Air Clues : Summer 2015 : Issue 16
 

For those interested the latest issue has been published on-line ...

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafi...929455ABC5.pdf

Best ...

Coff.

Content removed

Re the Flight Safety Awards. After the sad events on the Red Arrows with the ejection seat shackle issue I was amazed that wrong shackles could be fitted to Tornado seats and potentially the opposite to Hawk seats. Having worked in bays working with four different aircraft seat types this simply could not have happened with the systems then used. I really do wonder if today's engineering is better than it was in the 80s.

Thanks very much, Coff.

Just to prove I do read the articles, I noted with interest a remark in the ODH interview with AVM Reynolds. Asked, "How on earth do you manage to sleep at night?" He replied, "Easily, because I'm well supported." I presume he means he has a nice firm mattress.

...or that he goes to bed wearing one of Messrs. Litesome's well-known products?

I had a quick look at Air Clues, but did find it rather heavy going...

They seem concerned about 'cognitive failure' amongst pilot who fly privately, as well as getting their handful of military hours. Perhaps that's because quite a few aircrew are having to top up their PIC time so that they can qualify for a CPL?

Grateful, Coff ... it helps me keep 'vaguely' in touch with the old world ;)

They do seem to have their share of typos.

No worries Chaps :ok:

I personally found the 1947 'Pilots Puzzle Page' questions on Page 17 entertaining ... Did quite well IIMSSMS.

Does anybody know what the Radio Equipment was that is mentioned under Q4 ? Seems to be some sort of early DME but I'm bu99ered if I know :uhoh:

Thanks coffman.


This from ODH interview.

Who does this apply to now? IIRC it came up on the nimrod case when MoD said they couldn't force people to give evidence if they had left post or were retired. Someone posted to say the "rest of life" had always been the case.

Aye. You'll have to roll with this one...PM if you want.

Und....

surprising picture on page 19 of the pdf document

Is it me or is the crewman unhitched on his left? [good pic 'clues team]





you can't keep an old turbine tech down ya know BASICS!

BABS
 

Coff.
I think the equipment you are on about was the Blind Approach Beacon System which was around at the end of the War and had a vertical timebase for range markers. "BABS homings and letdowns" were imprecise. Rebecca/Eureka took over the distance measuring and ILS took out the on board height read outs from the Nav.

Many thanks Doug, much appreciated ;)

Head to head I always thought it was boring compared to the FAA's Cockpit.
That article about horse drivers wearing high viz vests to avoid helicopters, (make it the other way around) is a piss take worthy of monty python.

Air Clues -Confusion around Fuel Grades
 

Thanks for the Airclues link Coff

Was very interested in the article on Fuel. Confusion? certainly seems to be.

My memory may serve me incorrectly, and I don't have the DefStan to hand, but: Jet A-1 used to be the equivalent of F-35 (Avtur) - which is F-34 without the Fuel Systems Icing Inhibitor (FSII) and anti-static additive (ASA).

Jet A - is normally only found in the US or Canada

F-34 is the standard fuel you will see around RAF stations and is especially important for use in FJ. Use of F-35 could impose a limitation on the use of the aircraft.

Avtag - is obsolete -

Surprised to see no mention of F-44 Avcat - which is basically F-34 with a lower flash point for use on carriers.

Hangarshuffle,

Sadly not a piss take. It was one of the initiatives introduced around 2005 after consultation between the MoD and the riding community following the inquest into the death of Mrs Heather Bell, a 38 year old mother of two who was killed when her horse reacted and bolted to a low flying Chinook. Are they effective? The horse riders I know who wear them seem to think so.

Over here the cousins are bust painting over JP8 with F24.

Yes, read that and wondered if it would be effective. Anything to avoid a serious accident I guess.
Just last week, watching a niece being schooled, a horse in a neighbouring field fixated on my wife's small brolly and then cantered wildly around, presumably to escape the imagined pink predator. Weird creatures - horses, that is :E

Seriously? :eek:

They are incapable of flying a light aircraft because they fly gliders?

>They are incapable of flying a light aircraft because they fly gliders?<

Makes you wonder how ATA crews ever coped with a dozen different types in a day. No navaids and strictly VFR too, even in the depths of winter. Or how those of us on VGSs managed to cope with the mighty Vigilant whilst also being current (even instructing, shock, horror) on several flavours of civil light aircraft.