting but not receiving.
The F-104 driver used a perfect speechless procedure and called all points in the circuit. The trouble was that he had set up for the wrong end of the runway and landed with a 30 knot tailwind which I would imagine would get your attention in an F-104. The Italian controller was going berserk and our Teutonic friend never thought to look at the stupid windsock which was lying, of course.
Then he picked up the CHAG and tried to tow it all the way to Corsica, I don't think I have ever seen so much sh*t and dust on an airfield.
The second occasion was at Gutersloh. I had been promoted to Belfasts by then and we were approaching the holding point when ATC advised of a delay - recovering a Lightning (a Mark 6 I believe) with a hydraulic failure. So, I positioned my Belfast on the QRA pan so that we had a good view.
He came down finals with the hook down to engage the touchdown RHAG. He touched down on the first inch of concrete in the undershoot but his hook was bouncing up and down and it skipped over the wire!
I really felt sorry for him. He must have been tensed up for a rapid stop and suddenly he was off down the (not too long) runway. he kept it on the runway for quite a time but eventually went "au vache" and, after a bit of a dust cloud, a white bone dome was seen exiting at a fast lightning pace (no pun intended).
Sorry, just picked up your post. I regret that I can't remember which year the Canberra incident happened.
I have two other memories of arrester gears etc. I think I am correct in stating that Decimomannu had CHAGS? I was driving Argosies at the time and we were taxiing out one day (squadron rotation) and the Italian controller told me that we were going to have a delay. He had a German F-104 inbound who was transmitting but not receiving.
The F-104 driver used a perfect speechless procedure and called all points in the circuit. The trouble was that he had set up for the wrong end of the runway and landed with a 30 knot tailwind which I would imagine would get your attention in an F-104. The Italian controller was going berserk and our Teutonic friend never thought to look at the stupid windsock which was lying, of course.
Then he picked up the CHAG and tried to tow it all the way to Corsica, I don't think I have ever seen so much sh*t and dust on an airfield.
The second occasion was at Gutersloh. I had been promoted to Belfasts by then and we were approaching the holding point when ATC advised of a delay - recovering a Lightning (a Mark 6 I believe) with a hydraulic failure. So, I positioned my Belfast on the QRA pan so that we had a good view.
He came down finals with the hook down to engage the touchdown RHAG. He touched down on the first inch of concrete in the undershoot but his hook was bouncing up and down and it skipped over the wire!
I really felt sorry for him. He must have been tensed up for a rapid stop and suddenly he was off down the (not too long) runway. he kept it on the runway for quite a time but eventually went "au vache" and, after a bit of a dust cloud, a white bone dome was seen exiting at a fast lightning pace (no pun intended).
Ref#12 above. Remember landing a Bucc at Farnborough and seeing the RHAG cable break shortly after engaging (by looking in the mirrors). Sadly not recorded in my log book, but think it was a hydraulic failure that caused the engagement. After a slight jerk as the cable snapped aircraft rolled out straight ahead. Does Chevvron have any other details?
Trying to recall who were the Bucc pilots at the time; TA springs to mind but I don't think it was him (I do recall an approach end engagement with him due to possible hydraulic failure but that's another story!); I remember the hook was bent and Aircraft Department mounted it on a plinth and presented it to the pilot. I also remember that the aircraft was indeed able to carry on down the runway after the cable parted company.
Don't forget you guys had to do a RHAG engagement as part of CT so to us in ATC, we expected it almost any flight so we had quite a few and as I said, when bowsprings were installed, the whole thing became a lot easier.
RS perhaps (he who banged out of the green Hunter when the engine went on takeoff?
Don't forget you guys had to do a RHAG engagement as part of CT so to us in ATC, we expected it almost any flight so we had quite a few and as I said, when bowsprings were installed, the whole thing became a lot easier.
RS perhaps (he who banged out of the green Hunter when the engine went on takeoff?