davparlr
Senior Master Sergeant
Those TF-33s were great engines. In four years of flying the A model, I heard of only one engine failure in flight for the fleet and that was low oil pressure on an engine that had almost 10,000 hrs on it. The C-141 was also a great plane which often was difficult to launch from home base but once you got the gear up it would take you anywhere in the world and bring you back, usually without incident. It was, however, a hand full to land in a gusting crosswind. Every time I saw Lajes in the Azores on the schedule I broke into a cold sweat. That place was a breeding ground for gusting crosswinds.When the switch was made to JP-8, which was less volatile, the engines had a tough time igniting when cold. So during start up a lot of raw fuel would get dumped out the back while trying to light and when it did light it made for a hell of a wienie roast! No one knew -141's had afterburners... lol.
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