The Cool Video Thread

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Nice vid, Spaz. Looks like someone forgot to lock their shoulder straps before the trap. His helmet almost ended up in the HUD!

[SpazSinbad]

Heheh - looks like they were loose - I did not notice that. Funny when first viewing video it seemed to me the pilot leaned forward as if checking harness.  

Perhaps the screenshot does not show the full extension - I'm guessing IF LOCKED there is NO extension?

[PhantomTweak]

Perhaps the screenshot does not show the full extension - I'm guessing IF LOCKED there is NO extension?

No further extension. As in, no further than they were extended when the lock was activated. If the pilot hit lock when he was leaned forward that's how far they'll stay extended. Otherwise, they act like the seatbelt in you car: If there is sufficient G-Force they'll lock after a short pay-out, then unlock when the G is gone. So, if the pilot had some slack in his shoulder harness when he traps, the G will cause the reel to lock, then unlock when the G is gone. Sometimes it takes a little tug to get a locked reel to unlock.
Some pilots I've talked to say if they need to lock the reel, they lean forward a little first, so they have the freedom to look over their shoulders, or whatever.
The big exception is ejection. When they pull the handles, one action the seat takes automatically is to retract the reel fully, and lock it in place. Makes sure the occupant is in the correct posture. Nothing the pilot can do will affect that action. Naturally, when the pilot and seat go their seperate ways, there are no more shoulder harness straps to hold the pilot to the seat.

Have fun!
Pat☺

[SpazSinbad]

Thanks for the explanation Pat. What is your opinion on what you see in that video regarding the harness upon arrest?

[PhantomTweak]

Thanks for the explanation Pat. What is your opinion on what you see in that video regarding the harness upon arrest?

Actually, 2 things come to mind: 1) The reel doesn't lock as fast as it should when the G from the trap hits, in which case it needs to be looked at by Seat Shop. The "never to be annoyed" Shop Or 2) He doesn't really go as far forward as it LOOKS like, due to the camera location, lens shape, and zoom factor. The lens is a little fish-eyed, if you look at it.

A third possibility just occurred to me as well: When he leans way forward to look over his shoulder is just when he locks the harness reel, just because his brain is at that point in his checklist, so that there's more slack than is obvious to the camera when he traps, allowing more forward motion of his upper body than should occur.
Alternatively, he took a little bump, or the deceleration of the plane + his lean caused the real to lock, and it never unlocked before he trapped. Like I say, that can happen, and all it takes to free it, generally, is a forward tug and a quick relax after. If he didn't realize it had locked on him, with his shoulder straps loose, it would do what we see. It's like if you pull your seatbelt strap to loosen it just as you go over a bump. The reel can sense the apparent G it's receiving, and lock, and if it's a little dirty, it can take a little tug/release to free it. Same with the shoulder strap reel.
Did you see him reach up to his shoulder? I suspect the reel had locked for whatever reason, with the shoulder straps a bit loose and he was trying to slide the shoulder strap back into the reel to free it. It may not have worked though, and all he did was push the slack behind him, then forgets about it. That's a pretty busy, intense time of a flight, after all. Then, if that happened, the reel would lock when the trap G hits, but the straps are already loose, and when the the gear hits it frees, then the hook grabs and it pays out a little more before it can lock, allowing him to lean way forward.

Personally, I think it's a trick of the camera lens shape/zoom factor, and he's not going as far as it appears. But that's just my opinion, for whatever it's worth. It's obvious his lap belt isn't as tight as it should be, as he has to hoist himself back and up using the glare shield after everything comes to a halt.
I learned early on, when I was first learning to fly, back when I was 14/15, that if the straps leave bruises, they're almost tight enough. My instructor would bounce me around, even go inverted for a bit and bounce me there, to see if my straps were tight enough. If my head hit the canopy, not tight enough. And if it did, he'd bang it off the canopy a few times as an object lesson. All this in a glider of all things, but he was a great instructor. Carried a yardstick to rap my skull from the back seat. Once I solo'd I used to go chase a pair of hawks on the cliffs. They enjoyed it as much as I did. But I was sure glad I had tight straps when I was doing some of the more radical maneuvers! After all, hawks are great pilots.
I think some pilots get slack about how tight their straps are. Sure, the seat takes care of the shoulder straps, usually, but the lap belt is entirely up to the pilot. If they start to leave it comfortable, not tight then things like you see in the video happen...

