TAC Attack June 1978 Mayday pg 4

TACTICAL AIR COMMAND

Angle
TfiC fiEfICE of
JUNE 1978 VOL 18 NO 6 ATTACK
COMMANDER
GENERAL W. L. CREECH
VICE COMMANDER
LT GENERAL JAMES A. KNIGHT, JR.

CHIEF OF SAFETY
SUMMER - --'78
COL GEORGE M. SAULS
EDITOR One of the colder, wetter winter seasons in
CAPT PETE ABLER
ART EDITOR
recent years is now a memory of the past. The
STAN HARDISON weather has adopted a more agreeable demeanor
EDITORIAL ASSISTIo\ and the warm temperatures and fair skies are
MARY KONOPNICKI beckoning us all to undertake the annual ritual
STAFF ARTIST known as the summer vacation.
SSW JAMES H. BROWN The military and civilian members of TAC will
log countless highway miles in their automobiles
and recreational vehicles during vacations and
CONTENTS
the numerous PCS moves which occur during the
Angle of Attack
summer months. The urge to get as much enjoy-
2
Aircrew of Distinction
ment as possible out of off-duty time is inescapa-
3
Mayday Mayday Mayday 4
ble. Don't let this urge lead you into proceeding
TAC Tips 8 recklessly.
Where There's Smoke 10 The off-duty activities which rank number one
CD Man 12 and two in fatalities to Air Force personnel are
Funny Fotos 16
Chock Talk
driving and water sports. I am convinced that if
18
Life Support Update 19 we approach these and other recreational
Those Terrible Thunderstorms 20 activities with the respect which they deserve,
How to Fail 23 we can drastically reduce our summertime loss
Instruction -- A Matter of Life and Death 24 of life.
Safety Awards 27
Bicycle Safety 28
I urge you to take a few moments of your time
TAC Tally 31 to carefully plan your vacations and trips this
summer. The short planning exercise will allow
you to anticipate many problems and take steps
to avoid them. Above all, your planning should
assure that you have the right equipment. safety
and otherwise, for whatever activity you plan to
undertake.
A moment's inattention or carelessness could
lead to a less-than-enjoyable summer vacation.
Our off-duty time is well earned We should
enjoy it to the utmost.
TACRP 127.1
Metenal in this magazine tie nonOmective in noire. MI someiniOna and recom-
mendations are untended to remain *Item the 4C.Ope 01 ezetAng Chretclnnis In-
formation used to brief accidents and incidents does not identity the parsons
places, or unes 'monied and may not be construed as incriminating under Article
31 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice Written permission must be obtained
from HQ TAC before material may be republished by other than Department of
Defense cepanustions
Contributions of articles end photos from plait:Win& WI the field are encouraged
as ere comments and crdicoM We reserve the right to edit all manuscripts for
GEORGE LS, Colonel, USAF
darny and readabity. Direct communication * authorised with The Editor. TAC Chief of Sa ety
ATTACK. HO TAC/SEPP. Langley AFB VA 23666. Autovon 432-2931
Distribution EX. Controlled by SEPP

George M Sauls, Colonel

 AIRCREW of DISTINC

On 28 March 1978, Major Fowler and Captain

McCloud were flying F-5E aircraft engaged with
four F-15s in a Dissimilar Aerial Combat Tactics
(DACT) training mission near Eglin AFB, Ronda.
Major Fowler was flying as number two on a
Aggressor upgrade mission. Captain McCloud
was the instructor pilot flying the lead aircraft.
The two pilots were in a left turn, at 20,000 feet
and 1.2 Mach when Major Fowler's canopy sud .
denly shattered. He was severely injured by flying
plexiglass causing the loss of his right eye and
greatly impairing the sight of his left eye. Despite
the severe pain and shock, Major Fowler im-
mediately recovered his aircraft, initiated distress
calls, gave a position report to his flight lead, and Maj Raymond D. Fowler
turned his aircraft toward Eglin. Captain McCloud 64 FWS/57 TTW
effected a rejoin while directing and coordinating Nellis AFB, NV
emergency recovery procedures with the controll-
ing agencies and the Eglin AFB command post.
Rejoining with Major Fowler, Captain McCloud
gave timely and accurate instructions on altitude,
attitude, airspeed, and heading to effect the safe
recovery of this wingman.
Despite his injuries, Major Fowler
demonstrated exceptional composure and
airmanship while simultaneously maintaining air-
craft control and responding to information pro-
vided by his flight lead. He executed a perfect
landing, taxied clear of the runway, and com-
100 pleted post - landing procedures prior to being
helped from the airplane.
Major Fowler's and Captain McCloud's exem-
plary airmanship and flight coordination under
most serious conditions prevented loss of life and
the saving of a valuable aircraft. Their perform-
ance qualifies them as the Tactical Air Com-
mand Aircrew of Distinction.

Capt David J. McCloud

64 FWS/57 TTW
Nellis AFB, NV

tTAC ATTACK
3
MAYDAY,MAYDAY,MAYDAY

I
had the greatest job in the world. With one bright and beautiful. I met Capt Dave McCloud
more ride I would be an Aggressor with the 64 for breakfast at the club. Dave was my IP for the
FWS at Nellis . I had wanted this assignment ever flight. We had flown together numerous times.
since I first heard of the Aggressors being and we always did well .
formed . After coming out of a staff tour at HO At 0925. eight of us met to brief the mission
TAC. I had been humbled many times while try- which included four F-5s and four F-1 5s . Since
ing to reach up to the standards of this superb the F-1 5s had more endurance than the F-5s.
organization. Finally. the day arrived for my we were sending just two F-5s in at a time . Dave
graduation flight. and a " real " Aggressor sortie and I Were to be the second shift.
was scheduled for the afternoon. I was looking Suit-up and preflight were normal. As usual.
forward to a good day. the crew chiefs last words to me were. "Have a
About a week before . my class plus several safe flight." Dave and I taxied . made a formation
instructors had deployed to Eglin AFB to com- takeoff. and climbed to 35.000 feet to await our
plete our train ing against 33 TFW F-4s and F- turn .
1 5s from the 1 TFW at Langley. We had been Although we had intended to enter the fight at
enjoying some excellent flying ; in our spare 36 .000 feet. cirrus clouds at that altitude
time. we had eaten a raw oyster or two -- it had changed our plans . We would have to go in at
been a good TOY. our low block -- 16.000 feet. When the first
The morning of March 28. 1978. dawned flight of F- 5s cleared out of the area. we

