Hot Cargo Ramp

EHITCH

EHITCH

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Elizabeth
Yes, I thought that would get your attention!

This is a legitimate question, though. The airport diagram for KLSE (La Crosse) lists a "Hot Cargo Ramp" at what appears to be the pad for rway 21.
Does anyone have any ideas what that really means? I'm going to check the A/FD and AIM now but if you know (and I'm sure I'll be sorry I asked) please advise.
All right, I'll go first: "Gee, hot cargo - does Hooters Air fly into La Crosse?":blowingkisses:

Thanks, E
 
Just a guess but could that be the remote parking area for an aircraft bomb threat?
Ron
 
Any Air Guard or Air Force Reserve there? Hot Pad = bombs and bullets



EHITCH said:
Yes, I thought that would get your attention!

This is a legitimate question, though. The airport diagram for KLSE (La Crosse) lists a "Hot Cargo Ramp" at what appears to be the pad for rway 21.
Does anyone have any ideas what that really means? I'm going to check the A/FD and AIM now but if you know (and I'm sure I'll be sorry I asked) please advise.
All right, I'll go first: "Gee, hot cargo - does Hooters Air fly into La Crosse?":blowingkisses:

Thanks, E
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Speed said:
Hot cargo pad (for safe handling of ammunition and weapons cargo)

From an airforce website when doing a search on google...
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I wouldn't think so at La Crosse. But who knows? :dunno: :dunno:
 
Steve said:
Hot cargo could also mean radioactive nuclides, such as medical and industrial sources.

An early nuclear power plant was built south of La Crosse in the 60's and permanently shudown in 1987. In the early days some nuclear power plants did produce small amounts of materials used for medicine and were often transported in special fixtures in the wingtips of planes. This may be a holdover from that period.
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That actually makes sense to me. :yes:
 
Steve said:
An early nuclear power plant was built south of La Crosse in the 60's and permanently shudown in 1987. In the early days some nuclear power plants did produce small amounts of materials used for medicine and were often transported in special fixtures in the wingtips of planes.
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Anything that hot ain't going IN my plane -- it's going in a glider on a LONG tow rope behind me.

Seriously, these days, if there's any military operation around (nearby ammo plant, reserve unit on the field, whatever), "hot cargo" means ordnance like gun ammo, rockets, and bombs. "Dangerous cargo" is like "hot cargo" but a few orders of magnitude bigger bang, if you get my drift.
 
Could also mean they don't shut down completely for the turn. With fire air tankers, hot loading is loading with one or more engines running.
 
ejensen said:
Could also mean they don't shut down completely for the turn. With fire air tankers, hot loading is loading with one or more engines running.
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No, that's "hot refueling." "Hot cargo" at a base used by the military is stuff that goes "bang."
 
Ron Levy said:
No, that's "hot refueling." "Hot cargo" at a base used by the military is stuff that goes "bang."
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I meant loading 800-4000 gals of fire retardant depending on the plane. But I think you point is still correct, that was not the meaning on the diagram.
 
EHITCH said:
Yes, I thought that would get your attention!

This is a legitimate question, though. The airport diagram for KLSE (La Crosse) lists a "Hot Cargo Ramp" at what appears to be the pad for rway 21.
Does anyone have any ideas what that really means? I'm going to check the A/FD and AIM now but if you know (and I'm sure I'll be sorry I asked) please advise.
All right, I'll go first: "Gee, hot cargo - does Hooters Air fly into La Crosse?":blowingkisses:

Thanks, E
Click to expand...
The Hot Cargo Ramp at Dover AFB was used as a high-security zone for aircraft carrying sensitive cargo such as nuclear weapons and returning fallen soldiers from the war in Vietnam. Entrance required ID, sign-in/out and strict protocols were enforced. I suspect that it is still used for this today.
 
Many years ago I used a number of hot cargo ramps when we had to load/unload explosives, or fuel up enroute there, rather than at the normal ramp.
 
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Used to be a controller in the Air Force. Mainly for hot cargo like bombs etc, plus other reasons. We even had a special area for hydrazine problems, like on a F16.
 
Zeldman said:
Yet the "HOT CARGO RAMP" is on the current airport diagram for KSLE. Which it is more like a wide corner of the taxiway than a ramp. Maybe one time it was the arm-disarm apron.??

https://flightaware.com/resources/airport/LSE/APD/AIRPORT+DIAGRAM/pdf
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Usually arm / dearm areas are seperate from the hot cargo area but they can be within it. I’ve worked ATC where our arm / dearm was located at the combat aircraft loading area (CALA...same as hot cargo) and other areas where arm dearm was a whole seperate area. Even some places (NKX) where there’s a CALA, an arming area with a specified heading and a completely different dearming area with a specified heading. Just varies with the airfield.
 
Yeah most mil airfields I've flown from have separate designated areas for arming forward firing ordnance, with specific defined headings for each (generally in the direction of the most boonie like place around). In other words, you load the live ordnance in the CALA, go to somewhere near the active runway hold short where the ordies arm you up, and then if you land there afterwards with stuff still on the plane (or an armed gun), you will go to the dearm spot directly off the departure end exit of the runway.....then back to the CALA to download. At least that's how the Navy/USMC tend to operate. I know the USAF does some funny business with their "EOR checks", so I'd imagine it happens there, along with their final checks and arming of other stuff. Nothing can top the silliness on the ramp at Tyndall during a WSEP/Combat Archer though :)
 
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