Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!cbnews!cbnews!military From: ehr@uncecs.edu (Ernest H. Robl) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: SJAFB airshow observations Keywords: Airshow Message-ID: <1990Nov2.195844.25807@cbnews.att.com> Date: 2 Nov 90 19:58:44 GMT Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service Lines: 46 Approved: military@att.att.com From: ehr@uncecs.edu (Ernest H. Robl) I attended the annual community appreciation day airshow at Seymour Johnson AFB, Goldsboro, N.C., last weekend, and found the show interesting both for what was on display -- and what wasn't. (The Thunderbirds put on a good show.) What was interesting in comparison to last year's show was that while last year's show had a C-5, C-141, etc., this year's show didn't have any modern TRANSPORT aircraft on display. The obvious implication is that they are all in use elsewhere -- flying material to the Middle East, probably. There was a KC-10 tanker on display, but that was one of SJAFB's own. Also, during the day the landings appeared to include some KC-10s which were not part of the show. My impression had been that for the airshow day, normal operations were usually suspended. Again, the implication was that these tankers had been out over the Atlantic refuelling other aircraft. Some other things which struck me: Last year directing traffic and some other operations were handled by airmen. (I really liked the fact that the airman who directed my car to its parking space gave me the shut-down-engines signal!) This year most of this was handled by area explorer scouts and CAP volunteers -- an indication that a good part of SJAFB's permanent force is occupied elsewhere. Security also appeared to be somewhat tighter than last year around the area where SJ's own fighters were parked. AF police armed with the short-barrelled, collapsible-stock M16s (with clips inserted) were much in evidence. Now, for a question that I didn't get around to asking anyone at the airshow: Some of the modern *AIR FORCE* fighters have tailhooks. Are these ever used? If so, when, where, how? Thanks. -- Ernest -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- "My other computer is a Nikon N8008." -- Ernest H. Robl Ernest H. Robl (ehr@ecsvax) Durham, NC, USA (919) 286-3845 ---------------------------------------------------------------------