Forum: F-16 Procedures

Forum Veteran Joined: Nov 07, 2003 - 09:12 PM Posts: 901

Hi guys,

I am always amazed on the above mentioned. The refuelling of the Viper (or any other aircraft) without engine being shut down. I know a great amount of the JP4(?) is needed when the Viper starts the JFS? But I guess that was not the motivation behind such practice. Is this really necessary? Compromising safety. I don't suppose you re-arm the Viper while refuelling? I guess no WLC can arm a Viper without entering the pac-man. Does every Air Forces endosed on such a practise? And how often do the crews need to carry out such practice to maintain the proficiency?

My apologies on all the Question

. Just curious.
cheers,

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Hot pits in my view are only for "Supervision" and pilots to crank out sorties and get their alloted hours. For some reason everyone loves to surge and get tons of sorties, which makes chasing "Stats" look great but kills the planes. For some reason the planes fly great for the most part during a surge and then all hell breaks loose come the next monday morning if everything isnt already broke on Friday. Its funny how on the first flight the jet is always code one, but after the second flight everything comes back broke? Darn Pilots.

Keep in mind that was a personal view of mine and I'm sure alot of other crew chiefs share the same.

Hot pits enables pilots to fly back to back training sorties without having to taxi back to the spot, shut down the plane, and let the ground crews do thier inspections and maint before they can take the jet back up. They do dearm the jet at EOR then do the refueling and then rearm once again at EOR.

Hope this helps a little,

Dave

Forum Veteran Joined: Nov 07, 2003 - 09:12 PM Posts: 901

Hi Dave,
thanks for the response. Just for training sorties? And they actually re-arm the Viper with the Engine running? It is beyond my imgination....

cheers, Very Happy

When Dave says re-arm, he simply means turns the arming key on the aim-9 or pulls safety pins in pylons, not actually loading more munitions onto or into the aircraft.

Isn't all mid-air refuel hot refuel? Wink

I've seen many anti-sub choppers doing it on their ships, but never seen Vipers doing it.

Guest

The Israeli airforce actually trains its gound crews to refuel and rearm its fighters on the ground and running. They had some obscene turn around time to, something like 7 minutes once stopped. The Idea being that they need to be back up in the air immediately if somebody like Syria gets all pissy again.

Drew.

P.S. I think im gonna register now, I posted 5 times as a guest looks like I aint going anywhere.

Forum Veteran Joined: Nov 07, 2003 - 09:12 PM Posts: 901

Hi Guest,

Quote:

When Dave says re-arm, he simply means turns the arming key on the aim-9 or pulls safety pins in pylons, not actually loading more munitions onto or into the aircraft.

Thanks for pointing that out. I guess it didn't occurred to me, fully armed Viper requires re-fueling that frequent.

ysslah,
quite embarrassingly, it too never occurred to me, AAR was carried out with the Engine running too!! Embarassed

Certainly, it too is a riskly ops. But I guess, unlike Hot refueling, AAR does not have to be extremely cautious on where the fuel truck is parked, crew chiefs refueling the jet while observing all the danger areas...etc.

cheers, Very Happy

Forum Veteran Joined: Nov 07, 2003 - 09:12 PM Posts: 901

Quote:

The Israli airforce actually trains its gound crews to refuel and rearm its fighters on the ground and running.

Hi Drew,
now, I really wonder, when you mentioned "rearm", were you referring to 'arm the already installed ordnance from safe' or actually arm new ordnances.

cheers, Very Happy

Pumpkin... I agree. Jet intakers of choppers are quiet high to be sucked in Mr. Green

I have heard that too Drew. I know they actually load whole preloaded racks of bombs on the aircraft instead of one at a time like we do. It is very feasible seeing how ther pilot has only to shut off his SMS power to shut down the station being loaded.

Rigo

Forum Veteran Joined: Nov 07, 2003 - 09:12 PM Posts: 901

Rigo,

"whole rack" as in another fresh TER, preloaded with ordnances? wow....with the MJ? By the way, I don't suppose the MJ can load a station from rear, can it?

And the idling of the Engine during hot refueling, it is like when it comes to a halt for a hot brake check?

cheers, Very Happy

I saw a concept in a magazine one time (Code One or Maintenance) where the idea was for the jet to taxi into this open-ended structure (kind of like a carwash) with a robotic arm and a refueling probe on it. It was primarily for ops in a chemical environment. The arm was controled by POL personnel in an enclosed cab. I can't remember how they addressed the issue of re-armament. I guess if the fueling could be done in an area between the runway and the flightline then at least the jet could be rearmed on the flightline without the presence of a POL truck.
stik

Pardon my ignorance but what does POL stand for?

Forum Veteran Joined: Nov 07, 2003 - 09:12 PM Posts: 901

Hi guys,
I believe stik's POL was referring to Petroleum Oil Lubricants?

cheers, Very Happy

Hi Guys,

Quote:

I believe stik's POL was referring to Petroleum Oil Lubricants?

Pumpkin is correct.

Check out: http://www.acronymfinder.com

Forum: F-16 Procedures

Hot refuelling