ehr@uncecs.edu (Ernest H. Robl) (11/03/90)
From: ehr@uncecs.edu (Ernest H. Robl) I attended the annual community appreciation day airshow at Seymour Johnson AFB, Goldsboro, N.C., last weekend, and found the show interesting both for what was on display -- and what wasn't. (The Thunderbirds put on a good show.) What was interesting in comparison to last year's show was that while last year's show had a C-5, C-141, etc., this year's show didn't have any modern TRANSPORT aircraft on display. The obvious implication is that they are all in use elsewhere -- flying material to the Middle East, probably. There was a KC-10 tanker on display, but that was one of SJAFB's own. Also, during the day the landings appeared to include some KC-10s which were not part of the show. My impression had been that for the airshow day, normal operations were usually suspended. Again, the implication was that these tankers had been out over the Atlantic refuelling other aircraft. Some other things which struck me: Last year directing traffic and some other operations were handled by airmen. (I really liked the fact that the airman who directed my car to its parking space gave me the shut-down-engines signal!) This year most of this was handled by area explorer scouts and CAP volunteers -- an indication that a good part of SJAFB's permanent force is occupied elsewhere. Security also appeared to be somewhat tighter than last year around the area where SJ's own fighters were parked. AF police armed with the short-barrelled, collapsible-stock M16s (with clips inserted) were much in evidence. Now, for a question that I didn't get around to asking anyone at the airshow: Some of the modern *AIR FORCE* fighters have tailhooks. Are these ever used? If so, when, where, how? Thanks. -- Ernest -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- "My other computer is a Nikon N8008." -- Ernest H. Robl Ernest H. Robl (ehr@ecsvax) Durham, NC, USA (919) 286-3845 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) (11/05/90)
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) >From: ehr@uncecs.edu (Ernest H. Robl) >last year's show had a C-5, C-141, etc., this year's show didn't have >any modern TRANSPORT aircraft on display. The obvious implication >is that they are all in use elsewhere -- flying material to the Middle >East, probably. Actually, the Gulf crisis has made some very creative excuses possible. DEC claimed that software we'd ordered was being delayed because they were competing with the Army for air-freight capacity! >Now, for a question that I didn't get around to asking anyone at the >airshow: Some of the modern *AIR FORCE* fighters have tailhooks. Are >these ever used? If so, when, where, how? Thanks. Some (many?) USAF runways have arrester gear for emergencies, I believe. The hooks are not used for normal operations. -- "I don't *want* to be normal!" | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology "Not to worry." | henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry
jabusch@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu (John Jabusch) (11/06/90)
From: jabusch@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu (John Jabusch) ehr@uncecs.edu (Ernest H. Robl) writes: >Now, for a question that I didn't get around to asking anyone at the >airshow: Some of the modern *AIR FORCE* fighters have tailhooks. Are >these ever used? If so, when, where, how? Thanks. Almost every air base of every service branch has at least one barrier (the usual term for arresting gear). Even those bases which support Reserve and Aig Guard operations, many of which are local major airports, have barriers. The barriers get used frequently, both for exercises and for in-flight emergencies. -- John W. Jabusch US Army Construction INTERNET: jabusch@cerl.cecer.army.mil Engineering Resesarch Lab MILNET: jabusch@osiris.arpa Champaign, IL
swilliam@dtoa1.dt.navy.mil (Williams) (11/06/90)
From: swilliam@dtoa1.dt.navy.mil (Williams) Re: Air Force Fighters with Tail Hooks I remember that when I was in college in St. Louis during early 1970's, I noticed that the main runway (east-west) of the Lambert Field (now known as the St. Louis Lambert International Airport) had arresting wires across near its east end. There was one main east-west runway then. The Lambert Field is the home of McDonnell Douglas Corporation, the manufacturer of the F-4s and F-15s. Boy, it was earthshaking experience every time a F-4 took off from the main runway with afterburners on! The glass panes (the main terminal was beautifully designed with lots and lots of glass panes) would vibrate a lot!