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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 1993.PDF
796 FLIGHT International, 14 November 1963 DEUCES HIGH alert between OSOOhr and 1700hr, two days on night alert, two days on continuation training and two days rest—a 70hr-week giving each man about 25hr flying per month. In traditional USAF style, alert duty is based on the "Zulu" hangar, a permanent four-bay building housing four F-102s armed and ready to scramble in warmed, protected cells, with full crew accommodation in a central compartment. Pilots and groundcrews live in the Zulu hangar throughout their duty period, being provided with sleeping and day accommodation and cooked meals. At the front of the accommodation cell is the squadron's own radio and communica tion office, in direct contact with the fighter control centre, so that aircraft can be scrambled instantly at a word from the centre. Pilots slide down a fireman's pole and race to their aircraft. The front doors are rolled back, the engines started immediately and the pilots can taxi along a special high-speed link directly on to the runway. Engine exhaust gases are vented through ports in the back of each cell. The standard interception unit, consisting of a pair of aircraft, can get airborne between three and five minutes after the initial alarm and can then climb to 40,OCOft in between four and four-and-a-half minutes. One of the main peace-time tasks is the identification of unknown aircraft crossing the ADIZ, and between two and four "live" scrambles are made each week for this purpose. Pilots make a general visual identification of the intruder and no longer have to manoeuvre close alongside and take the registration number, by torch-light at night if necessary. This was standard procedure some years ago, but was intensely objectionable to airline pilots, particularly on a dark, murky night. Most unidentified aircraft There is a certain space-age grace in the angular shape of the "deuce," above and right, and it is considered to be a docile member of the century series lineage. The two 230 US gal external tanks limit per formance to subsonic speed and would be jettisoned in a combat situation infrared load Three radar-homing and three Hughes Falcons are the normal weapon loaa of the "deuce." Here the rails and two o] the WESM practice missiles are extendi- Note the infra-red sight ball ahead of me windscreen
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