4 JUNE 1978
 Major Raymond D. Fowler
64 FWS/57 TTW
Nellis AFB, NV

changed to the fight frequency and started a

descending left turn from west to south . We
were in full AB with about 30 degrees nose-low
so the airspeed built up rapidly . I was about
6.000 feet behind Dave concentrat ing on keep -
ing him in sight while looking for F-1 5s . I had
my cockpit tape on . and I made several com-
ments to use in the debrief in order to re-
construct the fight.
" Coming through 240. descending through
27.000 ..
" Si x minutes after ." We were doing about
Mach 1.2 and still increasing . vectors from GCI to me . However. because of
"Rolling out 180 ." the wind noise. I could not hear them. I switched
BLAM!!I to Eglin Tower .
I felt like I had been shot in the face with a " Eglin Tower. this is Baron 24 ."
105 mm shotgun . There was pain in my right " Baron 24 . Eglin Tower."
eye. blood was splattering on the instrument " Baron 24 has lost his canopy; I've got some
panel . and the world was suddenly very bright. damage to my right eye; I'm 45 miles south right
The noise was an unbelievable scream. now declaring an emergency. and I'm heading
"Mayday. Mayday. Mayday . ... Mayday." north as fast as I can. "
At first I did not know what hit me. but At thi s point . my biggest concern was getting
something sure as heck was wrong . I ducked back to Eglin before I bled to death . I wanted to
low behind the instrument panel. Now I cou ld go fast but the windblast caused problems . I
tell that the plexiglass of the canopy was gone compromised around 300 knots.
as was my helmet visor. I had this dull pain in About this time . an F-1 5 joined up on my left
my right eye. and I could not see on that side . I side followed shortly by Dave on the right. Their
HAD TO GET THE PLANE SLOWED DOWN! I presence did a lot to help my morale which cer-
c hopped the throttles to idle. dropped the speed tainly needed a boost right then . My biggest
brakes. and pulled out of the dive . About 30 problem communicating with them was the
seconds had passed . noise of the wind . I had been flying with a hot
" Mayday. Mayday. Mayday. Mayday . Dale has mike before the canopy blew. Finally I realized
lost part of his canopy. he's at 19 .000 in a right that by going cold mike and turning the radio up
hand turn. and I've got some damage to my right to full volume. I could hear transmissions much
eye . better . My transmissions going out were still a
In retrospect. that probably was not the most bit garbled because my mask was cut in a
informative call to make. but it was truly the only couple of places . When I transmitted. the mike
thing I could think of to say I had the plane picked up a lot of wind noise.
slowed down to about 400 knots and was in a " Dale . can you see?"
right turn to Eglin which was about 55 miles "Yeah. I can see out of one eye."
away. The fight had been knocked off; and Dave The first thing Dave did was ensure I could
and a couple of the F-1 5s were getting snap see. The wind was blurring vision in my left eye

TAC ATIACK 5
 Major Dale Fowler
is one of this month's
Fleagle T·shirt winners.

slowed down. there was less noise; and the wind

MAYDAY ... MAYDAY ... MAYDAY ... did not make tears in my left eye as much . It was
painful to rotate my head. and it was also pain-
ful to move my eyes around. In other words. my
so I positioned my head right behind the instru- cross-check was lousy. I expected to have some
ment panel so I could see the attitude ·indicator problems with depth perception. so I asked Dave
and HSI and could protect the eye from the to call my altitude above the runway the last
wind. The left lens of my glasses was splattered 200 feet.
with blood which limited vision a little more. Dave gave me altitude calls down to 5 feet. I
I had been flying back at 1 5,000 feet. Begin- got into a little bit of a PIO trying to fihd the
ning to feel dizzy, I descended to about 1 0.000 runway . Touchdown was about 1 .500 feet down
feet to help ensure that I would not get hypoxic. the runway . I deployed the drag chute to ex-
It was also cold. I remember seeing the blood pedite stopping, but it failed . There I was in a
"smoke" when it hit the cold instruments . 130-knot roller skate. Although you should not
" Dale. you going to be able to see to Iandi" get on the brakes at that speed, I did; and the F-
''Yeah, I'm protecting my left eye right now be- 5 stopped beautifully. Since I was in a hurry to
cause the wind gets in it and tears it." meet the Flight Surgeon. I rolled to the end.
"OK/" turned off. taxied past a couple of planes. and
"OK." shut down.
''I've got blood all over everything though ." "Eglin Ground, 24 is clearing the end, and I
" If it gets too bad when we drop the gear and need assistance."
get on final, I'm going to have you clean it up " Roger . crash vehicles are responding; once
and we're going to have you jump out." off the end, hold your position. and they'll take
''I'm going to make it." good care of you."
"OK." Thirteen minutes had passed since the canopy
The active runway at Eglin was 19. but we had gone.
were lined up for 01 and got it upon request. I While the firemen were positioning their lad-
set up a normal straight-in with Dave cross- ders. I put my seat pins in. They did not want to
checking my rate of descent and airspeed. As I believe I had done that. but I finally convinced
them . got unstrapped. and out into the ambu-
lance.
I spent 5 hours in surgery. Unfortunately, I did
not bring back enough of the right eye to fix, al-
though I know the doc did his best. I got the bad
news as soon as I woke up . Enough of that.
Let's talk about some of the things we found
from looking at the pieces . The canopy plexig-
lass disintegrated for reasons not yet confirmed.
I did not hit a bird or anything else. Pieces of
the canopy hit me, breaking my visor and the
right lens of my glasses. and driving the lower
frame of my glasses into my right eye. The hard
shell of my mask was broken on the right side.
The visor cover on the left side of my helmet
was broken. The visor was pitted in front of my
left eye. I came too close to losing both eyes.
To talk about how I feel about not being able
to be a practicing fighter pilot would take
several more pages. It is enough to say that
what has happened has happened . I enjoyed
what I got to do, and nothing can take away my
fighter pilot attitude. You never know, maybe
somebody will invent a bionic eye and I'll be
right back in there. ~

6 JUNE 1978
WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE ONE ?

Hi,
Do ~ mce rnv ~i t"'•
quite unique you know. ~
everyone on the blOCk has a
Fleagle T-Shirt of their very
own. They're not available even
in the most exclusive stores.
Want one just like mine? Here's
how to get it.
Write an article for TAC AT-
TACK on any aspect of aviation-
maintenance, life support, train-
ing, survival, weapons delivery,
or even your own personal,
completely original "war story."
If your article is chosen best-of-
the-month, you'll be a winner
and join the elite club of T-shtrt
wearers.
People in USAFE, PACAF,
AAC, and others throughout the
Air force need your ideas on
how to do the job better, more
effectively. Don't wait, send
your articles to:

Editor, TAC ATIACK

TAC/SEPP
Langley AFB VA 23665
ATVN 432-2937/3373

I'll be waiting to hear from you I

7
TACATIACK
 1141 ...interest items,
mishaps with
morals, for the
TA4CPTIPS TAC aircrewman
Look OUT !!
One man that has a mind and knows It, can
always beat ten men who haven't and don't.
Shaw

Throttle Stoppers
The F-4 mission proceeded normally until
afterburner termination on the takeoff leg. The
right throttle was difficult to move and would
bind when the pilot attempted to retard it below
90% RPM. An emergency was declared. fuel was
burned down, and the aircraft maneuvered for
the landing pattern.
Later attempts to free the throttle lossened it
enough so it could be retarded to idle --
however, when the idle stop was reached, the
engine flamed out. A successful restart was
made, and the right throttle was left at 80%
during the straight-in approach and landing. Two F-4s were operating on a published low-
What happened? -- the starter breech cap level route at 1.000 feet AGL when the wingman
came loose and lammed under the throttle called out. "traffic at 12 o'clock level, mile and
1

crossover shaft. The cap may have been closing " The flight lead was on a collision
improperly installed; however, no abnormalities course and pushed over. At the same time, the
were noted in preflight. Do your best on the conflict aircraft, a yellow and white Cessna,
preflight and try to find the obvious things that began a climbing right turn. The lead F-4 pilot
may cause you trouble. estimated the miss distance to be less than 500
feet; and later stated that had he not seen the
aircraft and taken evasive action, there would
have been a collision.
The subsequent investgation revealed that the
FSS responsible for the area was not aware of
the F-4's presence even though the flight had
coordinated through the OPR for the route and
had made several calls on UHF to the FSS
without a reply.
This incident once again proved that you have
to keep those eyeballs engaged whenever you're
flying.

