GET HOMEITUS?

A True Story From The Annals Of Clinton County Air Force Base History

By Paul Hunter

-GET HOMEITUS?

On a damp and cloudy Thursday morning in December of 1964 an Ohio Air National Guard KC-97G tanker 52-2920, of the 160 ARG, departed Clinton County Air Force Base on what was planned as a routine local training mission.-----

Several active-duty, enlisted crew members from the locally based navigation training unit were riding along in order to log flying hours to qualify for flight pay.

Prior to departure a request was made from the Governor’s off ice that the flight include a quick stop at Miami airport to pick up some civilian passenger seats for Governor Rhoads’ C-47. The crew chief of the gooney bird accompanied us on the flight,

For reasons lost to time, the crew was augmented with additional crewmembers. The crew consisted of an air tech Instructor pilot (IP), a Guardsman pilot who worked for the state highway department, a Guardsman co-pilot who was employed by Sears, a Guardsman navigator, an active duty air advisor boom operator and two technician flight engineers.

The narrator of this report dead-headed on the Clinton County to Miami leg that ended with an uneventful landing, loading of the seats and take off for home base. As I recall we did not pick up any seats. The contact at Miami airport knew nothing about passenger seats. So are trip to Miami was in vain.

With the narrator at the engineers panel, the return leg was uneventful up to the point when, crossing the Ohio River, the crew contacted home base. Clinton County reported low cloud cover, fog, rain and 0/0 visibility. After confirming that there was no chance of the weather changing that day the IP decided to divert and spend the night in Memphis and try to return the following day.

After spending a long night in the transit quarters without even basic toiletries or a change of clothes the crew gathered at Base operations and checked the Clinton County weather. The forecast was for only a slight change of conditions from the previous day but some clearing was expected as the day progressed, however there was no guarantees. The IP decided to give it a try and see if we could get in. The rest of the crew, being anxious to get home, supported his decision.

The narrator, having flown the previous days leg became a passenger for the home bound flight. We passengers were engaged in a heated game of hearts as we crossed the Ohio River. The game was momentarily interrupted by the information from the cockpit that the weather at Clinton County was still marginal. The Control tower was reporting 200 feet and one half mile visibility, the legal limit for landing

With the IP in the pilots seat for the expected low visibility approach and landing Ground Control Approach (GCA) was contacted for a radar-controlled approach to landing. At this time another tanker crew on the ground, who was monitoring our approach on radio informed the IP that they were waiting for him to get on the ground so that he could go to Bermuda with them.

On the first approach attempt GCA informed the pilot that he was at GCA minimum altitude and if he did not have the runway in sight to initiate a missed approach and go around for another attempt.

On the second approach, again at GCA minimum altitude, the co-pilot shouted that he had the runway in sight and the pilot continued the approach to landing. As the aircraft broke out of the fog cover the pilot saw that he was misaligned with the runway and the plane was heading directly toward a C-119 on the right that was awaiting take off clearance from the control tower. The pilot then made a violent left bank just a few feet above the ground that resulted in the left wing contacting the ground. The pilot then over corrected and the aircraft veered off the right side of the runway missing the 119. The plane plowed through the soft turf between the runway and the adjoining taxiway and headed toward the hangar and control tower area. To the narrator the plane appeared to be following its own uncontrolled course.

During this wild ride the narrator was in the rear compartment of the aircraft crouching behind the left scanners seat. Aware that escape hatches tend to get stuck in the airframe the narrator, with the boom operator’s assistance managed to remove the left rear hatch prior to impact.

The aircraft next struck the taxiway and as a result veered away toward the fuel and oil truck parking area.

The plane was going so fast that when the left external wing tank impacted and sheared off in an oil truck it was hardy noticeable. Next the number one engine smashed into the side of a 10,000 gallon fuel truck and we still rolled on for a bit. The aircraft finally rolled to a stop a few feet short of the rapidly vacating control tower.

