A-7 Corsair - Cockpit entrance and Canopy Strap

[Pugs]

Get into the front seat of the Prowler sometime.

Especially with my 29" inseam. . The beacon antenna on our seat wasn't attached to anything.

 

[rondebmar]

Especially with my 29" inseam. . The beacon antenna on our seat wasn't attached to anything.

I belong to that club too ...and stepped on A1, A4, & A7 seats for ~six years. Sorry ...no options!

 

[C420sailor]

Okay, I concede defeat. In the two NACES equipped jets I've flown, I've always been told to never step on the seat. I incorrectly assumed (and we all knows what happens when you assume...) that this applied to most A/C.

 

[scoolbubba]

Okay, I concede defeat. In the two NACES equipped jets I've flown, I've always been told to never step on the seat. I incorrectly assumed (and we all knows what happens when you assume...) that this applied to most A/C.

I think it has to do with seat pan construction particular to the Mk 14 and Mk 16 seats. I get to do the "balance on 5 points of contact crotch dance" to try and get into a T-6 without stepping on the seat. Having a 30 inch inseam isn't helping.

Also, the old guys crashed planes like it was going out of style. They were probably just out of fucks to give by the time they got in their jets.

 

[Random Task]

Okay, I concede defeat. In the two NACES equipped jets I've flown, I've always been told to never step on the seat. I incorrectly assumed (and we all knows what happens when you assume...) that this applied to most A/C.

No...what happened when you assume? Is it like when in rome?

 

[Ronl]

Thanks for all the comments, guys. I certainly didn't mean to start any controversy regarding the practice of stepping on the seat or not when getting in and out of the cockpit. However, the comments have all been very interesting, none the less. Looks like the procedure is affected by a number of factors - including the type of aircraft, the length of the pilot's inseam, and squadron practice.

Regarding BzB and Brownshoe's comments about Rondebmar gathering leaves - that sounds pretty good to me. We still have a fair bit of the white stuff on the ground up here. No fun at all.

 

[C420sailor]

Is it like when in rome?

I still don't quite understand what it means.

 

[A7Dave]

Well, to disagree, we were taught in the first simulator (by crotchety old USAF F-100 guys) and by our instructors that it WAS in bad form to step on the seat. I never did. Particularly climbing into the cockpit off a wet, greasy flight deck, I'd be pissed if some lazy SOB had left a big moly-grease boot print on the seat cushion.

Easy enough. Swing the leg over, rest on the canopy rail, grab the canopy bow, and shoe-horn in. Same for A-4s.