[Shotimes] OT - Guess what I did?

[George Fourchy]

On Tue, 28 Jun 2005 12:02:16 -0700 (PDT), Ian Fisher wrote:

>In all seriousness, once the tail hook snags the cable about
>how long does it take before the plane stops (COD,
>F14, F18) etc. 4 seconds?

In my last ride in an F-4, in 1987, we took the cable at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma,
because the left main tire shed its tread during takeoff.  The landing was
uneventful, but it could have been exciting, if the carcass had blown out at
touchdown...it didn't.  If we had rolled down the runway, it surely would have.

We locked our shoulder harnesses, and just rode the cable...it was no big thing...a
lot less hard to take than I would have thought.  I was actually kind of
disappointed!  (I guess they adjust those things to keep the old guys comfortable!!)
 We touched down at about 135, and in 200 feet or so were stopped.  They have those
cables tensioned just right so that the decelleration is even, and easy to take.  I
don't remember any stress on my neck at all, even with the big helmet and O2 mask.

It'd be something everyone could handle, at least one time.

I never got to use the catapult to take off.....Air Force is so boring!!!   LOL!!!

But, roaring along the ground at 175 mph (rotation speed at max gross of 44,000 lbs)
with all that noise behind you, two afterburners flaring back there...that is kind
of cool.  That's the fastest I have ever gone on the ground.

George