Flying

In these pages I will tell stories and show pictures that are still vivid in my memory. Question: What makes memories vivid and long lasting? Answer: Intensity. Nearly every flight I made was intense, and so I have memories from parts of hundreds of flights. My total flying time, including student pilot, was 6,441 hours, which is quite a lot for military flying. The following pages are not all in chronological order.

Pilot Training School with the T-6 and B-25

Flight Instructor Days

T-6, T-28, and B-25 (reciprocating engine planes - first tour of duty as flight instructor)

T-33 and T-37 (jet powered planes - second tour of duty as flight instructor)

C-47 days in Texas, Korea and Japan

Strategic Air Command Days with the B-47

NOT QUITE FINISHED! In 2009, pushing 85 years of age, I got "private glider" added to my old commercial pilot license. With my Practical Test completed on December 2nd, this is still quite new to me, and I have a lot to learn about soaring. I will add pictures and tell stories as I go along.

Here are photos showing preparation for the last two flights I ever made as an Air Force pilot. I had two Austrian Air Force sergeants in my squadron for training in air traffic control. They were getting "on the job" training in the GCA unit (radar ground controlled approach). I thought it would be very good for their training as well as a useful diplomatic gesture if each of them got a ride in an Air Force plane to see the airborne side of what they were doing. I had to get special permission from Air Force headquarters to give each of these young men a flight in a T33 jet aircraft. I got the base photographer to come and take photos.

These flights were made on October 18th and 20th, 1965. We were at Myrtle Beach AFB, South Carolina. The reason they were my last flights is that I had reached 15 years as a pilot and was no longer in a job that required flying. I was about to be administratively "grounded." I was not happy about that, so I retired as soon as reaching 20 years active duty.

A point of great satisfaction to me as a former flight instructor is that with only the briefest time of instruction for him, I was able to let the first student land the plane, although he had never flown before.

Here are pictures of my Air Force wings. I don't have the basic pilot wings any more, so I couldn't photograph them, but I do have senior and command pilot plus the basic navigator wings.

The difference in the pilot wings is that basic pilot has no star or other added feature. To get the Senior Pilot rating (with star), one has to complete seven years of flying and attain a certain number of total flying hours, so much "weather," night, etc. I don't remember all those details, but I remember that I had all the hours in the first two years.

Command Pilot (star and wreath) required more flying experience and a total of 15 years of flying.

My basic navigator rating was simply from having completed the school. I never had duty as a navigator.