One would think that since the Air Forces primary job is to fly airplanes and safely operate support equipment they would be able to do that well. Part one to contradict that thought came to me in 1976 during preparation for the Bicentennial. I was stationed in DC and we were setting up Navy exhibits all over the area, from the Mall in front of Washington Monument to installing dozens of exhibits along with other services in a hanger at Andrews AFB. We had spent days setting up the exhibits in the hanger and on the morning of July 3rd everything was set up and working well, that is until the Air Force decided to open up the hanger doors on both sides of the hanger and then land a helo right beside the hanger The resulting wind blew over the exhibits of all services like tumble weeds. Many of our exhibits were destroyed and all were damaged. Our Navy and Civilian personnel worked through the day and night to repair and replace our broken exhibits so things looked pretty good by open house on the morning of the 4th but not near as good as it did only 24 hours before. Part two: Move forward a few years. My son made some extra money while in college working for a small firm that set up lights and sound for concerts and such. He was working on a contract that was to grand stand the first of F-22 Raptors to be stations at Langley AFB. As part of this effort they were given a huge equipment parachute to use as a curtain to hide the plane, to be released at the proper moment during the ceremony to show the plane. Like my experience at Andrews the setup itself went well. Using a cherry picker high above the plane the parachute was rigged to safely fall away from the fighter and its expensive stealth coating. But things went to hell because despite being told not to, some Airman decided to open the hanger doors. The parachute did what parachutes do and started whipping against the plane. My son was hanging on to the parachute for dear life while the Air Force just stared like deer caught in the headlight. Finally some one closed the door. To top it off, they did this TWICE!!!!! Part three: At another event in the same hanger the team had run their power lines run through a small gap in the hanger doors as directed by the Air Force. The senior enlisted there said he would ensure the hanger doors would not be moved. They had no sooner set up their equipment when, yet again, some idiot operated the hanger doors cutting through the electric cables. Now these are not like extension cords from Home Depot, they are each as big around as your wrist and carry about a zillion amps. Luckily there was just a very large explosion and flash. None of the computer equipment for the lights and sound was destroyed or anyone killed. My son and his boss were cussing out the Airman when a general came by and asked what the problem was. When he understood what happened he ordered someone to stand guard on the door controls and ordered that no one could operate the door without his written permission. Luckily they found an certified electrician who was qualified to repair those expensive high amperage cables cables in time for the show to go on. Smoke still comes out of his ears when he thinks about Langley AFB.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Nov 2014 22:07:19 +0000
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