Have fun all!
Pat☺

[SpazSinbad]

Wow. Thanks for all of that. I'll have to read and reread your detailed explanations to understand what is going on (not having used these types of straps myself). I agree with your gliding instructor. My bruises were permanent when flying RANFAA jets. Particularly the A4G and especially the Macchi MB326H. Their MB Mk.4 seat had particularly bad posture position causing a 'lean forward' which was just awful if not strapped in with 'severe bruising'. :-) I don't believe I EVER unlocked my A4G harness in flight with the seat all the way UP. :-)

[Victory103]

Agree with PhantomTweak on the camera perspective, also for those on the VRS forums, he (the pilot in the vid) sometimes checks in. I've got him on other social media outlets and can just ask "Dude, did you lock your harness?"

[SpazSinbad]

OK thanks for that 'Victory103'. To me it is an interesting question. Not sure IF this story has been told here before.... A SHORT A4G pilot (not me and I did not know these details until fairly recently - maybe ten years ago now - long after they occurred in 1971-72) used a telephone book (perhaps not the SYDNEY directory in those years because it was very thick - perhaps the local NOWRA area phone directory) to see over the nose during approaches to HMAS Melbourne (this was not strictly legal hence the 'secrecy'). Now I know why before each sortie he would disappear from the onboard briefing room (all aircrew helos/fixed wing used the same one - it was mayhem) to go to the heads and then he would not be seen until manning aircraft etc. I guess this is when he stuffed the book into his gear etc.

Anyway twice he arrested with harness unlocked. I can only guess he did not have time to do all checks when putting the book underneath during downwind etc & 'call the ball'. His visor would hit the gunsight fairly smartly as the arrest was short around 240 feet from wheelspeed of around 100 knots. Usually the visor needed replacing whilst the gunsight was undamaged. Neptunus Lex told a story about his own experience 'kissing the CLOCK' (on top) when short field arresting in an emergency in the TA-4J. Harness NOT LOCKED! :-)

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I got 5 bucks saying he didn't lock his harness!!!

[Wingnut172N]

Hey guys, I had my harness unlocked like I always do for carrier landings.  The landing checklist has “Harness” on it, but our standard reply is “As you like it”, most guys leave it unlocked and rely on the inertia reels which are pretty reliable.  In about 350 arrested landings I’ve only had an inertia feel fail once, and my helmet hit the UFCD.  In the video I get tossed forward the normal amount before the inertia reels lock; but it’s slightly exaggerated by the GoPro lens.

[SpazSinbad]

Next question: Why do some have the harness UNlocked?

[PhantomTweak]

So they can maintain a good lookout all around them?
Not easy to lean forward a little to look over your shoulder when the harness is locked.
Maybe some just find reaching forward for switches and buttons around the cockpit easier with the harness unlocked? Slightly shorter arms, maybe?
If I remember correctly the seat isn't adjustable fore-and-aft, only up-and-down. The rudder pedals are adjustable, but the basic position of the seat, relative to the UFC, if nothing else, not to mention the soft-buttons on the MFD's, isn't. May make reaching for such things a lot easier to have the harness unlocked, and rely on the inertia reels to do their job.

Thanks very much, Mr. Wingnut, sir, for 1) Your service, Sir, and 2) Settling the discussion about the trap video.
Appreciate both!
As we always said: College education to break 'em, high-school education to fix em! 
That was back when we at I-Level actually repaired radar systems, down to replacing the components. Now, they just swap out circuit cards. A trained monkey can do that...
Humph 

Anywho...

