Scariest Day/Night Flying

[lowflier03]

That is international SAR. Not CSAR common.

 

[jt71582]

That is international SAR. Not CSAR common.

'Rog.

 

[nittany03]

That is international SAR. Not CSAR common.

Just AF common.

Someone had to.

 

[Gatordev]

Too true, especially in the panhandle area.

 

[hokieav8r]

That is international SAR. Not CSAR common.

'Rog.

121.5 or 243.0, although programmed in SAR radios is actually "GUARD" freq and is suppose to be an Aircraft emergency frequency and is reserved for emergency communications when an aircraft is in distress. most FSS and ATC towers monitor on or both VHF/UHF freqs. If aircaft have or are about to encur Restricted or Prohibited airspace, ATC will call on that distress freq as well "Calling on Guard" if that aircraft is not monitoring the proper ATC freq for the area. Also, it is conveyed visually to aircraft being intercepted. When you hear "calling on guard" on the ATC freq it is because they are simulcasting on both freqs or all three freqs.

 

[hokieav8r]

Also, the nationwide Helicopter frequency commonly used and most notably used by ENG (Electronic News Gathering) or News and Lifeflight helicopters in Metro areas is 123.025 VHF (Air to Air: Helicopter)(FAR/AIM 2010 page 608) . I used it for deconfliction in the RDU area quite a bit. But beware, not all traffic is aware of it and not all traffic uses it. There was other common traffic aircraft in the RDU area that used 123.075 and they did that as to prevent clogging 123.025 which was mainly EMS traffic.

 

[Jim123]

Too true, especially in the panhandle area.

Can't say I haven't de-selected guard out of frustration myself.

Admittedly they do a lot of live fire and other fun and exciting stuff in the restricted areas. My educated guess is that comm pre-checks on normal and emergency freqs are part-and-parcel to said activities.

 

[ChuckM]

268.9 is what were using in the FRS as CSAR common around NS Mayport. Which, I believe is where the OP of the question is working out of.

 

[BLACK_GH0ST]

Here`s the short version...June 19th, 1963. Transpac from NZJ to Atsugi, stops in Hawaii and Midway. All this in three days. 5 or 6 in flight refuelings, can`t remember exactly (CRS, old age). At the first refueling I`m in a Crusader, brand new, 52 hours total time on the bird (BuNo. 150298)refueling from a GV-1 (C-130H). The Herk was putting out way more fuel pressure that advertised and way, way more than F8`s check valves could hold back. Anyway I found out later that my bird took on 250 gals. more than the tanks could hold when the fwd. aux and the wing tanks exploded, flaming out the J-57. I dropped the Rat and tried for a relight ( I knew this was hopeless) Managed to set the entire mess on fire. Last I saw was 30% rpm and 1000 degrees..that`s as far as the TPT needle would go. Wingie told me that I had 200 feet of flame coming out of the bird.I pulled the curtain...nothing, then the alternate handle..still nothing. I tried to blow the canopy...nothing. I finally opened the canopy manually, clam shell type, it went bye-bye. I unhooked and went over the port side, hitting the refueling probe, but missing the tail. Estimate about 250 kts. Pulled the D ring...nothing. Manually pulled the `chute from the pack. The pilot `chute opened, but the main one was twisted, never opened. Total fall was about 10,000 to 15,000 feet. I hit feet first, ripped off the seat pan with the raft, broke both ankles, both legs, back, neck,pelvis collapsed a lung, knocked 3 fillings from my teeth, and had a renal shut down (kidneys no workie)from the impact. My wingie followed me down and reported to the flight that I got out, but `chute didn`t deploy. A Herk came down and dropped me a raft which I couldn`t get into and after a couple of hours a Coast Guard SA 16 dropped another one which I hung onto until a mine sweeper, the USS Embattle (MSO 434) picked me up and later high lined me over to the USS Los Angeles (CA 135). They thought that the bad kidneys were gonna kill me so called for a Marine H-34 to come and get me (350 miles,a one way trip) He found the cruiser, refueled, and took me to the USS Haven, a hospital ship docked at Long Beach.Kidneys started up on their own on the trip to the beach, several operations and 6 months later, I was back in fighters.BTW, I lost a Marine Corps .38 cal pistol, which caused me more grief than losing the Crusader....Top That!

GOD bless you sir...u got that..Still rereading the story.. SMH

 

[Catmando]

Ok, not to be the cranky old maid English teacher, but........

For all you 'TINS' guys, and the "there-I-was-out-of-airspeed-and ideas" story teller guys, here is a major hint:

Stop with the James Joyce stream of consciousness narrative mode of continuous flow of self sense perceptions.....

.... And break it up with some flippen' paragraphs if you want it to be read, much less enjoyed.

Cat sends; Cat out.

 

[BACONATOR]

Not the most impressive compared with some of these others I'm reading, but one of the most scared split seconds I've had was transitioning off the flight deck carrying 2 2000lb bombs and watching Nr droop to 90. Low, slow, heavy and no turns got the hair up on the back of my neck.

 

[Treetop Flyer]

One time, I hit the start switch and for a second it looked like I might get a hot start until I didn't. That's why we get the big bucks.

 

[FlyMikeFly]

One time, I hit the start switch and for a second it looked like I might get a hot start until I didn't. That's why we get the big bucks.

Wow, that's just friggin craziness. You must have sheet yer pants.

 

[BusyBee604]

Scariest night cat/trap - The next one...
2nd scariest night cat/trap - The last one![/ATTACH]10224[/ATTACH]

*It don't never git rooteen, gulp...
BzB

 

[BACONATOR]

That shit scares me. It happened once that I asked "where is -2" and got a "uhhh....hold on". From then on...I said in my briefs 3,4,5 times..."if I ask you where -2 is...I want zero hestitation. It's your job to ALWAYS know where that aircraft is. I don't care how many times we have to call terminate - if you don't see that aircraft you BETTER speak up". *chills*

I noticed this a LOT in early tactics training at our squadron when "form" flying ended up being "two birds flying to the same place in relative proximity", then our new leadership brought a paradigm shift from flying an AA TACAN distance (which is ridiculously far) to flying like 3-5 rotor-disks of separation. I know out here in the hot place... at least when we cross into Kuwait, we'll fly borderline parade for proficiency and/or to bring up the 2Ps comfort level flying close form... plus it makes for a good picture.

But honestly, going from flying 0.5 on the TACAN which is retarded at night, to flying 5 +- rotor disks gives you a MUCH better aspect to fly off of lead, keeps you WELL aware of where they are at ALL times since you're not searching for a glinting IR pos light and/or shadow and you pick up closure rates and relative motion MUCH better in close. It seems counterintuitive but it's actually safer a lot of the time.

I think people forget what the different positions really mean. 10+ rotor disks doesn mean 0.5 on the AA TACAN.

But I agree with your OP. If I ask "where are they at?" And I hear "Uh....." hmm.... ok, KIO! My favorite response was "Yeah, sir.. I've got them on BFT".... wait.. WHAT??