Blackbird over the Middle East

reply to post by Zaphod58


it was a wonderful aircraft really,
keeping the belly lights going was a pain..lots of bulbs.
our two main rotations were Kadena and Mildenhall..but..
from there we went to some very wonderful places.
i have great memories of these times

reply to post by autopat51


Oh he and I both love the -135. He had me trained damn near to crew chief levels on that thing by the time I stopped going on the ramp with him. I got to do gear raises, ride brakes, change brakes, engine runs, you name it, I got to do it on the -135 (and a whole bunch of others).

reply to post by Zaphod58


made master crew chief just before i got out
would have stayed in but they disbanded the wing at Beale
we all got orders..mine was Minot ND..working on fighters
the party was over so i exited..

reply to post by autopat51


I don't blame you. The sad part about me being almost at crew chief levels is that I was never in. They rejected me on a minor birth defect, because they were cutting numbers at the time. But I had been going to work with my father since I was little, and by then he was training me, and just kept training me. I got to do more in that almost 30 years than most people get to do in two lifetimes out on the ramp, and loved every second of it.

Originally posted by Zaphod58
reply to post by autopat51

 

My father used to hate Q models. He was a -135 guy for years after his B-52 days. He could walk around any -135 blindfolded, and not hit anything, except that Q model. You guys had that extra antenna for the Blackbirds, and every single time you came in, he walked into it. He had so many scars on his head from that damn thing.

I had to chuckle at this and all the horrible memories. I know you were just making a point, but any 135? Looks like a meat grinder under there...

reply to post by vinceg


Any REGULAR -135. He only worked the tankers not the special mission birds when he was active duty. And yeah those will eat you alive if you aren't careful.