The narrator and the boom operator were preparing to exit the left rear escape hatch using the escape rope when but when we looked out we saw a stream of fire coming from behind number two engine and like a liquid fuse heading for the destroyed fuel truck. Going to plan B we noticed that the right over wing hatch had been opened by some one coming from the cockpit and since the wing flaps were partially down several people made a sliding departure from the now burning aircraft. One of the passengers attempting to exit at the right rear escape hatch panicked and froze in the opening only to be kicked in the back by another passenger and he fell about 20 feet to the ground, injuring his back.

After counting heads and dragging the injured passenger clear we all got away from the burning plane as fast as we could.

Fortunately the rain had washed the fuel fuse away before it could reach the leaking fuel truck and a major explosion and secondary fire was avoided. The aircraft was consumed in flames but fire and rescue personnel were finally able to extinguish the flames but not before the aft section burned off and fell to the ground.

The only injuries were to the passenger and to a couple of crew who received rope burns on their hands due to not wearing gloves.

The narrative was written 43 years after the incident and memory fades a little in that time span. If readers find factual errors please feel free to send in correction or additions. This story is being published with the permission of the IP involved.

The narrator: Paul Hunter

An Airman's story Part III

At Randolph we were assigned to a “casual” flight while awaiting crew up and the start of phase one or transition flight phase. Even though RanAn Airman's story Part IIIdolph was a modern base with Spanish motif architecture we were put in old open bay wooden barracks. If, as often happened, we casuals were not assigned to some make work project such as KP we spent the day swimming , golfing, playing basketball or bowling at the bases extensive recreational venues. It was great fun while it lasted but we were impatiently waiting for the start of B-29 transition training.

At Randolph we joined by radio operators from Keesler AFB, Gunners from Lowery AFB at Denver and pilot, navigators and bombardiers. Many of the rated guys were recalled reservists from WWII.

As A/2c we were not allowed to be full members of the great NCO club but in order to bolster membership we were made associate members. At the club we were able to mingle with the ladies from the WAF detachment as well as local girls bused in for the Saturday night dances. One highlight of the week was when the word spread that the Lone Star or Pearl beer salesmen were at the club and buying rounds for all comers.

While in the casual flight a civilian brother of one our barracks mates came to visit. Due to the ever shifting personnel in the flight no one noticed when we gave him a bunk with name tag and a set of fatigues He lived with us for a while and. for $10 he would pull KP in our name.

During this time we made several trips the bass personnel office, showed them our contract from Sheppard and asked them when we were going to receive our promised promotion to A/1c. The response was always check back later.

After a month or two we were finally ordered to flight operations to begin combat crew transition training. We were placed on flight status that gave us a significant pay raise. We were so proud of our newly issued wool flight suits, fur collard jackets that we wore them around the base. After all we were grizzled, fifteen month members of the USAF Training Command.

The first day of the transition course included the crew-up meeting where we met remote turret gunners from Lowery AFB near Denver, radio operators from Keesler AFB, Mississippi as well as pilots and navigators from all over the Air Force including recalled reservists from WW II. All new crewmembers were given a test developed by psychologists called the Human Resource, Reliability and Compatibility (HRRC) profile. This was a concept that attempted to place crew member of similar cultural, geographical and psychological backgrounds together as a cohesive combat crew.

Transition training -so named because it’s purpose was to train pilots from other aircraft types- consisted primarily of practice take offs, landings around the flag pole of the western of the two Randolph runways.

Finally we were setting at the engineer’s panel, a position that we had been training a year for. With back-pack chutes strapped on and throat mikes in place; turbo boost set to seven producing 47” of manifold pressure; the fuel injected R-3350 engine at 2800RPM off we roared. We were now truly Airman.

On the B-29 the cockpit area was connected to the rear compartment by a narrow tunnel that passed through the un-pressurized bomb bays. One of the training requirements was for the student to make a tunnel crawl. During a night crawl my back pack brushed some wires and I noticed a shower of sparks behind me in the tunnel. The tunnel went dark and when I emerged into the pitch-black cockpit I noticed the instructor engineer with flashlight in hand replacing a fuse. I said nothing.