8 JUNE 1978
 actually be a symptom of something far more
Preflight Responsibilities serious impending. How about FOD7 It's m1ghty
tough to bite the bullet and admit that you might
have lost that John Travolta autogfaph comb in
During a formation takeoff. the airspeed indi- the cockpit instead of your car.
cator on an RF-4 failed shortly after coming off Remember . the 781 is our best feedback to
the peg. The takeoff was continued with all other maintenance personnel and subsequent pilots .
indications being normal. Once airborne. all so do write up significant deviations in the air-
pitot static instruments began fluctuating. A safe c raft's behavior. even 1f you only want it to be an
formation approach and landing were com- 1nfo-only write-up Also . when checking the 781.
pleted . approach an aircraft with no write-ups the same
After landing, both pitot-static drain plug or with more caut1on than you would the one
caps. located in the forward nose gear well . w1th a 781 rivalling WAR AND PEACE for bulk.
were found to be disconnected and hanging by what you don 't know can hurt you.
their safety chains. It really doesn't matter who
left them disconnected . The aircrew should have
noticed them on their preflight .
Most preflight checklists are sketchy and in-
AShattering Experience
complete . That however. is no excuse for miss- An AFRES F-1 05F was number three in a
ing an obvious discrepancy. It's your aircraft . fl1ght of four on a ground attack mission . Range
You don't have to check it out as if you were go- work mcluded six bombing and two strafe
ing to buy it; but you ought to pay close atten- passes. Following the last strafe pass. number
tion to the areas that could get you in trouble . three reported he had received ricochet
damage to the windscreen .
Damage was confined to the windscreen and
Excuses For Not Making consisted of a 6 -inch gash in the top of the left
quarter panel . Review of the gun camera film
A 781 Write-up revealed no abnormalities in the strafe passes .
All range facilit1es had been properly policed .
BY Capt Lawson This incident could have been much worse if
FSO, 64 FTW the pilot had not had his visor down . When the
Reese AFB, TX ncochet occurred. a conside rable amount of
plex1glass material filled the cockpi t and could
1"Well, it seemed OK toward the end of the have impaired his vision -- at the worst possible
flight. " time. The visor is there for your protection -- it
works -- use it!
2"That's OK. mine looked fine back here ."

3 " I would . but we 're three days behind and

hell . it's VFR ."

4 " Maintenance will just CND it anyway."

5 "Well. (expletive) we 're halfway back to the
squadron now."

I could go on and on (used most of them

myself. it seems) but the point is that the 781 is
the only clue to the aircraft's individuality. (No
Margaret. they are not all alike.) When you make
a write-up that is corrected by a CND. at least
you have passed on a little information to your
buddy who is flying the aircraft next period . Not
only that. some nitpicking complaint could

TAC ATIACK 9
 ~J r
, .. ERE THERE'S SMOKE,
s THERE'S FIRE

JFS vents all sorts of stuff -- white puffs here

By Maj Skip Weyrauch
and there. Could be just normal vapors or
HQ TAC/ SEF
something."
SCENE 2 : The crew chief accomplishes his
initial investigation into the problem. Pressure is
AcT 1: As the scene opens. we see an expanse of on to get that write-up cleared and the ailing
concrete. otherwise known as a tactical fighter Eagle back on the ready line .
wing flightline. bustling with activity. Sherlock Sherlock: " I agree -- those Eagles need to fly
and Watson are on the scene as independent often . They're such a thrilling sight in flight."
observers. Watson : (Ugh -- I think your poetry is sick) .
SCENE 1: An F-15 just ground-aborted for "ap- "So what did our crew chief find? Well. the
parent smoke" coming out of the JFS (Jet Fuel initial investigation revealed fuel on the cen-
Starter-- used to crank the engines) . terline tank (as well as inside) , but the source
Sherlock : "Good decision-- right Watson?" couldn't be determined . Panels were removed
Watson "Well ... I don't know . That silly ole and visual checks revealed no leaks. The JFS

10 JUN E 1978
fuel system was pressurized and no leaks
noted ."
Sherlock: "That all sounds good so far ."
Watson : "Just wait and hear 'the . rest of the
story' (Hmm. maybe Paul Harvey would like me
to stand in for him this summer) The next trou-
bleshooting step was to start t he JFS for an
operational check. The check was completed
and the JFS shut down with no apparent prob-
lems. Further investigation by the maintenance
personnel revealed no abnormalities ."
Sherlock : " I suppose the proper firefighting
equipment was ready just in case?"
Watson: "Dunno. Sherlock. we assume it was ."
(Yes. I know how to break down the word
assume) .
Sherlock: "Also. I wonder if they performed
the JFS operational check under similar condi-
tions to the first 'smoking case'?"
Watson: "You mean 'return to t he scene of the
crime.· That's deductive reasoning. isn't it?"
Sherlock : " Elementary. my dear Watson ."
SCENE 3 : Mission accomplished -- the Eagle IS
cleared to fly .
Watson : " So what's the next step? Pilot arrives
and preflights the proud bird . He asks the crew
chief. 'Any problems with your bird?' And the Sherlock : "Elementary. my dear Watson. just
standard answer is ... you guessed it. 'I'm not the plain elementary."
regular crew chief!' Now no one knows the his- And so the story ends and the curtain closes .
tory of the JFS smoke and subsequent ground Three to four minutes after engine start. the
abort. Everyone thinks this ailing Eag le is A- OK. crew chief noticed fuel vapors emitting from the
JFS started; both engines started ; JFS auto- JFS exhaust. Before he could signal for engine
matically shuts down. indicating normal opera - shutdown. the JFS caught fire. Emergency shut-
tion." down was accomplished and fire was extin-
Sherlock: "I smell it coming ... " guished by use of a portable CB extinguisher.
Watson : "Sure. it's as plain as mud ... or After the JFS was removed from the singed
whatever the blokes say." Eagle. it was noted that the turbine blades were
Sherlock "J reason it through this way, damaged . Cause of the difficulty is under inves-
Watson : tigation .
1. JFS smoke -- indicates a possible fire. or at Once again. we've managed to prove that
least an ignition source that didn't have the right where there's smoke. there 's fire. All situations
combination of fue l and air fo r comp lete com- cannot be covered by the T O.s. so when they
bustion . fail us. we have to rely on ingenuity. powers of
2. Fuel leak -- unsolved mystery. but it fills the deduction. and common sense . Just because the
bill for a fire . troubleshooting fails to find anything wrong
3 . Result ... fire." doesn't mean that everything's OK. Work at it
Watson : "That's exactly what happens -- you're until you 're satisfied enough to crawl into the
amazing Sherlock." cockpit -- without a parachute! ~

TAC ATIACK 11
 MAN By Maj Davy M. Bass
4485 TESTS
Eglin AFB , Fl

Irs a bird. it's a plane: no. it's CD (Chemical

Defense) Man (Figure 1 ). CD Man . normal ly dis-
guised as a mild-mann ered jock. is faster than a
speeding bullet (ZEU -23). more powerful than a
locomotive (F-4). able to leap tall build ings in a
sin gle bo und (well . at least t o th e bottom step of
the boarding ladder) . Eve n mo re important. he is
able to perform hi s miss ion in th e face of a
che mi ca l warfare (CW) attack.
Thi s is the last in our se ries of articles cove r-
ing new equipment the Tacti cal Air Wa rfare
Center (TAWC) and its 4485th Test Squadron
are opera tion ~l ly testing. Wh en we started in
January. little did w e know how well this series
would be accepted . So well . in fa ct. that th is
article was requested to be added to the origi-
nally planned number. In th e foll owing. we will
CD Man
cover the reaso n for efforts t o upgrade CD pro-
tective eq uipment in the USA F invento ry. a
description of th e near-t erm equipment select ed.
how we tested it. what we found . and finally how
we are working to our CD ca pabil ity. The lead
office in thi s effort is TAWC's Combat Un it Sup-
port Division . You had better read closely. for
some day you will step into your phone booth
(life suppo rt shop) as Joe Jock and emerge as
CD Man .
The first questi on that comes t o mind is. "Why
do I have to wear this ?" The c hoi ces are. "It will
a. keep you alive."
b. keep you fr om puking your guts out. "
c. help you keep your eyesig ht."
d. enable you to perform your mission."
e. all t he above .
The answer is "e. " al l t he above. Given chemica l
agents . as a possibl e or p robabl e mode of war-
fare. it is o nly smart that we protect ourselves.
The protection needed is a cover for all exposed
skin and eyes and filtered air for brea thing from
th e tim e yo u leave a pro t ective shelter until you
return (without it. you co uld be a " dead bug "
in a matter of minutes) . Several renditions of pro-
te ctive eq uipm ent have been co nsidered and dis-
carded. and th e ensemble presented here is not
co nsidered th e final form. However. it wi ll pro -

