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USAF F-4 crew members ejected two times from a Phantom II, grounded, and never flew an F-4 again

by Till Daisd May 16, 2024

The F-4

Constructed initially as a high-altitude interceptor, the F-4 Phantom II soon proved to be a unique aircraft, setting more than a dozen world records for speed, altitude, and climb time. It was unique because it carried no internal cannon, so the F-4 relied on radar-guided missiles for offense. An individual known as a Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) was needed to use its sophisticated sensors and weaponry.

The aircraft’s first flight took place in 1958 and was first delivered to Navy and Marine Corps squadrons in 1960. It became one of the most frequently used aircraft in aviation history when its performance and versatility eventually drew the attention of not only the US Air Force but also the air forces of 10 other countries.

The F-4 flew with the Air Force Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels and was the premier air superiority fighter for the Navy and Air Force for more than 20 years. Was there anything negative about the legendary F-4 Phantom II, even though its amazing skills are undeniable?

USAF F-4 Phantom II crew members were grounded

David Ecale, who served in the US Air Force, explains on Quora;

‘For F-4 pilots who eject a second time from an F-4, there is a very special punishment:

‘THEY ARE GROUNDED AND WILL NEVER FLY AN F4 AGAIN!

‘Who gives them this punishment? Their boss? Nope! The Board of Inquiry? Nope! The Flight Surgeon? Yup!

‘You see, ejection from an F-4 permanently compresses your spine. Two times & you’re done! (Note the profile of the WSO [the photo depicts a US Navy Phantom II hence the backseater was called RIO] in this picture. That’s some serious acceleration. You can actually see the compression in action.)

Airman explains why USAF F-4 Crew Members who Ejected two times from a Phantom II were Grounded and Never Flew an F-4 Again

‘WSOs get grounded, too!

‘I was at Luke AFB when the Base Commander ejected. I watched him get wheeled into the Hospital ER on a gurney. … It was his second F-4 bailout.’

By contrast, there was not a two-ejection limit for US Navy Phantom II crews as explains John Chesire, former F-4 and F-14 Tomcat pilot;

‘While the two-ejection limit was true for the Air Force, it was not true for the US Navy. I once knew and flew with a Navy RIO who had five ejections. Only the first four were successful. (Lt. David J. “Goose” Lortscher. His callsign Goose later became the RIO character’s callsign in the movie, Top Gun.)’

Photo by U.S. Navy

May 16, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

P-3 NFO tells the story of when his Orion had to fly a 13-hour anti-submarine patrol and shut down 2 engines

by Till Daisd May 15, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The P-3 Orion

Ten men focus on instrument panels, scopes, and detection devices as their P-3 Orion flies an ASW search pattern, far from land, skimming over rough seas whose darkness and depth conceal a potentially hostile submarine. The P-3 is one of many patrol aircraft operated by the Navy. Four constant-speed turboprop engines and thirteen and a half feet of paddle-blade propellers power it. To increase the time on the station for sea-level ASW work, two engines may be shut down.

The P-3 may operate with one of its four engines turned off in order to save fuel during its long-range patrols over land and sea. This makes longer missions—more than ten hours—possible. The engine that is shut down is the number one engine, which is located the farthest from the fuselage on the port side. Additionally, by doing this, engine smoke is reduced, improving visibility from the port aft window for surveillance.

Former Naval Flight Officer (NFO) Ross Hall recalled on Quora that he flew P-3 Orion anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft.

‘Operating out of Iceland, our P-3 was tracking a Soviet submarine in the Norwegian Sea. We already had engine #1 loitered, which was standard procedure during our nine-hour flight. We were operating in EMCON (emissions control), so were not transmitting. Our P-3 was, however, monitoring the regular broadcast from our base, which informed us that our sister aircraft, due to relieve us on station, had been delayed. “Extend on station as long as practical” was our new order.

‘We routinely shut down #1 Engine during long range patrols but once a ship thought we were in distress and alerted the USCG.’ P-3 Orion NFO tells an unusual sea story. — P-3 Orion engine loiter shutdown

P-3 shuts down 2 engines

‘“Loiter number four”, and we shut down our second engine.

‘Our aircraft shuddered, as we settled into a low-speed, high angle of attack loiter. We ended up extending our time on station by almost four hours until the relief airplane arrived. Total flight time: almost thirteen hours!

‘Occasionally, the hours of boredom are punctuated by sheer terror, or occasionally by sheer bliss – I recall many occasions where fantastic events unfolded in front of my eyes: aurora borealis; adiabatic winds over a glacier; mountainous seas crashing over the flight deck of an aircraft carrier; exotic ports of call; the suicide of a friend and colleague; watching a fading tropical thunderstorm in a drunken haze.’

Hall concludes;

‘Looking back, I am most amazed at the profound responsibilities our nation lays at the hands of young, inexperienced people, and how they rise to the challenges presented to them. I consider myself very fortunate.’

