"Ed Rasimus" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 09 Feb 2004 21:13:53 GMT, "Dudley Henriques"
wrote:


For the the fast jets, as Ed and some others have already mentioned,
they're
not all that difficult to fly, but for someone trying to steal one, it
would
be a systems nightmare for the thief even if external power was
available.

Lemme think about how many private pilot/fast-jet wannabes are gonna
survive a J-75 AB light and takeoff roll with the nosewheel still down
past 190 KIAS or coming into the overrun at 210 KIAS and getting it
down with sufficient runway to stop.

First try at a traditional "flare" is going to result in a balloon
that will have to be seen to be believed.

I recall a "re-qual" check for an old friend who needed "jet currency"
before going to A-10 school. In a T-38 he chopped the power and
"rounded out" at fifty feet in the air. I caught the bird on first
bounce with full AB and finessed it back into flight before a second
impact. Scared the bejesus (and maybe more) out of me.

Yeah...ain't it the truth :-) Many is the novice who learned about
uncontrollable sink by getting a 38 get behind .6 aoa on final!!!!
:-))))
I remember one ground technician who won a ride in the T38 on one of those
"incentive" programs they had for the great unwashed. He apparently had a
bit of light airplane time and a private ticket. We watched as he prepped
for the flight all week, after begging to be put in the front seat. One of
the fixed wing IP's volunteered to take him so the front seat was no
problem. They gave him a dash one to study to make it more interesting for
him. The big day arrived. The IP talked him through the start and taxi out.
The IP, a buddy of mine, being a FWTP, kept a running log of the flight as
it progressed. Here's what happened as I remember it anyway!!! :-))) It was
priceless!!!
He related later that the guy was an absolute hoot on the ICS; using all
kinds of "fighter pilot" slang talk as he was walked through the start and
on the way out to the active. He got himself lined up ok after a short
discussion about the do's and don't's of NWS as that applies to using
maximum differential brake and the NWS at the same time
:-)), and then the IP walked him
through the line up check and told him what to expect on the takeoff run.
"How bad can it be?" the guy said. "Oh, the first time can be pretty fast if
you're not used to it", said the IP. "Ah.......No sweat....and roger
that......" says the tech!!!
The IP had briefed for a max AB climb to give the guy a real shot at the
Talon's performance.
All through the line up check the guy was answering back with these
"ah....roger's....and......ahhhhhhh.........ro ger that". Then the IP walked
him through the throttles up and instrument checks and release...then he
turned him loose. Immediately after brake release, the guy just starts
shouting in the ICS. "Oh Baby!!!!....Oh Baby!!!!!!...Oh man..........Oh my
God!!!!........Jesus H. Christ!!!!........Oh God help me!!!!!"
The IP was laughing so hard he damn near forgot to take the airplane before
things got out of hand. He damn near overshot rotation and gear retract
max!!!
He said he was in balls ass hysterics as he finally took the airplane away
from the guy and rotated. The way he described it in the log was that the
"pilots respiration rate increased as the square of the aircraft
velocity"!!!!
He swore if he hadn't taken it away, the guy would still be accelerating
with the mains on the ground somewhere....to someplace.......and THAT was
back in 1975!!!! You can only imagine where the damn airplane would be by
NOW!!! :-)))))
Dudley