12 JU NE 1978
vide the required protection (if properly used). impregnated flyers' undercoveralls (Figure 3).
and it is currently coming into the inventory. one-piece garment made of nonwoven fabric. is
To give you an idea of the total ensemble. chemically treated to repel liquid agents. and
here is a blow-by-blow account starting at the contains activated charcoa l to absorb chemical
bottom and working up. (1) Plastic tube socks agents. The undercoveralls are worn over long
are worn over the normal socks and under fl ig ht co tton underwear and under the standard
boots. (2) Plastic footwear covers are worn over nomex flight suit . (6} The CRU-80/P oxygen
the boots to and from the aircraft to prevent mask filter mounts into the torso harness
liquid contamination of the cockpit and the bracket that is normally used for the CRU-60/P
boots. The covers will be taken off as the crew- oxygen connector (Figure 4) . The filter incorpo-
member climbs the ladder. and a new pair put
on when he returns after each mission. (3)
Neoprene gloves are lightweight (0 017-inch
thick) laboratory gloves and are worn under
standard leather or nomex gloves. (4) Wh ite cot-
ton underwear. a full-length. high-neck. thin (T-
shirt thickness) layer of clothing. is worn
between a charcoal impregnated undergarment
and the skin (see pin -up Figure 2) . The purpose
of the underwear is t o prevent chafing and irrita -
tion of the skin by the charcoal and to absorb
perspiration so that the c harcoal does not be-
come contaminated or saturated. (5) Charcoal-

TAC ATIACK
 FIG 6

CD Man
rates the oxygen f1ttings of the CRU-60/P con-
nector . It purifies whatever the wearer is breath-
ing : toxic air en route to the aircraft. as well as
the output of the oxygen regulator in the
cockpit. (7) The MBU-13 / P CB oxygen mask in-
corporates a rigid transparent faceplate . an oral
nasal mask. an adjustable head harness. and a
pressure compensated exhalation valve (Figure
5) . If glasses are worn . their temples must be
The donning (putting on) and doffing (taking
off) of the CD equipment is more involved than
you might think at first glance. It takes one other
person to assist in the donning; or at least a full-
length mirror to check your equipment . Doffing.
however. is a whole new ball game since you
must assume contamination of the ensemble. In
order to assure the best protection. doffing and
donning procedures have been devised and
practiced in a couple of exercises . Those
procedures will be taught in training classes by
your disaster preparedness personnel and are
too lengthy to relate now.
What will be discussed are the results of
TAWC's testing . But before we launch into all of
the things that are wrong with this equipment.
let us note that it has been concluded that
tactical missions can be completed while wear-
ing this equipment even though you will
experience difficulties and limitations. This total
ensemble has been flown on various mission
profiles : instruments. night. air-to-ground. air
combat maneuvering. low-level. and cross
count ry. There exist three areas of difficulties or
precut and bent. and they must be insert- limitations with the equipment. First. the Mask
ed into the mask prior to flight . (8) HGU / Hood is made of rubber butyl to provide the
P flyer's helmet (certified for high performance necessary protection; however. it is flammable .
jets) 1s a helicopter helmet that uses a six-point (A search for non-flammable material is un-
harness suspension (Figure 6) . This basic helmet derway.) Second. the full face oxygen mask is
has been modified by removing the sun v1sor not doffed easily . Thir d. the total ensemble is
and boom mike and by adding an Air Force uncomfortable and extremely hot . We will ad-
communications cord and bayonet receivers . dress these one at a time .
Our regular helmets. form-fit or padded . were Because of its flammability. the hood is
not found to be compatible with the oxygen designed with a Velcro tape zip-off capability
mask or its adjusted head harness . Hot spots (see Figure 7). To facilitate this quick dof-
developed and persisted to the point of distrac- fing, the hood must go over the parachute
tion within a short time . (9) HGU-41 / PCB Mask harness . but under the parachute risers. The
Hood. made of butyl rubber. is worn over the procedures developed for doffing are : ( 1)
helmet. mask. and neck area . The hood attaches Ground Egress -- After completion of boldface
up the front via Velcro tape and can be quickly procedures. the aircrew should doff and discard
taken off. The hood keeps liquid contamination th e hood prior to opening the canopy/egressing
off the neck area. provides a vapor barrier to the the cockpit. (2) Pre-Ejection Controlled Bail-
mask and neck area. and retains a layer of air of out -- If the time and altitude permit. the aircrew
reduced toxicity around the mask face seal area would doff and discard the hood prior to ejec-
in case of mask leakage. tion . (3) Post-Ejection Ground Landing -- Air-

14 JUNE 1978
 Major Davy M . Bus
i& one of this month 's
Final• T-shirt winners .

The total ensemble being extremely_ hot and

there being no way to replenish body fluids
without removing the helmet and mask .
This last problem generated some further test-
ing just completed this month. The results
should be available at your MAJCOM head-
quarters soon . The heat problem is one of
degree (and that IS not a bad pun) The longer
you wear the equipment. the hotter the day and
crew will doff and discard the hood (if not al- the cockpit. and the harder you work (pulling
ready accomplished) after all oth er post-ejection G's) . all add up to a heavier heat load which will
procedures and before ground impact. adversely affect your performance The effort of
To remove the mask. you must first remove the current testing is to try to define just how
the hood and take off the helmet. This is not dif- long you can safely wear the equipment for
ficult; however. it takes much longer than simply various environmental conditions outside. as
releasing your normal mask from one of the well as inside the cock pit while doing the hot-
bayonet connectors. The extra time required be- test. most active job normally encountered (low
comes important if you are attempting to level navigation and conventional ground at-
remo ve the mask because you must Valsalva . tack). Armed with this information . the field
become nauseous . or are preparing for a water commander will have a better idea of how to
parachute landing. We have all heard stories of employ his forces or. more specifically, how
flyers choking on their own vomit in their mask long to employ them while they are w?aring CD
or drowning with the mask on in a water land- equipment.
ing . Now. it becomes a very serious possibility. Meanwhile. the helmet /hood/mask problems
When accomplishing procedures for a para- have led the USAF to declare a follow-on re-
chute landing in water. you should replace the placement for these off-the-shelf items to be the
established procedure of removing the standard number one CD hardware development priority
oxygen mask with the following : (1) Doff and One concept slated to be tested for feasibility is
discard the hood (if not already accomplished). an impermeable hood which is donned over
(2) Doff the helmet. (3) Doff the mask . (4) Dis- your regular helmet and mask. See Figure 9. It
card the mask. Remember the helmet and mask would have a filtered source of air blown
are connected at the communication cord. (5) underneath the helmet visor which would
Don the helmet. If time and altitude do not provide an overpressure under the hood in the
permit this. discard the mask and helmet face area . This overpressure would provide the
together . Note that if over-land parachute land- necessary CD protection previously offered by
ings are anticipated. you should keep the mask the full face mask. A bonus of this configuration
and helmet on. The Valsalva problem can be would be that it could be integrated with new
solved by some aircrews who can use other helmets and add-on devices (e.g .. laser acqui-
means to clear their ears (e .g., swallow. yawn. or sition device. flash blindness protection. and
blow against the regulator pressure) . The others lightweight helmets) as they are designed. The
must break the seal at the bottom of the mask to major drawback is that now on top of all that