Photo by U.S. Navy

May 15, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

RAF Lightning pilot landed safely after experiencing a double engine failure on take-off

by Till Daisd May 14, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The English Electric Lightning

Designed as a Mach 2 interceptor with an unrivaled rate of climb, the English Electric Lightning was frequently referred to as “a pilot sitting on two rockets” and was intended to protect the V-Force airfields during the Cold War.

The Lightning’s remarkable capabilities came from a combination of two Rolls-Royce Avon engines arranged in a distinctive stack-staggered configuration with the English Electric P.1 wing design.

Double engine failure on the Lightning

Although a double engine failure on the Lightning was unusual, author Richard Pike’s book Lightning Boys describes one such incident from RAF Lightning pilot Colin Wilcock;

‘Apart from vague impressions, or snatches of conversation, I don’t remember much else about the morning. Not beforehand, anyway; not until it happened. There may have been one or two visitors present in our 5 Squadron crew room, I don’t recall, but I suspect the room was occupied mainly by squadron pilots like myself. Binbrook, after all, was a remote place and we saw few others apart from occasional visiting aircrew. For those of us there that morning, I’m sure a keen topic of conversation would have been John Walmsley’s in-flight refueling experience of yesterday.

‘It was an incredible, worrying event for which I for one, as a mere twenty-one-year-old rookie pilot on the Lightning, felt completely shocked and unprepared. Double engine failure on the Lightning, as far as I was concerned, just did not happen. Such an occurrence was certainly not part of the intensive and costly training which I had completed recently courtesy of Her Majesty’s Royal Air Force.

Flying back to Binbrook

‘One thing I do remember was that the weather was reasonably good although the wind was quite strong that day. The windsock was made to stand out of straight, like a signpost, but that was normal for Binbrook. Also normal was the crewroom’s calm atmosphere, although I was a little too relaxed, perhaps, when the duty operations officer poked his head around the door.

‘“You’re just the chap,” he said as he fixed me in his stare.

‘“I am?”

‘“Transport should arrive here before long to drive you over to Leconfield. XR755 has been cleared by the engineers there, so I want you to fly the aircraft back to Binbrook.”

‘”Okay.”

‘”It’ll be a fifteen-minute flight; should be no problem.”

‘”Sure.”

Testing the engines

‘By the time I had collected my bone dome and other flying gear, the aircrew bus, as promised, had turned up. I told the operations officer what was going on and soon I was on my way to Leconfield. When I got there, and when I spotted Lightning XR755 parked in front of a hangar ready for the short flight back to home base, I saw at once that the Victor tanker’s in-flight refueling basket from yesterday’s incident had been removed. The Leconfield engineers had found no damage to XR755’s airframe or engines. And the aircraft, they said, was fine, although there had been no opportunity for them to start up the engines for ground checks. Before getting airborne, therefore, they wanted me to test the engines when I was positioned at the end of the runway.

Inspection of the air intake

‘As part of my pre-flight walk-checks, my inspection of the air intake was more thorough than usual that day, nonetheless, I could see no sign of damage. At least, I don’t remember seeing any sign of damage. One thing I do remember, though, was the ground crewman who helped me to strap into the Lightning cockpit. I don’t know why I should recollect this, but he was oldish – or so it seemed to a twenty-one-year-old, anyway – and he looked as though he had spent his life helping to strap in aircrew.

‘With a bone dome on my head, we could not converse, but his expression seemed to say: ‘Be careful. There isn’t any sense in not being careful.’ I could not reply, of course, but when I was fully strapped in, and when he began to step down the ladder attached to the cockpit side, I gave him a thumbs-up sign as if to say, Don’t worry. I’ll be okay. Should be a doddle.’

Start-up and taxi

‘The start-up and taxi seemed to go normally, so I asked air traffic control for permission to line up on the runway to check the engines. Once there, I ran up each engine in turn to around 80% power—the maximum I could hold before the brakes started to slip. Again, all seemed in order, so I asked for clearance to take off. This was given without delay, and, as I wanted to double-check everything, I quickly ran through the pre-takeoff checks once more.

‘I remember, in particular, the flap setting: there were no intermediate flap settings in the Lightning – the flaps were either up or down. To reduce my lift-off speed to around 180 knots, I ensured ‘flap down’ was selected. This would mean the use of reheat, and, although there was no proof, even with hindsight, the influence of reheat could hardly have helped what was about to happen.

RAF Lightning pilot recalls when with both engines missing compressor blades from stage eight onwards he was able to land after having experiencing a double engine failure on take-off

Acting swiftly, and coolly

‘The initial part of the take-off appeared normal. I set off down the runway, selected reheat at the appropriate moment, and eased back on the stick as the aircraft approached 180 knots. The nosewheel lifted off. Within seconds, the mainwheels followed. Then, suddenly, I realized there was a problem. This was a moment when some people, apparently, might `freeze-up’; a split-second when the computer system between the body and the brain could go wrong: the brain wanted to know what was happening and needed instructions but the system couldn’t cope. For me, thankfully, this did not happen. Perhaps it was my training; perhaps it was instinct; perhaps it was a sense of sheer survival. Perhaps, after all, I had a guardian angel looking after me that day. Whatever the reason, I found myself able to act swiftly, and coolly.

