Jobs that are an utter Barsteward!

[UnknownLiney]

I think one of the most annoying jobs on a c-130k is to change the anti-icing temperature control thermostat in between the engines.

the job it's self is a leckie job that takes 10 mins. However for us poor old riggers it is more like 4+ hours work to remove the leading edge, wait the 10 mins while the bit is changed and then spend several joyus hours beating the living daylights out of the leading edge with a sandbag while trying to get silly hinge wires in.

Oh what a joyus day consuming job THAT is.

 

[fat lazy techie]

Avtur

Sounds to me like you need a little more practice my good man. I remember doing a set out on the pan in the dead of winter wrapped up like blue whale. Took me and the snec I was working with someting in the region of 2 hours from start to finish. The wirelocking was awesome and not a single leak to boot. Mind you the first time took 4 hours and a hand over to the day shift to wirelock and wrap up, and that was in the warmth of J2 in the good old days of A & B lines. Never saw much work going on in the J3 car polishing club though.DT_Xtremez_30:

 

[theladf]

On the mighty Victor (for you sprogs that's that beast on my avatar) there were several absolute nightmares to do! many caused by the fact that each was a wee bit bespoke and this could be aa problem when robbed/replacement items didn't fit.

Sonofabitch 1, The oil metering block on the centreline Hose Drum Unit (HDU) you couldn't even see this peice of kit without mirrors on sticks and other visual aids, but you had to orientate banjos to meet there respective pipes, then tighten and wirelock them and the four securing bolts, all this through a lettter box sized gap.

Sonofabitch 2, Fuel-flow proportioner, hung from the top of the wing in a small opening forward of the left/right undecarriage, real barsteward on the port side as it shared this space with compressed air bottles, normal proceedure was for smally sprog (me at the time) climb into said opening, through into front of wing where ther was just about enough space for a sveldt individual like me to turn round then the beast could be attacked from both ends. Not reccomended for those with claustrophobia! and It got bloody warm in there. (footnote, I would just about fit in the undercarriage bay these days!)

Sonofabitch 3, Ram-air turbine duct, most of the job fairly easy but getting the scews in where the inside radius meets the upper fuselage skin AAARRRGGGHH! not many Victors which had experieced a RAT change had these fitted.

Still when all is said and done it was a great aircraft and lots of fun was had!

I did a stint on Green Team at Lyneham during gulf war 1 and the burners on the Allisson, were another challenge, I always liked to cross the wire through the heads of the bi-hex securing bolts made it more difficult but I thought it was a nice touch.

 

[Beerofund]

Harrier

Harrier

I must agree that all jobs on harrier were ...........! The imfamous 4th nut on FFP Hyd Motor. All gr5's had them removed at first engine removals........did I just say that!!!!! Whoops!

 

[loafing]

Why am I starting to feel guilty about being a GR7 stick monkey???

 

[dkp1]

how about setting up the water microswitch on the GR7.......sometimes it's in first time others you can spend all day......god bless the leckies and their little plug thingy...

 

[Pistonbroke]

How about wirelocking the rear ECU supports from the U/C bay with the engine in on the HarrierDT_Xtremez_08:

 

[kit]

I agree- on the fat albert it's deffinatly the burner nuts and wire locking- what a pain in the ar*se!! and the arms, and neck and back etc etc- the only one i've finished myself without being rescued was in the 6 o'clock position.

for annoying its got to be reconnecting the feather rod- my hair aways gets caught in the controls, and a hat isn't really an option.

Bleading a running GTC was fun- i quite enjoyed that- messed my hair up though

 

[budgie]

As a fairy the worst job on Harrier has to be fitting the Maverick plug. What a nuisance!

 

[reddeathdrinker]

I'll go along with the CSDU cooling fan on a Nimrod. Last 5 bolts are damn near inaccesible.

The No.2 bleed valve check on a set of OOPS is a pain as well. You can see it, or touch it, but not both at the same time......

 

[vim_fuego]

Being an ex. Nim liney I agree with all written so far and I can add one more...

There was (maybe still is) about a 9-12" rubber hose section that lived behind the panels that covered where the Inflight refuelling probe went into the pressure shell on top... Years ago at STM we had to change everyone of them due to a PWI..

As I remember you needed rubber wrists for what looked, at first glance, to be a straight forward job. It was only 2 circular clamps but by f*ck it used to drive you nuts as the pipe sections were made a mil or so too short....Plus there was never a cherry picker around when you needed it as some tw*t had taken it on a Naafi run....

 

[Rob]

Throttle Drive actuator on GR4 is a swine with seats fitted. The riggers aren't too happy if you ask for the throttle box to be removed either.

 

[sumps]

1. Doing the pyro's on a GR4 on the RH donk with a drop tank fitted to the RH shoulder pylon, just after it’s come down and wanted again in just over an hour.DT_Xtremez_25:

2. Working on Tornado's (period). DT_Xtremez_34:

3. Carrying the C130-K Prop-Dome up to the top of stand when some chodder has sent the crane away.

4. Carrying a C130-K Genny up to the top of the stand and then fitting it.

5. Refitting the bleed air pipe brackets to the C130-J APU bay.

6. Fitting the bleed air pipe to the C130-J APU bay.

 

[Get Tae]

Wire locking the main engine bearer on a bucc engine, building the f***ing engine gantry for an ecu cx also took several hours.
LP fuel P sw on the bottom of a hunter engine without doing the defuel.....
Changing a Tonka taileron actuator on christmas day in Al Kharj only to find out that the bulb had gone in the 'ready' light......fairy ar$eholes!!
Nimrod aileron actuator stbd and the rigging DT_Xtremez_42:

 

[Pistonbroke]

GT

How about wirelocking the LH Recuperator in 1 Tank on a Bucc, (RH when you are up there). Why did they put the pipe connections the other side of the thing. Wire locking backwards, pain the ButtDT_Xtremez_08:

 

[Get Tae]

Oh Pistonbroke you have just made me cringe with horrible memories!
That was a fecker, especially as there were few H&S rules, your armpits sitting in fuel for hours until you got fuel burns...........uuuhhhrrgh!

What about the riggers having to jack the WHOLE aircraft up to do one mainwheel cx and then having to bloody bleed the brakes cause some twit designed the main wheels with the brakes inside them!

I remember a rigger loosing his finger cause he was feeling for the torque tube hole in the main wheel and his helper got a bit too excited and rammed the wheel in! He came into the crew room with his finger in a bit of kim wipe and said 'LOOK WHAT HAPPENED!'.....he was welsh!DT_Xtremez_14:

 

[Pistonbroke]

Ah! Deem were de daysDT_Xtremez_34: They make it too easy for these youngsters nowdays

Back on the Vickers Fun bus now and the only bad job I have had over the years is trying to dodge the blue lollipop opening the bog cap and failingDT_Xtremez_34: Mark Jones, where are uDT_Xtremez_25:

 

[fugmeister general]

how about the igv transmitter on a harrier gr7 the 1/4 nut in the corner where the recess is, i always hated that job and now i dont have to do it anymore, thank fcuk

 

[ResidentTiger]

Removing and fitting the spark plug on top of a shackleton was a bit of a **** trying to find the HT leads that fitted took most of the time.DT_Xtremez_15:

 

[MadMouse]

Roll pot change on a GR1 (or anything involving zone 19, really) - Ah, happy memories of my first day at ASF, RAF Bruggen in my first 'proper' fairy posting (went straight to a software team after trade training). Didn't know any better. Two days later I did DT_Xtremez_42: