After landing when would you put the seat pins in
JPs at Cranwell in the 80s, when dual you’d put each others Face-screen Handle pin in
To have someone fiddling over your face screen handle fumbling with the pin seems very dangerous - and why have a different procedure when dual to that when solo?
What a bizarre procedure! When I flew the JP, we would never try to replace the face screen pin after landing until on chocks and vacating after unstrapping. Seat pan and guillotine pins yes, but that was all.
To have someone fiddling over your face screen handle fumbling with the pin seems very dangerous - and why have a different procedure when dual to that when solo?
To have someone fiddling over your face screen handle fumbling with the pin seems very dangerous - and why have a different procedure when dual to that when solo?
As I recall it at "main base" (e.g. Cranwell) you'd let the ground crew do the tops after shutdown, dual or solo..but we'd also certainly self top pin or buddy buddy the top pins at times - e.g. circuits Dual-> solo at an RLS, somewhere like Barkston, where the QFI would hop out after the dual bit...pins had to be moved accordingly and when appropriate with no ground crew to assist.
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Non-zero-zero seats, pins in after landing unless you were thinking of perishing in the seat if you used it. Rocket MB seats, I always coordinated with my crew member to make the seats safe after landing - especially after long sorties so that we could unstrap. ACES II seats, the same because it’s a simple arm/disarm lever.
Addendum: yes, you can put face screen handle pins in whilst sitting in the seat. It’s not hard.
Addendum: yes, you can put face screen handle pins in whilst sitting in the seat. It’s not hard.
CM,until you drop one...!
Macchi MB 326 RAAF/RAN: MB Mk 4 seat: Pilots handled face blind, guillotine and seat pan handle pins just before takeoff and after landing. Groundies did the other four. The face blind one wasn’t difficult IIRC.
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Interesting recollection Captain Dart. I last flew a MACCHI MB326H mid 1974 in the RAN FAA at NAS Nowra [perhaps interestingly I was trained late 1970 at RAAF East Sale by the instructor instructors so that I could be the first junior (Midshipman) Fleet Support Pilot when they arrived late 1970] so my memory of it is a bit hazy now. I have a good story to tell about the pins 'remove before flight' but will leave it for now. Meanwhile the graphic/text is from the 1973 RAN/RAAF Flight Manual for said aircraft.
[addition] "GROUND SAFETY PIN
The canopy jettison system is made safe by inserting a ground safety pin through the sear in the canopy jettison gun. The ground safety pin must be removed before flight and stowed in the front cockpit stowage block. [seen in grfx]
"EJECTION SEAT [Flight Manual [b]Macchi MB-326H RAN/RAAF June 1973]
Both cockpits are fitted with Martin Baker Mk04B ejection seats.
Seat Safety Pins
The ejection seat has 5 safety pins; Face Screen, Seat Pan Firing, Guillotine Sear, Ejection Gun Sear and Drogue Gun Sear. All of these must be removed before flight.
Seat Firing Handles
The ejection sequence may be initiated by operation of either the face screen handle or the seat pan handle."
[addition] "GROUND SAFETY PIN
The canopy jettison system is made safe by inserting a ground safety pin through the sear in the canopy jettison gun. The ground safety pin must be removed before flight and stowed in the front cockpit stowage block. [seen in grfx]
"EJECTION SEAT [Flight Manual [b]Macchi MB-326H RAN/RAAF June 1973]
Both cockpits are fitted with Martin Baker Mk04B ejection seats.
Seat Safety Pins
The ejection seat has 5 safety pins; Face Screen, Seat Pan Firing, Guillotine Sear, Ejection Gun Sear and Drogue Gun Sear. All of these must be removed before flight.
Seat Firing Handles
The ejection sequence may be initiated by operation of either the face screen handle or the seat pan handle."
Last edited by SpazSinbad; 11th Jan 2023 at 05:47.
Slight thread drift, but one of my UAS QFIs told us that while on a JP refresher course at Manby, they would entertain the spotters parked on the road adjacent to a taxiway.
After landing, they would put the pins in and open the canopy. Then one would unstrap, stand on the seat and salute the assembled masses!
After landing, they would put the pins in and open the canopy. Then one would unstrap, stand on the seat and salute the assembled masses!
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Lots of EURO aircraft in this PDF about Ground Rescue Pin Actions from 2006. Interesting what is left out in this MB 326 instance: http://www.0x4d.net/files/AF1/R11%20Segment%2026.pdf (6Mb)
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During my time on 92sqn at Wildenrath I strapped many a nav into the rear seat. I think I recall 5 pins, these were stowed in front of the occupant just above the eyeline. On start up, before removal of the entry ladder, the last thing to bring to the nav's attention were the 5 stowed pins, Seat pan, guillotine, rocket pack, face screen, drogue gun. Once seated the nav would remove the lower pins, (rocket, pan, guillotine), I would then take out and stow the face screen and drogue once the nav was settled.
On return it was quite common for the crew to taxy in with canopies open and the lower pins fitted. Once shut down and unstrapped the nav would stand on the seat and fit the face screen and drogue. Before any service was carried out it was essential to ensure there were no pins in the stowage and they were correctly fitted before standing on the seat.
This was all 40 years ago so cut me some slack if I'm a little hazy!
On return it was quite common for the crew to taxy in with canopies open and the lower pins fitted. Once shut down and unstrapped the nav would stand on the seat and fit the face screen and drogue. Before any service was carried out it was essential to ensure there were no pins in the stowage and they were correctly fitted before standing on the seat.
This was all 40 years ago so cut me some slack if I'm a little hazy!
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