Lensatic Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoo Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 (edited) 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, 2014 by Spoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lensatic Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 Just for fun. Thanks, Spoo! The Super D was fun. Unless you forgot to vacuum the floor before turning it upside down. ;) LS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiFlyer Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 (edited) 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, 2014 by HiFlyer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lensatic Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiFlyer Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 Sorry, that was fall of 1973 for me. My memory isn't that good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lensatic Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 (edited) 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, 2014 by Len Satic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarHeelPilot Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 The ULTRALORD aka Cory broke 3,000 hours of U-2 time this week in the desert. HAIL DRAGONS! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoo Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 (edited) No, not just for fun, Spoo.... Well, shit. I had a 50/50 shot. Edit: Fixed my original post. Edited October 5, 2014 by Spoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuggyU2 Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 Thank you for the kind words, Spoo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiFlyer Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matmacwc Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 (edited) Whattya doing now Huggy? Edited October 6, 2014 by matmacwc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Whattya doing now Huggy? Posted from the NEW Baseops.net App! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobs Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Whattya doing now Huggy? Back to United? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lensatic Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 (edited) 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, 2014 by Len Satic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaft34 Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 (edited) deleted Edited October 7, 2014 by Shaft34 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jughead Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 (edited) Could this be why Huggy finally retired...? Plan to “optionally man” the U-2 EDIT: fix link Edited November 26, 2014 by Jughead 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hacker Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 If it is anything like Huggy's numerous previous "retirements", I'm sure he'll be back on active duty sometime soon. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZwildcat Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Plan to “optionally man” the U-2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEFOE P Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuggyU2 Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 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. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danger41 Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcola Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 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... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matmacwc Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LumberjackAxe Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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