Rumsfeld and flying

Ed Rasimus wrote:

On Mon, 8 Mar 2004 10:22:38 -0800, "Tarver Engineering"
wrote:


"Cub Driver" wrote in message
. ..

On Sun, 07 Mar 2004 18:37:53 -0500, Stephen Harding
wrote:

IIRC, the average age of the Vietnam grunt was quite young

25 WWII
21 Korea
19 Vietnam


Might I direct you to "Stolen Valor" as well. Burkett effectively
debunks the legend of the 19 year old average for Vietnam. He's got
the numbers in print.

Average warrior age in Vietnam was a lot closer to 22.

Is this average over all or just grunts, as I was referring?

I would assume that if you include aviators and specialty
personnel, you'd up the average, even though there wouldn't
be as many of them.


SMH

Ron wrote:

It has my name "Steve" on it along with the Japanese equivalent
(I presume) under it. A red seal with a yellow bee in leather
flying helmet and goggles, carrying something with each pair of
its legs, and a star and bar emblem under one of its wings. A
banner under the seal says "21st Troop Carrier Squadron". On the
back a C-54 is pictured with "Bee liners" under it.

He obtained this while stationed at Tachi in the 53-54 time
period, but apparently was also in the various Japanese bases
you mentioned too from time to time.

And here I am, 50 years later, getting ready to fly a C-54 next month.

Well hang in there!

You might get upgraded to C-124s yet!


SMH

362436 (Ron) wrote:

And here I am, 50 years later, getting ready to fly a C-54 next month.

Sure now are ya that a month is long enough to get ready?

"George Z. Bush" wrote in message
...
After my time. I was there from '51 through '55. I was with the 344th
TCS,
a tenant outfit flying C-46s. The rest of my outfit were at Brady,
down near
Fukuoka (Kyushu). We moved up to Tachi in Dec. '51, when the 124s were
all
grounded due to inflight generator fires. For a while, our 46s and
the 54
squadron were all there was available for intra-theater traffic in and
out of
Tachi. The 344th deactivated in '55 and became a Flying Training
Squadron
which eventually turned our aircraft over to the Japan Air Self Defense
Force. We had the distinction of being among the very few AF people in
the
world who ever flew airplanes with the Rising Sun insignia on them

Hello George. I was right down ther road from you at Yokota flying
WB-29's and Wb-50's from 1954 to 55, when I was grounded for a
bad eye! Also checked out in our C-54. I learned how to land it
the Berlin Air Lift way: 800 ft final, nose touching the runway, cut
power, full flaps & cowls, gear and nose down. Flare and land on the
stripes. It took a while to get one's courage!


They certainly were. Originally (before my time), the entire TCWg at
Tachi was
a C-54 unit. I think they replaced three 54 squadrons with two 124 units,
obviously with no loss of airlift capability.

I was on base at the time one of the 124s crashed on the outskirts of the
base,
with a loss of 129 souls. It was the worst air disaster in Japanese
history up
till then. Did you ever hear anything about that one?

I think I remember that one. Didn't the farmers riot against the Base?
I think it was weeks before we could use the road to Tokyo.When I
was leaving Larson AFB in Dec 53 for flying school, a 124 crashed after take
off. The control lock were still on. I was an RO
in the 56th FIS then.

Were you there when a Tachi staffer landed the C-47 on the top of
Mt. Fuji? The first time I pulled AO, another Tachi staffer landed at
Yokota rather than Tachi, and even pulled up to base ops. He said he
thought the building looked different. We had a number of touch
and go's. since, as you re-call, the runways were 3mi(?) apart and
in line.

Ron

And here I am, 50 years later, getting ready to fly a C-54 next month.

Sure now are ya that a month is long enough to get ready?

Ha, I think so. I have the flight manuals now and have been studying those.
Sure are a lot of systems to learn.

But hey, it will be the first plane I have ever flown with TCAS!

And a 2000 gallon slurry tank too.



Ron
Tanker 65, C-54E (DC-4)

Well hang in there!

You might get upgraded to C-124s yet!

Would be interesting to fly Old Shakey, but I think the fires would be out
before I ever got there in it

There have been some KC-97s flying on fires, not sure if any will fly this
year.