No time to waste

‘Just after lift-off and just as the whole aircraft began to vibrate quite severely, I knew there was no time to waste. I canceled both reheats immediately and raised the flaps and undercarriage. By now fairly convinced that the engines were the source of vibration, I throttled back each in turn. As one of the engines (I forget which) seemed to cause more vibration than the other, I shut it down without further ado. At this stage, I was flying over the River Humber with Binbrook ahead.

‘Aware of the potential of a Martin-Baker let-down I re-tightened my seat straps as much as possible, looked ahead for good, clear areas over which to point the aircraft before I ejected, and momentarily felt for the top and bottom ejection seat handles to confirm, in my mind, their position. I made an emergency radio call and was cleared by Binbrook for a priority landing. The vibration persisted as the airfield loomed, and the possibility of an ejection remained firmly at the forefront of my thoughts. My worst fears, however, were not realized. I managed to land the aircraft, and I even managed to taxi clear of the runway. From that point, though, the aircraft was handed over to the engineers.

Lightning Double engine failure

‘The results were a cause of considerable amazement. The engineers peered again into XR755’s air intake but, as there were still no signs of damage, they decided to carry out ground tests. During these tests, both engines seized. Clearly, deeper investigation was required; it was time to call in a representative of the manufacturer, Rolls-Royce. Both engines were removed and stripped down. Then the experts found, at last, the root of the problem. Of the sixteen stages of XR755’s Rolls-Royce Avon 302 axial flow engines, the compressor blades were missing from about stage eight onwards. When we had inspected the front of the engine through the air intake all had appeared in order; the goings on at the back end, though, were a different matter.

Lightning Double engine failure: Guardian angel in attendance

‘The man from Rolls Royce said that I was lucky not to have suffered a sudden fire or worse. The cause of the damage, he reckoned, was the ingestion of fuel when the Victor tanker’s hose had broken. A gradual degradation of the engines had meant that by the time I landed at Binbrook, the Avon 302s were ready, as the saying goes, to give up the ghost. They did not, however, and they managed to keep going. I, too, managed to continue – another twenty-two years of fast-jet flying, to be precise, during which time I never had to eject from my aircraft.

‘Perhaps, that day, I really did have a guardian angel in attendance.’

Lightning Boys is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here.

The incredible story of the Lightning interceptor that suffered a reheat fire at supersonic speed. And landed safely.

Photo by Crown Copyright, MilborneOne and Arpingstone via Wikipedia

May 14, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

The USAF RB-66 that strayed into East German airspace and was shot down by Soviet MiG-19s

by Till Daisd May 13, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The hottest ‘battlefield’ of the Cold War

Germany was the most heated “battlefield” of the Cold War, remaining divided for decades between the late 1940s and the early 1990s. According to Kevin Wright’s account in his book Danger Zone, the western portion of the region was littered with numerous significant military facilities belonging to both the reconstituted national armed forces and NATO allies, primarily the United States, Great Britain, and France. Even more so, the Armed Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) controlled one-third of East Germany, which was home to numerous major air and ground units.

Three Aerial Corridors

The only means of communication between the German Democratic Republic (GDR)’s central city of West Berlin and its three occupation zones—controlled by the United States, Great Britain, and France—and the outside world were tightly controlled railways, waterways, and autobahns. Three Aerial Corridors, however, linked it to West Germany in the air. Several intelligence services from the US, Great Britain, and France took use of this feature to conduct covert operations along these Corridors, far away from high-profile intelligence-gathering operations such as those carried out by Lockheed U-2s.

These operations, which were mostly carried out by liaison or transport aircraft that had undergone a variety of clandestine modifications, frequently placed their crews in the middle of what NATO considered to be the “danger zone”—the airspace over some of the most sensitive Soviet military installations.

USAF RB-66 shot down

Up until the early 1960s, there were frequent navigational errors—both intentional and inadvertent—along the Inner German Border (IGB), with NATO aircraft occasionally straying into GDR airspace.

Mar. 10, 1964: Near Gardelegen in East Germany, near the Letzlinger Heide training area, a USAF RB-66 electronic reconnaissance aircraft from the 19th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron based at Toul-Rosières in France was shot down. The flight is described as a local training flight in the 1964 Annual Report of the United States Military Liaison Mission (USMLM). It happened during a major exercise being conducted by the Soviets in the area where it was lost.

