"Rolling the Equipment"

[Judah]

The other night I was on an airline flight...

The weather was VFR.

The plane did a low approach, wheels maybe 50' above the runway, and about
halfway down the runway kicked the engines on and did a go around.

The pilot came on and indicated that there was "an indicator light" that
caused them to abort the landing, but that it had been reset and the plane is
OK now.


When we landed on the next approach, they had the equipment rolling - 4 or 5
Fire Engines, a couple of police cars, and two yellow-strobed Port Authority
vehicles. The landing was uneventful, and the fire trucks went back in, but a
police car and a PA vehicle followed us all the way to the gate.


Based on the low approach, I initially assumed the indicator light was a gear
indicator.

But would they roll equipment on a second attempt if the indicator was
cleared?

[Roy Smith]

In article >,
Judah > wrote:

> The other night I was on an airline flight...
>
> The weather was VFR.
>
> The plane did a low approach, wheels maybe 50' above the runway, and about
> halfway down the runway kicked the engines on and did a go around.
>
> The pilot came on and indicated that there was "an indicator light" that
> caused them to abort the landing, but that it had been reset and the plane is
> OK now.
>
>
> When we landed on the next approach, they had the equipment rolling - 4 or 5
> Fire Engines, a couple of police cars, and two yellow-strobed Port Authority
> vehicles. The landing was uneventful, and the fire trucks went back in, but a
> police car and a PA vehicle followed us all the way to the gate.
>
>
> Based on the low approach, I initially assumed the indicator light was a gear
> indicator.
>
> But would they roll equipment on a second attempt if the indicator was
> cleared?

Because they would look like idiots if anything bad happened and they
hadn't rolled the equipment.

[Thomas Borchert]

Roy,

> Because they would look like idiots if anything bad happened and they
> hadn't rolled the equipment.
>

Exactly. I landed with a failed alternator once and they rolled it just
to make sure I wasn't going to burst into flames or something. One of
the firemen then directed us into our parking spot...

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

[Ron Natalie]

Judah wrote:
> The other night I was on an airline flight...
>
>
The necessary response time if the CFR is going to be effective is on
the tune of 30 seconds. They will take the advantage of any advance
notice to get out in position if there is any even slight possibility
that they would be required.

I've seen them roll the equipment on a number of situations like
overtemp on APU's, etc.. I even had the ANG CFR brigade get
called out after me after reporting an burnt electrical smell on a
return to landing after maintenance.

[Morgans[_2_]]

"Ron Natalie" > wrote

> The necessary response time if the CFR is going to be effective is on the
> tune of 30 seconds. They will take the advantage of any advance
> notice to get out in position if there is any even slight possibility
> that they would be required.

Besides that, they sit on their butts, most of the time that they are not
training or maintaining equipment. They probably look forward to be called
out, (and hope they are not really needed) to keep the boredom level down.
--
Jim in NC

[[email protected]]

On Aug 19, 2:53 am, Thomas Borchert >
wrote:
> Roy,
>
> > Because they would look like idiots if anything bad happened and they
> > hadn't rolled the equipment.
>
> Exactly. I landed with a failed alternator once and they rolled it just
> to make sure I wasn't going to burst into flames or something. One of
> the firemen then directed us into our parking spot...
>
> --
> Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

My wife would like that... she likes firefighters. I just don't let
her take any home with her...

Dean

[Montblack]

("Morgans" wrote)
> Besides that, they sit on their butts, most of the time that they are not
> training or maintaining equipment.


Which is why I was astonished to hear that one of the firetrucks "didn't
work" at OSH this year - when it was needed.

Anyone have an update to this scuttle"butt"?


Paul-Mont
(From the web)
Scuttlebutt in nautical terminology is a water fountain or water cask on a
ship. It is now more commonly used as slang for "information" or "gossip".

"Water for immediate consumption on a sailing ship was conventionally stored
in a scuttled butt: a butt (cask or small barrel) which had been scuttled by
making a hole in it so the water could be withdrawn. Since sailors exchanged
gossip when they gathered at the scuttlebutt for a drink of water,
scuttlebutt became U.S. Navy slang for gossip or rumors."