Flying safety in those days was at best a secondary concern of the powers that were trying to build the cold war bomber force. During my time a Randolph a 29 struck a broadcast radio tower during landing and crashed and burned at the end of the runway. Another bomber landed while on fire and subsequently burned up on the runway as a result of a propeller deicing fluid tank explosion. On another occasion an instructor gunner fell to his death when a hatch separating the rear compartment from the rear bomb bay blew out throwing the gunner through the doors and into the Gulf of Mexico. His body washed ashore a few weeks later. That same year an F-84 struck one of the towers on the Taj Mahal like base headquarters and crashed in front of the base chapel.

After accruing 45 of the 50 hours required for advancement to phase two, strategic bombing training, the axe fell on the entire B-29 training program. With the end of the Korean conflict the need for new crews ended. The 29 was being phased out to be replaced by the B-50, B-36 and the new jet powered B-47 aircraft. What did this development portend for we experimentals?

Engineers, gunners and other experienced crewmembers that were re-crewing at Randolph were sent back to their operational units. We young troops had no unit and the personnel office had to figure out what to do with these homeless orphans.

Because of our unorthodox training background we had not acquired a proper AFSC. This specialty code was normally assigned after OJT training at an operational unit. We Air Training Command warriors had no such unit. Since certain AFSC levels are directly related to promotion we were out of sync with the system. The reader will recall that back at Sheppard we were promised certain promotions at the various stages of our training and we were supposed to be E-4s (A/1C) at this juncture. When we pressed base personnel for our promotion we were informed that the rules had changed and we were neither entitled to nor qualified for advancement. As a result we were transferred from the student squadron to a B-29 tow target squadron as entry-level mechanics and removed from flight status. We had neither the rank nor the proper AFSC to become crew members on these special mission bombers. We kissed our dreams of becoming flight engineers goodbye at this point.

A Friendly Warning

to ABX/ATSG @ Wilmington Air Park

To obtain state assisted financing for the $14.5 million JUMP hangar construction the Clinton County Port Authority along with the new hangar's operator ATSG/ABX promised to create 259 new, good paying jobs. Normally companies are not required to release employment numbers to the public, however. in the case of the JUMP hangar, the local taxpayers have an interest in the outcome. $500,000 of our own money was invested in the venture and a 23 year property tax abatement incentive was granted to the company. Additionally our Port Authority is contributing $270,000 a year in a rental reduction agreement. Are we not due an update? The facility was opened for use earlier this year.

Paul Hunter

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2014/09/30/ohio-cracks-down-when-companies-fall-short.html

Ohio cracking down on tax breaks when companies fall short

The state is getting tougher with companies that don’t follow through on plans to add jobs and make investments in return for tax incentives. The Ohio Tax Credit Authority revised or canceled incentive contracts with 105 companies yesterday, an unusually large number to be done on one day.

