Chappie Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 Yesterday, I TiVO'd a show on The Military Channel about Red Flag. They showed shots of the bomb loaders loading live weapons, and I noticed there are now sunshades over the revetments. Very good idea!! I've been to Nellis twice, once for Air Warrior in August (1996), and the other for Green Flag in September (2000) and both times the temps in the revetments were well into the 110s. Once we put one of those big round thermometers in a couple of the revetments and the highest temp I saw was 125 degrees!!! Dry heat or no-- 125 is damn hot! Chappie Link to post Share on other sites
RedHeadKevin Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 Dry heat or no-- 125 is damn hot! wuss. Just kidding, I agree. I think putting shade anywhere in Nevada is a great idea! I'm sure this would never happen, but couldn't hot tarmac make a fuel spill or ordinance baking in the sun a little more dangerous? Not to mention too hot for the ground crews to handle. I'd assume that if an AIM-9 has been baking in 125 degree sun all morning, then lifting it to load it on a plane could burn the bejeezus out of your hands. Link to post Share on other sites
Chappie Posted June 21, 2005 Author Share Posted June 21, 2005 Whoops! Looks like when I changed the title I posted it twice. Can somebody please delete the other post? RedHeadKevin- Luckily when we go to Nellis we load live bombs, not missiles. But there have been times where we have to remove cap-9s for functional checks and yeah we try not to let the missile touch our arms. Everything does get hot- the airplanes, the bombs, the tool boxes, the tools, etc. When we deploy to Nellis they issue all maintenance personnel those black NASCAR-type gloves. Chappie Link to post Share on other sites
flynavy Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 the flash point for jet fuel is pretty high so im sure it wont go off in the heat. There is always that saying going around saying you can drop a lit match in a bucket of JP5 jet fuel and it wont go up in flames. Anyone wanna try?!? lol Link to post Share on other sites
RedHeadKevin Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 Interesting... By the way, I was just using the AIM-9 as a weapon that could be lifted and loaded by hand, instead of with a machine. (no AGM's at Nellis?) Link to post Share on other sites
Chappie Posted June 21, 2005 Author Share Posted June 21, 2005 Yes, the AIM-9 is alwyas loaded by hand. There are three guys on a load crew and all three load the 9. It can be done by using the OSLA that is used to load the AIM-120, but that is the wimpy way. As far as AGMs, I've never loaded any on our Block 30s at Nellis. I did load a few Mavericks at D-M in '95. Chappie Link to post Share on other sites
boom175 Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 Theyr'e at D-M also at least on the snowbird ramp!! I alos noticed last ime I was there (July 04) that virtually every spot at Tucson IAP ANG ramp had them installed. They are so nice!! They do make quite the difference! The first time I was at Al Jaber there were only 9 shades for 12 jets and the Alerts always took up 3, so you begged and cajoled your way with the Pro Sup and your flight cjief to get your jet into one!! In 2001 theyre were enough for all the hogs and most of the "middle" ramp infront of the A-10's. But they were removed shortly after OIF started so they could put more jets on the ramp! Link to post Share on other sites
A6BSTARM Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 the flash point for jet fuel is pretty high so im sure it wont go off in the heat. There is always that saying going around saying you can drop a lit match in a bucket of JP5 jet fuel and it wont go up in flames. Anyone wanna try?!? lol The fire fighting school in Norfolk NS should me that trick live. It is true. What they did was take an old 55 gal drum that was cut in half and poured about a gallon of JP5 into it and then standing back with all the proper safety equipment threw a lighted piece of kindling into the puddle. The kindling went out. They then took that same setup and put a propane burner under it and lighted the burner off while the instructor commented about flash points and heat in fighting space fires. When he got to the point about jet fuel's flash point there was a thump, bright light and an explosion as that gallon of JP5 lighted off. After that they put AFFF and killed the burner. It is cool to see Nellis get shades over the revetments. The powers to be are learning that the sun and desert are nothing to laugh at. I just finished a cruise on the HST and I have been back at Whidbey for about a month and am just starting to lose my Gulf tan. A couple of the shooters in our air wing came down with a form of skin cancer. So we are all looking on our necks, hands, arms etc for anything funny. Link to post Share on other sites
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