·- reach their nose . This is a two-handed

procedure I
Finally , we need to cover the problems
extra CD equipment. you will be dragging
around a battery powered filter-blower unit
while preflighting. and the airplane must be
associated with the extra heat load imposed by modified to integrate with the filter-blower when
the CD equipment. You will probably experience you are in the cockpit.
more fatique and distraction than normal due to : Well . there you are sports fans . 6 months of
(1) Eyeglasses becoming st reaked with perspira- TAC ATIACK issues on how and what the
tion . Remember. you cannot reach up and wipe 4485th Test Squadron is up to . If you feel you
them off now (without removing the head gear) . are an experienced tactical fighter operator
Of course. if you don't fly with glasses. you (front or back) and that you can distinguish
won't have this problem . (2) The mask and har- yourself and the United States Air Force in this
ness causing hot spots. This problem affects outfit. just fill out the "Dream Sheet" (AF Form
aircrews 1n different places and to different 90) and hope that the system will recogn1ze
degrees . but it usually gets worse with time . (3) your true talent. ~

TAC ATIACK 15
 Funny fotos

16
17
 ... ituJ.duu aAd ittciMai4
fiJitJ,. a ~ ~ -
chock talk
izontal oscillatory thrust and an upper fin bone
grinding chop. True. the security check of the
fins is appropriate; however. you should save
the "coup de grace" for the front of the tank.
HANGING THE THUNDER CHIEF WING The . most revealing and productive preflight
technique is to gently shake the nose of the
PYlON TANKS fueled tank in a frequency that is compatible
with. and coupled with. the normal mass re-
By Harold Poehlmann bound and look for relative movement between
Fairchild Republic CO the pylon leading edge (upper edge) and the
wing skin. If you can note movement between
f-1
05 wing pylon tanks are still "breaking the pylon nose and the wing or detect an audi-
free" necessitating a dropped object report. ble knocking (Fig 1 ). the installation is not air-
Several TCTO's have been issued to improve the worthy and requires maintenance action.
attachment: however. it has been my experience
that a very simple preflight check can detect an
Installation that requires maintenance attention. 0
As you might expect. the mam attaching trun -
nion. better known as the jettison gun. is a piece LOOK FOR MOVEMENT
of high-grade steel that is tasked as the sole BETWEEN PYLON AND WING . ( )
pylon-to-wing attachment. As such. it cannot
and should not be subjected to "unnatural" c:::J
bending loads If the conditions are allowed to
exist that cause the collet/barrel/housing to
"flex ... the life of the attachment is certain to be
curtailed.
The installation of the pylon assembly requires FIG 1
))
the mechanic to do a series of operations in a
definite sequence If the sequence is altered or if A "loose" installation will not only affect the
a step is missed . an improper installation will main attachment system. it will promote rapid
result . It is absolutely necessary that the forward wear of the stabilizing pin ball end and the
and aft stabilizing pins be "adjusted" so that the bushing in the wing which provide the
pylon has no inclination to move in the vertj cal resistance to torsional movement. TCTO 1 F-
plane This has been the most noticeable finding 1 05-1 254 is producing new wing bushings and
in the years past. mainly because the instruc- will rectify worn bushings which allowed twist-
tions were not explicit. The instructions were ing loads into the pylon "g un ...
improved " many years ago" so you would expect A companion problem has been the finding of
the situation to improve . For example. F-1 050- loose main attaching caps. There are several
2-5. Page 11-56. Step 18. states: "Torque (aft) reasons for this . but the most suspect is attach-
on the high side is preferred .. This is very im- ing and torquing the cap without the required
portant because when the tank is fueled. the aft full lowering of the forward and aft stabilizing
stabilizing pin goes into high compression most pins prior to lifting the pylon into position. Ob-
times at the expense of unloading the front pin viously this condition cannot be detected by the
The " Caution " at the top of Page 11 -57 is a above suggested preflight. especially with a full
paramount advisory. The installation job is not fuel load . A no-fuel postflight condition would
complete until the tank is fueled and torque re- allow an occasional side movement test to de-
check of the forward pin is made . It was this tect a grossly loose trunnion cap.
advice that was not in the early instructions . SUMMARY - The use of this suggested pylon
Now that the "scenario" is laid out. it is appro- installation pref light technique is "guaranteed to
priate to mention a pilot's preflight technique produce satisfaction" as well as providing
that has proven to be effective in detecting . assurance the installation is not "c licking off"
unairworthy tank installations. Some pilots like pylon trunnion cyclic fatigue counts. usually
to "grapple" with the tank fins and try to "knock" resulting in having to produce an unwanted
the tank off with a combination half Nelson . hor- dropped object report. --..:::,..

18 JUNE 1978
 Keys To A
No. 1
Life Support
Program Life support update

HQ TAC/ DOT L
bility . However . at site location. it is transformed
N ot long ago. the 34 7 TFW. Moody AFB. into a self-contained. multi-function work and
was awarded the "First" Annual TAC Life Sup - test faci I ity which incorporates a battery-
port Award . The following points detail some of powered communications and oxygen tester. a
the noteworthy program elements which screen room enclosure (for testing avionics
contributed to their "best in TAC" achievement. equipment) and a sink for cleaning oxygen
LIFE SUPPORT TRAINING. A realistic aircrew equipment . This innovation was recently high-
training program was developed and established lighted in TAC ATTACK (see TAC ATTACK , Sep
that prepared and provided aircrews the means / 77) and has also been approved by HO TAC.
methods to function in all environments and in and widely accepted by other TAC units . In addi-
any conceivable survival situation. The favorable tion , it also has been forwarded to HO USAF for
comments of the TAC Inspector General and, dissemination Air Force-wide.
more importantly, the continual proficiency LESSON PLANS . The 34 7 TFW life support
demonstrated by assigned aircrewmembers. at- personnel developed comprehensive lesson
test to the effectiveness of this program . Life plans to complement their worldwide mobility
support technician training is considered ex- commitment. These plans include arctic.
cellent. This program is motivated by personal tropical. desert. and local area survival. To
instruction with performance testing and is further enhance the effectiveness of these
further reinforced by quizzes administered lesson plans, locally developed sound-on -slide
weekly. The resulting internalization of concepts programs depicting 34 7 TFW aircrews in the
and intrinsic satisfaction displayed by various survival situations are used . They are
technicians indicate that desired training goals currently being distributed to other units as a
are achieved . guide in their respective program development.
LOCAL PROGRAMS. Most significant is the life The overall impact is that this endeavor will
support mobility program. This "how-to" plan in- most certainly enhance aircrew training Com-
cludes a step-by-step checklist that covers each mand-wide.
function ~necessary to mobilize . deploy, and TRAINING ENVIRONMENT. The keystone of the
return . Also included is a detailed. comprehen- 34 7 TFW's training program is their realistic ap-
sive mobility packing list that will sustain "Bare proach to the needs of the aircrew in a "here -
Base" life support operations for a minimum of and-now" situation . The program is progressive
45 days without external support . A unique ad- and constantly evolving to provide special train-
dition to this plan is the geographical location in.g to include Red Flag type escape and evasion
supplement that allows life support personnel to techniques and other regional deployments . In
configure survival equipment with additional all training . each crewmember is required to
items peculiar to a specific geographical area. perform "hands-on" operation of all survival
Mobility items developed by tfie 34 7 TFW in- equipment coupled with realistic training
clude portable parachute racks that are easily scenarios. The total involvement of all life sup-
assembled and disassembled and. most notably, port personnel and the enthusiastic participation
"The Crate." This item is initially used to of assigned aircrews continue to validate the ef-
transport the large oxygen cylinder during mo- fectiveness of their program . ~

TAC ATTA CK 19
 Those Terrible Thunderstorms

By Capt Stephen M . Horn all weather phenomena . It's estimated that

5 WW. Langley AFB . VA 45.000 thunderstorms occur around the world
each day. Each of these storms has the potential
for severe or extreme turbulence . hail. severe ic-
ing. lightning. heavy rain . and low-level wind
As the temperature climbs toward triple shear -- all good reasons to steer clear of these
figures under balmy summer skies. memories of monsters . Unfortunately. this may not always be
last winter's cold. icy conditions quickly fade possible. Should avenues of escape or evasion
and good flying weather becomes the rule rather suddenly close. your knowledge of thunderstorm
than the exception . But beware -- with sultry characteristics may be the key to survival. For
days come thunderstorms. some of the most this reason. we'll review some of the important
dramatic. most dangerous . and most feared of. points about each of these hazards .

