richard goldsberry wrote:
...and then there was always the threat of "bridle-slap" into the CL tank
off the waist cats.
At night was quite a show...





Not just off the waist, off any cat with the vanzelm holdback...It was
called a 'bridle slap' but it was one of the brass things that was
attached to the bridle via rope to prevent the bridle from going over
the side. I have about 5-6 of them on Indy and Midway(bow cats only).
WAS quite a show, out of A/B, fire out.

I also had a smack of the horseshoe thing that was placed over the cat
assembly to allow the bridle to be retracted...By a deck ape, who left
it on the cat track, at night. My nose wheel hit it, threw it into the
C/L, lots of noise and flame, I blew off everything, 2 and 2 plus
CL...VERY exciting.

My CO, Fox Farrell, slamed me for blowing everything off for a 'bridle
slap'. I knew it was something else. The Safety Officer, 'Snuffy' Smith
did a great investigation and came up with the true cause.