Some narratives have tried to depict it as a botched attempt to obtain information on a significant Soviet exercise that was taking place on at the time on the training area. The least likely of all is the facts that claim the RB-66 was operating inside one of the Corridors, despite the fact that combat aircraft are not allowed to use them and that previous flight plans must be filed with the Berlin Air Safety Center (BASC).

USAF RB-66 shot down by Soviet MiG-19s

When the Soviets discovered the RB-66’s intrusion, they had two Wittstock-based, 33 Istrebitel nyy Aviastionyy Polk (IAP, Fighter Aviation Regiment) MiG-19s on Combat Air Patrol (CAP) in their Northern Sector. The Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) flight from Zerbst launched two more MiG-19s, and they managed to intercept the RB-66 before the Wittstock aircraft did. Kapitan FM Zinoviev was ordered to engage the US aircraft as it turned westward and brought it down with a salvo of four S-5 unguided rockets followed by canon fire.

According to the 1964 Allied Military Liaison Mission (AMLM) annual report, the RB-66 vanished from radar screens around one hour after taking off and entered the German-Soviet Zone near Gardelegen, northeast of Helmstedt. In a matter of hours, USMLM teams were placed on alert and quickly set out to locate the aircraft and its crew. By then, they believed the three crew members had managed to parachute from the doomed aircraft. Though none of the three USMLM tour vehicles were allowed access, they were able to approach the site.

A ‘provocation’ flight

First Lieutenant Welch, one of the crew, was treated at a Soviet military hospital in Magdeburg after suffering a broken leg. He was returned to US custody on Mar. 21 with the pilot Captain David Holland and Captain Melvin Kessler following on Mar. 27, 1964. Subsequently, the USAF expended significant energy to prove that the misplacement of the RB-66 was due to a malfunction with its compass. While the Soviets maintained that the flight was a “provocation” intended to test their air defenses, the US has always stuck to the explanation of navigational error.

The French account

Another account of the incident is provided by the French. At the time, they had an N-2501 Noratlas “Gabriel V” that was operating along the Southern Corridor, and they had an active listening post at Berlin-Tegel. Between them, they recorded the RB-66 flying towards the IGB and then being downed by the MiGs. It implies that the RB-66 was operating close to the Central Corridor’s entrance, where they thought it was trying to locate a new Soviet radar. The ground station and the Gabriel V concurrently translated and recorded the intercepted radio exchanges, allowing them to triangulate the position of the RB-66.

Danger Zone is published by Helion & Company and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

May 13, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

B-52 Bombardier-Radar Navigator survived a hit by a SAM during Operation Linebacker II but was unable to eject

by Till Daisd May 12, 2024

written by Till Daisd

Ejection seat

An ejection seat is a mechanism installed in an aircraft that is intended to save the pilot or other crew members in the event of an emergency. Most of designs include the canopy coming off and the seat being propelled out of the aircraft by a rocket motor or explosive charge, carrying the pilot with it. The ejection seat releases a parachute once it is outside of the aircraft. To prevent a collision, the seats of two-seat aircraft are ejected at distinct angles.

Pilots had to manually remove the aircraft canopy in order to climb out before ejection seats were invented. Lives can be saved with ejection seats. But if the aircraft catches fire, can military pilots eject?

B-52 raids during Operation Linebacker II

Doug Constantine, former US Air Force pilot, recalls on Quora;

‘I was a USAF pilot and never ejected but knew several friends that did.

‘One story I can tell is that I had a good friend, named Mike, who was a Bombardier-Radar Navigator on a B-52 that was shot down in the 12/72 bombing raids [Operation Linebacker II over North Vietnam]. The plane was on its bomb run with the bomb doors open (read high radar cross section) when a SAM blew up just beside the left side of the plane near the cockpit.

‘It immediately killed the pilot and the Electronic Warfare Officer. The co-pilot kept the plane going through the bomb run to bombs away when a second SAM hit the plane and rest of the crew members (co-pilot, navigator, and tail gunner) ejected.

B-52 coming apart

‘But Mike was stuck in his seat by the force of the airplane coming apart and could not even lift his ejection seat handles. During all this, the plane, of course, was moving forward at 400 mph as he tried to eject. It was spinning and on fire when suddenly the center wing tank, located right behind where the Navigator and the Bombardier-Radar Navigator sit, blew up.

‘The explosion blew Mike out of the plane and he came down many miles downstream of the remaining crewmembers.

‘USAF pilots in the vicinity in other B-52s and also in F-4s saw the whole thing, including the explosion that blew him out of the wreckage but it was at night and nobody saw his chute or heard his beeper.’

Constantine concludes;

‘I remember his wife called me and we talked, and she of course was very shaken up as the other crew members were accounted for. I told her we would all pray but don’t forget that we didn’t have all the facts.

‘Sure enough, two months later, in February of 73 when the POWs were repatriated there was Mike, alive and well. A very good ending for a great guy.’

