SJS note: Aircraft, like cars, stoves, televisions and Tickle-Me-Elmo ®, are products of assembly lines some more massive than others, but the premise is still the same. Build a lot of something to set standards with common assemblies and a uniform product results. Except when it doesn’t. Every one of us who have slipped the…
(Note: I am in the process of moving the postings off the old site to this one, beginning with this series) “Alpha Whiskey, Alpha Romeo, Tango One. Tango One recommends launching all available alert. Multiple bogeys inbound. Break, track 1231 now non-squawker, negative Mode 4, investigating with 9B. Setting station 9B with 11B” “Alpha Whiskey,…
Part II Here Window covers down, overhead hatch in and all harnesses locked, the crew was ready. Bluetail 602 went into tension, the throttles against their stops, the aircraft mercilessly shaking. In an instant, they were down the catapult and airborne. As the wheels were coming up, Bird exclaimed “Hey look, we’ve got a visitor…”…
Part I here Badgers, Buccaneers and Bears…(Pt 2) (A North Atlantic tale from the "good ole days") Stopping by Maintenance Control, the lieutenant asked for the aircraft discrepancy book on 602. All the current and near past ills of the aircraft are chronicled in this three-ring binder, giving crews an idea of what they…
The Playing Field In his far off conscious he heard it – the incessant ringing of the phone on the bulkhead. Not just any ring either – more like a loud clattering and right now it was the most annoying sound intruding into his world. Wearily, he rolled out of the top bunk, carefully avoiding…
This is the conclusion of the 4-part series. Parts 1-3 may be found by following the links in the margin on the left. “Alpha Whiskey, Alpha Romeo, Tango One. Tango One recommends launching all available alert. Multiple bogeys inbound. Break, track 1231 now non-squawker, negative Mode 4, investigating with 9B. Setting station 9B with 11B”…
Lockheed C-121 ConstellationIf ever there were an example of art brought to life, the Connie has to be it. And just as a reminder of what air travel USED to be like (before generic widebodies crammed like sardine tins, like the one I’m headed off in tomorrow…)-SJS
There is a long-standing tradition in Naval Aviation that no screw-up goes unrecognized…just check out the variety of callsigns out there. Sometimes though, the screw-up is so monumental that it deserves special recognition — sort of like, um, landing on the wrong carrier. Recognition is afforded not unlike re-branding a steer that wandered off its…
Summer – 1973; Scribner, Nebraska. Nebraska, particularly the central region with its broad, flat plains and farms laid out with near geometric precision, was a great place to learn to fly. The far horizon was a firm, straight line without the distractions of geologic features. The quilt work patches of fields bordered by arrow straight…