20 JUNE 1978
 countered just above the freezing level where
TURBUlENCE the concentration of supercooled water drops is
greatest but severe icing may occur at any level
Severe or extreme turbulence in and around within the storm where the temperature is
thunderstorms is generated by the tremendous between oo and -25°C. Isolated thunderstorms
shearing action between vigorous updrafts and may not pose a very serious icing problem.
downdrafts. These drafts reach their maximum since flight time in each storm is generally short;
intensity during the mature stage of the storm's however. when clusters of storms --covering an
development; shortly after heavy rain begins . area of hundreds of square miles -- are en-
Updrafts are strongest in the mid and upper por- countered. icing problems soon become critical .
tions of the storm. while strongest downdrafts This icing. of course. is a hazard to aircraft in
usually occur at mid levels. Superimposed on the area. Remember. you shouldn't even be
these large scale. continuous drafts are nu- close to thunderstorm areas to begin with!
merous irregular eddies and gusts. The broad
drafts are responsible for large vertical aircraft liGHTNING
displacements. while eddies cause sudden pitch.
yaw. and rolling motions . These motions often L1ghtning is probably the least understood
result in a great deal of pilot discomfort and in phenomenon encountered. The sudden flash we
some cases may cause aircraft structural see is really a sequence of events which begins
damage. Experienced pilots realize that severe with a luminous trail of ionized gas. called a
turbulence also occurs as high as 10.000 feet stepped leader. extending from the cloud in dis-
above the visible cloud tops and 15-30 miles tinct steps. each about 1 50 feet long . This
downwind of the anvil; therefore. they allow leader moves the cloud charge center nearer to
plenty of room when overflying or circum- the ground (or another cloud). causing luminous
navigating these storms. ribbons. similar to the stepped leader. to grow
from the ground (or another cloud) toward the
HAll cloud. These ribbons are ·ca lled positive
streamers. Once contact is established between
Most. if not all. thunderstorms produce hail in the stepped leader and the streamers. a conduc-
the interior of the cloud at some time during tive path is established along which electrons
their life cycles . The hail often melts before flow causing the brilliant flash we perceive as
reaching the gr()und. but that's little consolation the lightning bolt . If an aircraft happens to pass
to the pilot who encounters it aloft. The near this path. it is likely to be struck. This may
probability that a storm will contain hail is occur at any altitude between the surface and
greatest during its mature stage. when updrafts the top of the storm. but most strikes occur
are fully developed and the thunderstorm within 5.000 feet of the freezing level or in the
reaches its maximum height. Hail is most temperaturerange of +10°C to -10°C. Forthis
frequently encountered between 10.000 and reason. the best way to avoid lightning strikes is
30.000 feet; however. in some storms. vigorous to avoid the area near the freezing level.
updrafts may propel hailstones into the clear air
above the cloud top and 20 miles or further
downwind of the innocent looking anvil. Keep
HEAVY PRECIPITATION
this in mind the next time you try to outclimb a Thunderstorms contain vast quantities of
rapidly building cell or scoot under the sprawl- liquid water. but not all their moisture falls to
ing cirrus anvil. earth as rain. Many drops remain suspended or
are lifted by the updrafts. When an aircraft
penetrates areas of heavy precipitation at high
ICING speeds, tremendous impact pressures develop
Although not as threatening as hail or severe which can peel rivet heads out of leading edges.
turbulence. icing is always an important facfor erode fiberglass wingtips or antennas. and peel
when flying near thunderstorms. Generally. clear off paint. Your best bet to minimize water
1ce occurs in the lower portions of the storm. damage is to penetrate the cumulonimbus cloud
while rime ice dominates the upper levels. at the airspeed recommended for your aircraft.
Heaviest icing conditions are usually en- not faster .

TAC ATIACK 21
 THOSE TERRIBLE THUNDERSTORMS

DOWNBURST AND GUST FRONT

-=0111,

CIRRUS ANVIL 111.

ROLL CLOUD

WARM AIR INFLOW

5000'
DOWNBURST
(;:el Ilik%
FRONTGUST !Moo

5-10 MILES

seldom any reliable visual indicators of the loca-

LOW-LEVEL WIND SHEAR tion of the gust front, you should always be
extra cautious when flying at low levels in the
Analyses of several major aircraft accidents vicinity of thunderstorms.
over the past few years have established without
a doubt that low-level wind shear associated AVOIDANCE
with thunderstorms can cause aircraft accidents.
In some thunderstorms, extremely violent down - Thunderstorm activity is prevalent over much
drafts, called "downbursts," plunge to the of the southern US during the summer, so
ground from the upper levels of the storm and chances are good you'll encounter one of these
spread out at the surface producing hurricane storms soon. If you work closely with weather
force winds. The leading edge of this wind field personnel at your departure base or en route
is called the gust front. It often precedes its facility, follow the thunderstorm avoidance rules
parent thunderstorm by 5 to 10 miles, and is listed in AFR 60-16, and keep in mind what we
associated with extreme vertical and horizontal have presented in this article, you're likely to
wind shears making takeoff and landing rather survive the thunderstorm season and will be
risky. Some gust fronts are quite extensive, but able to look forward to another season of flying.
most are short-period, small-scale features Remember, the key word for all hazardous
(about a mile wide) and thus provide little or no weather phenomena is -Avoidance" whenever
warning of their existence. Since there are possible.
22 JUNE 1978
 How to fail spectacularly!

HOW TO F
A
Fr. Art Perrault

SPECTACULARLY!
We hear a great deal today about the laws of success is attitudes and 7% is skill and
success, and self-help books are a booming busi- knowledge. So failure rule number three is:
ness; but how about our right to fail? Is there a • Be negative -- you can catch more flies with
scientific method to insure failure? We know that honey than with vinegar, but who needs them?
the only way to become successful is on purpose, If you want to be successful, think success. So if
but is it possible to be a failure on purpose? An you want to be a failure, think failure .
exhaustive survey taken recently disclosed the • Be a poor communicator -- be a poor listener;
fact that only 3% of all Americans are "outstand- even a fool is considered sensible when he keeps
ingly successful," that 68% are "moderately suc- his mouth shut, so yak up a storm and remove all
cessful" and 29% of our people are "complete doubt.
failures, " achieving nothing. All of our actions are consistent with our inner
Two tramps were sitting on a park bench dis- opinions about ourselves. The picture that we
cussing the economic situation, and one said to have inside about ourselves, whether it is true or
the other, "This depression don't bother me none false, determines what we can or cannot do in
.. . I was a failure during the boom." How can we life. So rule number five for failure is:
guarantee our failure even during times of un- • Sell yourself short - remind yourself constantly
precedented prosperity? about all of your weaknesses, shortcomings, and
• Be a drifter -- avoid like poison any short- past failures ... and don't forget to tell others. Be
range, intermediate, or long-range goal. The Wall a blob.
Street Journal, faced with the complaint that high The biggest problem facing management is mo-
taxes make it impossible for anyone to rise from tivation. So failure rule number six is:
rags to riches today, made a study that disclosed • Fizzlemanship -- when you get that "hot but-
there have been more new millionaires starting ton" urge to achieve, fizzlel
from nothing in the past decade than in any Worry prevents our doing the very thing that
other period in history. These people were all dif- would remove the worry. So failure rule number
ferent in many ways except that they were deci- seven is:
sive. So rule number two for failure is: Be a worry wart -- a neurotic is a person who
• Procrastinate -- they even have a slogan for worries about things in the past that never hap-
Procrastination Week: Don't Put It Off, Procras- pened, unlike the normal person who worries
tinate Today! about things in the future that never happenl
Another good method is never to do today what If you run out of things to fear, you can fear fear
you can put off til tomorrow. If you get a sudden itself I
urge to "do it now" just sit down until the mood How do we fail in life without trying? The
leaves you. answer is in failure rule number eight:
Research conducted by Columbia University • Don't try -- if at first you don't succeed, forget
disclosed the amazing fact that it is not aptitudes it! Everyone is a self-made man, but only the
but attitudes that make us successful. 93% of our successful ones admit it. .--:::...

