Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Belgian Air Force F-16 destroyed by fire during maintenance

aviation24.be

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

121–130 of 130 posts

Re: Belgian Air Force F-16 destroyed by fire during maintenance

#121

Post by metaphor »

bitwalker wrote: post #115
metaphor wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The reference cited is from the wrong airframe. The correct manual for Belgian F-16s will be either a GS (general system; theory of operations) or JG (job guide; step-by-step procedural instructions) technical order of the form T.O. 1F-16AM-2- x where x = [system][GS or JG]-[subsystem]-[manual]. If memory serves correct, F-16 WOW switch override is strictly an external affair and cannot be performed from the cockpit.

It has to be done from outside the cockpit, but is not unusual as a prerequisite step for a variety of avionics systems tests and repairs (source: I'm an ex-USAF F-16C/D avionics maintainer). They may have had it overridden for a check, or if deliberate, done so prior to entering the cockpit.

Thanks for corroborating. Former 2A3x2 back in the day as well, albeit assigned to the F-117 after Sheppard and never toured Osan/Kunsan, so F-16 details were all but lost in the details of life after service.

Re: Belgian Air Force F-16 destroyed by fire during maintenance

#122

Post by mitchty »

donkeyd wrote: post #65
AlexanderDhoore wrote: post #9

As a Belgian I find this hilarious. This might be the most Belgian thing ever. By the way they are investigating whether this was an accident or on purpose. The chances of this being an accident are quite small.

As a Dutchie, I really hope it's an accident, because otherwise we can't make Belgian jokes about this.

As an American, can you please explain the joke here? I'm clueless as to what jokes there are against the Belgians.

Re: Belgian Air Force F-16 destroyed by fire during maintenance

#123

Post by andruby »

mitchty wrote: post #122
donkeyd wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a Dutchie, I really hope it's an accident, because otherwise we can't make Belgian jokes about this.

As an American, can you please explain the joke here? I'm clueless as to what jokes there are against the Belgians.

Think about all the jokes you make against Canadians. Belgians and the Dutch have a similar “brotherly friendship”. We’ll make fun of each others customs but are pretty good friends.

Eg. The Dutch have “ATM machines for fried food”.

Re: Belgian Air Force F-16 destroyed by fire during maintenance

#124

Post by hnarn »

RyJones wrote: post #57
hnarn wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure I understand your point, surely people shoot themselves by accident because they neglect to remove ammunition from the weapon, proving my point? It's not a "series of failures", it's the exact opposite, it's literally one failure.

Breaking one rule of firearm safety won't lead to death or injury. Breaking two at the same time might. It is not one failure. It is at least two.

Out of curiosity, what are the other rules, in addition to forgetting to empty the weapon?

Re: Belgian Air Force F-16 destroyed by fire during maintenance

#125

Post by jules »

EngineerBetter wrote: post #79
jules wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sabotage is possible. Several people in EU militaries have joined ISIS.

Source?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israfil_Yilmaz

https://www.bndestem.nl/oosterhout/naar-is-overgelopen-serge...

Re: Belgian Air Force F-16 destroyed by fire during maintenance

#126

Post by mitchty »

andruby wrote: post #123
mitchty wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As an American, can you please explain the joke here? I'm clueless as to what jokes there are against the Belgians.

Think about all the jokes you make against Canadians. Belgians and the Dutch have a similar “brotherly friendship”. We’ll make fun of each others customs but are pretty good friends. Eg. The Dutch have “ATM machines for fried food”.

Gotcha, danke schön!

Re: Belgian Air Force F-16 destroyed by fire during maintenance

#127

Post by RyJones »

hnarn wrote: post #124
RyJones wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Breaking one rule of firearm safety won't lead to death or injury. Breaking two at the same time might. It is not one failure. It is at least two.

Out of curiosity, what are the other rules, in addition to forgetting to empty the weapon?

Cooper's four rules: https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2011/5/18/jeff-coo...

NRA's three rules: https://gunsafetyrules.nra.org

You'll often see the Cooper rules slightly restated: https://www.hunter-ed.com/gun-safety/

I'm not a fan of "as if".

Re: Belgian Air Force F-16 destroyed by fire during maintenance

#128

Post by donkeyd »

andruby wrote: post #123
mitchty wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As an American, can you please explain the joke here? I'm clueless as to what jokes there are against the Belgians.

Think about all the jokes you make against Canadians. Belgians and the Dutch have a similar “brotherly friendship”. We’ll make fun of each others customs but are pretty good friends. Eg. The Dutch have “ATM machines for fried food”.

And to give an example from the other side:

"Do you know why they don't cover lunatic asylums in Belgium?"

"It would be impossible to cover the whole country."

Re: Belgian Air Force F-16 destroyed by fire during maintenance

#129

Post by vsl »

daveFNbuck wrote: post #89
davidgould wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really. Base on years of using and cleaning guns for hunting and target shooting and from reading several hundred reports of gun cleaning "accidents", "gun cleaning accident" is polite fiction for "I shot myself (or someone else!) playing with my gun". Although, to be fair, some of them are suicides and possibly the occasional murder. Normally guns only need cleaning if they have been fired or have somehow gotten…

I agree that shooting yourself while cleaning a gun sounds impossible, but there are enough guns in this country that the occasional absurd mistake is going to happen. You could accidentally shoot yourself before completing step 1. You could accidentally shoot yourself during steps 2 or 3 if you skip step 1. The brush won't go through the barrel if ammunition is in the way, but that doesn't mean the cleaner won't kee…

Nope. Unloading is a separate step from cleaning, and shooting yourself during it would be incredibly hard (shooting something else may and does happen after a series of serious mistakes). The gun is physically incapable of shooting beyond commencing step 2. If the brush can’t get through due to being loaded, the obstacle is at the very beginning of the barrel and visible by eye. Even if you were a complete moron and kept pushing at it, that simply can’t fire the bullet. It’s basic mechanics of how a gun works.

I agree with OP: this is polite fiction. You can hurt yourself during cleaning with some guns (a spring snapping on your fingers, for example), but shoot yourself? Nah.

Re: Belgian Air Force F-16 destroyed by fire during maintenance

#130

Post by Tharkun »

stinos wrote: post #112
Tharkun wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These are not difficult political questions. The US through NATO are forcing Belgium to buy F35s, and that'll be that. Out of all the jets allegedly in the running, only F35s can be used to drop US nukes. The very same US nukes which have been sitting around in Belgium for decades. The worst best kept secret in the country. No politician is willing/allowed to go on record about this, so they all pretend other jets ar…

The very same US nukes which have been sitting around in Belgium for decades So are the current F16 able to drop these? Or which other planes during those decades?

Yes, the F16s are able to drop nukes. There are several F16s permanently on stand-by in the Belgian air force base where US nukes are stored.
Post reply on HN