Not So Boring Duty

[+Jug 99]

Most flying stations have a duty that is usually the most boring thing on the planet to accomplish. A pilot is stationed out near the approach end of the runway and makes sure the guy driving the jet remembers to put the rollers down. In training command and combat command, it is called "Mobile" duty. You get a pair of binoculars, a radio, a flare gun, and get to sit for hours making sure the flyers don't mess up the taxpayers' equipment. The only exception to the rule is the U-2, where they pack a radio and a flare gun in a souped up Camaro and you charge out on the runway to chase each and every touch-and-go and landing of the U-2 and talk the pilot down. (see picture)

The landing phase of a U-2 mission is critical because the pilot is usually exhausted and the bird does not want to land at all. In addition to flying the wings to a dead stop, the aircraft will not stay on the ground unless it is at or below stall speed. The mobile can tell if the aircraft is at stall speed by looking at the relative height above the gound of the tail wheel and the main landing gear. When the tail wheel is level with the bottom of the main landing gear, the aircraft is about to stall and the pilot should have guided the aircraft to about 2 feet above the runway when that situation occurs. The mobile calls out the altitude from about ten feet down to touch down based on the approximate diameter of the main landing wheels of 2 feet. After touchdown the mobile will still help the pilot to keep his wings level until stop by calling to raise the appropriate wing. Following the landing, the mobile is the safety supervisor for the installation of the pogo wheels under the wings and for assisting the pilot to taxi the aircraft to parking, which, since the tailwheel can only rotate 6 degrees in either direction, can be a sporting affair.

 

You can log this under vague and somewhat interesting things about the real flying world.

[+Crusader 2,102]

mobile duty in the true sense of the word ...

thanks for that.. always interesting

 

[+Dave 2,322]

Great stuff Jug. I can't imagine how tired you guys are after one of tho e missions.

[JediMaster 451]

I thought I saw a bit about the Camaro driving on a TV show once, can't recall when or where though. My guess is those cars don't get too much mileage on them!

[scouserlad13 0]

I dunno, something about sitting around all day with a flare gun, and getting paid to do it, not bad eh.

[ezlead 42]

During flight school all of us students had to take a turn at "Wheels Watch" with an instructor.

In every phase of flight school,there would be some instructor in the back seat of a T-34,T-2 or TA-4 who would 'MOON' you as they went by.

Someone would mention "the full moon out,today" over the radio and then it would really get comical to see who could outdo the other.

It really helped to break the boredom and monotony of the job.

 

 

Hey Jug, Thanks for bringing back some great memories!

[+Crusader 2,102]

came across this pic and remembered the thread...

 

http://www.defenseimagery.mil/imagery.html...aebc815db9805c4

[+suhsjake 11]

Last time I was out at Beale, they had the U2 pilots practicing touch and goes. They had two Comaros and a Chevy SUV chasing after them. It was pretty neat to watch.

[+ST0RM 145]

They've replaced the Camaro with the new GTO. Nice to see someone knows when to replace some of the older gear.

 

-S

[MigBuster 2,884]

haha great stuff - try and model that in SF - suspect i would be landing on the car 90% of the time :)