"Ed Rasimus" wrote in message
news
On Sun, 30 Jan 2005 22:19:03 GMT, "Aardvark J. Bandersnatch, MP, LP,
BLT, ETC." wrote:


"José Herculano" wrote in message
.. .
I remember reading that one of VF-17s Corsair pilots was so small he had
to
"get creative" to be able to use enough rudder on take off. Sometimes you
see a picture in which it looks like there is a contortionist gorilla in
the cockpit.

I know there are some size guideliness, and also know that there are
waivers signed here and there.

My topic proposal is:

Do you have some good stories to tell about guys that were really too
big
or too small to be in that particular cockpit?

A long time ago, I knew an AF pilot at Tyndall who regularly flew with
about
ten pounds of lead weights in his speed jeans. One day he forgot to put
the
weights in, plane caught fire, he was too light to eject, rode that
flaming
beast (delta dart) all the way back, landed it, walked away smoking.


"Too light to eject"??? Never heard of such a thing during 23 years of
tactical aviation riding a whole variety of boom-seats. We had a
maintainer commit suicide at Korat in '73 by prying the banana links
off of the sear on a Martin-Baker in an F-4 while leaning over the
canopy rail. Seat didn't seem to mind that nobody was sitting in it.

The only thing lead weights in the pockets of the G-suit would do is
insure severe leg fractures in any sort of high speed ejection.

Not being the pilot-y type, I took him/them at his/their word. But I saw him
bring that flaming screaming piece of trash back and down, so I figger he
had a good reason not to punch the button.