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Hey fellow Viper lovers

When a pilot flies, he or she has quite a lot of stuff to take with him/her. I wonder where they put them.

Where does a pilot install his videotapes for the recording, is there a special place in the aircraft where the videorecorder is located?

Where do you leave the checklists, dash-one, the emergency checklists, fligt procedures, radio-callsigns? I know there is a map and date storage alongside the right console for the maps. If it contains all that stuff, it must be quite full...

When you're on a long flight, do you take lunch with you so you can eat or drink while in the air? I know from Red Flag sorties that pilots do like to drink in fligt, but where do you leave it until you need it?

When you are supposed to spend the night somewhere, where would you leave your luggage? You might like to take your pyama with you...

When you do neet to relieve yourself, is there any possibility where you can leave the results until you're back home?

These questions may not seem to be as interesting as those concerning specials valves or pumps, but they seems relevant to me. I hope that anyone can help me out. Thanks in advance!

Jeroen

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I can answer one of your questions concerning using the bathroom in a Viper. Usually pilots carry plastic pouches with a sponge in them called "Piddle Packs." Basically you just swithch on the auto pilot, loosten your straps, stand on your ruder pedals, aim carefully at your <a href="http://www.f-16.net/f-16_forum_viewtopic-t-661.html">piddle pack</a> Wink

, and let 'er go! Now that's how the men do it, I don't know about the ladies. Rolling Eyes

Ladies get a cathader inserted which is attached to a piddle pack. Ouch! For both guys and gals when it comes to #2 you have to hold it. There are no accomodations for that function. As far as storage goes, there are quite a few places the pilot can put things. First off there are pockets on the flight suit down by the ankles. This is where the water bottle, thier hat, and any other assorted maps or papers can be stored. For maps and the papers they need for flight, the flight suits have these elastic straps on both legs that you can slide them under to hold them in place or they will buy these clipboard contraptions that velcro around their thighs and they can attach them there. You are right about map cases on the right hand side there is also one in the very back left corner. Most of the time if it is something the pilot won't need he/she will roll it up in the helmet bag and tuck it behind the seat or they will just leave it with the crew chief. Now for AVTR tapes, there are two access panels on panel 2101 that can be used to access the VTR depending on which type is used.

O.T.

Don't forget........the golf clubs go into the travel pods. LOL Very Happy

Elite Joined: Jan 31, 2004 Posts: 1496 Status: Offline

aggressor267 wrote:

Ladies get a cathader inserted which is attached to a piddle pack.

AY CARAMBA!!!! Shocked

The things they do to serve the nation! Ladies, if you're reading this, you now have my utmost respect!

Also a reminder that if you undo the lap belt for your break, keep good SA on it. More than once have crashes occurred because of the lap belt buckle getting jammed between the seat and stick during or after relief periods.

Hey viper-lovers

Thank you for your info so far, you really help me out. One question still remains: where does a pilot put his luggage he needs when he'will spend the night somewhere?
In one of the anwsers I read that a pilot can put some gear behind his seat. I wonder if this is secure. There is no risk of gear flying around? Is there a special box or container to put your stuff in?

Thanks so far for your help!

Jeroen

All the pilots excess baggage is put in the travel Pod. In the early blocks of the F-16 they used to have a bag that was strapped into the avionics bay but now with all the new mods there is not enough room for that bag any more so the travel pod is all that is left. Shocked

The travel pods are old Napalm bombs that have been modified with a door on the side so luggage, golf clubs, tools, aircraft covers, forms or what everelse you can cram in there. I knew a guy who was stationed at Misawa and he told me they had a 300 gal. centerline tank that had been damaged and could no longer carry fuel, so they moded it and put a door on it and they would use that as a travel pod to carry spare tires. I've never seen it myself, but sounds pretty crazy. Other places the pilots will store items is behind them in the aft transparency in the C-models. I've seen everything from aircraft forms to laptops thrown back there.

O.T.

Quote:

Ladies get a cathader inserted which is attached to a piddle pack

I have heard from a life support person that the ladies have a cup type thing fitted so when flying long missions, like hot pitting, they don't have a cathader inserted everyday, I would think that would be bad for the body, not to mention would need someone trained in how to do it.

Quote:

they had a 300 gal. centerline tank

Have seen photos of this, but didn't keep em.

sorry, read these two quotes together and had visions of a catheter draining into a 300 gal tank... Smile

habu2 wrote:

sorry, read these two quotes together and had visions of a catheter draining into a 300 gal tank... Smile

She would have been a thirsty girl then. At least with a system like that I wouldn't have to worry about pulling over at every rest stop on the highway.

Veteran Joined: Jun 16, 2003 Posts: 268 Status: Offline

The Next Generation Travel Pod is based on the 300 Gal fuel tank, and built by Sargent Fletcher. Doubt you'll ever get any NEW MXU-648 cargo pods.

A lot of times the pilots stuff things down between the seat and the console. Roll there helmet bag and such. As for the checklists and what not there usually straped on a board wich attaches to there leg. Easy access. I've seen them use the aft transparency a lot to carry small flat things. There's also a small compartment, mapcase or what have you on the left side as well as on the right side along the wall of the cockpit. Also seen them put stuff up on the glare shield next to the HUD. On the two seaters somtimes they buckle things into the aft cockpit. Different avionic boxes and what not.

As for the pilot reliving themselfs. Its right they got them <A href="http://www.f-16.net/f-16_forum_viewtopic-t-661.html">piddle packs</a>. And when there..uh well full they have two lil storage compartments on either side under the seat that they set them in. Makes a great FOD catcher somtimes. haha..Tho NEVER heard of the cathader even for long flights..

Anybody ever used a "Texas cathater"? Never did myself but.... apparently a condom with the tip cut off that you attach a small rubber hose to. Then you can whip the rubber hose out of the jaws of death when it's time to do business. Can any old craniums confirm, or is it an urban legend?

Burn

Elite Joined: Mar 19, 2004 Posts: 540 Status: Offline

Ya, make sure your junk is well clear of the edge of the G suit. Same goes for your stuff. Other wise forms and such can be stuffed under the aft trans on XC flights. Just make sure it is not going to move forward over the ECS duct.

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While flying the Viper, where do pilots put their stuff?