Flightline fixes
BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- Senior Airman James Simpson, 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron barrier system maintainer, lays out a nylon tape here, Feb. 9. The tape connects to a 135-foot, 750-pound wire cable that lies across the runway for emergency F-16 Fighting Falcon landings. In the event a fighter aircraft has malfunctioning landing gear, the pilot can a drop a hook to catch the cable, which will in turn slow the aircraft and enable a smoother landing. Airman Simpson is deployed from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Senior Airman Julianne Showalter)