Is smoke a bad sign outside the plane?

[persius]

My jet caught fire during start-up. Maybe I should just stick to flying kites.

[oakdesign]

@persius:

My jet caught fire during start-up. Maybe I should just stick to flying kites.

Sounds like a hot start and you blew your engine.
Did you wait till sec light went off and RPM above 20% before hitting Idle detent.

Gesendet von meinem SM-G930F mit Tapatalk

[persius]

I’ve been trying to perfect the start up using the Knee Pad check list. I’m following the check list as accurately as I can and based on your suggestion that it was a “hot start”, I’m just going to repeat it until I get it right. I’m also referring to the cockpit layout and panels chart that I have next to me as well to ensure I’m not activating the wrong control instruments.

Thanks

[Jezzder]

Careful not to actuate the canopy or the rudder pedals or brakes during the engine start either. Things that deplete hydraulic pressure from the accumulator can and often will result in a hot start.

Just switch start 2 (always start 2, not start 1), wait till greater than 20% RPM, idle detent (and keep the throttle at idle), and wait until she stabilizes at idle.

[Blu3wolf]

fighter jets are all “non-smoking” so if you see something… say something!

“lead, you’re on fire”

[Dragon1-1]

Unless it’s the F-4. Then you have to decide if the thick black smoke trailing behind it is an engine fire or just business as usual.

[Stevie]

I was conducting a flight once where thick smoke started coming out of the nose wheel well and the fire sign was given to shut the jet down…which the pilot did leisurely and then opened the canopy. At which point the cockpit immediately filled with smoke - turned out a display had torched and once the cockpit depressurized and the fire could breathe, that’s where it went…

…at the debrief the question arose - “so what is the procedure for getting out of the cockpit on deck when the jet is on fire?” To which the pilot responded - "“well, first you unstrap and disconnect all your gear, then you stand up, then you sit back down and disconnect all the stuff you forgot to disconnect the first time”…

[white_fang]

While … funny procedure , … but wouldn’t be enough to shutdown fuel master and power switch , maybe activate fire supression at least for apu … but most important… run…

[schnidrman]

@Dragon1-1:

Unless it’s the F-4. Then you have to decide if the thick black smoke trailing behind it is an engine fire or just business as usual.

Was going to say same thing for Mig-29.

[MartinGecko]

@Blu3wolf:

“lead, you’re on fire”

What if your the one that caused the fire?
(For example: Going full afterburner into lead after you forgot that a certain keybind is not tms up but throttle up)

[airtex2019]

@MartinGecko:

What if your the one that caused the fire?
(For example: Going full afterburner into lead after you forgot that a certain keybind is not tms up but throttle up)

We may not feel the G forces, but we sim pilots have our own challenges don’t we…

[Stevie]

@white_fang:

While … funny procedure , … but wouldn’t be enough to shutdown fuel master and power switch , maybe activate fire supression at least for apu … but most important… run…

All depends on where the fire is, and how big it is. In the case I cited shutting off the fuel master and activating the Fire Suppression (in particular) would have only caused more damage to the airplane.

[Stevie]

@Blu3wolf:

fighter jets are all “non-smoking” so if you see something… say something!

“lead, you’re on fire”

Reminds me of another one I heard from another Hornet jock while flying on exchange with some Brits - Wing: “I say old boy, have you got a Fire light?” Lead: “Negative”. Wing: “You might want to have Maintenance look into that after you land”.

Turned out Lead actually was on fire!

[persius]

You have me thinking now. Where is the Fire Suppression system found?

[Stevie]

In a Hornet it’s in the belly of the aircraft and along the tops of the engine bays…

[persius]

I thought it was an actual control switch in the cockpit itself. Once you cut off the fuel flow I thought there was another switch to activate it from the cockpit. Clearly it’s an automatic system then.

[Stevie]

Yes, it is a switch (or two) in the cockpit - however, the actual Fire Suppression system addresses the engine bays.

In the situation I mentioned with the Display fire in the cockpit, activating the Fire Suppression system would have done nothing at all to address that fire. In fact, I’m not aware of any fighter size jet that has a Fire Suppression system in/for the cockpit.