Vygg wrote:
Richard Brooks wrote:

Keith Willshaw wrote:

"Ed Majden" wrote in message
news:kg0gb.28475$pl3.8704@pd7tw3no...



Some of you are jet jocks or ex-jet jocks. What can you tell me
about the practice of dumping fuel from a jet and the igniting
this dumped fuel by cutting in your afterburners? Wouldn't
this be a very risky practice? If not, why would this be done?
On another newsgroup,
this is being used to explain a photograph taken by a young
fellow in the UK. The photograph was first explained to be the
entry of a meteorite in the upper atmosphere but now this is
not supported. Some are using this fuel dump ignition theory
to explain what was photographed. Your comments on this
practice, if it exists, would be appreciated. Ed


The RAAF F-111's do this pretty regularly , I seem to recall one
did it over Sydney during the recent Olympics, that footage was
seen around the world.

As for why, well its pretty dammed spectacular is the main reason


Keith


It made at least one Oxford Mail newspaper in England when an F-111
did it over Upper Heyford and what with some old thatched houses
and corn fields around it scared a few people.

Richard.

Do you know what year this incident happened? In the years that I was
stationed at Heyford with the Varks, fuel dumping was prohibited. Even
during an IFE. Crews were told to burn off fuel or, if necessary,
eject over an uninhabited area. Us maintenance types had boldface
warnings in the workcards not to check the fuel dump valve for
operation unless the aircraft was in the fuel barn. Due to the real
danger of the valve
failing in the open position and the aircraft pouring 32K lbs of JP-8
onto the ground, messing with the dump valve was verboten.

I think it was not meant to happen as I think the aircraft was possibly
taking off as it did so! It certainly made the local Central TV News as I
lived in Oxford at that time. Of course the newspapers had to show the odd
thatched cottage to make a point. Bit like putting a childs shoe or toy on
top of a pile of rubble! ;-)

Try the Oxford Mail archives and even contacing Central Television.

Personally I more enjoyed the aircraft that overshot RAF Abingdon's runway
and got a parking ticket from the local traffic warden.

I'd take any article written in the local papers with a grain of salt.

That goes without saying really but Brize' has been lucky where news has
gone. Even the light aircraft that crashed nearby didn't (ahem) make much
impact!

While I was there, the Banbury rag would routinely print a photo of
one
of our Varks lifting off the runway with external tanks and a headline
screaming about the Americans flying with nuclear weapons loaded under
the wings over Upper Heyford village.

I'll ask around but it gets a bit of a strain keeping all news articles of
everything aircraft although I do have a small pile of the last Upper
Heyford airshow glossies that a nice lady on base had sent me albiet nowhere
near a patch on their earlier days.

Richard.