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From: tarquin@zen.co.uk (Ian Mitchell )
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Stealing fighters
Message-ID: <11269@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 9 Nov 89 15:29:37 GMT
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In previous articles, Richard Shu and Paul A Deisinger wrote about stealing
military wings:

>>>It doesn't seem that dificult from a ground based airfield. 
>>                                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>Anybody with carrier experience want to comment on how easy
>>it would be to steal a plane?
>
>No chance.
>
>Ignoring all the "small" problems such as how you are going to get flight gear,
>a plane that is ready to go, etc.  There is one major problem: The catapault.

Of course, if any of us Brits wanted to steal a carrier based plane we wouldn't
worry about the catapault because we could just power up a Harrier (AV8A, AV8B)
and take-off.  Assuming its fully fuelled and ready to go of course!

In fact, we have a high power game show over here called `The Krypton Factor'
and part of it is flying aircraft simulators.  Contestants usually don't have a
clue when they start and only get 10-20 minutes tuition.  One of the simulators
used is for the British Aerospace Harrier and the task set is to take-off from
a carrier using the ski-jump.  Considering the number of contestants who manage
to get it mostly right it doesn't look that difficult but I'm probably
trivialising what is in fact quite tough.

>And you can't walk up on a carrier and say you were sent to ferry an F-18
>to Jersey....
>
No, but having got away with a Harrier, if you get low on fuel you can always
hitch a ride on a passing boat!

Tarqs [the trying-to-get-on-The-Krypton-Factor]