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Heading back to Hill (3rd time in two months)...hows the weather?

One of these days we'll get our 6 jets from Osan (always broke at Hickam if you can believe that!).

Supposedly we have 3 jets at Hill FINALLY from Osan (three weeks late) and we're getting three jets that are done 3 bagged to ferry tanks back to Indiana. Only 4 jets to go (one to Selfridge)...wonder if I'll be back for a 4th time...lol.

Hope I can get some skiing in...heh.

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SoWW #2485
Cave Putorium!

Not Dice but.......cold....cold...COLD. The low this morning was 0°. Highly unusual for this time of the year. Most of the ski resorts are hoping to be open the 26th (Friday).

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Gravity's not just a good idea.......its the LAW!

Cool, I'm leaving Monday and coming home Thursday. Most likely busting my butt getting jets out of there but it's nice to at least think I could have gone skiing...lol. At least the ORI's done so I can get my work done.

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SoWW #2485
Cave Putorium!

Wow, back again. Like mark said we have chilly temps and you may see a little snow but nothing to bad. Some of the ski resorts are open now but on limited runs. If you wanted to go there is enough snow on the mountains to have fun.

Have a good trip and if you do have a min give me a call and we can hook-up even if it's just a min or two.

Just saw the weather and we are getting another storm tomorrow, a couple of feet in the mountains and 3-8 inches in the valleys. It should be over and the roads clear by the time you get here but, it should be pretty for your stay.

Cool Dice, sounds good to me. Got pics so far of the mountains with no snow, just the tops with snow, so now I need to get the whole mountain with snow...heh. Probably won't get a chance to ski but it's nice to now I could. Last time with no jets coming because they were broke we spent a lot of time at the Speed Street go-kart track...good times! A bit of hiking on Antelope and Adam's Canyon (?) added to the vacation...lol. Oh, and sampled some fine beers from Roosters.

You work in the F-16 hangar right? Any possibility of getting us in for a look some evening? Could be pretty cool since two of the guys I'm with have only worked 16s before and have never seen the depot level mx on them.

We'll be working out of hangar 590 (I think that's right) on the ramp, that's where our tools and (Boise's) tank dolly are stored, and where I've worked before.

We'll be staying at the Inn this time so we'll be close.

I still have your number so hopefully I'll get around to meeting up with you.

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SoWW #2485
Cave Putorium!

Sure I can get you guys in and give you a little tour. Give me a ring and let me know what day you could like to come through. I work from 3pm-1230am so it's no problem for me on any afternoon or evening.

Man, I missed you again!

We had three CCs and two Wpns guys there. Our task, drop 4 wing tanks from two Osan birds, upload three of them to our jets (WG) to ferry home and store the last one on a rack outside hangar 590...then PR, service and deice/de-snow the three to launch out Wednesday.

Evidently you guys got a good snow storm last week. The wind blew off the soft engine covers so the engines were packed with snow and ice...and the rest of the surfaces were covered in snow and ice.

We had very little support once we arrived to work. TA was good enough to get us a couple heaters to thaw out the jets, although one kept having a burner failure so we couldn't use it. And TA brought us a wonderful B-4 stand to use rather than a ladder. Good fun pushing that through the snowdrifts from jet to jet. Ended up going old school and climbing up on the wing tank to get on top, and sliding down the flap to get down.

Without a tug or truck to use we had to push the tank dolly back and forth up and down the ramp for all of the tank swaps...still snowdrifts and ice on the ramp...good times...lol. We also had to push the LOX cart through the snow to each of the jets. We ended up putting in about 13 hours from before sunrise to after sunset getting the three jets cleaned off, serviced, and tanked. I think every muscle in my body was sore! Oh, and it was freakin' cold!

Wednesday morning it snowed overnight so we had to brush off the snow again. We got a deice truck to come down and hit us so that was good. Then one of our jets #2 engine froze up and had an APU light that wouldn't go out. With some depot engine guys help we learned that we had a valve stuck from being frozen and once we got that cleared we got all three jets out. By the time we finished and got back to our rooms we had time to eat, pack, and hit the rack to be up by 04:00 to get to the airport.

Might be another time or two coming up that I might make it back and we will hook up!

Next time no matter what I will get a truck or tug to use on the line!

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SoWW #2485
Cave Putorium!

That's cool brother I understand. It's hard to hook-up when you're on days and I'm on nights...maybe next time.

Hey dice - sorry to piggyback on this post but i'll be coming out 12-18. i'll give you a call if i get some free time.

Weasel Keeper,

A Old Trick, from an Old Crew Dawg, If the engines get COLD!!!!, and you are having that kind of problems with H2's , I'm sure you guys used the H-2 to warm your APU's up good.

But when we got Stuck in the Same kind of problem in Nov 86, GrandForks ND, with it being -20F + with Windchills over -50F+ During an ORI , You might of did it already, but if you didn't do it, its easier on the engines.
Motoring your Engines for a Minute then go right into Engine Start, Less chance of Over Temp.

I got tried of Scoping those engines for 2 days due to Over temping , in that Bloody Ass Cold!

Until The Motoring engine Idea from an \"Older Dawg\" said something about it, never had any more problems.

Goose

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\"Live Free Or Die\"

That's OK Hogfixer you have my number give me a ring anytime.

Hey Goose! We used the heater on the jet I was working because the fan had frozen up the day before on #1. The jet that had the problem was working fine the day before. APU fired up fine, #1 fired up fine, #2 was frozen up and wouldn't spin so the pilot shut down so we could thaw out #2. When he restarted his APU light wouldn't go out...ended up being a frozen start valve. Engine shop came out (because we're still new), opened the cowl and tinkered with the valve switch. It closed immediately so they did a quick APU run and motored the engine to pump hot bleed air into it and it worked fine after that. We're still learning.

Heading back to Hill once again (4th trip in 2 months) next week, 14th through the 17th. Dropping tanks on two more Osan jets and three bagging (empty) one of ours to ferry back to Ft Wayne. I'm about ready to rent an apartment there...lol. The last two haircuts I've had were both at Hill...and by the same barber at the BX.

This is really confusing me. I think I was told today we'll have like 47 tanks when it's all done, and eventually we'll have 21 jets. Wing tanks are in the past so I don't know why we need so many dang tanks...heh.

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SoWW #2485
Cave Putorium!

Bar seam leaks, Stuck floats, overdue lug inspections, etc.....
It's good to have extra tanks!!