POSTLOADING QUALITY ASSURANCE INSPECTION WARNING A certified quality assurance inspector (QAR) performs the postloading quality assurance inspection after loading and fuzing is complete. A postloading quality assurance inspection makes sure that weapons are properly loaded and no procedural steps were omitted. REARMING AREA (BEFORE ENGINE TURNUP) There aren’t many procedures for you to carry out in the rearming area (before engine turnup). You will remove the WEAPON LOADED sign from the cockpit, and close and secure access doors. Normally, these procedures are performed at the same time as the pilot’s aircraft walkaround inspection before manning the aircraft. REARMING OR ARMING AREA (AFTER ENGINE TURNUP) The procedures performed in the rearming area or arming area (after engine turnup) are done after the engine start and normally after the plane captain completes the pretaxi signals. Stations loaded with bomb-type ammunition and other stores are normally armed in the arming area. All forward-firing ordnance must be armed in the arming area. Final arming of bomb-type ammunition requires that a safety person be positioned in view of the pilot. The safety person notifies the pilot of the intention to remove safety pins, and ensures that the pilot places his hands in full view. When this is done, a member of the arming crew removes the safety pins from the parent racks. Finally, a crew member unlocks the IMER/ITER safety stop levers. DEARMING OR REARMING AREA (IMMEDIATELY AFTER ENGINE SHUTDOWN) Dearming procedures are performed after aircraft landing or ground abort. Aircraft bombs are normally dearmed in the rearming area. However, if the aircraft has missiles or rockets aboard, they are safed in the designated dearming area. Do not attempt to disarm a partially or fully armed fuze. Notify the proper authority (EOD). If any component is missing, loose, or damaged, notify the proper authority. If an arming wire is not installed in the fuze or arming device, the fuze or arming device may be armed. You should notify the proper authority. The first step you take when dearming an aircraft is to make sure the fuzes or arming devices or firing mechanisms are safe and arming wires are installed through fuze vanes and pop-out pins, as applicable. Then, inspect the weapons for missing, loose, or damaged components. If an IMER/ITER is involved, position the safety stop levers to lock on loaded racks. Install the safety pins in loaded stations. NOTE: If an aircraft returns with unexpended ordnance, a WEAPON LOADED sign must be placed in the cockpit. Check that all cockpit armament switches are OFF, SAFE, or NORM. As applicable, remove arming wires, lanyards, or lanyard tabs from empty stations. Finally, report the status of the aircraft to the proper authority. UNLOADING PROCEDURES Before you unload a weapon from the parent rack, the aircraft should be in the rearming area. Make sure that electrical power to the aircraft is removed, and the aircraft is properly grounded. Verify the following: verify that all cockpit armament switches are OFF or SAFE; that safety pins are installed in all loaded parent racks. Finally, if an IMER/ITER is being unloaded, verify that the safety stop lever is locked on each loaded ejector unit. Now you can open the pylon access doors. For a parent rack, disconnect the ejector unit breech caps and remove the cartridges. If unloading an IMER/ ITER (with a weapon) from the parent rack, remove the breech caps from the breech chambers, the cartridges from the breech chambers, position the breech caps to prevent damage during unloading, and disconnect the adapter connector, and, if applicable, the electric fuze adapter harness from the IMER/ ITER. 14-12