Ron
Tanker 65, C-54E (DC-4)

362436 (Ron) wrote:

Ha, I think so. I have the flight manuals now and have been studying those.
Sure are a lot of systems to learn.

But hey, it will be the first plane I have ever flown with TCAS!

And a 2000 gallon slurry tank too.

Since off-topic political discussions are common on this NG and
also because we've drifted somewhat off-topic into Part 135 ops,
perhaps you (and every other freedom-loving RAM reader who
cares to) could file your comments electronically to the FAA's latest
draconian "Air Tour" proposal. Just a quick, short response telling
the feds to leave the regs as they are presently will suffice.

Simply stated, the Air Tour NPRM would outlaw the ability of
commercial pilots to give sightseeing tours in everything from
short helicopter flights to scenic sunset tours in bi-wing Wacos!!

All sightseeing flights would have to be conducted under FAR Part
135, which is the same regulations governing charter airlines. As you
and I both know, it takes *hundreds* of hours to qualify as a Part 135
pilot not to mention Part 135 ops require reams of paperwork, a flight
manual, a maintenance manual, a "Chief Pilot," a "Check Airman,"
and "Chief Mechanic," and frequent proficiency check flights.

An excellent article entitled, "Save the Sightseeing Flights,"
published by the Aviation Foundation of America, may be seen
at: http://nationalairtours.org/sight.html

The FAA has published unofficial comments and discussions on
the Air Tour NPRM on a "Public Meeting Forum" at: http://66.89.54.45/.

And you may file your comments electronically at:
http://dms.dot.gov/search/searchResu...4521&searchTyp
e=docket.

For those who enjoy those scenic little sunset flights originating
from your local hometown airport, don't put this off as the deadline
to comment is April 19, 2004.

Ha, I think so. I have the flight manuals now and have been studying those.

Sure are a lot of systems to learn.

But hey, it will be the first plane I have ever flown with TCAS!

And a 2000 gallon slurry tank too.

Since off-topic political discussions are common on this NG and
also because we've drifted somewhat off-topic into Part 135 ops,
perhaps you (and every other freedom-loving RAM reader who
cares to) could file your comments electronically to the FAA's latest
draconian "Air Tour" proposal. Just a quick, short response telling
the feds to leave the regs as they are presently will suffice.

Simply stated, the Air Tour NPRM would outlaw the ability of
commercial pilots to give sightseeing tours in everything from
short helicopter flights to scenic sunset tours in bi-wing Wacos!!

All sightseeing flights would have to be conducted under FAR Part
135, which is the same regulations governing charter airlines. As you
and I both know, it takes *hundreds* of hours to qualify as a Part 135
pilot not to mention Part 135 ops require reams of paperwork,

Yes it was strange they were justifying moving tour flights into part 135 as a
safety measure, when the crashed listed as reasons ,were all part 135 already.

The C-54 will be under restricted category I think.


Ron
Tanker 65, C-54E (DC-4)

(Ron) wrote:

Yes it was strange they were justifying moving tour flights into part 135 as a
safety measure, when the crashed listed as reasons ,were all part 135 already.

Evidently you haven't read the feds proposal? We're talking about
eliminating the grand old American tradition of commercial pilots
giving airplane rides in everything from Curtiss Jennys to Cessna
172's from their hometown airports under Part 91. You know,
eliminating the apple pie and U.S.A. stuff that brave Americans like
my Dad fought and died for. Most tour flights are conducted under
Part 91 NOT Part 135. This proposal, if passed, is just more post 9/11
nail in the coffin for GA.

Read it: http://nationalairtours.org/sight.html

Ron W wrote:
Hello George. I was right down ther road from you at Yokota flying
WB-29's and Wb-50's from 1954 to 55, when I was grounded for a
bad eye! Also checked out in our C-54. I learned how to land it
the Berlin Air Lift way: 800 ft final, nose touching the runway, cut
power, full flaps & cowls, gear and nose down. Flare and land on the
stripes. It took a while to get one's courage!


You want to explain that again? I'm having trouble getting a mental picture of
what you did. You grind the nose on the runway, then lower the gear? After
grinding, then you flare? I'm missing something.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN


http://www.mortimerschnerd.com