Approach articles from November 2000

Approach archives from November 2000

CHECK THIS PLANE FOR BULLET HOLES.(fighter plane used in the Gulf War)
November 1, 2000... I didn't know it, but this flight would spell the end of my enjoyment of holiday fireworks displays forever. Tracer rounds flashed across the canopy. More lines of tracers arced ahead of our intended flight path, some above and some below....

BLIND PHROG IN THE FOG.(flying in fog)
November 1, 2000... In April, I was in a fleet squadron, scheduled to do my first mission that didn't involve training. I was excited, because I had just finished the CH-46 replacement-pilot syllabus a month prior. A new HAC, two crewmen and I were to transport 12...

Complacency's Evil Twin Brother.(an air pilots overconfidence)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... As I snapped the plane on its side and ripped the power levers to idle, I knew right away I was merely hanging on for the ride. Over and over, it gets drilled into our heads: Mundane and expected tasks can sneak up and bite us when we least...

"Hmmm ... this seems like the beginning of an Approach article".(negligent air controller)
November 1, 2000... My lead and I tried to explain to the controller that our section had separated and would need individual GCAs now, but his bucket was already overflowing, and he never quite understood what was happening. After a successful, week-long,...

Single-Engine Or Engine Fire?(safety conditions of a military aircraft)
November 1, 2000... It was toward the end of our COMPTUEX at-sea period, in the middle of our workups for WestPac 00. I was a nugget in the squadron, with less than 300 Hornet hours, 50 arrested landings, and about six months in my fleet squadron. I launched from...

THE RIDE OF MY LIFE.
November 1, 2000... In August 1996, five T-34s launched from NAS Pensacola, heading west on a weekend cross-country to Denver. The skies over the Southeast were clear. Small, puffy cumulus clouds dotted the humid skies. Five instructors, five students, a six-leg...

I Didn't Know Rotor Blades Could Do That.(rotor blades of an aircraft in windy conditions)
November 1, 2000... After graduating from the Aviation Safety School, I looked back over my flying career to identify flights that I could have handled differently. Here's the story of one flight that I can't seem to get out of my mind. I was just finishing...

Taxi and a Half.(jet aircraft landing)
November 1, 2000... Our squadron was aboard for a standard fleet CQ det. I had completed four day traps and was ready to fly that night. All I needed was four night traps to be complete. As we briefed, we discussed whether or not we should wear dry suits,...

Seeing What You Want To See.(stab shift failure on an aircraft)
November 1, 2000... My first indication that the stab wasn't shifting was when the pilot said, "Still waiting on the stab." It was a beautiful day in the eastern Atlantic, just west of the Strait of Gibraltar. The weather was broken at 2,000 to 3,000, just...

BUCKING BRONCO AT THE RAMP.(piloting an aircraft)
November 1, 2000... Just when I was about to fly away, my hook snagged the 1 wire, and the jet suddenly stopped. It was a miserable day in the Sea of Japan, and it was only going to get worse. We were finishing up Foal Eagle '99 off the coast of Korea. The...

I Don't Like the Looks of That Large Black Spot.(a mishap of a Spanish air traffic controller)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... We launched on time on a standard pilot trainer, leaving behind the peaceful confines of beautiful Rota, Spain I was a new IP with 100 hours of the coveted "I" time in the logbook. After an uneventful hour in our high area, where we practiced...

Shades of Payne.(rescue mission of a civilian pilot)
November 1, 2000... Looking inside the cockpit, we saw nobody. I had an interesting hop on May 23, 2000, a Tuesday night. I was flying with two other squadron FA-18s, conducting a radar-intercept training hop 80 to 100 miles off the San Diego coast in a...

Shattered Sidewinder.(ice buildup on a military aircraft)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Snuggling up to the lead, we realized we were getting boxed in and had to head through a thin spot to make it to the tanker track. As a nugget RIO approaching the middle of a cruise. I was sitting in the ready room awaiting my next trip up...

What Happened Next.(civilian aircraft sinks into the sea)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Lt. Greg Collins of VS-41 and LCdr. Eric Hannum of the reserve unit that supports the squadron rescued the civilian pilot described in the article above. Lt. Collins and LCdr. Hannum were en route from NAS North Island to Naval Air Landing...

First Time for Everything.(hydraulic lines in an aircraft ruptures)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... The crew originally scheduled for an event had to cancel, and a newly designated HAC, showing some initiative, volunteered to get his first HAC flight out of the way. I went along to knock out one of my H2P syllabus hops. It would be my fourth...