Photo by U.S. Air Force

May 12, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

Why Deuce drivers always wore oxygen masks during takeoffs and landings

by Till Daisd May 10, 2024

written by Till Daisd

Why the oxygen mask?

Fighter pilots consistently wear a mask and helmet. Fighter jocks at high altitudes need oxygen masks in order to prevent hypoxia and maintain the brain’s oxygen supply. In addition to being communication devices, the helmet and mask unit also protect pilots from injuries, extreme temperatures, high winds, and debris during maneuvers and ejection. Fighter pilots today always wear a helmet and mask unit throughout the whole duration of each flight, according to Simple Flying. But it wasn’t always the case.

Pete Steitz, a former USAF F-102A Delta Dagger pilot, explains on Quora;

‘Back in the day when I flew the F-102A (1968ish), we routinely let the mask hang on one strap and turned off the 02. Why, you might ask?

Oxygen mask worn for all takeoffs and landings

‘The thinking in the 1950’s was a pilot was like a future astronaut. He needed lots of oxygen. He needed 100% 02. There was no mixing with ambient air. He even needed it delivered under pressure, even though the cockpit was pressurized after 10,000 feet to a constant 5psi. The 02 system was either off or on. It was a liquid 02 system; therefore, it had to be delivered under pressure. The mask was worn for all takeoffs and landings.’

He continues;

F-102 pilot explains why Deuce drivers always worn the oxygen mask only for takeoffs and landings — Bendix Trophy winner Captain Kenneth D. Chandler, US Air Force, in the cockpit of Convair F-102A-65-CO Delta Dagger 56-1196

‘02 was being fed to you. You didn’t have to really inhale like all other 02 systems I had in the Air Force and commercial aviation.’

‘Any gas under pressure will force more of it into your lungs due to the higher pressure. You take in more than your body needs. It’s stored and then released in your bloodstream later on. I was a SCUBA diver for many years and was very well-educated on this topic. This is also why you should not fly for 12 hours after diving. You need that period to get back to normal atmospheric pressure. Look at the AIM, 8–1–2 & 3. CFR 135.89 and CFR 91.211.

‘None of the above addresses 02 UNDER PRESSURE. These are all “on-demand” systems and requirements. I was getting way more 02 than I needed. At angels40, with a cockpit at 5psi which was about 17,000 feet, I didn’t need 100% 02 under pressure. The Air Force evidently thought differently.

Excess 02

Steitz concludes;

‘Using that mask all the time when it was not needed was a real pain. You exhaled against pressure and inhaling was forced on you. We didn’t need 02 at cockpit altitudes below 10,000 feet. So, we hung the mask and turned our mouth into it to talk. We used hand signals in formation and on the wing, all I ever said was “alpha”.’

‘After missions at high altitudes, where we needed to have the mask on, we suffered something like the bends, hours after landing. The excess 02 in our bodies would come out in our inner ear and some joints. I sometimes would wake at night with an acute ear block which I had to clear.’

Photo by U.S. Air Force and Jet Pilot Overseas via This Day in Aviation

May 10, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

A US Navy A-7 pilot recalls that during a Corsair II 5-ship TRANSPAC flight, they would refuel from USAF KC-135s every 30-40 minutes

by Till Daisd May 10, 2024

written by Till Daisd

TRANSPAC flight

An aircraft traveling across the Pacific Ocean from Australasia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia to North America, Latin America, or vice versa is called a transpacific (TRANSPAC) flight. Commercial planes, balloons, and military aircraft have all conducted these kinds of flights.

David Tussey, former US Navy A-7 Corsair II pilot, recalls on Quora;

‘I have listened to taped music* during a long flight where aerial refueling was involved.

‘Here’s the story.

‘I was in a Navy A-7 squadron based in Yokosuka, Japan. We were part of Airwing 5 onboard the USS Midway. We flew out of NAF Atsugi.

‘The USN A-7s were transitioning to F/A-18s and we were told to bring the aircraft back to NAS Lemoore, California, and pick up new F/A-18s. That involved a very long “TRANSPAC” effort with USAF refueling tankers. (The Airwing’s F-4 Phantoms had to do something similar.)

‘The USAF has performed hundreds of these TRANSPAC/TRANSLANTs where they assist in ferrying numerous tactical aircraft to the US from overseas bases. They have developed a very specific set of rules, guidelines, and procedures on how to safely perform them. They’re absolute pros. And the operation is quite complex. We planned and planned the route, the diverts, the emergency procedures, the fuel consumption of course, and so on.

TRANSPAC during daylight hour

‘So…we grouped the plane. I was in a flight of five aircraft. The route was from Japan to Guam to Hawaii to California. Japan to Guam did not require any external USAF tankers. We configured an A-7 with the buddy store package, took gas en route, and the tanker returned to Atsugi while the five us flew on to Guam. This was back in the day when the USN had an NAF in Guam. (Today, that’s all combined with Andersen AFB, which is also where the USAF KC-135 tankers were.)

