Tornado pilot blames dirty windscreen for near-miss

[ricardian]

From The Scotsman today

[Stuff]

Windscreen wash bottles?

Is that a newish mod or was I really asleep during groundschool? I don't remember those.

[foldingwings]

I thought we used rain showers as they were more effective!

Foldie

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

You were asleep;
had 'em on the F3 anyway, though they were f-all use for clearing salt spray.

[howiehowie93]

Washer Bottle

GR1 had then fitted as standard between the cockpit and the Radar bit at the front bit behind the Radome. Only ever saw them used once in Lossie;

Some aircrew type remembered they were fitted and demanded they be filled up on the next flight. Us ground crew had to look it up how to fill them and what with !!!

Any way crew in time and the Rigger Sneck came out to our HAS for a look with a big grin on his face !! Wait for it he said. Low and behold as the pressurisation kicked in and the Wash Bottle was pressurised - water started spraying everywhere out the front ! Running down the side to make a big pool by the nose wheels. Also trashed the avionics and the radar package.

Apparently its a major job to fix, involving the Radar coming out and some none simple airframe hacking to replace it ??? (I was a Sootie and didn't get involve in other trades stuff) I wonder if it was the equivalent of the Phantoom's No 1 tank where they get a particular component and build the aircraft around it ??

Prolly still fitted but I bet they still aint used !! but more likely properly documented and LIM'd out now I expect.

regards
Hwie

[SRENNAPS]

They were used in the early days at TTTE.

I was doing a post primary* ground run and one of the checks for the riggers was to carry out a func of the bottle. A short time after I had operated the system there was mega fumes in the cockpit. With eyes weeping & stinging and throat burning, I shut down and vacated the cockpit feeling quite wobbly.

Turns out that a pipe was leaking and the liquid had contaminated the fairy kit giving off nasty fumes.

Despite my protests saying that I was fine after a gallon of water, I was taken up the med centre, in a meat wagon, for every test in the world.

Still, I got the rest of the day off.

[AllTrimDoubt]

Mmm. Perhaps if one cannot see clearly at LL on a training flight, with no means of remedying the situation as reported, then a LL abort may have been sensible airmanship?

[Shell Management]

These days there are some that think airmanship is about making excuses after the event.

[ewe.lander]

Pompous beyond belief Shell Man, have you ever flown low-level operationally?? If so - I assume you were perfect........

[Biggus]

ewe

If you had read many of Shell Man's comments on other threads, which you obviously haven't, you would be able to answer your own question!

[TurbineTooHot]

The little pressie button for it is on the ECS panel, near the demist.

Never had one work on me.

If your canopy is dirty, don't accept the aircraft. You're the bloody captain, do some captain stuff and get the lineys to clean it. They might moan (shouldn't) but the Training Cell does teach them to keep the canopy and front clean.

Pain et buerre.

[red zebra]

Gr1's definitely had them fitted and operational even back on 14 at Bruggen and 617 at Marham, it was part of the B\F can't recall if it was on the T\R though, would have thought so. AFAIR fill point was stbd side just behind the radome, Can't recall what we used to top them up bu it wasn't water

[Saintsman]

If your canopy is dirty, don't accept the aircraft. You're the bloody captain, do some captain stuff and get the lineys to clean it. They might moan (shouldn't) but the Training Cell does teach them to keep the canopy and front clean.

Oh, they'll clean it. Usually with a dirty rag out of their pocket and with a big ball of spit!

"Clean enough Sir?"

[whisperer]

I know it was fitted, used and refilled regularly on the (not so mighty then) F3 during GW1, I recall the mayhem caused after some fool topped the coolanol up with screenwash fluid......

[just another jocky]

They've stopped using them now. Not sure why. I asked SEngO a couple of years ago why. He told me, but I'm so old and senile now, I really can't remember what he said.

As TTH says, exercise some Captaincy and don't accept the ac. Simples!

[Secretsooty]

On the GR4, it's still part of the post-maintenance (p*, minor, Minor*) ground-runs to check the windscreen wash during ECS functs......
We always did it in AMF @ Lossie....... can't vouch for other units however.

[just another jocky]

Curious. It was on XV (R) on my return to the fold that I discovered they were no longer re-filled.

[Ogre]

Saintsman

Tsk, tsk, please don't bait the lineys. Back in the days of the banana jet we used to take great pride in keeping the canopies clean before sorties. So much so I think we used more cans of "Sparkle" than the red arrows! Well we did, I can't speak for the dog squadron on the other side of the runway.

[howiehowie93]

Sparkle

Ogre wrote:

So much so I think we used more cans of "Sparkle" than the red arrows!

ah Sparkle, before that we used the little bottles of plastic polish.

One day at BRU someone was sent up to the HES to get some more sparkle but the cupboard was bare !!! Apparently some high up Stores Person had cancelled the re-order as we were using too much of it!

I think we cancelled the wave to make a point ! (or did they all crew out ?? )

Soon got more Sparkle delivered - local purchase from Roermond maybe !!

Regards
Hwie

[Sgt.Slabber]

"Sparkle"

Ogre - yes, it was used across the way. We also used it on the TVAT glass once the salt residue had been washed off...