Great thread. Congratulations, Huggy!

It took me a couple of days to read through the 33 pages, but it was very interesting. I noticed that some of you drivers date back to the early '70s. After my time in the Army, I got my Private Ticket at Ryan Field, SW of Tucson. While I was there I met a U-2 pilot who came out to the flight school and took tail-dragger lessons in the Super Decathlon. I believe that he spent time on the other side of the field with the glider guys, too. Question: Was that required or was he just doing it for fun?

LS

Great thread. Congratulations, Huggy!

It took me a couple of days to read through the 33 pages, but it was very interesting. I noticed that some of you drivers date back to the early '70s. After my time in the Army, I got my Private Ticket at Ryan Field, SW of Tucson. While I was there I met a U-2 pilot who came out to the flight school and took tail-dragger lessons in the Super Decathlon. I believe that he spent time on the other side of the field with the glider guys, too. Question: Was that required or was he just doing it for fun?

LS

Just for fun. It was req'd.

Edited October 5, 201411 yr by Spoo

Just for fun.

Thanks, Spoo! The Super D was fun. Unless you forgot to vacuum the floor before turning it upside down. ;)

LS

No, not just for fun, Spoo, although it certainly was fun! In the early to mid-seventies (until we left D-M in '76) all the new guys that hadn't flown some tail dragger went to Ryan Field to fly the Super D. It was about an hour flight with a quick trip up to fly it for five minutes and do some stalls, then into the pattern for about 40 minutes of landings to get the feel of a tail wheel landing and ground handling. I think it really helped when I got in the CT the first time. I tried to get them to do it when we got to Beale...they had the airplane at Yuba County airport and it was only about a $100 a ride. If we saved one extra training flight a year we'd have been money ahead. Alas, I guess because they didn't do it in the SR, we couldn't either.

Edited October 3, 201411 yr by HiFlyer

No, not just for fun, Spoo, although it certainly was fun! In the early to mid-seventies (until we left D-M in '76) all the new guys that hadn't flown some tail dragger went to Ryan Field to fly the Super D. It was about an hour flight with a quick trip up to fly it for five minutes and do some stalls, then into the pattern for about 40 minutes of landings to get the feel of a tail wheel landing and ground handling. I think it really helped when I got in the CT the first time. I tried to get them to do it when we got to Beale...they had the airplane at Yuba County airport and it was only about a $100 a ride. If we saved one extra training flight a year we'd have been money ahead. Alas, I guess because they didn't do it in the SR, we couldn't either.

Do you remember the instructor? A little Filipino perhaps?

LS

Sorry, that was fall of 1973 for me. My memory isn't that good.

Sorry, that was fall of 1973 for me. My memory isn't that good.

You might have been the guy I met unless there were several of you at that time. I got my PPL in Feb. '74 (I had to check my Logbook. ;)) . He was the only Super D instructor. And I may have been his last student. He had a stroke the night I got my ticket and he was only in his mid-30s. I never saw him again because I started flying out of Freeway for my Commercial. I do know that he died in 2005 at 65, though.

LS

Edited October 4, 201411 yr by Len Satic

The ULTRALORD aka Cory broke 3,000 hours of U-2 time this week in the desert.

HAIL DRAGONS!

No, not just for fun, Spoo....

Well, shit. I had a 50/50 shot.

Edit: Fixed my original post.

Edited October 5, 201411 yr by Spoo

Thank you for the kind words, Spoo.

You might have been the guy I met unless there were several of you at that time. I got my PPL in Feb. '74 (I had to check my Logbook. ;)) . He was the only Super D instructor. And I may have been his last student. He had a stroke the night I got my ticket and he was only in his mid-30s. I never saw him again because I started flying out of Freeway for my Commercial. I do know that he died in 2005 at 65, though.

LS

Not sure. There were a bunch of us arriving at that time (later 1973) because of a test program that they were using the old C-models to fly. There were probably at least a dozen guys, all going over to do their one ride in the Super D before flying the CT. I don't recall visiting the glider people on my visit.

Whattya doing now Huggy?

Edited October 6, 201411 yr by matmacwc

Whattya doing now Huggy?

Posted from the NEW Baseops.net App!

Whattya doing now Huggy?

Back to United?

Not sure. There were a bunch of us arriving at that time (later 1973) because of a test program that they were using the old C-models to fly. There were probably at least a dozen guys, all going over to do their one ride in the Super D before flying the CT. I don't recall visiting the glider people on my visit.

Rats! It would have been a great "It's a small world" story, though. ;) The gliders were only there on weekends and special gatherings. Whoever it was, I think that we just recommended a visit to the glider field. The glider strip is a paved runway now.

LS

Edited October 7, 201411 yr by Len Satic

deleted

Edited October 7, 201411 yr by Shaft34

Could this be why Huggy finally retired...?

Plan to “optionally man” the U-2

EDIT: fix link

Edited November 26, 201410 yr by Jughead

If it is anything like Huggy's numerous previous "retirements", I'm sure he'll be back on active duty sometime soon.

Plan to “optionally man” the U-2

So where do you send a bunch of U-2 pilots when they someday actually do cancel the program?

Finest AWAC'er initial qual class in decades?

Based on when they will probably cancel the U-2, most of the younger pilots will go to the new U-4 transonic high altitude recon platform.

A handful may be initial cadre in the SR-76.

Some of the older pilots will go to AETC to fly the T-52 trainer (an Alenia M-346). A few will get to fly the new T-6 replacement.

Based on when they will probably cancel the U-2, most of the younger pilots will go to the new U-4 transonic high altitude recon platform.

A handful may be initial cadre in the SR-76.

Some of the older pilots will go to AETC to fly the T-52 trainer (an Alenia M-346). A few will get to fly the new T-6 replacement.

F-35 still in development

So where do you send a bunch of U-2 pilots when they someday actually do cancel the program?

Finest AWAC'er initial qual class in decades?

SWA, DAL, AA, Alaskan, Hawaiian...

Based on when they will probably cancel the U-2, most of the younger pilots will go to the new U-4 transonic high altitude recon platform.

A handful may be initial cadre in the SR-76.

Some of the older pilots will go to AETC to fly the T-52 trainer (an Alenia M-346). A few will get to fly the new T-6 replacement.

Thanks for the update on what you are doing.

So where do you send a bunch of U-2 pilots when they someday actually do cancel the program?

Finest AWAC'er initial qual class in decades?

SpaceX? Virgin Galactic?