"Big John" wrote in message
...
|
| Some (most) military birds have what is called a 'SQUAT' switch. It is
| a switch on a main gear oelo that is activated after bird is airborne
| and strut extends. Is suppossed to prevent one from pulling gear on
| ground (
|

Most civilian retracts have it, too. What happens, though, is that pilots
start their ground roll for takeoff and generate enough lift to take the
pressure off the squat switch, but not enough lift to actually take off. Or
they raise the gear before climbing out of ground effect and settle back
down on the runway gear up.

I have seen it happen several times in training.