US Navy A-7 pilot recalls refueling every 30–40 minutes from USAF KC-135s during a Corsair II 5-ship TRANSPAC flight

‘The next day was the Guam to Hawaii flight… long trip. It was the longest flight I ever flew in the A-7, 9.5 hours. One of the USAF rules was to conduct the TRANSPAC during daylight hours as much as possible. That meant a pre-dawn launch from Guam, and a sunset landing at NAS Barbers Point (now closed).’

Tussey continues;

‘So…in the dark we manned up 5 USN A-7Es, and took off at the prescribed time; wheels in the well just before the sun came up. And two KC-135 tankers took off the same time out of Andersen AFB, also on the island of Guam.

‘It worked perfectly. Just as we got all five A-7s in formation, we could visually see the two KC-135s just ahead. Sun was up and the weather could not have been better. We all five hit the tanker immediately, just to test that we could take fuel. And then we were on our way.

Memorable refuelings

‘One of the more memorable refuelings occurred when we were quite low on fuel, and it was (as planned) directly overhead Wake Island. So, if you couldn’t refuel there, then you could just divert right to Wake. It was a real challenge to conduct aerial refueling when you’re taking on nearly 12,000 lbs of fuel; you start out very light, and by the time you’re topped off, you’re at full MRT power just to stay in the basket.

‘We had one bigger refueling and the first KC-135 returned to Andersen. The remaining one would remain with us to Hawaii.

Listening to Walkman during TRANSPAC flight

‘We all carried a Sony Walkman with recorded music that we listened to while en route and not refueling. I listened mostly to Madonna and Stevie Winwood, I recall. If you put the earpiece inside your oxygen mask and hit the “talk” button, you could broadcast your music to the rest of the aircraft. Very clever. LOL

‘Of course, you only played music when you weren’t refueling. Aerial refueling takes tremendous concentration to stay in the basket behind a KC-135. So, no fooling around.

‘We had box lunches with several sandwiches, cookies, juice, etc. Way too much food. It was the only time in 20 years and 4000 hrs of flying that I ever used the “relief tube” in the airplane. Had to put it on autopilot, unstrap, and let loose to make that work.

Tanking every 30–40 min

‘The long leg from Wake Island to Hawaii, the KC-135 kept us nearly topped off with fuel all the time — because if you for some reason couldn’t take gas, it was a long, long divert to Midway, back to Wake, or into Hawaii on a max-range emergency “bingo” profile. So, we tanked every 30–40 min, over a 9-hour flight.’

Tussey concludes;

‘But luckily, all went well. All the bird performed perfectly. We kissed off the USAF tanker about a hundred miles out from Hawaii. He went to Hickham, while we took the A-7s to NAS Barbers Point. Hit the break just as the sun was setting. We had a maintenance crew travel via C-130 ahead of us to Barbers Point, so they had everything set up for us when we landed. All the jets were “up”, and we had a two-day break in Hawaii.

‘Finally, we took the one USAF KC-135 and flew from Hawaii to NAS Lemoore, California. Easy cheesy.’

* Fighter pilots are not allowed to carry electronic devices with them. That includes music players. The chances of a gadget interfering with onboard avionics are rather slim, but it could happen. However, many fighter pilots break that rule. Especially on long (and boring) ferry flights. They just get earbuds that won’t conflict with the radio earphones in the helmet.

Photo by CMDR. Leenhouts / U.S. Navy

May 10, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

A Blackbird buzzed Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp after protest women threw paint on that very same SR-71

by Till Daisd May 9, 2024

written by Till Daisd

RAF Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp

Angered by the UK’s decision to station cruise missiles, (guided nuclear missiles), a group of women planned a protest march in 1981 that started in Cardiff, Wales, and ended at RAF Greenham Common, which is located near Newbury in Berkshire. This is where they established the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp.

The Imperial War Museum claims that the demonstrators tried to hinder the construction work at the base in 1981 and 1983. They blocked the base and cut sections of the fence, among other things. At the “Embrace the Base” event held in December 1982 at Greenham, almost thirty thousand women came together to form a human circle around the base.

SR-71 Blackbird at 1983 IAT at RAF Greenham Common

RAF Greenham Common hosted the 1983 International Air Tattoo (IAT) as well. A video of a Blackbird being flown by SR-71 pilot BC Thomas, with John G. Morgan serving as RSO, arriving at Greenham Common for the 1983 International Air Tattoo was posted on his YouTube channel.

Thomas recalls in the video description;

‘I was the pilot in this video, but did not fly the SR-71 out of RAF Greehnam Common. I was the “mobile control” officer when the aircraft departed and the pilot was Maj Jim Jiggens, a USAF Thunderbird pilot and formally a US Army helicopter combat pilot in Vietnam.

