Blue Angels = HUGE EGO

[Flash]

Do those stupid rockets the put on Fat Albert actually do anything or are they just all show? Because I can’t imagine that they produce enough thrust to do any good.

As other guys have mentioned, those JATO rockets do actually have an operational use. However, they are rarely used nowadays for a variety of reasons, but mainly because pilots and planners do not like to put a C-130 in conditions that would warrant their use. If you need those to get off the ground then you would seriously have to question why you are their in the first place. I have known several C-130 types (mainly USAF or ANG) and they have never mentioned using them. They are there though if the necessity ever arises for their use.

A funny side note about the JATO packs. One of the best "Darwin Award" stories I have heard is about the guy strapping one to the top of his car and rocketing into a hillside/cliff after setting them off. I have never seen anything to confirm this story though, even after searching the net for hours. Unlike the guy who tied weather ballons to his lawn chair and drifted into LA's approach corridor.....I even saw that in Maxim? (or one of those mags) a few years ago.

 

[zuggerat]

ive seen the maxim article too... now that is someone who u definitely want to attrite OCS

 

[phrogdriver]

The JATO rocket myth was debunked by the Darwin Awards people on their website and book. www.darwinawards.com "Mythbusters" on Discovery Channel also debunked it pretty well by replicating it with an old Impala on remote control, which was cool. THe lawn chair guy is real, though.

C-130s do some pretty short and rough fields without rockets. Camp Rhino, for instance. The runway there looked like 2 truck ruts in the desert. Anything worse than those and you probably should use a helicopter.

 

[squeeze]

http://www.snopes.com/autos/dream/jato.asp

/wishes every website in the world had a snopes filter

 

[zuggerat]

hmmm i wonder if those JATO rockets would fit on a Chevy Lumina... (clanking and metal grinding noise)

 

[stevew]

Yeah, I had tears rolling down my cheeks after that lawn chair story it was so funny. I guess that's typical of enlisted airfarce eh?

 

[airwinger]

I'd be pretty disappointed if I tried talking to the blues and they brushed me off but like the saying goes "you never remember most landings" think about it this way. For 3 years these guys have to be nice to every single person every single day, they'll be at a hotel at 0 dark thirty, some reserve enlisted Marine(me at the time) will demand a picture with them and they may be in a rush but they stop and take one. I certainly didn't tell many people about that. But if ever they're having a bad day and snap at someone, that's all anyone will remember and I know I would have howled to the moon had Lt. Cmdr. Chip Boogerd turned me down that morning in 2000.

On rec.aviation.miliatary.naval there was a blue angel discussion about how many of them never realise when they sign up just how tough the job is, from the flying itself to always being on stage having every move scrutinized.

An interesting experience I had was going to the Fort Worth airshow in the "All weather fighter attack" T-2 Buckeye. I was almost hoarse talkng to people, smiling all the time and trying to be nice when people asked why we were in Iraq, but had a great time and view it very fondly. My instructor was an old Tomcat guy and he avoided hanging out at the jet as much as he could, and said that after too many airshows he was tired of the 12 year old kid who wanted to discuss the mechanics of the F-14 oil filter system or the "How true is 'Top Gun' " questions.

semper fi.

 

[Squid]

and said that after too many airshows he was tired of the 12 year old kid who wanted to discuss the mechanics of the F-14 oil filter system

Even I know the answer to this one! When you've put 3000 miles on your -14, you just pop down to the discount auto and grab a filter and 4 qts of 10w-50.

 

[bch]

don't forget the quaker state high milage engine oil treatment, it is gettin a bit old these days

 

[plumberphil]

i'm more of a synthetic kinda guy myself

 

[zuggerat]

i like ribbed for her pleasure, because its all about the ladies

 

[olpa9901]

I kinda like that idea of buying that bulk Shell Rotilla for the
grain truck out on the farm. Those farm/country stores that sell oil by the drum are great.

 

[zuggerat]

i make my own gasoline out of nail polish remover and apple juice

 

[beau]

The G-Suit question more specifically:

The Blue's use a Spring to create a nose down tension (nose down trim) on the Stick (not a friggin yoke youwho!), since a hornet is not able to be manually trimmed with the gear up. This nose down trim is so that the blues can have more control in close formation. As you can imagine, this nose down force would be very tiring after a while (something like 20-40 pounds of pressure). So the Blues brace their forearm against their thigh so that they can fly in this respect. Well, G-suits are worn on the lower half of the body including the lower abs, THIGHS, and legs. The inflating and deflating of the G-suit with the onset of G-s causes the movement of their braced arm and could cause stick movement.

Something tells me I'm going to get flamed on this one.... sooooo I'm going to tell you that I've read some books about the Blues and have a friend of the family who was a pilot on the team.........

WTF!!!........More distractions..........back to studying

 

[jarhead]

you can trim the Hornet with the gear up

S/F

The G-Suit question more specifically:

The Blue's use a Spring to create a nose down tension (nose down trim) on the Stick (not a friggin yoke youwho!), since a hornet is not able to be manually trimmed with the gear up. This nose down trim is so that the blues can have more control in close formation. As you can imagine, this nose down force would be very tiring after a while (something like 20-40 pounds of pressure). So the Blues brace their forearm against their thigh so that they can fly in this respect. Well, G-suits are worn on the lower half of the body including the lower abs, THIGHS, and legs. The inflating and deflating of the G-suit with the onset of G-s causes the movement of their braced arm and could cause stick movement.

Something tells me I'm going to get flamed on this one.... sooooo I'm going to tell you that I've read some books about the Blues and have a friend of the family who was a pilot on the team.........

WTF!!!........More distractions..........back to studying