Bullhunter
Global Moderator
318th FIS Jet Shop 1975-78
Currently: Offline
Posts: 7,379
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Joined: May 2005
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Post by Bullhunter on Jan 6, 2008 4:51:08 GMT 9
I guess about 1989/90/91 time frame, McChord AFB hosted an airshow. I was MSgt working Maintenence Supervision and was checking the flightline and watching some of the airshow aircraft arrive the day before the show. This USAF F-5 Agressor arrived and the tower directed him to almost the last parking spot possible away from base ops. No crew bus was on the ramp at that time. Guess they were all taking crews to ops & billiting. As transit alert folks secured his aircraft I drove up to him and said Hi Major, as he was looking around and I asked him if he wanted me to call a crew bus for him and find out how soon they would arrive. He tightened his jaw and then said to me. Don't want no dam crew bus, I don't ride crew busses, I'm a PILOT! He then started walking toward the tower & base ops, with his helmet bag and a travel bag. A 500 yard walk never hunt anyone. I had a fleeing idea to ask him if he wanted a ride in the back of my pick-up truck but quickly decided not to, as it said mike-3 maintenance supervision in the side of it. And he sure isn't going to ride a maintenance vehicle either. During my shift that afternoon I did once in a while leave the MAC ramp when I wasn't busy or needed, and cruise the transit ramp and help out transporting crews and pilots to OPS. I never forgot that Major. And I him.
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sixerviper
F-106 Skilled
Currently: Offline
Posts: 209
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Joined: July 2007
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Post by sixerviper on Jan 7, 2008 12:21:57 GMT 9
In the Air Guard, pilots always walked to and from the jets. Rarely did they get rides, and most of 'em gladly accepted them when we offered them. This pilot sounds like he needed to be taken down a peg or two. Like maybe being ground aborted for being an A-hole. It's been done before!!
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Post by Mark O on Jan 8, 2008 10:34:12 GMT 9
In the Air Guard, pilots always walked to and from the jets. Rarely did they get rides, and most of 'em gladly accepted them when we offered them. This pilot sounds like he needed to be taken down a peg or two. Like maybe being ground aborted for being an A-hole. It's been done before!! When I was over in Turkey at Incirlik for Operation Northern Watch with the Ohio ANG's 121st Air Refueling Wing we were paired with the California ANG's 163rd ARW. Now, I had been a tanker guy for awhile at that time and all the crews would climb into the aircraft via the ladder through the crew entry door. Early into this particular deployment we had a CA crew show up and ask for the air stairs (steps) so they could enter the aircraft via the cargo door!!! We couldn't accomodate them (wouldn't actually! :lol: ) and I asked a CA crew chief about it and he told me they did that all the time at their home station back at March ARB. Unbelievable! Okay, now that said, when I was a KC-135 bubba the crews always showed up in a crew bus and left in a crew bus. Mostly because of all the crap they carried on the missions. I just sort of got used to it. Nothing unusual at all. When I became an aircrewman I sort of expected it too. As an engineer I have a bunch of stuff to lug out to and fro' the C-130. Imagine my surprise when I got here at Dyess and it just doesn't happen that often!! I'd say 75 percent of the time we all walk and let me tell you, it sucks especially when I'm flying one of our "Super-E's" and have to lug out an extra bag of T.O.'s just for that model! Oh well, I'm old and spoiled now I guess but I do get some extra exercise! Can't complain about that!! Mark
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