Protest women throw paint on SR-71 Blackbird

‘On the evening of the air show featured in this video, women, who were protesting President Reagan’s decision to station intermediate nuclear missiles in England, broke into the security cordon around the air show aircraft and threw paint on several, including this SR-71.

‘Owing to the unique metals associated with the SR-71, the removal of the paint required special maintenance procedures to assure that no “hot spot” would develop on subsequent flights. It was quite a hassle and we were not amused over this incident. Jim and I planned a farewell departure for the protesters who were encamped in a squalor of tents just outside the main gate.

SR-71 Blackbird noise on the protesters at RAF Greenham Common

‘Jim obtained clearance for a “closed pattern” and turned to a downwind leg, descended to about 50 feet above the ground, and flew directly over the protestors’ encampment. It was early and probably most were asleep, but not for long. Jim was flying about 250 knots and selected afterburner in both engines as he was approaching the tents. As the SR-71 accelerated to 350-400 knots, he pulled up and focused the plume (and noise) directly on the protesters. It was a magnificent sight.’

Thomas concludes;

‘As we were leaving the base immediately after Jim’s departure, the gate guard (British) said to me: “I say, that was a jolly good show, but next time, please warn me before you do it.” I also had the honor to prefer charges against the women, but the British government later declined to prosecute.’

Greenham Common today

In 1987 US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which paved the way for the removal of cruise missiles from Greenham.

Today Greenham no longer belongs to the military. Part of it is a business park and the rest is common land.

Check out Habubrats SR-71‘s Twitter profile and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder‘s Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by Mike Freer – Touchdown-aviation via Wikipedia

May 9, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

A Taiwanese U-2 pilot flamed out at 70,000 feet over the Rocky Mountains and made a tumultuous landing

by Till Daisd May 8, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The U-2

The U-2 is still considered today to be one of the most technologically advanced aircraft ever built. Since its primary role was strategic reconnaissance, its development in 1954 was cloaked in intense secrecy. It was effectively a powered glider with a lightweight structure and wing similar to a sailplane, intended to fly for extended periods at extremely high altitudes.

The aircraft was intended for use in electronic and communications intelligence at high altitudes, and it was capable of daytime and nighttime all-weather surveillance. Depending on the mission, the U-2 can be outfitted with a variety of cameras, electronic intelligence equipment, radar-homing devices, and warning systems. During the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, the U-2 aircraft was crucial in identifying Soviet intermediate-range ballistic missiles.

Taiwanese U-2 pilot flame out

This article (which first appeared in Air Force Magazine) tells the amazing story of Major Hsi-Chon Hua, a U-2 pilot in Taiwan’s Nationalist Chinese Air Force (NCAF), who flamed out at 70,000 feet and made a rough landing at the airport in the remote town of Cortez, Colorado, in 1959. The article first appeared in Air Force Magazine. People apparently believed he was from outer space due to his pressure suit and his accented English.

‘It was my seventh training flight in the new, super-secret U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, and it was a night mission. Months before, I had been selected by the Nationalist Chinese Air Force (NCAF) to go to the US for training in the exotic U-2. Everything about U-2 operations was clandestine, even the pilot selection process.

‘We NCAF U-2 trainees had been told only that top fighter pilots were being evaluated for a new mission and that selectees would have to pass rigorous physical and English-proficiency exams.

‘My initial flight, and that of each pilot, was conducted over the wide-open spaces of southwest Texas.

The first night flight

‘For my seventh mission, I was to fly to Ogden, Utah, and back, using celestial navigation. The flight began around 8:30 p.m. on a hot August night. Flying weather was good, and everything was going reasonably well.

Project Blue Book and the story of how UFO sightings were used to cover high altitude U-2 flights

‘It was my first night flight in a foreign country. I recall that, with thousands of glittering stars crowding the clear dark sky, it was difficult to find the precise celestial body needed for a navigation fix.

‘When at last I reached Ogden, I was happy and gratified that I had been able to reach the farthest route point without getting lost. Actually, I was flying above 70,000 feet, but the fictitious altitude was reported as a security precaution. That done, I concentrated once more on celestial navigation.

U-2’s engine flames out

‘Suddenly, the U-2’s engine flamed out and died. A quick glance at my clock showed it was 0528 Zulu or 10:28 p.m. local time.

‘Things got bad very quickly.

‘No try for an engine airstart could be attempted until the aircraft had descended below 35,000 feet. But the speed range between the stall buffet boundary and the Mach buffet boundary of the U-2 is less than twenty KIAS (knots indicated airspeed) at that altitude. I thus could not go into a rapid descent in order to ease the uncomfortable situation.

‘The only way that I could right the situation was to keep the aircraft gliding on course.

Gliding into the clouds

‘The U-2 glided into the clouds below 40,000 feet. The air was bumpy. I struggled to keep the aircraft under control. Upon reaching 35,000 feet, I tried to relight the engine, but failed.’

Hsi-Chon Hua tried to relight the engine two other times but with no success.

