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Navy/USMC trainer pilot strike.

Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 3:03 am
by Rich
I read this off my Kindle using the Fox News app.

It seems the Navy and Marine aircraft training program has hit a snag with a mysterious hypoxia problem involving the T-45 trainer and possibly the F/A-18 Hornet. It seems several pilots have barely survived landing the airplane and having had to be lifted out of the cockpit and carried away. There have been several crashes and bail-outs where this has been pointed at as the possible cause.

Complicating the issue is one of those pilots is the son of our current Vice President, Mike Pence.

Finger pointing is already occurring with some of the pilots blaming the Admiral in charge of the Navy flight training program. The Navy has responded by not forcing student pilots to fly scheduled missions.

The aircraft involved are both assembled by Boeing in St. Louis and presumably use similar or the same oxygen systems.

Situation could get a lot messier.

Re: Navy/USMC trainer pilot strike.

Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 9:37 am
by Kommander
Any ideas as to why two planes that have been in use for decades old are suddenly having problems with their oxygen systems?

Re: Navy/USMC trainer pilot strike.

Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 10:10 am
by Netpackrat
Kommander wrote:Any ideas as to why two planes that have been in use for decades old are suddenly having problems with their oxygen systems?
Doesn't sound like it is a sudden thing.... The situation appears to have been building for years, and has now come to a head.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/04 ... ected.html

Re: Navy/USMC trainer pilot strike.

Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2017 1:55 am
by Johnnyreb
The part that got me was how this has been a problem for 5 or 6 years. Since when has mighty America gotten to where something like this, that is a threat to the life of every pilot that flies that thing every time they fly it, can go on that long until the pilots have to mutiny en mass to get something done about it? Doesn't sound to me like one Admiral needs to get court martialed and locked up, but a bunch of them.

All that Naval aviation power won't mean much if people in numbers start saying "you know, I think I'll pass on being a naval aviator.".

Re: Navy/USMC trainer pilot strike.

Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2017 3:02 am
by slowpoke
Johnnyreb wrote:The part that got me was how this has been a problem for 5 or 6 years. Since when has mighty America gotten to where something like this, that is a threat to the life of every pilot that flies that thing every time they fly it, can go on that long until the pilots have to mutiny en mass to get something done about it? Doesn't sound to me like one Admiral needs to get court martialed and locked up, but a bunch of them.

All that Naval aviation power won't mean much if people in numbers start saying "you know, I think I'll pass on being a naval aviator.".
Detroit syndrome on a national scale. Probably also tied to environmental regulations forcing material changes, kinda like the space shuttle tank, and many other things.

Re: Navy/USMC trainer pilot strike.

Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2017 4:44 am
by Netpackrat
slowpoke wrote:Probably also tied to environmental regulations forcing material changes, kinda like the space shuttle tank, and many other things.
That was my thought, as well. Note also how all fingers seem to be pointing at an admiral or admirals. I am sure we all remember reading about the previous administration purging the high ranks of officers suspected of un-progressive leanings... This could be one of the first visible acts in the military moving to correct some of that. Doubtless there will be more Obama era deadwood shunted aside, but this one makes the news because of the novelty of military officers not only going on strike, but apparently facing no punitive action for doing so. That, and the connection to the VP's son.

Re: Navy/USMC trainer pilot strike.

Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2017 5:51 pm
by Rich
Navy has grounded the T-45 for three days to try to come up with a fix.

In my opinion, the oxygen system has several filters that remove contaminants from previous users and one or more of them isn't doing the job. Possibly because of the aforementioned environmental change.

Also in my opinion, the fix will be to change the filter or to inspect the system more often and change as necessary.

Re: Navy/USMC trainer pilot strike.

Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2017 6:15 pm
by Vonz90
slowpoke wrote:
Johnnyreb wrote:The part that got me was how this has been a problem for 5 or 6 years. Since when has mighty America gotten to where something like this, that is a threat to the life of every pilot that flies that thing every time they fly it, can go on that long until the pilots have to mutiny en mass to get something done about it? Doesn't sound to me like one Admiral needs to get court martialed and locked up, but a bunch of them.

All that Naval aviation power won't mean much if people in numbers start saying "you know, I think I'll pass on being a naval aviator.".
Detroit syndrome on a national scale. Probably also tied to environmental regulations forcing material changes, kinda like the space shuttle tank, and many other things.
Amen on that. People have no idea how valuable some materials are for some applications. The EU regulations driving removing trace lead from electrical components is causing all kinds of issues for no positive purpose at all.

Re: Navy/USMC trainer pilot strike.

Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2017 7:04 pm
by scipioafricanus
A friend of mine was killed in a trainer a few years ago. I wonder if this was why...?

Re: Navy/USMC trainer pilot strike.

Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2017 8:56 pm
by randy
IIRC they basically grounded the F-22 fleet for a similar issue a few years ago.