Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:41:02 +0000
Reply-To: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: "Debbie M. Decker" <dmdecker**At_Symbol_Here**UCDAVIS.EDU>
Subject: Re: Chemical Safety Headlines From Google (14 articles)
In-Reply-To: <6AC66C7F-5FE8-47A1-BBDA-0F9AF62C8644**At_Symbol_Here**bellsouth.net>

Thanks for the information and the interesting phone calls, too!  This was new to me and itÕs fun to learn something new, isnÕt it?

To tag off what Alan said below, when I worked in aerospace, I worked for a company that made canopy removal systems for the F-16 (and lots of other aircraft).  As we went through design, the Air Force would give us the timing parameters for ejection Š how fast we had to separate the canopy from the air craft, after the handle was pulled but before the pilot separated  from the air craft.  We would take those parameters and add some number of milliseconds because jet jocks HATED punching out of an air craft.  They would wait through the prudent time to punch and then through the margin of error and then just a little bit past that before pulling the handle.  It was the "little bit past" that was worrisome.

During the first gulf war, I personally inspected all of the high explosive that went into the escape systems on F-16s flown over the desert.  Every pilot who punched out, punched out safely and I have some pride about that.

Cheers,
Debbie

Debbie M. Decker, Campus Chemical Safety Officer
Environmental Health and Safety
University of California, Davis
1 Shields Ave.
Davis, CA  95616
(530)754-7964/(530)681-1799 (cell)
(530)752-4527 (FAX)
dmdecker**At_Symbol_Here**ucdavis.edu
Co-Conspirator to Make the World A
Better Place -- Visit www.HeroicStories.com and join the conspiracy



On Jun 14, 2011, at 1:58 PM, Alan Hall > wrote:
Debbie et al,
 

Although, also, if an F-16 "augers in" and the military grade jet fuel ignites, there won't be any hydrazine not thermally degraded left either.  That's why the pilots have ejection seats, so they have a chance of not being incinerated as well. Of course, all us old pilots, military or civilian, think we have the "right stuff" to slap the bird back down, a bit bent or not.  But there is a real time to chant the "Bail Out! Bail Out! Bail Out!" mantra and pull the release handles.  Even Ol' Flight Surgeons were well-trained to do that.

I can give a more fully detailed lecture on the toxicity and mechanisms of the hydrazines and the treatment or cite the literature if anyone is interested, but as Alphonse once said:  "That's another story."

Alan
Alan H. Hall, M.D.
Maj, USAFR, MC, FS (Hon. Ret.)


________________________________
Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:02:01 +0000
From: dmdecker**At_Symbol_Here**UCDAVIS.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety Headlines From Google (14 articles)
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU

Hey:


Last week, (I think) I read one of these where an F-16 made an emergency landing (in Madison, WI) with hydrazine aboard.  That seems incredibly strange to me.  Would anyone in the collective have an idea of why an F-16 would be carrying hydrazine?  I assumed it was in the crew compartment but the news story was typically sketchy.  Hydrazine is an ingredient in liquid rocket propellant but this still doesnÕt make sense.


Any ideas?


Deb.

------------------------------

Debbie M. Decker, Campus Chemical Safety Officer
Environmental Health and Safety
University of California, Davis
1 Shields Ave.
Davis, CA  95616
(530)754-7964/(530)681-1799 (cell)

(530)752-4527 (FAX)
dmdecker**At_Symbol_Here**ucdavis.edu
Co-Conspirator to Make the World A
Better Place -- Visit www.HeroicStories.com and join the conspiracy





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