| After
Landing |
| For
all operational sorties, we taxied directly into the hangar
so maintenance could download the sensors expeditiously. We
followed the crew chief's hand signals, guiding us safely into
the tight confines of the hangar until signaled to stop. After
he geve the "chocks installed" signal, the pilot released
the brakes, disengaged the nosewheel steering, and transferred
fuel forward to a CG of 17 percent to facilitate dowloading
of sensor equipment. The crew chief's assistants were busy placing
the brake cooling fans around each main landing gear. |
 |
|
|
After
all our loose items in the cockpit were secured, we opened the canopies
and locked them up. By this time the crew chief already had the
ladder in place. The remainder of the SHUTDOWN checklist had us
verifying the electrical and hydraulic back-up systems. The crew
chief had been on the intercom headset as soon as the chocks were
installed and cleared the pilot to shut down the engines.
|
|
Hot
Wheels!
|
The
main landing gear wheel wells didn't dissapate heat well and
consequently, the main gear remained quite hot after landing.
The main landing gear assembly was generally too hot to touch
after parking the aircraft in the hangar. Every time Habus came
to their final stop for engine shutdown, cooling fans were immediately
placed in front or behind each main gear to cool down the brakes. |
|
| The
first person to greet you during the engine shutdown was PSD (Physiological
Support Division). They reached in the cockpits and inserted the ejection
seat and canopy safety pins. After the seats were pinned, we unlocked
our pressure suit helmets and handed them to PSD, followed by gloves,
checklist, and other mission materials. Once you disconnected the
parachute harness, lap belt, survival kit straps, the stirrups, both
oxygen hoses, the manual parachute D-ring, communications cord, and
cooling air supply hose, you were free to exit the cockpit. Most Habus
waited for each other at the top of the ladder before stepping down
to the hangar floor. |
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Return to Sortie
|
| ©
Copyright
Richard Graham |
|
