...when your own ground crew are capable of this ? Belgian F-16 burns out on the ground at Florennes Air Base
It should have been an F 35 - they dont go anywhere so cant catch fire - US military grounds all F-35 jets TD
It couldn't have been a Belgian F35, TD - They're still arguing about whether to buy it...Officially the choice is between the F35 and the Eurofighter but there are some strange goings-on around the Rafale as well and someone leaked an old report to the socialist opposition saying that the F16 could be upgraded for another 25 years or something at lower cost as they're not used very hard....Shooting at them on the tarmac rather obviates restricting hours on the airframes though
Well yes its true the F 35 is an expensive X box addition or so it seems, as you can hack them with a Swiss Army Knife. The other worrying thing I read was "Civilian firefighters have even been called in to help firefighters at the airbase to contain the incident" Dear me - how would the military firefighters carry on if there was a major problem TD
Don't worry. Belgium only has a couple operational at any one time. It can't become any more major than one aircraft on fire !
Ahhh but if someones chip frier caught alight at the same time as an F 16 has another blue on blue .................. TD
As I see it,the F 16 is a "free issue" from the US Government,similar to the F 5 Freedom Fighter 40 years ago. The F16 Falcon is in service with the air forces of numerous US friendly countries and the Belgians were allowed to manufacture them under licence,no doubt under generous terms.As I recollect the Danish Air Force is equipped with Belgian manufactured Falcons. As far as the F35 is concerned,I would think it would proved to be too costly for the Belgians,there must be over 10 years development costs to recover as it is....the Typhoon may be a better bargain but perhaps the reduced radar signiture heralded for the F35 is one of its attractions.
Whoever pressed the wrong button must have felt a right (an)twerp, now that F16 is namur, unless he showed an example of true flem..... coat, hat
I would think that there might well be a human error during the last After Flight Inspection where devices such as armaments and ejector seats are checked as being disabled,ie,made safe.On the other hand ii could be a firing control circuit fault.At least, the aircraft is available for investigation into the incident. Possibly the pilot at the end of a sortie left the gun control switch on "fire" rather than "safe".These incidents do happen if checks are not rigidly conducted.....a check on wartime Bomber Command incidents will throw up similar incidents when other aircraft were raked with fire when armourers were conducting their inspections on aircraft and the guns had not been made "safe" I can remember a case at Scampton when the Canberra was first introduced that a groundcrew member was killed when carrying out an inspection on a Canberra.The Ejector seat had not been made "safe",the ejector seat deployed and the airman was ejected up into the the hangar roof structure.
It looks like the error was initiated during a Pre Flight Inspection,ie the aircraft was being made ready for a sortie.....could be finger trouble.
A very good instructional film leading with the principles of safety on the ground and in the air whilst at gunnery school.I think that those in the air and those on the ground had to learn quickly regarding the pitfalls that they could encounter when they were on the learning curve. What caught my eye was the poster indicating caution from getting too close to props.....always a danger to personnel who might have a lapse in concentration.Jet engine air intakes were anther source of danger...knew of an airmen who was disabled for life with back injuries after being sucked into the air intake of a Vampire in RAF Germany.
Afterthought,I wondered where the training airfield film frames were shot ....elevation 14 feet ....looks like the main runway heading was 340...USN...Detail does not match Pensacola but maybe a dedicated air gunnery school....probably a satellite airfield in the local area.
