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#11
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The real problem comes from the different missions of the 'biggies'
and the fighters. The 'biggies' all fly canned schedules, with lots of time to figure things out. A fighter outfit following a canned traing schedule is in much the same boat. But fighters must 'surge' now and then, either for evaluation (flunk and hell breaks loose)or for combat (flunk and hell is for real.) My outfit at Danang had a stand-down day - the other two squadrons were going to cover the frag. They fell on their butt and while 115 of my guys were at China Beach 22 of my guys launched 19 sorties with our 20 old F4Ds. ADC used to run 72 hour exercises. No-notice, unscheduled, max effort. 15-20 minute turn-arounds. I have flown 12 sorties in 72 hours several times in those things. In the Cuban Crisis we flew 1800 hours in one month with 20 F102As. That sort of effort takes the highest degree of morale and esprit and training to pull off. That is when the extra manpower has to be there to hack the mission. 66-1 may be efficient in the use of manpower but there is generally no slack even considering a canned training schedule what with real manning under authorized levels especially in the higher skill levels plus guys on leave, TDY, etc. If the wheels had ever manned the units to meet surge requirements - well, any organization would have worked with good people at the helm. But to get a guy to put out his best over any considerable time takes personal contact and visible leadership. It is much easier to get everybody going the same direction if there is no visible tangible demarcation between ops and maintenance ie we all wear the same patch. As for 7-levels sitting in bread trucks playing cards waiting a call - it didn't happen in the 102 or F4D outfits I was in. They were busy fixing airplanes or training the FNGs. Walt BJ |
#12
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#13
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The 'biggies' all fly canned schedules, with lots of
time to figure things out. A fighter outfit following a canned traing schedule is in much the same boat. But fighters must 'surge' now and then, either for evaluation (flunk and hell breaks loose)or for combat Uhh, Walt, you do realize "heavies" surge for evaluations, combat or preparation for both/either as well? BUFDRVR "Stay on the bomb run boys, I'm gonna get those bomb doors open if it harelips everyone on Bear Creek" |
#14
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So what would you call ORI, Chrome Dome, and something called ARC
Light, etc., on the "biggies"? Have you ever been around the maintenace shops for B-52s when they were regenerating aircraft for alert after an ORI? Can I get an Amen? Sorties are apples and oranges when comparing fighters and bombers. They are two very different machines. There were more ECM systems alone on a bomber than all the electronic systems that could be crammed in a fighter. I am not sure, but I think a bomber just might have a few more ounces of fuel than a fighter so it just might take a few minutes more for refueling. Then there is lox, expendables, etc. That was the good old days though. I wonder how the "biggies" have done in our latest wars? All canned schedules, etc.? I don't know what that means? We flew so many different types of sorties, I can't even begin to count. Just for daily training from a MNX side, different fuel loads, different weapons loads, some flare loads, some no flare loads, ECM software XX here, ECM software XY there, pylons or no pylons, Litening II or no Litening II, Combat Track II or no Combat Track II, I could literally go on for twenty or so more iterations. So my question is; Walt, what is a "canned heavy sortie"? BUFDRVR "Stay on the bomb run boys, I'm gonna get those bomb doors open if it harelips everyone on Bear Creek" |
#15
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Uhh, Walt, you do realize "heavies" surge for evaluations, combat or
preparation for both/either as well As a fighter guy, I'd call a surge when you fly the same plane 4 or more times a day and get 150 sorties to the range out of 72 planes, 1/3 of which are down for heavy maint. I have to admit I know nothing about maint on the heavies but I do know as an ops guy and a maintenance control officer that surging under the old 66-1 one concept was exceedingly difficult and time consuming because there was so much downtime waiting for the highly skilled and well trained specialists. Plus everyone carried a union card and only did "their" tasks. To pull an F-4 cabin turbine for example first the crew chief had to pull the panel. Then a machinist had to come to remove bad screws. Then hydraulics had to come to remove some lines. Next aerospace repair had to come pull some air lines, Then environmental had to come to pull the turbine. Re-installation was the reverse. Imagine if it took seven mechanics to service the a/c or change spark plugs on your car while each was also doing the same on other cars. A competent mechanic can do all these tasks, ditto with working on planes. The specialist concept might work good for extensive maintenance but not on the flightline where the task at hand is to turn airplanes as quickly as possible to get the air cleared and bombs on target. My son just finished a maintenance training course on the Apache AH-64D Longbow and was taught to do all the flightline tasks needed to keep the birds in the air, armament, avionics, fire contril, flight controls, propulsion, rotors, and so on. I think the AF is making a mistake switching back to the SAC concept for fighters. Steve |
