Blues "Fat Albert" JATO ending...

[APG85]

Now the NYANG a/c, I would pay to see take off in the snow.

Mudge the selectively mudgy

Here you go Mudge. I'll let you know where to send me the check...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1meoIL_JbZA

[Mudge]

Fan-dam-tastic.

Mudge the smiling

The check is in the mail.

[29erFE]

For God's sake, no contractor can put propellant into empty JATO cannisters in the USA?

Doesn't the 109th in Schenectady still use the bottles? Do they have a big supply, or do they "ration" them too?

Rich

I was told by someone in the 109th several years ago that they were running out of them also. He said most the the bottles they had were made in the late 50's or early 60's (I don't know if that is true but while I was in the Navy we were dropping bombs made in 1969, almost 30 before they fulfilled their propose)

Tim[/quote


Bombs are supposed to explode, JATO bottles are NOT!! FLY NAVY?[/url]

[airnutz]

oops

[Steve Nelson]

I recently ran across some video from the 1992 Blue Angels press packet that showed Bert doing the JATO bit, except the aircraft was painted in low-viz markings (gray with the BA script and cheatline in black.) Was this something they did during the first Gulf War?

SN

[krlang]

Bert @ Quebec City last summer

http://www.asb.tv/widget_content/PublishPreview.php?contentId=1792&type=flv&size=0

[RickH]

Steve, Marine KC130s are Low Vis. Bert was either in the process of being replaced or they were doing a scheduled major inspection at Cherry Point. The old Bert is at NMNA and I suspect you saw the low viz stand in they used until the new Bert was ready.

Last edited by RickH on Mon Sep 07, 2009 11:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Jim Beasley]

I was speaking with the Blues C130 crew this weekend at Toronto. Apparently the problem with the JATO bottles is that most were stored in the area where Hurricane Katrina hit. There were, as I was told, stacks and stacks of bottles and some got wet. The Navy decided it would take more manpower to inspect them than just to chuck them all, which is why they are now in short supply. That's what was said, anyway. Maybe this provides some insight. Jim

[RickH]

Jim, they were telling the truth. The magazine where they were stored at Pensacola was inundated by Ivan the year before Katrina. What Ivan didn't get Katrina finished.

[Steve Nelson]

The old Bert is at NMUSAF

Why would a Marine aircraft supporting the Navy's premiere demonstration team be at the Air Force Museum? (sorry..couldn't resist. I assume that's a typo..there is indeed an old Bert the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola.)

Bert was either in the process of being replaced or they were doing a scheduled major inspection at Cherry Point. I suspect you saw the low viz stand in they used until the new Bert was ready.

Makes sense..thanks!

SN

[RickH]

Yep, should be NMNA.