Stolen from the "Chaplain's Message: " JET STREAM, 22 Jan

78, published by 150 TFG, New Mexico ANG

TACATIACK 23
INSTRUCTION.
amatter of life or death By TSgt James W. Swanson
966 AWACTS / 552 AWACW
Tinker AFB, OK

H ave you ever reviewed an aircraft mishap report and discovered that one of the crew-
members involved was a former student of yours? If so. you may have said something to
yourself like. "That dummy, he knew better . I taught him myself." or " I wonder why somebody
didn't teach him better." There are ways that we. as instructors. can prevent this from happening .
With the acquisition of new weapons systems in the TAC inventory, it is imperative that we
train our students to the highest degree of profiic iency. with safety as one motivating factor
behind every phase of training.
Here are five steps that may help you become a better instructor and. more importantly, may
save a life or a valuable weapon system in the future .

FIRST: Set an outstanding example . Your at-

titude should be such that a studen t will uncon-
sciously ease into the best frame of mind con-
ducive to learning. Your professional manner
must be an example throughout every phase of
instruction. When a student opens up his mind
for learning. he is not only learning the subject.
but also absorbing some of the characteristics
and attitudes of his instructor.
SECOND : Thoroughly prepare your lessons.
This could fall under the category of
professional approach. but d.eserves individual
attention. An unprepared lesson is usually spot-
ted very easily by the student and destroys some
of your credibility . You also become prone to
teaching errors. Some of these errors may be
caught by you or the student. but what about
the errors that aren't caught? Preparing for a
lesson also means preparing your ,student(s.) for
the lesson. That means eliminating as many dis-

JUNE 1978
tractions as possible. If a student is distracted
by personal problems . etc .. all the lesson
preparation in the world will have gone to waste .
Know your student. Help him with more than
just the subject you 're teaching.
THIRD : Admit your mistakes . If you present
something that you discover to be incorrect. set
the record straight as soon as possible. Re-
member. if you put it off. you might forget about
it completely-- 1t could come back to haunt you . FOURTH : Be open-m inded about your student
When you teach something incorrectly. there and the subject. Students can make an open-
might be a small loss of credibil ity when you minded instructor into a better instructor be-
admit to the mistake; but it's nothing compared cause they question th ings that are norma lly
to what you will lose if you refuse to admit an taken fo r granted. In ret urn. we learn systems
error. Additionally. the student will have a and methods better by research ing the ir ques-
tendency to reject anything else that you try to t ions . With new weapons systems . maybe there 's
teach him / her. If you teach something incor- a better way to do something . If we're o pen-
rectly and your pride won't let you admit it. the minded with the student. we may be able to cor-
result could be fatal. Be a humble instructor rect deficiencies in the systems o r operation of
instead of a sorry griever. You're on ly human . so the systems. We need ideas on safer. more eco-
admit your mistakes . nomical methods .

TACATIACK 25
INSTRUCTION: a matter of life or death

instructor. let your ego answer you.

Review your attitudes. behaviors. and prejudices.
Instructors are constantly observing the at-
titudes and behavior of their students while
neglecting their own attitudes and behavior.
Without this self-analysis. we are more vulnera-
ble to prejudice and consequently become less
effective as instructors.
A few simple questions to ask yourself are :
1. Do I operate the systems the way I teach
them ?
2. Do I believe everything I teach?
3 Do I let someone else's Judgement of a
student influence my attitude toward that
student?
4. Do I think about personal problems while
I'm teaching?
5 . Does the student really understand what I
taught him?
6. Did I turn a student loose to operate a
weapons system on his own. without supervi-
sion. with doubts about his capabilities? Re-
member. the student isn't a second string
quarterback trying to take your job He's a
human being. willing to be influenced into doing
a job the way YOU taught him .
FIFTH and FINAL: Critique yourself frequently. With these few steps in mind. we should be
Remember. you should be your harshest critic. better instructors when our students are turned
Ask yourself. if you were the student. would you loose with their brand spanking new. or perhaps
want to have someone exactly like yourself as an not so new. weapons systems. ------=::...

26 JUNE 1978
 TAC SAFETY AWARDS
Ground Safety Award
of the Quarter
Staff Sergeant John X. Corzo, 35th Avionics
Maintenance Squadron, 35th Tactical Fighter
Wing, George Air Force Base, California, has
been selected to receive the Tactical Air Com-
mand Ground Safety Award of the Quarter for
the first quarter 1978. Sergeant Corzo will
receive a desk set and letter of appreciation from
the Vice Commander, Tactical Air Command.

SSgt John X. Corzo

Crew Chief Safety Award

Sergeant Gary W. Teipel, 354th Aircraft Genera-
tion Squadron, 354th Tactical Fighter Wing,
Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, South Carolina, has
been selected to receive the Tactical Air Com-
mand Crew Chief Safety Award for this month.
Sergeant Teipel will receive a desk set and letter
of appreciation from the Vice Commander,
Tactical Air Command.

Sgt Gary W. Teipel

Individual Safety Award

Senior Airman Ralph Arnold, Jr., 552d Consoli-

dated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 552d Air-
borne Warning and Control Wing, Tinker Air
Force Base. Oklahoma, has been selected to
receive the Tactical Air Command Individual
Safety Award for this month. Airman Arnold will
receive a desk set and letter of appreciation from
the Vice Commander, Tactical Air Command.

TACATTACK SrA Ralph Arnold, Jr.

BICYCLE RIDING CAN BE HAZARDOUS
By Capt Donald E. Waddell Ill
1 TFW
Langley AFB, VA

In recent years . bicycling has become im-

mensely popular . Long a favorite with children.
adults now are beginning to abound on the
streets and highways on bicycles ranging from
S50 models to S750- $1.000 touring and rac-
ing bikes. Official statistics now estimate that
more than 95.000 .000 bicycles are owned and
operated in the U.S.
And why shouldn't bicycling be popular? It's
an ideal way to get around -- you can move
around at a reasonable speed while you're able
to take in the scenery around you. Moreover .
biking is good exercise. Dr . Kenneth H.
(Aerobics) Cooper says 7 miles . 4 days a week
(at a speed of 1 5 mph or better) will give your
heart and lungs the necessary workout to insure
you retain or attain good physical fitness . All
this time you are burning up calories at the rate
of 400 - 900 per hour . depending on pace .
(That's about 5 hours to burn off a pound of fat.)
What you won 't be burning is gasoline . And if
you use your bike to run errands or to go to and
from work. you will be conserving energy and
money. Europeans . much more so than Ameri-
cans . use the bicycle as primary transportation .
and with the energy crisis becoming a pre-
dominant factor in the changing pattern of our
culture . there are excellent reasons for us to
begin relying on the bicycle .
However. while your bike may be transporta -
tion for you. it may be a target for motorists : and
with the increasing popularity of bicycling . there
has been a corresponding increase in bicycling
accidents (estimated at 450.000 each year) .
The number of bicycle- related deaths has
more than doubled since 1960. rising from 460

JUNE 1978

Warning: Bicycle riding can be hazardous to your health

 • nately. doesn't illuminate much of thE? road in
front of you . (2) Electri c generators produ ce lots

•
of light but also add plenty of drag . (3) The most
practical . in my op1n1on. is a clamp or bracket
that holds a flashlight securely to the handle-
bars . I use a flashlight in conjunction with a leg
light . The flashlight helps you see; the leg light
helps you be seen .

