On the 11th of November 1950 the 13th Royal Hellenic Air Force Transport Squadron departs for Japan, to take part in the Korean War effort with the UN Army. The provided sterling serice in support of the UN forces, suffering also losses in action from enemy fire. After 56 years, one of the survivors of this detachment, a real war veteran, C-47A No492622, takes off from 113 CW in Mikra, Thessaloniki. The distinguished passengers are the chairman of the Kyushu Gypsies Aquadron Association Msgt. Joseph L Smith, two HAF Korean war veterans and three journalists, on a commemorative flight:
The weather over the Colorado Plateau and Basin range was bloody fowl yesterday. Had a sweaty departure out of Ogden because I cleverly climbed out over the clouded mountains instead of the Salt Lake (didn't want to get run over by SLC traffic though). Then, I had to take the Metro (fully loaded!) up to FL240 to escape the vapor soup and still got shaken like a Pina Colada. Headwinds took 15 to 20 knots from the ground speed and I ran the engines in "scotsman mode" (minimal fuel consumption). Not fun.
After being instructed to descend back into the soup, the small patch of blue sky was the last piece of friendly sky I saw, right until I crossed the mountain range and the Mojave, in all suddenness, greeted me in all its desert glory. Warm and a few clouds here and there.
ATC cleared me for a visual approach into Las Vegas North, but the controller, as usual was a bit overzealous and expected me to lose about 5000 ft during the ten mile final for runway 9R. Since this doesn't qualify as a stabilized approach, I went around and got dragged out by 15 nm toward Nellis with instructions for a visual to runway 25. This was actually quite fun as the weather was perfect for hand flying and you had to remain on the lookout for traffic into LAS.
In fact, it was so much fun that I didn't mind the second go-around due to a bizjet blocking the runway. Came in a bit high and the touchdown was ho-hum, but you can't have everything.
Still considering my next destination. Maybe hauling some casino supplies to Reno?
This happened to me back over Phoenix AZ around 1982 or so. My flight instructor, the insane AJ Wolf, was able to get me to the point where stalls and spins were no big deal, quite an accomplishment actually, and I asked him if we could do some aerobatics. So we went down the KPHX and rented an Aerobat, climbed to 4000 feet south of the airport. The first maneuver he demonstrated was a barrel roll. As we reached the upside down position, he stopped the rotation and we stayed upside down...to me, for what seemed an eternity. The plane started to make all these funny noises, bits of detritus was falling off the floor and into our faces, and I was so scared I got tunnel vision. In my discombobulation I thought we were in a dive, upside down, and the wings would soon come off.
After a few more moments he continued the roll and we turned right side up. I hit him in the arm and said something to the effect of WTF!!!!!!!!!!!
He said 'well, I saw another plane out there and I wanted to keep him in my view'.
After my heart started beating again, we went through some more barrel rolls, some loops, some falling leaves, etc.
As far as I know, the Aerobat IS made to do ... well...aerobatics! And heck, we've all see the DC-8 do a barrel roll down very low in the desert. It looks like that's quite the maneuverable little plane, so I don't see a barrel roll as being out of it's capabilities at all. even will the big "tundra tires" on it.
Heck, when I was learning to fly gliders long and long ago I learned a lot of aerobatics. I learned them, of all things, from a couple hawks that lived in the cliffs near Calistoga, where the gliderport was. They would come out and fly formation on me for a while, looking me over while I was soaring the ridge lift. Then, when they were sure I was watching them, one would take off and do a roll, or loop, or whatever, and wait for me to follow them through it. I learned a LOT from that little game with them. One would do something, the other stayed on me, like it was welded to my plane. Eventually, we would get to play chase me, where I would chase one as long as I could. When they got bored or tired, though, they cheated. They just pulled up short and landed on the cliff face. Not exactly in my envelope!
Has a blast that summer...
Thanks for a near pic and story, David. Very enjoyable indeed.
Pat☺
FSX
And heck, we've all see the DC-8 do a barrel roll down very low in the desert. It looks like that's quite the maneuverable little plane, so I don't see a barrel roll as being out of it's capabilities at all. even will the big "tundra tires" on it.
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