European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 15, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse July 1977 the stars and stripes Page 9 Safe Zulu flight goes up very checks intruders Story ind photos by Flo i Harrington Bureau chief Germany Sis the sky is a Large its watched constantly by electronic eyes a vast network of military and civilian radars Hal know the identity and location of every aircraft that lies Over Wisl Al least dials the Way the system is supposed to every once in for one reason or an aircraft shows up on someones radar scope that cant be Ridenti when that the people concerned with nato air defense get nervous Ami pick up a action in minutes a Call is made that rapidly filters Down to a Quick reaction air defense Force called Zulu within minium a pair of fully armed f4e phantom fighters Are shriek ing Down a runway to intercept and identify the unknown Safe has three of these Zulu flights in located Al hatin and on the air base Here Zulu Alert duty is rotated among the aircrews and maintenance personnel of the 526ih tactical Ruhler so Black the Crews usually catch the duly once a week for a 24 hour in fighters this is a flood business to be we May be on Alert but like res a Good Chance Well gel to Fly and that what were Here said Ken a recent Zulu flight Carlson said there Are actually three Cal Guries of Zulu alerts us he Calls scrambles priority i the flight has to be airborne within five minutes to intercept an unknown aircraft p2 a no notice training scramble to practice intercepts and p3 a Seldom used preplanned training if needed we also get scrambled i if some air plane has an inflight emergency and needs a Chase if there is no one else in the Call us to Telp him get said first Dave the squadrons said that throughout the year Zulu flight averages about our i scram Bles a we might go three or four months without one and then have Hrit of four in one weapons system operator Stevo Hale has been with the Squadron for almost three during that time he has Chen on six to he said most of them were to inc Buffer zone Luzj or air defense zone Hal runs North and South along the West German f basically that a nobly zone for so its a pretty sterile when ils not Sci ground control intercept wants to know a couple of times we got up Uherc and Sicre want whoever it had been was just lost und the con Rolong Agen cies col them Back on the right on one intercept there was an Airliner off we toll Cicle who lie was and that wus that other terms ils just been a Small air plane that look off wit hum a flight Kadar had picked him up hovering around the adi2 and did t know what he Llu could have own a they scrambled us to find said 1 the phantoms return from a scramble there Tunisi Over to my chiefs and maintenance ure inc these men Are also restricted to the Zulu area when on t sgt Robert Stinespring is maintenance he is assisted by three shift chiefs who Are on duty 24 hours and off 4b hours and two Crew chiefs who arc on temporary duly from the flight during the week they arc responsible for keeping three phantoms on five minute Alert status two prime pies and a when the return from a flight its our Job to gel them Back on Alert status within an normally we can do it in is minutes providing the aircraft comes Back in Good shape not said Sli when an aircraft docs return shift chief Hershel Browning pre fers his Job to owl of inc Crew he when we have to stay up until two or three in the morning working on an air at Easl were off shift tha next they Crew chiefs have to gel up at the regular when inc men Arcol working on air Craft or flying a Mission As one Crew member make out like bandits in the Best Zulu facility in the three Story building was furnished and re modelled under a Squadron self help pro aircrews and Crew chiefs sleep in inc top floor of the the second floor has a Small theater which shows movies and a Pool television and stereo there is a Complete Kitchen and dining area on the ground Carlson said Zulu was also a Good place to study la seems inc 40 per cent of the Squadron is working on some masters pro Gram in one form or regardless of Huw Good the Zulu facility is Orlow Many recreational activities Are the aircrews still prefer action to phantom Pilot Hank Gullet expressed his feelings Ali us Zulu duly Liis Way if you gel to do a its interest if its like any other ils like an airline Pilot once said hours and hours of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror but that at part of the run and take off when the Call tames to at those concerned with the Zulu flight slide Down then beat feel for the waiting phantoms within five minutes the arc heading for in
