"Nxxx check your flaps"
- Thread starter JordanD
- Start date
Hacker15e
Who am I? Where are my pants?
This technique, at least used to be, published both in the AIM and the Flight Information Handbook. It was in the AIM in the early 90s when I was getting my Private ticket and in the FIH when I was going through USAF pilot training in the late 90s.
It does not appear in at least the AIM now, and doesn't seem to have been in it going back to 2000 (the earliest copy I have that I can find); Not sure if it is still in the FIH since I don't have one of those here at home.
Nevertheless, not an 'old tale' by any stretch of the imagination -- it just isn't current guidance in any of the pilot literature, and who knows what the ATC training pipeline and literature is teaching.
queeno
Ward of the Guberment
dont laugh there was a C172 hijacked on the mid shift at ZAU in late 80s early 90s, i was on the night it happened. could not belive it my self!
Not in the current one, no.
EIR
It's 5 o'clock somewhere
Have you been to LOU during the Derby? It was a mini Oshkosh.
I have never had a ground controller tell me anything about the aircraft configuration.
Since I'm responsible for all the ground maintenance on our E-6B when I'm deployed, the aircrew has come up with inventive ways to minimize the post flight time needed to do all of the maintenance requirements.
The first thing I do once we pull into chocks is drop the flaps while the engine driven hydraulics are still available. Much quicker than the auxiliary pumps... Then I can do various checks that require them down while someone else walks the flaps looking for issues and others start servicing the left side motors. Once my checks and the visual are complete, I can suck them back up and be done with them...
A few years ago, we had an overzealous ground handler and security team that decided that this meant that our super secret military aircraft had somehow been hijacked during the mission... They dropped the first two people off the aircraft, placing them in cuffs, and tried to convince two more to hop out of the forward cargo hold and join them. The two in the hold shook theirs heads in the negative, tossed the trash bag they had on the deck, and closed the cargo bay back up.
Security then held up a sign with "MC" on it, asking for the Mission Commander. We could clearly see another sign pop up in the windscreen asking, "What?"
Needless to say, the Commanding Officer finally put an end to Security's "fun" and we had a discussion with the ground handlers about our post flight procedures.
I was on the flight the next day and found great humor when the ground handler popped his head up into the cargo hold and asked if we had been hijacked again...
The first thing I do once we pull into chocks is drop the flaps while the engine driven hydraulics are still available. Much quicker than the auxiliary pumps... Then I can do various checks that require them down while someone else walks the flaps looking for issues and others start servicing the left side motors. Once my checks and the visual are complete, I can suck them back up and be done with them...
A few years ago, we had an overzealous ground handler and security team that decided that this meant that our super secret military aircraft had somehow been hijacked during the mission... They dropped the first two people off the aircraft, placing them in cuffs, and tried to convince two more to hop out of the forward cargo hold and join them. The two in the hold shook theirs heads in the negative, tossed the trash bag they had on the deck, and closed the cargo bay back up.
Security then held up a sign with "MC" on it, asking for the Mission Commander. We could clearly see another sign pop up in the windscreen asking, "What?"
Needless to say, the Commanding Officer finally put an end to Security's "fun" and we had a discussion with the ground handlers about our post flight procedures.
I was on the flight the next day and found great humor when the ground handler popped his head up into the cargo hold and asked if we had been hijacked again...
Boris Badenov
Fortis Leader
Fair point. Probably not unlike Bumscrew, GA (can't remember the name) during the Masters or South Bend during ANY Notre Dame game... 300 pilots in an FBO built for maybe 10. Hellish.
Boris Badenov
Fortis Leader
Double post.
Hacker15e
Who am I? Where are my pants?
I was on the flight the next day and found great humor when the ground handler popped his head up into the cargo hold and asked if we had been hijacked again...
Again, this used to be in the FIH as well -- in other words, it was a military procedure, too.
With the heightened awareness toward hijacking post-9/11, it isn't a surprise that a relatively 'obscure' signal relating to detecting (rather than signaling) hijacking was/is being given emphasis. Anyone who has been around the military should not be surprised that, even though the signal has apparently been dropped from procedure at some point in the last 20 years, that the change hasn't made it out to all the corners of the security (and other) communities.
Autothrust Blue
Welcome aboard the Washington State Ferries
Yup. I've heard of it, so definitely not old.
Stomp16
You mean Shennanigans?!?!
In 2005, a man attempted to rob a bank and then fled with hostages to KOJC where I work. They ended up getting to a 172 that was about ready to take off with intentions to hijack the aircraft and get away. The police showed up, shot the guy multiple times and a few rounds ended up hitting the aircraft.
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Autothrust Blue
Welcome aboard the Washington State Ferries
Worst. Hijack target. Ever.