larry myers

OK I give up.

Is Moldeyhole a town near the base, or a reference to something else?

Bob, RAF Mildenhall is named for the nearby town of Mildenhall

Moldyhole is GI slang for RAF Mildenhall that has to do with the generally lousy English weather. Cold, wet, lots of mildew. Often on a rare cloudless sunny day the highway asphalt would remain moist. On the rare occasion the temperture would reach 75 the locals would begain to suffer heat prostration.

To this day when I get up, look outside only to find it's a lousy day, I remark to my wife, "ah, a typical beautiful English day".

I seem to recall that some time ago I read the air force is paying for this work. Am I correct? And I have ask, why would the air force agree to such BS.

Wow, TSgt, that's a good place to start. It only took me 11 years to reach that rank. :D

[quote=bobdaley;36898I

Oh well at least they saved the USAFE Band.

Bob

I recall a day in the early 60s when almost the entire continent was socked in. That day Hahn lost six F-100s. The fallout was the wing got a new commander and everyone who worked for him.

Subsequently the air force installed a series of gas jets off the approach end of the runway. In foggy conditions these gas jets would be fired up burning the fog off.

In the early 80s there were more aircraft in the UK assigned to Third Air Force than in all of the MAJCOM PACAF.

At the conclusion of the just announced "realignment", in the UK there will be but one wing possessing aircraft. Wow, talk about downsizing!!

My wife is especially disappointed with this news. While I was doing a tour at RAF Lakenheath she, as a civilian, worked at Mildenhall in what was then the 513th Supply Sqd. Because of this we connected equally with Lakenheath and Mildenhall. Many friends at both bases.

Not unusual to reconnect with a past 36/37 TAS member on rote. After which there was almost always an over indulgence of food and drink. Usually at the Mildenhall Top Four. As I look back I think I have to rate this club as one of the better ones in the air force. As they began a major renovation and began uncovering structure they discovered deficiencies that prompted the engineer to remark he was surprised the building hadn't already collapsed. Not that anyone would have noticed at 0200 on a Saturday night.

Great place..sorry to see it go.

Congestion at Ramstein to get even worse. Anyone remember when Ramstein was an out of the way small sleepy F-102 base? And the ramp was such that with three or perhaps four big airplanes parked it was full.

Damm...this is sad news.

When flying with my aircraft my objective was to always get as much sleep as possible while en route. The reason being I never knew how long it was going to take to get the acft. ready for the next day's departure.

Like donwon I kept a litter stowed on the right side just aft of fs 245. My favorite place to sleep, however, was in a hammock rigged above the ramp and door. Nice and warm with a slight rocking effect.

Is this airplane a C-130? Asking the question because don't see the flight deck floor or forward viewing transparencies. Did Lockheed produce herks without these windows?

Holy cow, that bird looks to be beyond economical repair.

The overhaul facility has their work cut out. Massive corrosion throughout the airplane is sure to be but one of many huge issues.

Further, one has to wonder who is going to pay the bill which is bound to be outrageous.

Perhaps it is a B-47 mod line? With that swept wing, the only other thing it could be is a JetStar, but that didn't fly until 1957 and it's too small anyway. My curiosity is peaked.

Kevin,

Aircraft on the far line are indeed B-47s.

I'm guessing this is a mod line because the closest aircraft has a fin stripe. One, most likely, would not find this stripe on a new aircraft coming down the production line.

Casey,

Works okay for me. Yesterday and today.

Myers

Holy cow, Don. What an amazing career. I can't imagine his repertoire of war stories.

When I was first in, the person in the squadron you most wanted to be like was the bruiser who could kick the most ass and drink the most beer. And I repeatedly attempted to achieve this high honor and almost succeeded a couple of times.

Darn, I almost missed the august occasion. Going to take a huge huff and puff to blow out those 69 candles.

Happy birthday Robert!!!. Many more to come, I hope.

Larry Thanks but still a youngster at 68.

See you at Wright Patt.

Bob

When I was flying recips, and since it seemed like we used more oil than gas, I'd usually fill the engine thanks from the aux oil tank and then just fill the aux oil tank when I was refueling x-country. Fuel truck, ADI truck, oil truck, and having to move from side-to-side..... Saved some steps and time, especially for an RON. No flying crew chiefs just the FE. It was a frowned upon practice since the oil in the aux tank was diluted some with fuel. If I remember correctly the aux oil tank on the C-118 was 26 gallons, don't remember what it was on the Convairs.

At Mtn. Home AFB my neighbor was a KC-97 crew chief.

At one point my B-47 and his KC-97 were parked but a few spots apart so we checked out each others acft. I remember being quite surprised seeing a 55 gallon drum of engine oil strapped to a cargo compartment bulkhead. Attached was a hand pump with a flex line to the engine's aux. oil tank. He allowed that on long duration sorties it was not unusual to consume much of the oil contained in that drum. Thinking about it now, am guessing that just on start up alone those 4360s burned a gallon or two. I was blown away by this because on my jet, after flight, I would add three or four quarts each engine.

Servicing a B-47 sometimes involved a great deal more work than it should have. Two lox converters; one on each side of the fuselage with the service/buildup and vent valve about eight feet above the ground. To reach the valve the lox cart had a B1 stand platform affixed to it. This, in turn, made the cart very heavy and therefore difficult to move. Next, servicing water/alcohol-two 300 gallon tanks located one in each wing root. Tanks filled like a Goony Bird, hose pulled over the leading edge of the wing. After filling the first tank the truck had to be moved to the opposite side. And don't get caught allowing the nozzle to touch the leading edge. And don't forget the brake chute. Weighed about 60/70 lbs., and had to be lifted chest high into the chute compartment. And watch out for the shackle as it could smack you in the kisser. The airplane did have single point refueling but required a person at the SPR and one in the copilot's seat with a piece of support equipment controlling the tank refueling valves.

