by Phil Rowe
Twice in my career I moved up to a new airplane only to discover that engineering problems precluded flying in the craft. First it was the brand new B-52, back in 1957 at Castle Air Force Base, California. Those Stratofortresses were grounded for a time because of mechanical problems, just a little thing like alternators blowing up. And then there was the budget crunch that Spring which further kept the birds grounded because the Air Force didn't have funds enough to buy jet fuel. It was near the end of the fiscal year.
The second time I was stymied was in 1960 when I joined the exciting new B-58 program. That was at Carswell AFB, Texas and the problems were again engineering. The birds were still in flight test and problems arose which grounded the fleet.
Twice my urgent need for flying time was satisfied by a venerable old airplane, the wonderful C-47 "Gooney Bird". Requirements back then called for four hours of logged flying time per month to keep both my aeronautical rating current and to ensure no interruption of flight pay. Loss of either would have been serious.
A Gooney Bird at Castle AFB was known as Shady Lady. She was specially equipped for electronic countermeasures training and practice. Radio receivers and jamming transmitters designed to counter ground radar systems were installed in her cargo bay, along with a huge auxiliary power generator at the aft end. We flew Shady Lady up and down the Imperial Valley from Bakersfield to Sacramento while practicing our skills against Air Defense Command radars. And that flying time was really important.
Next it was a Gooney Bird known as "Hustler's Mother" to save my bacon. The B-58, known as the Hustler, often required expedited support and special delivery of spare parts. That Gooney Bird flew around the country to pick up and bring back essential parts to keep the Hustlers flying. Many navigators, like me, went along to obtain essential flying time. "Mother" was a most welcome friend.
It seems a bit ironic that my entry into the latest and greatest flying programs was thwarted twice, and each time the venerable old workhorse from WWII came to my rescue. The Gooney Bird was always there, dependable and ready to fly.
(About 375 words)