Friday on Nellis Blvd

[wckrause]

I knew an old Thunderbird pilot (I dated his daughter). They were flying F-100s at the time and he was the solo. He was an amazing pilot, but a complete *********. I think he runs the Fairbanks, AK airport now.

I got my pilots license at Wright-Patterson A.F.B. in Dayton Ohio at their aero club. The base had a 12 thousand foot runway which we got to share with every type of aircraft. I remember taxing out to wait my turn behind a group of F-16s. The ground shook as they were running their engines up before takeoff. Sometimes I would find myself in the pattern with a C-5 (I was in a Piper Warrior). That was a bit frightening for a student pilot with only a couple dozen hours of flight time.

[tabs]

My Dad was the Materials Engineer for the AF on the B-1 Bomber, among other things. He was quiet accomplished, doing a number of things during his career. He holds several patents, worked on everything from the Rolls Royce Merlin engine, the Paint by Number Co, Plant manager for Canada Dry Bottling, to working on a Atomic Bomb Simulator.

[911SC Pilot]

My Dad use to work for Cubic Inc, who were based at Nellis Air Force Base. His office was inside the hanger that help #5 and #6 of the Thunderbirds. That was a cool thing to be around when your a kid.

[wckrause]

My father, while stationed at Nellis in the late 60s and early 70s, was named Chaplain for the Thunderbirds. I think he got the title "Thunderchaplain". I'm not sure what all that entailed, but he got a cool autographed photo of the Thunderbirds in formation over hoover dam.

[Overpaid Slacker]

Bill -
"Thunderchaplain" -- that is sooooo cool. I'd've had business cards made up w/ that title on it.

Sounds like an interesting superhero name, too.

JP

[wckrause]

When he was a chaplain in Vietnam during the mid 60s, he had a mobile communion van that ran up and down the runway so he could give communion to the pilots and flight crews before their missions. He got the name "bomb blesser" during that time.

[Eric Mckenna]

Originally posted by wckrause
I knew an old Thunderbird pilot (I dated his daughter). They were flying F-100s at the time and he was the solo. He was an amazing pilot, but a complete *********. I think he runs the Fairbanks, AK airport now.

I got my pilots license at Wright-Patterson A.F.B. in Dayton Ohio at their aero club. The base had a 12 thousand foot runway which we got to share with every type of aircraft. I remember taxing out to wait my turn behind a group of F-16s. The ground shook as they were running their engines up before takeoff. Sometimes I would find myself in the pattern with a C-5 (I was in a Piper Warrior). That was a bit frightening for a student pilot with only a couple dozen hours of flight time.

Thats cool I was thinking about getting some class work done there as well.
i can throw a rock and hit the Base from here.
I here those guys Jets all the time as I live right outside W.P.A.F.B.

Eric

[tabs]

"Never hold your farts in"

Ohhhh...My Dad when he was walking through department stores or just anywhere in general would let out these horrendous farts. I would change aisles pretending I didn't know him. He would exclaim, "What do you want me to do, get sick or something?"

[Robert Coats]

Originally posted by pschrup
...C-5s. Watching them take off & land seems like a contradiction of physics.

As a USN aircrewman station as NAS Jacksonville, Fl, in the early 80s, a buddy and I watched a C-5 taxi and roll down the runway. After what seemed like minutes, I shouted "He's not going to make it!! He's going too slo---" and then, the massive aircraft lifted into the sky. Truly a spectacle to see. I can only imagine a landing would be equally impressive.

[ronin]

Originally posted by nostatic
I was always more of an F-104 fan...

ooh, a Starfighter fan. definitely one of the most beautiful airplane shapes ever