Replying to a message of John Massey to Bob Klahn:

 JM> 
 JM>>> Then why did you say they could not fly with out one?

 BK>>  I never said that. You do need to improve your reading skills.

 JM> Yes you did.

I believe the thread was that a military aircraft will not *take off* without
operational radios.  Which, AFAIK, is true.  If a radio fails in flight, the
aircraft obviously will continue flying and the pilot will hopefully be able to
safely land it - but that isn't a given.

When I was on flying status, a nonoperational radio was a ground abort if it
couldn't be repaired or replaced prior to scheduled mission takeoff.  Note that
*everything* is checked prior to takeoff, *all* crew members have a specific
list of things they are to check and insure that each item on it is is working
and in place - right down to the plastic bag in the sh*tter of the EC-47 (no
bathroom as such, just a room in the tail with a toilet seat over what essentially
was a bucket welded to the floor, the urinal on the back of the door to that room
drains directly out a tube at the back of the aircraft).

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