‘The altimeter indicated 17,000 feet. I was really in trouble. Lurking unseen in the clouds just below, I knew, were high peaks of the Rocky Mountains, some of which rose to altitudes of more than 13,000 feet.

’My prospects for surviving a bailout over rough, remote mountain areas were low at best. I called out a desperate “Mayday!” to a nearby Air Force base but got no response.

Praying aloud

‘God Almighty, I reckoned, would be the only one to save me now. So I prayed. I prayed aloud.

‘Suddenly, I was astonished at what I saw: lights on the ground at the eleven o’clock position. I had come out of the clouds to find that I was clipping along through a narrow valley, flying between tall mountains. Their sheer black walls rose and disappeared into the clouds above me. Even so, I felt a surge of relief. If there are ground lights, I calculated, there are probably people nearby, and that means that the terrain might be reasonably flat and I might be able to survive a forced landing.

‘I headed toward the lights. Gradually, I discerned alternating white and blue flashes, which I took to be a rotating beacon that normally identified an airfield.

‘As I drew nearer to the beacon, I saw that there were also some runway lights, meaning that I had stumbled on an airfield. How wonderful was that vision!

Taiwanese U-2 pilot emergency landing

‘On final approach, I put down the U-2’s landing gear and used the speed brake. The aircraft touched down fairly smoothly but did not stay on the landing gear. The aircraft, with its belly scratching the pavement and its left wing tip striking the shoulder of the runway, went into a ground loop and came to rest in one piece.

‘Quickly, I scrambled from the cockpit and made for the only lighted building around. Inside, I found the airport manager and a radio operator. It took me a little while to fully apprise them of the situation, using my Chinese-accented English. One can imagine their surprise at coming face-to-face with a Chinese pilot, wearing a pressure suit, having just flown in unannounced in the dead of night in an aircraft of the strangest appearance. They had never heard of a U-2. It would be nine months before the Soviet downing of Francis Gary Powers in Russian airspace was to make the name of the aircraft a household word.

U-2 dismantled and loaded in a C-124

‘As for me, I had never heard of Cortez, Colo. Not even the town, much less its airport, appeared on my map. The airport manager informed me that, due to the cost of supplying electricity, the local city council was debating whether to keep the tiny community’s airport lights on at night. What’s more, he told me, he and the radio operator had been preparing to close the office, douse the lights, and head home for the night.’

After the accident, Hsi-Chon Hua contacted Laughlin Air Force Base (AFB). The next morning, the U-2 was dismantled by a 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing team and loaded into a C-124. It was later found that the problem was caused by a broken line but the U-2 was otherwise in good shape.

A Taiwanese U-2 pilot receives the Distinguished Flying Cross

Months later, he was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross by the US Air Force (USAF). The U-2 involved in the accident—No. 56-6721—continued in active research and development use at Edwards AFB for many years.

Hsi-Chon Hua concludes;

‘Though this incident had a fortuitous ending, it was for me a solemn lesson about life. I do not believe that it was mere luck that brought me through the difficult moments. For me, the conclusion is inescapable. My prayer was answered.’

Photo by U.S. Air Force

May 8, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

After a combat mission, a US Navy F-4 pilot remembers getting into a fist fight with his RIO

by Till Daisd May 7, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The RIO or Radar Intercept Officer

Any fighter aircraft’s normal mission is to intercept an airborne target. Finding a target on the radar is the first step in intercepting it. Then, someone must determine the ideal angle to fly at, how to use radar to intercept the target, and how to get into a firing position.

The US Navy’s F-4 Phantom II was an offensive aircraft that used radar-guided missiles and needed a Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) to manage its sophisticated weaponry and sensors. The RIO was trained on the most effective way to quickly intercept a moving target.

What happens if there is a deep animosity between a pilot and Rio (or a Weapon Systems Officer, WSO)? Would they be given different people to work with, or could they collaborate well?

US Navy F-4 pilot fist fight with his RIO

John Chesire, former US Navy F-4 Phantom II pilot, recalls on Quora;

‘Yes, for a brief time, I did fly with a RIO that I did not like, and who was not very good either. Nevertheless, I had no problem working with him, even though he was below average. Every mission requires good teamwork, regardless of personalities.

‘Anecdote: I flew most all my Vietnam missions with the same RIO, call sign “TA”. He was great, and we made a very good team. While we were not really close friends, we were in fact, always good friends.

‘One night after flying another combat mission, and secretly partying in a junior officer bunk room on the carrier, we somehow for some unknown reason, we got into a fist fight. The others there pulled us apart before we caused any real damage.’

Chesire concludes;

‘The next day we flew together like nothing had ever happened, and I still did not know the cause of the fight. Nor did he. Upon reflection, I think it was just the cumulative stress of many combat missions and it got to us for some reason. We never had any problem ever, after that night.’

Photo by U.S. Navy

May 7, 2024 0 comment

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