Not much, if any, maintenance involvement in aircraft design in those days.

Don,

Pomeroy flew the two C-117D Super Gooneys and the one C-47 (sometimes two aboard) we also had two C-45's assigned-I don't recall him every flying one of those. We hauled mostly cargo and personnel, with some vip's moved in the C-47 on occasion. As I recall a fellow named Stanley was the boss of the C-131 a Lt Commander-that aircraft was in a world of its own, explicitly for the use of the Commander Naval Forces Europe in London, at his every wish and beckon. It had its own personally assigned E-8 and E-9 for maintaining and crewing it-the Master Chief taxied it wherever it needed to be positioned. ( yes maintain, they performed almost all the work on it). Us sailors did lots of polishing of the "bird" therefore didn't appreciate its presence much. It would have been a rare occasion for Pomeroy to have flown on it, could have, I just don't recall any such event.

Larry,

I'm thinking there were around 12-15 Nap's in 1969-I can come up with 10 easily. The last four Marine NAP's retired the same day in January 1973-Master Gunnery Sergeant's Joseph Conroy, Robert Lurie (17,600 hours), Leslie Erickson, and Patrick O'Neill. Last Coast Guard NAP Master Chief John P. Greathouse retired February 1979 (14,000 plus hours). Leland Pomeroy, Merton Jackson, Ralph Carr, Kenneth Milburn, and R. K. Jones were active Navy NAP'S. Ralph Carr was the only Senior Chief, rest being Master Chief's. Ralph Carr and Merton Jackson in 1967 made undoubtedly the US Military's last all Enlisted Crew flight, ferrying a P3A from East Coast to West Coast-Carr was Pilot in Command. All Enlisted Crews were not out of the norm much of the early periods of NAP history, but by the 1950's were something to behold, as was rare by then. There was an all enlisted combat crew during Korea, PPC Patrol Plane Commander was a First Class Petty Officer NAP (E-6) flying the PB4Y Navy single tailed B-24. In 1955 there were around 600 NAP'S onboard-that year some 321 were commissioned, that cut down the numbers significantly, from then on it was just a matter of time for the era of the NAP to end. That end was in January 1981 when my Friend Master Chief Robert K. Jones (13,000 plus hours) went on the retired list. He had been the NATOPS evaluator for the C-131 worldwide, anyone requiring a "check ride" flew with him.

Pomeroy was a Senior Chief part of that time, he was advanced to Master Chief during my tour at Mildenhall.

Quinn, Thanks for the clarification. Very interesting stuff.

In 1957/58 I encountered a Marine NAP. Received a call that a transit USMC FJ3 had landed and was requesting fuel and lox. I was dispatched to service lox on the transit jet. When I pulled up to the aircraft there was a typical USMC Gunny getting out of his flight suit. Underneath he was in sharply creased khakis with a high and dry salt and pepper crew cut. He wouldn't allow me or the refueling crew close to the aircraft. He serviced it himself. And secured it for the night. I didn't know what to make of all this. Had no idea there was such a thing as enlisted pilots. I was thinking has this guy stolen the aircraft? I'm guessing that the next morning he caused quite a stir in base ops when he filed his flight plan. There was quite an audience as he got ready to depart .

On a similar note when DOD consolidated navigator training at Mather AFB, and Navy and USMC enlisted troops started to show up the school was beside itself. Enlisted navigators-OMG.

The Navy had several great programs in those days. One that comes to mind was the LDO. Another was the ability to retire with credit for 20 years service while only serving 19 1/2 years. My sister-in--laws husband began his career as an enlisted sailor, became a WO, then an LDO and finally retired a Master Chief.

Don, Been a long time but I thought he was the only pilot in the detachment qualified on both type assigned acft. , R4D and I believe C-131. And he was but one of two enlisted Navy pilots still serving. Recall the Navy troops assigned had high regard for his pilot skills and allowed he was by far the most qualified pilot in the detachment. They said when there was a VIP to be transported he was the pilot.

I remember him from the club. But I thought he was a Senior Chief. Evidently my memory is faulty. Happens a lot these days.

I recall listening to him trying to understand why the Navy was TOPCAPing him out. He was, after all, still capable of performing any and all duties assigned. What a career he must of had.

Often wondered why the Navy, at some point in their career didn't commission their Navel Aviation Pilots as WOs or officers.

I went to a briefing at ACC awhile back and was told that 967 was being modified because they needed more EC's at DMto mod 967.

Then I heard that they were going to park half the EC's at DM to save money. Funny they have enough money to mod 967 at the same time they have 7 EC's about to be parked?

Bob

Bob, You remember the difference between the air force and the boy scouts?

Answer: The boy scouts have adult leadership!!

See you at Pigeon Forge.

Keep you chin up Milly. If you were successfull maintaining F-15s and 16s you are certainly capable of doing the same on your old Herks.

Couldn't tell ya, been out of the loop for over 3 years.

Been that long Tiny. Time fly's when your having fun.

DC10FE

Thanks, Why we say E model B model if it is series w should H, E, or B series

Regards

Munir Abbasi

Munir, Just the way it is. It's incorrect but it's unlikely it will ever change.

Ooops

DC10FE

Thanks, Why we say E model B model if it is series w should H, E, or B series

Regards

Munir Abbasi

Munir, Just the way it is. It's incorrect but it's unlikely it will ever change.

Sometime it's amazing what one learns when reading the TO. And it can make you a hero. lol