[sidegunner]

When I flew there was somthing called a PRE-FLIGHT WALK-AROUND INSPECTION performed by the pilot-in-command. It included looking and shaking everthing that you could access without tools.(If it's gonna' fall off....I hope like hell it falls off now).Somebody blew it...big time.

[cynicom]

Right you are. Must be some enlisted man standing around there someplace to put the blame on. A one man crew is short on others to lay the blame on.

You were 29, 50 or 36s?????

[wjcsux]

The big problem w/ F-117's is that all stores are internal. Nothing on pylons because this aircraft doesn't have any.

[csvset]

It included looking and shaking everthing that you could access without tools.(If it's gonna' fall off....I hope like hell it falls off now).

Yep. One winter while conducting Carrier Quals off the VA Capes , there was a F-18 that had "problems" with a Sidewinder it was carrying.

The Ordies messed with this thing a good five minutes, shaking it, folding and unfolding the wings, checking this and that.

The Air Boss was growing impatient with the delay and issued them an ultimatum, "Either the bird is up or down, which is it?".

The Ordies give it a thumbs up, it approached the catapult, went through the final checks and the plane was launched.

Halfway down the catapult track, the Sidewinder fell off and scraped it's way down the flight deck, and went off the bow of the ship, into Davey Jones' locker.

The Air Boss said, "CAG (Carrier Air Group) Ordnance Officer, come see me in Pri Fly, Now!"

I'm sure he got a good a** chewing.