I know many of you enjoy aircraft but may not realise just how dangerous they can be on the ground – even when they are not running. Military planes are THE most dangerous by far.
Don’t be offended by this topic – I have included it because it does not seem to have been covered before so I offer just a little advice to keep you all safe.
Those of you who are experienced enough to know the dangers can logoff or go to sleep now! 🙂
So, just a few things you should watch out for are listed below. Some are obvious but others may not be.
* Props, jet intakes and jetwash are obvious dangers – keep well away!
* Ejection seats, explosive detonators and, of course, weapons – don’t ever touch them! Also don’t use testmeters unless you have been cleared to.
* Heated sensors such as pitot heads, drain masts and other protuberances – hands off or you’ll get burned!
* When you duck under a wing, look first for lowered flaps, etc. I still have scars from Meteor dive brakes because I didn’t!
* Keep hands clear of flying control surfaces if someone is in the cockpit.
* Finally, if you are invited into the cockpit / flight deck – don’t touch ANY switches or controls unless invited to do so by the crew.
It’s all in the best possible taste!
Bri 😉
By: GASYD - 1st March 2008 at 19:52
Bullshooter,
Yes, Actually more than my hair parted.. The very thin blade aerial under the Vickers Viking. Cut went from my forehead down my nose.. Had interesting time telling hospital what a Viking was!!… Amazingly I wear glasses and although they came off they were not damaged?..
Cheer’s
GASYD
By: mike currill - 1st March 2008 at 18:16
Brilliantly concise list of do’s and do not’s. Would that more members odf the general public understood what was being said. I wonder if threatening to bill them for any damage caused would change their ways.
By: bullshooter - 29th February 2008 at 23:39
Anybody had their hair parted by sharks fin radio antenna, Ouch!:eek:
By: David Burke - 29th February 2008 at 21:15
Lindy – the side doors for the engine oil were also good for ripping your skin open on a Tornado if you went underneath and forgot were they were.
By: vulcan558 - 29th February 2008 at 19:15
Well i would say working on the motor car would be more of an issue.
slam fingers in the door .
crack scull open on the boot lid catch, when open.
take your eye out on the Ariel.
working under bonnet with the great risk of it falling on your head, trapping you in to moving parts.
loss of limb i:e hands or fingers on the spinning engine fan.
death by electrocution touching high tension circuit leads.
severe burns on engine manifolds .
the list could go on. :rolleyes:
By: bri - 29th February 2008 at 10:56
18 stitches in a line from my forehead to the top of my head, courtesy of the blade antenna (apt name) sticking down from the under-nose camera.
Jon, SGT USMC 1981-1989
Thanks Jon, good one!
I can’t compete with your 18 stitches, as I only had 4. But I had further complications with a military type every serviceman or ex-serviceman will recognise. This was at a RAAF AD (Aircraft Depot, similar to a RAF MU) in Oz.
After my ‘fight’ with the Meteor’s dive brakes, I had blood pouring down my face and vest (undershirt) so the WOE (Warrant Officer Engineering) said “If you are OK and can ride my bike up to the sick quarters, away you go.” So I set off in my shorts and vest with no hat, holding a handkerchief over the cut.
Half way to the sick bay, the station WOD (W/O Disciplinary) stopped me and berated me for being out of uniform. He was going to put me on a charge – but I convinced him that the blood was still flowing and, after a lecture, he let me go! What a pratt!
Bri 😀
By: Bager1968 - 26th February 2008 at 05:54
* When you duck under a wing, look first for lowered flaps, etc. I still have scars from Meteor dive brakes because I didn’t!
Bri 😉
Oh, and if you’re ducking under wings, Cessna trailing edges can give a very distinctive ‘crinkle cut’ scar on the forehead!!
In port in Pusan, SK in Sept 1986, I was heading through the hangar deck of USS Ranger to get changed for a stint on Shore Patrol that eve.
Despite working on A-6 Intruders [VMA(AW)-121], I ducked under an F-14 Tomcat, without removing my hat (in-port regs require hats/caps on hangar & flight decks).
Picked myself up, and my squadron’s corpsman (walking by as it happened) helped me to sick-bay. 18 stitches in a line from my forehead to the top of my head, courtesy of the blade antenna (apt name) sticking down from the under-nose camera.
Well, I got out of SP duty.
The next day I told the Avionics shop of VF-1 (Wolfpack) that they needed to give #002 a rabies shot. The antenna was bent, so it got replaced.
Jon, SGT USMC 1981-1989
By: Lindy's Lad - 25th February 2008 at 23:55
The number of times the RAT handle on our Vulcan has been accidentally pulled by darling children, narrowly avoiding the unsuspecting volunteers below. Oh how we laughed…..
(Only kidding – never happened… we are well aware of the dangers of letting little hands play with a seeminly dead airframe. Even the knackered ones can bite)
While we are on the subject, why are Tornado F3 pylons set at the perfect height to hit you between the eyes on a see-off?
737 kreuger flaps are exactly the right height to scalp you when deployed….
By: LesB - 25th February 2008 at 17:29
I did a few “showing arounds” at MAM last summer, especially their Canberr (WF922). One thing I said to every one entering the Canberra for a look was that this was a miltary aircraft and therefore they should take extreme care in where thyeir head was at any given moment. Always to look carefully into the space you were entering to check for sharp corners and overhead projections. This advise particulary to youngsters (and parents of same). Don’t want youngsters coming out of a displayed mil airframe with blood streming down their forehead – not a good image.
.
By: pagen01 - 25th February 2008 at 12:11
Blimey we are going back to basics!
Part of my job is brake schute recovery (not much of it about now), fairly harmless when you play by the rules, however was caught out by a Starfighter, as the line buckles were just behind the jetpipe, Im sure I still have the ‘Irvine’ impression stamped into my hands now! of course the pilot relayed a message to air traffic, which was passed on shortly after burning myself.
By: low'n'slow - 25th February 2008 at 10:36
Totally agree. Even the smallest, most inoccuous light aeroplane can grow teeth!
One scary thing I see in hangars are people touching or leaning against propellers. PLEASE don’t!
Few seem to realise that an aircraft’s ignition system is designed to fail to ‘live’. In other words if a switch is faulty, or an earth wire fails, the ignition stays ‘on’.
Its a good thing if you’re flying, but in the hangar, it means you should NEVER trust a propeller! It may only need to kick over a single compression to ruin your day!
Oh, and if you’re ducking under wings, Cessna trailing edges can give a very distinctive ‘crinkle cut’ scar on the forehead!!
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February 25, 2008 at 10:26 am