WWW II Plane

Ed Rasimus wrote in
:

On Thu, 19 Jul 2007 05:38:57 GMT, Dave wrote:

I used to work at OMD in B'wick ('70 - '73), and helped many an aircrew
load lobsters, into everything from a C-118 with no seats, to an A-37
Tweet.

Dave in San Diego

While I was serving in purgatory (Willie Air Patch flogging a T-37
with UPT students--a reward for my F-105 tour), we often would take a
Tweet on a Friday afternoon out-and-back to Navy North Island.

Hop on the ferry (AKA "nickel-snatcher") because this was before the
Coronado Bridge and hit the fish market. Pack up some fresh seafood in
a styrofoam box with dry ice and RTB to Willie in time for a nice
evening fish-fry and drink-a-thon.

Junior guy got to ride in the right seat with the box on his lap.

Oh, this was a single pilot. We put lobsters in the gun tub, individually
bagged, to let them fit better, and then we filled a nylon laundry bag as
full as we could, and strapped it into the right seat so as not to
interfere with flight controls, and he was off into the wild blue.

BTW, what/where's Willie Air Patch? That's a new one on me.

Dave in San Diego

"Dave" wrote in message
...
BTW, what/where's Willie Air Patch? That's a new one on me.

Dave in San Diego.

Williams Air Force Base now operating as civil Williams Gateway Airport in a
Phoenix suburb.

Tex

On Thu, 19 Jul 2007 23:48:07 GMT, Dave wrote:


BTW, what/where's Willie Air Patch? That's a new one on me.

Dave in San Diego

As Tex noted, Willie was Williams AFB. Technically listed as Chandler
AZ, but actually about 15 miles straight East of Chandler. Did host
CHD TACAN.

Originally a fighter base in WW II and Korea with F-86s. Later became
a Training Command base for Undergraduate Pilot Training. First base
to use the T-38. Also hosted a tenant TAC squadron flying the F-5 for
OT&E and Foreign Military Sales training.

Unceremoniously shut down during a BRAC exercise in the late
'80s--early '90s.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com