Pat☺

[SpazSinbad]

To me it is interesting to know these details. For example the F-35C non-test pilots (OK - maybe some test pilots also) had trouble with the initial bounce of the nose gear during catapulting at light weights (usually encountered during CarQuals - not as bad when at heavy operational weight). One of the solutions was to adjust how the F-35C pilot strapped in (not sure the exact details here). Anyway one of the complaints was that IF the pilot strapped in too tight then he could not eject (totally false - just a misunderstanding I reckon) or reach the EMERGENCY JETTISON BUTTON (which clueless aviation reporters took for ejection). :-) Anyway they have made sufficient changes to the hold back release and how the pilot straps in to modify the issue to 'acceptable'.

Also during this 'initial F-35C pilot catapult bounce at light weights' the HMDS could hit the canopy OR the visor fly UP (which has the vHUD on it!).

My thinking is perhaps these initial F-35C CarQuallers from the training squadrons were NOT strapping in TIGHTLY so that they BOUNCED up and down more than they would if STRAPPED DOWN TIGHT! :-) See my post above about how I suffered permanent bruising.... And remember the F-35C pilot can ALWAYS reach the EMERG JETT button and ALWAYS eject using the only handle - the seat pan handle.

First F-35C Catapult Instant One Eighth Slow Motion

F-35C CVN-73 Fly Up Visor Catapult & 3 Wire August 2016

F-35C Afterburner Catapult Nose Gear Compression Slow Motion

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From my (very limited) experience, PhantomTweak is partially right. You want to be able to move around a bit in the cockpit. However, at least in the T-45, not locking your harness would "soften" the blow of the trap since you would be a little more flexible. If the harness was locked fully back, your literal TRAP (trapezius) muscles behind your neck bore the brunt of stopping your head. If you unlocked your harness you could lean into it, so to speak, and ease the stress on those muscles. Oddly when I went out to CQ, all of our instructors insisted we lock our harnesses so as not to "get embarrassed". Whether that was a right of passage, or the instructors having a bit of fun with us, I'll never know. But my neck sure did hurt the next few days.

[PhantomTweak]

One of the solutions was to adjust how the F-35C pilot strapped in (not sure the exact details here).

I was going to say, how can "how one straps in" be a solution?? Only way I know of is tightly. The inertia reel(s) (depending on seat version, there may be one, or two) provide all the room one needs to move around the cockpit the little bit that's necessary for operation of the aircraft. The rest of the harness certainly permits enough range of motion to reach anything in the cockpit, I would think. If not, they need to see Survival Equipment for an adjustment of the harness.

Anyway one of the complaints was that IF the pilot strapped in too tight then he could not eject (totally false - just a misunderstanding I reckon) or reach the EMERGENCY JETTISON BUTTON (which clueless aviation reporters took for ejection)

Yeah, Emergency Jettison of the pilot from the aircraft, right?? No?   
Like you say, igornant (yes, I spelled that as I intended) reporters.

...and ALWAYS eject using the only handle - the seat pan handle.

If a pilot can't reach THAT, I'd hate to think what the poor SOB had to go through if he had an itch in a certain place any male can understand. And we all have had an itch like that. Usually with our hands otherwise occupied. THAT is torture! 

Oddly when I went out to CQ, all of our instructors insisted we lock our harnesses so as not to "get embarrassed". Whether that was a right of passage, or the instructors having a bit of fun with us, I'll never know. But my neck sure did hurt the next few days.

The instructors may have known that the inertia reels weren't maintained as well as they should have been? Time constraints, money shortages, parts availability, etc.
Just a thought. If they knew the inertia reels sometimes didn't lock properly, or would slip, or payed out too far in the T45 before they locked up, and the student happened to be leaning forward too far, they would be embarrassed when their helmet bounced off a part of the control panel
Probably knocked silly, too, and at a really bad time to be not paying attention.

Just a thought...
Thanks for the videos, Sinbad!
Pat☺