Altus or Altos Lamp?

[Jim Caudill]

Seems to me there was an auxillary light in the cockpit that could be used to shine on the nacelles or wings, or whatever. This was something like a 5 or 6 inch sealed beam affair, with a handle. I thought it was called an "Altus Light" or maybe "Altos Lamp", you get the idea. I have searched thru my old dash-one and can't find any reference to it. Is my memory that bad? Maybe this was something that was only used up thru the "E" models and I flew "H" models out of Dyess. Can someone "enlighten" me? (pun intended)

Edited September 22, 2009 by Jim Caudill

[Bullwinkle]

No you've got it right.The only thing is I can't remember where it was kept at.It was great for scanning the wings late at night, as long as you for warned the pilots.I remember them on the "B's"&"E's".You could plug them in at any of the electrical outlets in the cargo compartmentThey had about a 25 foot cord on them and they got hot real quick.

[loadsmith]

This is a little background on the "aldis lamp" from Wikipedia:

Signal lamp, also called Aldis lamp, is a visual signaling device for optical communication (typically using Morse code) – essentially a focused lamp which can produce a pulse of light. It is named after its inventor Authur C W Aldis. This pulse is achieved by opening and closing shutters mounted in front of the lamp, either via a manually-operated pressure switch or, in later versions, automatically. The lamps were usually equipped with some form of optical sight, and were most commonly used on naval vessels and in airport control towers (using color signals for stop or clearance).

hope this helps

[Hangar Rat]

It was kept in the "secret" compartment next to the nav's table by the lower bunk...and was also super handy for warming your hands on a cold winter day or tracking down the expeditor that forgot about you on midshift!!!

[INS/Dopplertroop]

Have seen more than one instrument tech clear an internally fogged HSI or ADI with that handy lamp.

On a dark night, good for seeing wire numbers better in a pinch. Had to be careful not to leave it on too long though.

[EClark]

Leave it on to long it will blow the bulb those old bulbs where not as good as todays

[C130H2FE]

And the light still exist to this day in the same compartment. The lens case should be on the Nav's table.

[Plaprad]

I remember on Mids, when someone fell asleep in the flight deck with power on, we'd plug it in, hold it a few inches from the back of their neck and do a few quick flashes with it. Everyone woke up real quick.

[donwon]

We had them on the "A,s" and I think they were hard wired in on the "245".

They had a small round sight on the top to aim it with.

The only time I remember it being used for a reson was when we took off from Tiawan in late 64.

When we would tow a plane across the runway at Sewart the tower

would sometimes use one to give us the green light to proceed.

I think it had a clear lense and a red and green lense we could fit on

if need be.

The ones we had did not have shutters on them.

Edited September 24, 2009 by donwon

[Dutch]

While stationed @ Lockbourne AFB, OH with the 39th TAS, of the 317th TAW. I had one of these that had had the little sight get broken thay were a 780 item and when it was replaced I talked the 780 guy out of the old one. Took it home and put a 150' cord on it and installed a over the wing light bulb in it (same diamater). Boy was it great when doing any and every thing @ night.

[RZHill]

Hey Dutch, when where you in the 39th at Lockborne?. I was in the 39th late 65 thru June 66.

RZ Hill

[Dutch]

Hey Dutch, when where you in the 39th at Lockborne?. I was in the 39th late 65 thru June 66.

RZ Hill

From some time in late 1966 when they broke up OMS and assigned us to different squadrons. While at Lockbourne, I crew 56-0523 for a long time then was a Flight line controler, Assist Flight Chief and Flight Chief. I left there in Oct 1967. Went to the 79 ARRS @ Andersen AFB, Guam.

What did you do while you were @ Lockbourne?

[SamMcGowan]

I thought they were called an Aldis Lamp. I believe they date back to World War II. My dad used to talk about using one on a B-24 when he was in the Eighth Air Force in England in 1944.

[RZHill]

From some time in late 1966 when they broke up OMS and assigned us to different squadrons. While at Lockbourne, I crew 56-0523 for a long time then was a Flight line controler, Assist Flight Chief and Flight Chief. I left there in Oct 1967. Went to the 79 ARRS @ Andersen AFB, Guam.

What did you do while you were @ Lockbourne?

I arrived in mid 62, was in B-47 Recovery. moved to the 317th when the 47's left.

Crewed 56-489 then 56-513, Went to Fe school at Sewart Flew the line in the 39th till June 66.

RZ Hill

[airnav]

The lamp was also a "cooking device". When I couldn't (or wouldn't) leave the Nav table, it was a handy device to place next to a pouch of MRE beef stew........ Yep! Heated up in no time at all! As for the chicken ala-king.....well, I'll save that for a later post.

Kurt

[GaryRobinson]

From some time in late 1966 when they broke up OMS and assigned us to different squadrons. While at Lockbourne, I crew 56-0523 for a long time then was a Flight line controler, Assist Flight Chief and Flight Chief. I left there in Oct 1967. Went to the 79 ARRS @ Andersen AFB, Guam.

What did you do while you were @ Lockbourne?

56-523 was one of our E-Flight birds at Naha. The crew chief was SSgt. Mike Dittleman (I think the name is correct, time has taken its toll) and it was one of the cleanest and best flying birds at Naha.

Gary Robinson