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Hallo Group,
My perhaps stupid question is :

Cockpits of many jetfighterplanes are difficult to board. On most modern
fighters you can´t just step on the wing and swing yourself in the
cockpit of your trusted Hellcat. Cockpits are now 2 or more yards above
the deck.

Now my questions: Is there a policy that Navy-planes have steps or
ladders build in them? And why do many Airforceplanes need external
Ladders. And what do the pilot do when there is no ladder available on
this airfield?

Greetings
Max

Max Richter,

Is there a policy that Navy-planes have steps or ladders build in them?

None of which I am aware. That having been said, I can't think of a current USN airframe without a built-in means of ingress/egress.

In the recent past, however, there were USN carrier-based aircraft that required externally-mounted ladders: the A-4 series and the RA-5C come immediately to mind.

And why do many Airforceplanes need external Ladders.

I was not USAF, so I can't answer.

And what do the pilot do when there is no ladder available on this airfield?

Stand by this NG for answers from former Scooter (A-4) and Vigilante (RA-5C) folks.

--
Mike Kanze

"You can't save the earth unless you're willing to make other people sacrifice."

- Dogbert, in Dilbert (6/20/2007)

"Max Richter" wrote in message ...
Hallo Group,
My perhaps stupid question is :

Cockpits of many jetfighterplanes are difficult to board. On most modern
fighters you can´t just step on the wing and swing yourself in the
cockpit of your trusted Hellcat. Cockpits are now 2 or more yards above
the deck.

Now my questions: Is there a policy that Navy-planes have steps or
ladders build in them? And why do many Airforceplanes need external
Ladders. And what do the pilot do when there is no ladder available on
this airfield?

Greetings
Max

On Fri, 06 Jul 2007 20:18:11 +0200, Max Richter
wrote:

Now my questions: Is there a policy that Navy-planes have steps or
ladders build in them?

Can't speak for USN policy, but I can't think of any recent Navy
designs that didn't have some sort of fold-down/out steps.

And why do many Airforceplanes need external
Ladders.

Because we can! The USAF aircraft that I dealt with had internal steps
except for the F-105 which definitely needed a ladder for boarding
although with a bit of dexterity one could dismount without a ladder
by going over the windscreen and sliding down the nose, then supending
oneself from the pitot boom and dropping the final three feet or so to
the ground.

The F-4 had a slide out step that suspended below the cockpit and then
a kick-step or two to climb aboard when a ladder wasn't available.
Even the T-38 had a drop step and kick-step for boarding without a
ladder.

Ladders make it a bit more comfortable and stable to mount the steed
festooned with the various accoutrements of aviation.


And what do the pilot do when there is no ladder available on
this airfield?

Use the built-ins, or have a crew chief pull a truck or maintenance
cart close enough to step onto and then descend.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com

In article ,
Clark wrote:

Ed Rasimus wrote in
:

On Fri, 06 Jul 2007 20:18:11 +0200, Max Richter
wrote:

Now my questions: Is there a policy that Navy-planes have steps or
ladders build in them?

Can't speak for USN policy, but I can't think of any recent Navy
designs that didn't have some sort of fold-down/out steps.

No ladders = less stuff to be stowed on a flight deck and less to be
blown around a flight deck. Last USN carrier aircraft I can think of
without a ladder was the A-4. You could get on it during cross
countries and such by stepping on the wing drop tank fin thence the wing
and inch up the refueling probe. That's the way we did it in training
command anyway.

Pugs

Allen Epps wrote:
In article ,
Clark wrote:

Ed Rasimus wrote in
:

On Fri, 06 Jul 2007 20:18:11 +0200, Max Richter
wrote:

Now my questions: Is there a policy that Navy-planes have steps or
ladders build in them?

Can't speak for USN policy, but I can't think of any recent Navy
designs that didn't have some sort of fold-down/out steps.

No ladders = less stuff to be stowed on a flight deck and less to be
blown around a flight deck. Last USN carrier aircraft I can think of
without a ladder was the A-4. You could get on it during cross
countries and such by stepping on the wing drop tank fin thence the
wing and inch up the refueling probe. That's the way we did it in
training command anyway.

Pugs


That sounds like an accident waiting to happen.



--

Cheers

Dave Kearton

That sounds like an accident waiting to happen.


That's nothing compared to the procedure that Vigie (RA-5C) crews had to follow at non-Vigie ladder equipped bases:

1. Butt on one of the horizontal stabilizers.
2. Swing legs onto horizontal stabilizer.
3. Stand up carefully, to maintain balance. (Best not attempted when still a bit W0X0F from the night before).
4. Work your way forward along the turtleback, pilot first.
5. Pilot works way around rear cockpit, enters forward cockpit, closes canopy.
6. RAN enters rear cockpit, etc.

I'm reciting this from having observed a Vigie crew do this at the East Overshoe AFB transient line while I was in Base Ops munching on a one-handed culinary delight and refiguring our DD-175. Damndest thing I saw that day.

Vigie folks, please step in and correct this if I remembered it wrong.

--
Mike Kanze

"I knew I'd been living in Berkeley too long when I saw a sign that said 'Free Firewood' and my first thought was 'Who was Firewood and what did he do?'"

- John Berger

"Dave Kearton" wrote in message ...
Allen Epps wrote:
In article ,
Clark wrote:

Ed Rasimus wrote in
:

On Fri, 06 Jul 2007 20:18:11 +0200, Max Richter
wrote:

Now my questions: Is there a policy that Navy-planes have steps or
ladders build in them?

Can't speak for USN policy, but I can't think of any recent Navy
designs that didn't have some sort of fold-down/out steps.

No ladders = less stuff to be stowed on a flight deck and less to be
blown around a flight deck. Last USN carrier aircraft I can think of
without a ladder was the A-4. You could get on it during cross
countries and such by stepping on the wing drop tank fin thence the
wing and inch up the refueling probe. That's the way we did it in
training command anyway.

Pugs


That sounds like an accident waiting to happen.



--

Cheers

Dave Kearton