Mayday

[speeddemon]

Re: Mayday

Or at least the ear-plug meter (see previous post)

Ah, who else misses the days when 707s and KC-135s would lock brakes and (s...l...o...w...l...y) spool up on the runway hammerhead, leaving a huge black plume that would linger long after the airplane had taken off?

Yeah...the 'old type' engines with water injection......lots and lots and lots of beautiful black smoke.

[Skyracer]

Re: Mayday

Or at least the ear-plug meter (see previous post)

Ah, who else misses the days when 707s and KC-135s would lock brakes and (s...l...o...w...l...y) spool up on the runway hammerhead, leaving a huge black plume that would linger long after the airplane had taken off?

And the acceleration of a fully loaded KC-135 on takeoff roll...you could time the first 1000' with a sundial.

And winter nights on the flightline with a chorus of MD-4's running to heat the water...only to be drained when it got so cold they didn't need it (or couldn't use it?). Always the question, did they run out of water on climbout or turn it off and dump the remainder?

[Leo]

Re: Mayday

I grew up about 10 miles from Travis AFB and at night we could hear EVERY KC-135 run up and takeoff. I pitied the ones living closer.
When I was in college the engineer I worked for did a project near the south gate in Suisun. The back line of the subdivision was the legal setback from the explosive storage bunkers (around 1500' if I remember) and the run up area was right there. When they opened the first four model homes for sale, the put a half page picture of them in the paper. Banking over the top was a 135 on takeoff, black smoke pouring out, close enough to have it's wingspan about two and a half houses wide in the photo. The houses were concrete tilt-up (a first) and must have rattled something awful!
About that same time we worked on a sewer bypass through the base. I got tasked to crawl into the manholes and hold a survey rod so we could measure the depth of the old line (give the young guy "experience"). Had to do this to 5 or 6 as I remember. It seemed that each time I was down beloy a 135 would takeoff. The manholes were about 30 feet from the runway edge. The sound was so severe my eyeballs would vibrate and stomach would churn!
Needless to say I did'nt hear anything for a few days.

[speeddemon]

Re: Mayday

Needless to say I did'nt hear anything for a few days.

Bitch all you want about it, Leo. You had the time of your life. Admit it! Wouldn't have traded it for anything! :-)

[Leo]

Re: Mayday

Hearing is overated. Having thtose smoking engines roar by 50 feet away was definately worth it!

[Eric]

Re: Mayday

Yeah...the 'old type' engines with water injection......lots and lots and lots of beautiful black smoke.

I have a crew chief friend at Travis who was a crew chief on the older 135's. He told me that when they launched all the aircraft that he hoped they were the first one to go because by the time the last aircraft started its takeoff run the visibility was El PooPoo and if any plane didnt get up would have been a bad day. But that could never happen in SAC right!?

[Air Race Addict]

Re: Mayday

Or at least the ear-plug meter (see previous post)

Ah, who else misses the days when 707s and KC-135s would lock brakes and (s...l...o...w...l...y) spool up on the runway hammerhead, leaving a huge black plume that would linger long after the airplane had taken off?

Or the older B-52's? The 135's do approaches at GEG and low passes and they just whoosh by. Not the same as the old days to be sure.