TO YOUR HEALTH. Your responsibilities aren't fulfilled by simply

adding a little color to your wearing apparel . All
the warnings applicable to defensive driving are
equally true (and more so) to riding . So re-
to 1.000. Surprisingly. however. the death rate member. every driver is out to kill you. anticipate
from bicycling accidents has remained almost that motor vehicle drivers will do the unexpected
unchanged since 1 960 due to the huge and establish eye contact w ith drivers at every
increase in the number of bikes owned. The intersection . Don 't assume he sees you ... loo k
death rate among adults ( 1 5 and over) has him right in the eye .
increased steadily from 22% of the total bicycle As a defensive rider you must be aware of the
related deaths in 1960 to 51% in 1975. This places and situations in which you are in the
fact reflects the increasing use of bicycles most danger -- 1.e.. the time between getting on
among older people and suggests that adults your bike and getting off it. More specifically,
don't really operate bikes much safer than kids. however. one-half of all bicycling accidents oc-
Incidentally. 80% of all bicycle-automobile ac- cur at intersections. For example. there is one
cidents involve a violation by the bike rider . situation that will happen to you if you ride in
What all this means is that riding bikes is fun traffi c very much . You will be riding along at 15
but potentially hazardous. and that safe riding - 20 mph approaching an intersection or road ; a
practices can reduce the potential danger ... car passes you on the left and then makes a
hence. this article . So armed with these facts . right turn directly in front of youl This has hap-
we'll now look at some techniques that can pened to me several times. once resulting in a
make you a safer bike rider . To that end. let's collision in Tucson .
return to my original warning -- be seen . A
driver of a car or truck is looking for other cars
and tru cks. Your b.ike and. hopefully. your body
have been streaml~ned to reduce weight and
wind resistance . Further. the normally small
profile of a bike and rider is further reduced by
the dropped hand lebars common on most 10
speeds. So you 're not going to be seen by virtue
of your size. This leaves us with color. and you 'll
have to make the most of it ... something to go
with your Hart Schaffner & Marx tweed . perhaps .
How about a day- glo orange hunt ing vest? It's
cheap. light. and versatile . Actually anything
bright. anything that will set you off from the
surrounding scenery will help drivers see you ...
and that's the idea .
At night. being seen is equally importa!lt. but
in many respects easier to achieve. A white shirt.
several reflectors and a light will easily set you
off in the dark. There are three basic types of
lights for you to choose from. (1) Probably the
most popular light straps to your leg or arm and
illuminates white light forward and red to th e
rear -- it's simp le and inexpensive but. unfortu -

TAC ATIACK 29
 WATCH OUT.
Here are some other DANGEROUS SITUATIONS
to be alert for:
1. Parked car s. Watch for kids and dogs run- and anticipate longer stopping distances .
ning out from between them. Wat c h for car 5. Toe clip s. Make sure they're loose enough
doors opening. to easily remove your feet . As you start. don't
2. Cars backing out of parking slots . be come so preo cc upied with inserting your feet
into the clips that you run into something or out
3. Loose gravel . The thin wheels on most in front of a car .
bikes can't hack gravel roads or shoulders . 6. Se c ure everything you carry on a bike . Not
Avoid them . long ago a city attorney was seriously injured
4. Wet Brakes . Your brakes depend on friction when a flashlight he had scotchtaped to his
to stop you . Damp tire rims and brake shoes handlebars fell off into the spokes and threw
reduce the friction to near zero . increasing stop- htm off his bike . Bungie cords and permanently
ping distance significantly If your brakes or rims mounted carriers are good for carrying loads
are wet . dry them off before you ride. If it's rain- though many folks prefer a ba c kpack of one kind
ing . there 's little you can do except slow down or the other.

As you know. the law requires that you ride on c les. It's just as simple as that. Matter of fact.
the right srde of the road. with traffic . Sharing you can be cited for not stopping at a stop sign .
the road with motorists doesn't . however . mean speeding (if you can hack it). failure to yield . and
confining your area to the three inches just in - other violations . Seems a shame to dissipate a
side the edge . This only encourages drivers to good head of steam just to stop and start again
try and slip by you in the face of oncoming traf- ... but that's the law .
fic . The problem develops when the motorist The law also gives you the same rights as a
discovers halfway through passing you that he is motor vehi c le. The fact of the matter is .
in danger of sideswiping an oncoming car . however . that the law may give you the same
Sensing a problem. he 'll ease back into you . hit- rights . but don't anticipate that the motorist will .
ting you or forcing you off the road. So the bot- The general attitude of a motorist is that bikes
tom line on this one is to give a motorist plenty ·should be ridden on the sidewalk.
of room when it's safe to pass . but don 't en- So you have the right of way ... as long as you
courage him to pass when it's not safe by riding don 't use it. That is to say. it will be a Pyrrhi c·
on the edge of the road. victory. when lying on your back on the pave-
Since you are riding on the same side of the ment with a broken leg and concussion , to be
road as other motor vehicles. it is useful to know able to say to the motorist who just hit you . "you
what's happening behind you . Purists may were wrong ... I had the right of way ..
regard mirrors with a certain amount of disdain . Speaking of concussions. you will be smarter
but I'm less of a purist that I am a survivor . The if you wear a helmet when you ride . Enough
truth of the matter is that my mirror has saved said .
my life . This occu rred when I was forced to There are many excellent books on bicycle
leave the road to avoid being hit by a homicidal maintenance so I won 't belabor the subject ex-
taxi driver. My mirror alerted me to the danger . cept to say that 20% of all bicycle acci.iJents in-
So I advocate using a mirror. Mirrors that can volve a mechanical problem of some kind . most
be attached to your glasses are availab le; I likely brakes . You owe it to yourself to see that
prefer the kind that attach to your handlebars . your bike is in good working order . And you owe
A word about the law; namely. bicyclists using it to yourself to ride defensively, to adhere to
the roads and highways· are subject to the same sound bicycling practices while you're enjoying
rules and regulations as drivers of other vehi- all the benefits of riding. ~

30 JUNE 1978
 TI1C
TALLY TAC

MAJOR ACFT. ACCIDENTS

AIRCREW FATALITIES
TOTAL EJECTIONS
SUCCESSFUL EJECTIONS lo

TAC Flight Safety Trophy Winners

47411W ?32TFW(ANG)
NELLIS AFB, NV DES MOINES IAP, IA
8 APR 77-7 APR 78 8 APR 77-7 APR 78

12111W(ANG) 128TASW(ANG)
RICKENBACKER AFB, OH TRUAX FIELD, WI
16 APR 77-15 APR 78 28 APR 77-27 APR 78
A
WINNERS OF USAF SAFETY PLAQUES FOR 1977 HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED.
OUR CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ACTIVE TAC AND TAC-GAINED UNITS!

3511W
-111IFFLIGHT
GEORGE AFB, CA
SAFETI;l1M11 184TFTG(ANG)
11/111
McCONNELL AFB, KS
'5611W MACDILL AFB, FL 301TFMAFRES) CARSWELL AFB, TX
',SOW EGLIN AF AUX FLD #9, FL 302SOS(AFRES) LUKE AFB, AZ
114TFG(ANG) JOE FOSS FIELD, SD 919S0G(AFRES) EGLIN AUX FLD #3, FL
188TFG(ANG) FT SMITH, AR

EXPLOSIVES SAFETY
33TFW
EGLIN AFB ,FL

* U.S. Government Printing Office: 1978 735-074/1

WHEN HANDLING CHEMICAL
AGENTS -BE SURE TO WEAR NAN I WHAT'S II LITTLE
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. TEAR GAS.