You shall not pass: system secures safe stop Published Oct. 20, 2014 By Airman 1st Class Erin O'Shea 48th Fighter Wing Public Wing Public Affairs ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- It's no secret fighter pilots may endure challenging hazards the moment they climb into the cockpit. As landing and stopping can be one of these hazards, a new aircraft arrest barrier engagement system was installed and certified for use on the flightline. The barrier engagement system is used to stop a plane once it lands on the runway, and is activated if the aircraft brakes or hydraulic system fails. The systems are installed on active runways and use cable dynamics to safely stop the aircraft once it makes contact with the runway. "On a fighter base, it's quite crucial," said Tech. Sgt. Craig Domko, 48th Civil Engineer Squadron non-commissioned officer in charge of power productions. "The purpose of the aircraft arrest system is to stop and control the aircraft, when the aircraft loses its ability to stop or control its self on its own." There are multiple cable systems precisely placed across the runway. The system is maintained routinely to ensure the cables remain where they are placed. "After taxiing by the initial cable if it [the aircraft] can't stop on its own, it will drop its tail hook and grab the cable, and our systems will stop it safely in a short distance," Domko stated. The new systems underwent many checks to become certified to replace the older system that was put in place. "The reason we did a certification engagement is because anytime you do a new install, you have to do a proof load," said Staff Sgt. Erik Antonson, 48th CES assistant NCOIC for barrier systems and project lead for Engineered Arresting Systems Corporation sheave replacement. "You pump the brakes up, put a ton of pressure on the brakes, then pull and stretch the tapes in each direction and make sure there are no cracks or movement of the system. Then you certify it." Not only does the newly-certified engagement system keep the pilots at ease, but it also saves the Air Force money. "We were replacing quite a few tapes for the systems," Antonson said. "The tapes are around $14,000 per set." The tapes used with the older systems were designed to last about four years, but needed replacing after three arrestments over the course of a year. "The new system is going to save the Air Force quite a bit of money,"Antonson said. It's crucial that pilots of the 48th Fighter Wing can be confident in knowing they have support on the ground if their systems were to fail while in the air. "The pilots are pretty thankful," Antonson concluded. "It's all about catching the planes and the pilot's safety; and also the asset, which is the aircraft."