Barrier engaged

RAF MILDENHALL, England – An F-15 from the 48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, stops with the assistance of arresting gear during an annual test of the system Sept. 22. The gear is used to stop aircraft that cannot stop under their own control and must be tested once a year to ensure it will function properly in the event of a real emergency. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Austin M. May)

Barrier engaged

RAF MILDENHALL, England – Staff Sgt. Vincent Rizzo, 100th Civil Engineer Squadron barrier maintenance team, checks one of two 1,200-foot straps used to stop aircraft in an emergency on the RAF Mildenhall flight line. The arresting gear must be checked after each use, and was used to stop an F-15 Sept. 22 during an annual maintenance test. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Austin M. May)

Barrier engaged

RAF MILDENHALL, England – An F-15 from the 48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, sits idle on the runway here after being stopped by aircraft arresting gear during an exercise Sept. 22. The arresting gear, also known as the “barrier,” is used in the event of an emergency where a fighter or other properly equipped aircraft cannot stop on its own. A tailhook catches the cable stretched across the runway and massive hydraulic reels slowly bring the aircraft to a stop. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Austin M. May)

Barrier engaged

RAF MILDENHALL, England – Emergency crews tend to an F-15 from the 48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, after it was stopped by arresting gear during an exercise Sept. 22. The gear must be checked annually, so the fighter engaged it while taxiing at about 90 knots. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Austin M. May)

Barrier engaged

RAF MILDENHALL, England – A 100th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter mans a massive hydraulic reel while resetting aircraft arresting gear here Sept. 22. The gear was engaged by an F-15 from the 48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, during an annual test of the arresting system. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Austin M. May)

Barrier engaged

RAF MILDENHALL, England – Staff Sgt. Vincent Rizzo, 100th Civil Engineer Squadron barrier maintenance team, works with firefighters to reset the spacing between rubber “donuts” on one of two aircraft arresting cables here after an exercise Sept. 22. The donuts hold the arresting cable two inches off the runway so it can be easily grabbed by an aircraft’s tailhook in an emergency. The gear was engaged by an F-15 in a required annual test of the aircraft arresting system. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Austin M. May)

Base aircraft arresting system tested with 48th FW help

Published Sept. 22, 2009
By Staff Sgt. Austin M. May
100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

RAF MILDENHALL, England -- At each end of the airfield here, two unassuming orange and white shacks sit facing each other across the black-streaked tarmac of the runway.

Housed within each one is a giant hydraulic reel that could mean the difference between life and death for a fighter pilot in an emergency.

The reels control the base's aircraft arresting gear, a thick cable similar to those found on aircraft carriers used to stop airplanes quickly over a very short distance.

RAF Mildenhall serves as a divert base for the fighters of the 48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, in case their airfield is deemed inoperable. Because of that, the airfield is equipped with the arresting gear in the event a fighter has to land here and cannot stop on its own.

The barriers are rarely used, but must be tested annually, said Tech. Sgt. Craig Houchins, 100th Civil Engineer Squadron power production shop noncommissioned officer in charge. Usually, the annual test is the only time the arresting gear sees any action, he added.

To test the gear, two F-15s from the 48th FW flew here to actively engage the barriers and help train the teams who maintain them. Each fighter taxied toward the cable at about 100 miles per hour, snagged it with their tailhook and let the system work its magic.

Each reel has about 1,200 feet of thick strap rolled around it, and as the aircraft pulls the strap out of the shack and down the runway massive brakes slow the reel and, in turn, the runaway jet. Once the airplane has stopped, emergency crews can tend to the pilot and aircraft as necessary.

For the purpose of the Sept. 22 test, firefighters worked alongside 100th CE barrier maintenance team members to familiarize themselves with the equipment. Sergeant Houchins said the fire department is trained to set the barrier up in the event an emergency happens when no barrier maintainers are present.

According to Master Sgt. Joseph Lamberti, 100th CES, bases with permanently stationed fighters usually have high-tech systems that can be employed at a moment's notice. However, since RAF Mildenhall is only a divert base for fighters, the current system does the job. If needed, the system could catch up to five airplanes in a single hour, he said.

While the barrier only requires an actual test once a year, the equipment is checked daily by barrier maintainers who ensure it's ready in an emergency, Sergeant Houchins said.

Fighters from RAF Lakenheath can be seen in the air over RAF Mildenhall almost daily. If the time ever comes when one needs a quick stop and can't land at home, the 100th CES barrier maintenance team is ready and equipped to put the brakes on a potentially deadly situation.