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Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.
US Navy Harrier Jet Lands On Stool
- Thread starter HyFlyer
- Start date
PhantomTweak
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My father-in-law retired from the Navy as a Senior Chief, and went to work on the Marine Corps Harrier program, as a tech rep.
Would believe that "Stool" they used was standard issue for every squadron? They often had to make their own, but they all had at least one.
Apparently, the nose gear not coming down was a relatively common situation. Not all that frequent, but often enough that every squadron would have a stool or two around. Good thing, too, obviously!
Naturally, the guy responsible for keeping the stool would inevitably be on leave, so everyone would run around frantically looking for it when it was needed
We had a Harrier in Yuma hover all the way across the field and into Betco Air's hangar. It got into the "death wobble" the A-models were prone to just about 10' off the deck, and the pilot ejected instantly, as he should have. When he did, though, the bird stabilized, and started wandering around the airport, eventually ending up in the hangar. They tried to get somebody up to shut it down, but it always stayed just out of reach. At least no one was hurt...
Still, a nifty video!
Thanks for the post
Pat☺
Would believe that "Stool" they used was standard issue for every squadron? They often had to make their own, but they all had at least one.
Apparently, the nose gear not coming down was a relatively common situation. Not all that frequent, but often enough that every squadron would have a stool or two around. Good thing, too, obviously!
Naturally, the guy responsible for keeping the stool would inevitably be on leave, so everyone would run around frantically looking for it when it was needed
We had a Harrier in Yuma hover all the way across the field and into Betco Air's hangar. It got into the "death wobble" the A-models were prone to just about 10' off the deck, and the pilot ejected instantly, as he should have. When he did, though, the bird stabilized, and started wandering around the airport, eventually ending up in the hangar. They tried to get somebody up to shut it down, but it always stayed just out of reach. At least no one was hurt...
Still, a nifty video!
Thanks for the post
Pat☺
Now, THAT would have been worth taking a video of!!
Almost like it was an orphan looking for a home. That would have posed an almost insurmountable problem - AFAIK the only place to stopcock the engine is in the cockpit, but that would have entailed clambering up a ladder with that whopping intake only a few feet away. Daunting, to say the least . . .
Almost like it was an orphan looking for a home. That would have posed an almost insurmountable problem - AFAIK the only place to stopcock the engine is in the cockpit, but that would have entailed clambering up a ladder with that whopping intake only a few feet away. Daunting, to say the least . . .
PhantomTweak
Members +
Yeah, it was a sight. They tried roll around stair, but it would slide sideways just out of reach. Then they tried a hi-lift. Cherry picker sort of thing. But that's when it took off across the field, and they couldn't keep up.
The Marines finally decided to let the field fencing catch it. It wound up in the Betco hangar like it had been aimed at it. Would have been funny, if it weren't such a disaster. They did wind up having to completely replace the Betco Air hangar, as well as the C172 in it. Not to mention all the tools and equipment they had. It was totally destroyed, and then the whole thing burned. Thankfully, Crash Crew was following it, hoping to be able to shoot a Halon fire extinguisher (back then they still had them on the flight line) down the intakes when the fencing caught it.
Cost them a pretty penny, rumor control had it.
Have fun all!
Pat☺
The Marines finally decided to let the field fencing catch it. It wound up in the Betco hangar like it had been aimed at it. Would have been funny, if it weren't such a disaster. They did wind up having to completely replace the Betco Air hangar, as well as the C172 in it. Not to mention all the tools and equipment they had. It was totally destroyed, and then the whole thing burned. Thankfully, Crash Crew was following it, hoping to be able to shoot a Halon fire extinguisher (back then they still had them on the flight line) down the intakes when the fencing caught it.
Cost them a pretty penny, rumor control had it.
Have fun all!
Pat☺