NEWS Lemoore FA-18 Crash

[Recovering LSO]

The red line is symbolic of the barrier between common sense and the USAF flight line crews. Yes, I'm sure it served some purpose during Lemay's days, and I'll push the I believe button if you tell me it still serves some purpose somewhere at Whitmen, Barksdale or Minot....But the red stripe at the transient line is just instituionalized trolling.

 

[webmaster]

When I walked back over the line, A1C Snuffy standing 20 yards away lost his shit. I know he was watching me the whole time.

....

That and many other instances made me permanently loathe AF security forces.

Ditto. Common sense seems to be lacking. Had similar type issues with them and where our aircraft was placed. But two can play at that game, had one come up to our plane and I "lost my shit" about what they hell they were doing in the safety diamond without proper clearance, who's their supervisor, etc...

Though I do have a somewhat fond memory of one of my NAVs face down on the tarmac at Kadena because he forgot about the dreaded red line of death. We were a 0300 ready launch, had to convince the E3 AF security team that they needed to release my aircrew or we were going to cancel a mission. Of course the decision couldn't be made at the lowest level, and they ended up waking up the base AF CO.... Good times, good times....

 

[sevenhelmet]

The USAF is very inventive at coming up with ways to make it harder to do business, even more so than the Navy. What annoys me about it is their elitist attitude toward everything and their complete lack of military bearing.

 

[jollygreen07]

The USAF is very inventive at coming up with ways to make it harder to do business, even more so than the Navy.

It took less paperwork to take a $370 million E-6 on a weekend boondoggle than the AF T-6s I'm flying. It boggles the mind.

 

[Flash]

The red line allows the elite "security forces" to sit on their ass in one spot instead of actually securing the flight line. That way, the red line only is a hindrance to people who give a shit about the red line. Everyone is special in the Air Force, so pilots walk well out of their way to avoid stepping over a line painted on the ground.

Poor SF guys (yes, that is how they abbreviate it), even their fellow zoomies despise and mock them. Several USAF types have mentioned to me that the Security Forces had the lowest minimum ASVAB score in the service, not sure if it is true but it shows what their fellow airmen think of them.

There was a story going around about how they stopped one of the U-2 chase cars on the ramp overseas because it didn't have a flight line pass, holding up a mission to clear it up. Not sure if it is true but the fact folks believed it shows you just what folks think of them.

 

[sevenhelmet]

Poor SF guys (yes, that is how they abbreviate it), even their fellow zoomies despise and mock them. Several USAF types have mentioned to me that the Security Forces had the lowest minimum ASVAB score in the service, not sure if it is true but it shows what their fellow airmen think of them.

There was a story going around about how they stopped one of the U-2 chase cars on the ramp overseas because it didn't have a flight line pass, holding up a mission to clear it up. Not sure if it is true but the fact folks believed it shows you just what folks think of them.

I would absolutely believe that story about the U-2 mobile.

More proof that USAF flight line "security" is really more dog and pony- the people who get the most guff are the ones who pose the least threat.

 

[Treetop Flyer]

My squadron flew across the Atlantic and landed at Moron. They parked us right in front of base ops. When we walked into base ops (in our dry suits for the past 8 hours) through an"ECP" that wasn't manned, they came speeding up with their lights on to stop us. They only manned one ECP which was about a quarter mile down the flight line. They literally expected us to walk a quarter mile down then back rather than the hundred yards straight into base ops. And that was to get OFF the flight line. The two brave SECURITY FORCES airmen were told in no uncertain terms that they could go fuck themselves. By the time I got my dry suit off and took a piss, they had decided to man the closer ECP.

 

[CommodoreMid]

Standing SDO in Kadena I was always a mix of 50% amused and 50% royally pissed off when I got a call that one of our maintainers was in handcuffs due to crossing the red line.

 

[Pags]

An HSC pilot has/had the call sign Jailbait from a run in with Kadena SF. Apparently they take vault access lists seriously.

 

[jmcquate]

I assuming you guys are chocking on the transient ramp. Why would the Air Force put this uncrossable barrier near a ramp where aircrews may not know what it means?

 

[nittany03]

Why would the Air Force put this uncrossable barrier near a ramp where aircrews may not know what it means?

Because reasons. If you can't shoot straight . . . Aim High!

 

[jmcquate]

"Not to knock the Air Force............but it's a good thing you guys have
airplanes". Archer ca. 2014.

 

[wink]

When I was a staff air ops off. at NAVEUR I had to deal with USAFE frequently. I once got a call from them absolutely batshit because our tacan was down at Suda Bay. Insisted they needed it up for divert filing for their Rivit Joint missions over the Balkans. The Navy was going to cause them to cancel missions ordered by the National Command Authority and I had to do something about it. They could not convince me why one tacan at Suda Bay was so important when they had half dozen other diverts and IT WAS VMC EVERYWHERE FOR THE NEXT THREE DAYS.

 

[Flash]

When I was a staff air ops off. at NAVEUR I had to deal with USAFE frequently. I once got a call from them absolutely batshit because our tacan was down at Suda Bay. Insisted they needed it up for divert filing for their Rivit Joint missions over the Balkans. The Navy was going to cause them to cancel missions ordered by the National Command Authority and I had to do something about it. They could not convince me why one tacan at Suda Bay was so important when they had half dozen other diverts and IT WAS VMC EVERYWHERE FOR THE NEXT THREE DAYS.

I would not be surprised if it was in their SOP/Instructions that they needed a field with an instrument approach as an alternate no matter the weather. Plus, it gives the Nav/s something to do when flight planning. The RJ folks are a bit tightly wound but understandable given that the missions they fly are under a much higher level of scrutiny and control.

 

[wink]

I would not be surprised if it was in their SOP/Instructions that they needed a field with an instrument approach as an alternate no matter the weather. Plus, it gives the Nav/s something to do when flight planning. The RJ folks are a bit tightly wound but understandable given that the missions they fly are under a much higher level of scrutiny and control.

I was sure of that given their inflexibility. Though that still does not explain why they couldn't find their precious instrument approach at one of the other 4-6 great diverts including USAF bases. It was offered here as an example of just the sort of nanny leadership often displayed by the boys in robin's egg blue.

While at NAVEUR I had the privilege of figuring out a way to get the Navy back in the air (read " creative work around") after the draconian instrument approach procedures SECDEF ordered after Secretary Brown's death over there. The USAFE response was predictable and nauseating. I was proud the Admiral was willing to do whatever it took to get back in the air. The story is worth at least two beers, so to preserve the value of the story, I won't say any more.