#17
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Your example is why there was AFM66-1 and AFM66-6. One addressed the
needs of long haul aircraft, the other addressed the needs of the gunfighter. If the USAF is now going to AFM66-6 across the board, that would be a mistake. KenG SteveM8597 wrote: Uhh, Walt, you do realize "heavies" surge for evaluations, combat or preparation for both/either as well As a fighter guy, I'd call a surge when you fly the same plane 4 or more times a day and get 150 sorties to the range out of 72 planes, 1/3 of which are down for heavy maint. I have to admit I know nothing about maint on the heavies but I do know as an ops guy and a maintenance control officer that surging under the old 66-1 one concept was exceedingly difficult and time consuming because there was so much downtime waiting for the highly skilled and well trained specialists. Plus everyone carried a union card and only did "their" tasks. To pull an F-4 cabin turbine for example first the crew chief had to pull the panel. Then a machinist had to come to remove bad screws. Then hydraulics had to come to remove some lines. Next aerospace repair had to come pull some air lines, Then environmental had to come to pull the turbine. Re-installation was the reverse. Imagine if it took seven mechanics to service the a/c or change spark plugs on your car while each was also doing the same on other cars. A competent mechanic can do all these tasks, ditto with working on planes. The specialist concept might work good for extensive maintenance but not on the flightline where the task at hand is to turn airplanes as quickly as possible to get the air cleared and bombs on target. My son just finished a maintenance training course on the Apache AH-64D Longbow and was taught to do all the flightline tasks needed to keep the birds in the air, armament, avionics, fire contril, flight controls, propulsion, rotors, and so on. I think the AF is making a mistake switching back to the SAC concept for fighters. St |
#18
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Probably one of those discussions that will never be resolved because missions
are so different.. Now put yourself on a fighter ramp in the middle of semi indian country whenthe bad guys are constantly lobbing rockets, mortars, and small arms fire and trying to get the bird up on cockpit alert at the end of the runway, with the bird cocked on 3 min alert and tell me how great that same approach is. In SEA, about all you needed was two good engines, operating flight controls, and a weapons release system that worked, when push came to shove and the bad guys were trying to come over the fence. The problem was COMM 1 INOP (mission esential). When I got to the bird, the Capt. Aircraft commander told me to change it and get off the plane. I told him (with the ORI evaluator standing behind him) "Sir, the problem might not be the RT, I need to check it out first". A/C said "I can't, just change it and leave". ORI evaluator said "Capt.... You are hereby grounded, please exit the aircraft NOW." Then said to me "TSgt G..., you may now repair the radio." The ORI evaluator was making a very strong point: 1. The maintenance tech is the expert on the system. 2. The expert on the system cannot test the radio with you in the seat. 3. The aircraft cannot perform alert duties without COMM 1. 4. Refusing to leave the seat when the expert requests you do so, prevents the aircraft performing its Alert duties. I was stunned when this happened, as I would have never intentionally done something that would have resulted in such a dire consequence. BTW the Capt. was requalified quickly (after the ORI). Still, I'm sure that being grounded by an ORI evaluator doesn't look good on your permanent record. Speaking of AFM66-1. To me it is the best. A tech would often pull the box, repair the box on the bench, then reinstall it. YOU were sure that the box you pulled was bad. Fewer CNDs that way. Those were the days eh? KenG |
#19
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#20
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As a fighter guy, I'd call a surge when you fly the same plane 4 or more
times a day Pretty narrow view of life you have there... BUFDRVR "Stay on the bomb run boys, I'm gonna get those bomb doors open if it harelips everyone on Bear Creek" |
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