On Sun, 24 Jun 2007 02:42:54 -0400, "Richard Goldsberry"
wrote:

These "bombs" look like the training bombs filled with water and sand to
approx. the weight of the real McCoy.

Actually, they are likely filled with only air. The FAA gets really
upset when you load live ordinance on a non-military (active)
aircarft. Training loads with smoke charges actually fall in the same
category. I doubt if "Aluminum Overcast" ever actually drops anything.
Getting permission to do that would be pretty difficult (there is
always the possibility of inadvertant drops) I would think.

Even for active duty types on a scheduled mission, the paperwork and
opportunities to explain onesself are quite amazing when you drop even
a training round where it wasn't supposed to be. When I was an IP in
the training command in S. Texas, we had a student that, unknowingly,
lost a MK-76 (http://www.ordnance.org/practice.htm) onto a van parked
in a town enroute to the target. The solo student leading the flight
also was impressed by the effect of his taking the flight OVER the
town instead of AROUND it as briefed. Oh, the IP's in the flight had
no time to correct the situation as the town was just south of the
field and the student was supposed to delay the departure turn to
target until past it, but turned right after cleanup.

No one saw the bomb leave the aircraft because it was #4 in the
formation. He had a "no spot" during the runs but all aircraft were
clean on joinup for the trip home. It was not until after they got
back were the pieces put together as to what had actually happened.

John Alger USN(ret)
1972-1997 // 1310,1320
TA-4J, A-7E, EC-130Q, P-3B