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Because I Can, and Have
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USAF-72-76
God Bless America.
Disclaimer, not responsible for anyone copying or building anything i make.
Always consult an expert first.
Notice that the aircraft is parked on PSP (pierced steel planking) used for runways and parking areas. It is slippery as owl poop when wet. Those are pins driven into the ground through holes in the PSP to keep the chocks from slipping.
+2 - the Marston Mat metal decking (PSP - perforated steel planking) seen in the pic won't keep the chock(s) from sliding if/when wind pushed the aircraft against it, like tarmac would hold the chocks.
The Marston Mat was invented/developed shortly before WWII.
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Last edited by Pete44ru on Tue Jan 23, 2018 9:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
Speaking of chocks and wind. I was stationed in Newfoundland in 1964. Three Nave P2V's stayed overnight one night and we in Transit Maintenance parked, chocked and sandbagged the chocks. We had winds in the 50 mph range that shifted after we parked them. The Sargent told us to go out and "weathervane" (turn them into the wind) the P2V's with our tug. We came back to the shop about 10 minutes later and he asked us what the hell we were doing. We told him the 3 aircraft weathervaned themselves, all we had to do was move the chocks and bags to where the wheels were. All 3 jumped the chocks and luckily no damage!
Yep; the chocks will move, saw it happen many times. Even on the tarmac.
I was in Naval Aviation in the late 1950's. Stationed at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. We were a training base for multi-engine aircraft.
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Last edited by Lefty Dude on Tue Jan 23, 2018 1:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
jnyork wrote: ↑Mon Jan 22, 2018 6:37 pm
Notice that the aircraft is parked on PSP (pierced steel planking) used for runways and parking areas. It is slippery as owl poop when wet. Those are pins driven into the ground through holes in the PSP to keep the chocks from slipping.
Yep, owl poop, nothing more slippy in all creation
I thought deer guts on a doorknob was the standard for most slippery?
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." -Theodore Roosevelt-
Isnt it amazing how many people post without reading the thread?
Marston Mat is indeed slippery, and even more so if it gets wet and muddy! I worked as an electrician in a steel foundry and they had literally tons of the stuff laid down outside in the scrap area. You could easily end up on your tail if you weren't careful out there on a rainy day!
The screwdriver in front of the wheel chock was a visual clue to the pilot that the aircraft was armed, fueled and all ready to go -- just in case a "scramble" was called while the Crew Chief or Flight Chief were elsewhere.
Those images were taken at Debden, England where my late father served with the 4th Fighter Group. Debden was an active RAF base hosting the famed Eagle Squadrons (American pilots flying Spitfires, serviced by mostly American ground crews) until more and more Yanks came on and the group transferred to the US Army Air Corp and Thunderbolts. My dad liked the early days the best saying "We had much better officers and food under the Brits", but then again, he loved the mighty P51 Mustangs that arrived when the P47s were phased out.
Anyway, "the screwdriver in front of the wheel chock" was a holdover from the RAF; most likely, the 4th may have been one of the few 8th Air Force fighter groups to continue the practice. "Scrambles" weren't called as often as they were back in the early days of the Battle of Britain, as most flights were scheduled to coordinate with the slower outbound bombers; but that holdover from the RAF continued through the end of the war.
Old No7
Note the "E" on the chock matches the "E" on the aircraft, coded "WD E". ("WD" was code for "three hundred thirty fifth" squadron by all other groups in the 8th, but at Debden, the group was always referred to as "three-three-five" squadron -- yet another holdover from their days spent with the RAF and the Brits.)
img109 (Small).jpg
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Interesting snipit, no one would want to take off against the Luftwaffe without fuel or ammo, makes perfect sense.
Once again Darryl I'd like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to your late father for his service.
Whatever you do always give 100%........... unless you are donating blood.
The screwdriver in front of the wheel chock was a visual clue to the pilot that the aircraft was armed, fueled and all ready to go -- just in case a "scramble" was called while the Crew Chief or Flight Chief were elsewhere.
Very interesting
We just left a beer bottle in front of the chock to let the pilot know he was armed and ready and the plane had been fully inspected.
Just kidding.
Because I Can, and Have
-------------------------------------------------------------
USAF-72-76
God Bless America.
Disclaimer, not responsible for anyone copying or building anything i make.
Always consult an expert first.
The screwdriver in front of the wheel chock was a visual clue to the pilot that the aircraft was armed, fueled and all ready to go -- just in case a "scramble" was called while the Crew Chief or Flight Chief were elsewhere.
Very interesting
We just left a beer bottle in front of the chock to let the pilot know he was armed and ready and the plane had been fully inspected.
Just kidding.