Airman's Story Part II

Airman's Story Part II
I used my acquired poker skills to good advantage and that added to my income from my $99 monthly pay. My year at OSU wasn’t totally wasted after all.
Near the end of the A&E course the upper ten percent of my class was offered an opportunity to become Flight Engineers on B-29 bombers. The Air Force was searching for more crew members to man the primary heavy bomber used in the air war over North Korea. The offer was made as an experimental program to man the primary heavy bomber used in the air war over North Korea. The offer was made as an experimental program to see if students without actual maintenance experience could become qualified engineers. The standard requirement was for applicants to the engineer career field to be a staff sergeant and have at least three years of aircraft maintenance experience.
We volunteers for the program were pulled out of A&E school and assigned to a newly formed, two month long B-29 maintenance course at Sheppard followed by a promotion Airman 2nd class. [E-3]
After completing the B-29 course at Sheppard we “experimentals” were sent to Chanute AFB at Rantoul, Illinois. At Chanute we received three months of advanced B-29 systems training followed by an intensive three-month aircraft performance course.
While at Chanute we few two stripers were assigned to the same open-bay barracks as the regular Staff and Tech Sergeant students. Since NCOs were not required to march to school nor perform KP we fellow members of the Flight Engineer student squadron piggybacked on the privilege. We thought we were hot stuff.
The system phase of our training consisted of learning the fine points of turbo superchargers, pneumatics, electrical power generation, hydraulics and engine technology systems as applied to the B-29.
While at Chanute I witnessed my first Thunderbird’s show. They flew straight wing F-84 in 1953. 
I witnessed more of the graft that seemed to be prevalent in the Training Command in those days. The base commander, a certain General Gates, closed the base one weekend and no students were allowed to leave the base. A carnival was set up on the flight line, complete with rides and a midway all students were encouraged to attend by the student squadron commanders. On another occasion that summer the base was again closed to outgoing traffic and many airman were ordered to assist in the staging of a sports car race/rally on the taxiways and runway. A few years later the Air Force revealed that Gen. Gates has financial interests in both of these activities and relieved him from active duty. These Training Command scandals were brought to a head and stopped as a result of the Lackland roller skating rip off. “Some high ranking base officers were accused of requiring basic trainees to participate in roller skating or horseback riding as part of their physical training - then getting a monetary kick back from the rink and stables. The scandal drew national interest; instructors were ordered not to talk about it. But they did. A large percentage of MTI's were forced into the program against their will.”
After the systems phase we began the aircraft performance phase also called cruise control school. Imitating my upperclassmen I purchased a brief case, engineer’s scale, cut into a small sections, but I didn’t purchase a slide rule as some did. If the Air Force wanted me to have one they would issue it, and they did. I was an engineering student albeit not at a university. However. the course was designed by the nearby University of Illinois Aeronautical Engineering department and rated as worth 18 credit hours.
Learning the functions of the slide rule gave me the math insight that had eluded me at OSU. Those gas law ratios, cube and square roots became clear when presented on the ruled surface of that simple instrument. 
We leaned to construct aircraft performance charts from basic test flight data, During the flight planning section we determined the minimum fuel required so as to maximize the bomb load. We learned how to apply lever physics to the weight and balance problem in order to obtain the center of gravity of varying of fuel and bomb loads. 
The experimental students did well in the academic atmosphere of performance school. We defied the normal washout rate when 100 percent of us completed the course.
Near the end of the course, responding to requests from the on base recruiting office, I investigated the cadet program for pilots. In an effort to build up the pilot corps the Air Force was waiving the college requirement and allowing applicants to enter the program after scoring well on an intensive testing regime. When I realized that if I took the offer I would be committed to a five- year service obligation I declined the offer. 
In July of 1953 the Korean action ended but we students hardly noticed. The bomber school was still starting new classes and it seemed to we 18 year olds that life would go on as planned.
fter our October graduation we received orders assigning us to a student squadron at Randolph AFB in San Antonio, Texas for crew assignment and flight training. We did not receive the promised third stripe at graduation but we were not too upset. We were going to fly!
A classmate from New Hampshire who had an actual car agreed to pick up us easterners from our homes and we would travel to Texas together. (To be continued)

An Airman"s Story

AN AIRMAN'S STORY

Part I

After four years of easy courses, little or no study, football, school plays and fun I graduated from high school in 1951. Without a plan or ambition I just knew that I did not want to stay on the farm with my brothers and parents. To many sons and too little land when combined with ten years of milking cows twice a day, 365 days a year were factors leading to an aversion to farm life.

Looking around at my buddies that spring I realized that they had plans such as going to college or joining the service. Since the idea of a military life didn’t appeal to me and with the Korean conflict increasing the chances of being drafted, marriage or college were the only options. With little preparation or forethought I choose the college route. My teachers had often reminded me that I was capable of much better academically than my grades indicated. and with this rationale I thought all I had to do was start studying to be a successful college student.

That fall Woody Hayes and I started our tenures at OSU. I moved into the stadium dorms and began a new phase of my life. Many of my open bay dorm mates were old men of 20 to 25 years old and attending college on the GI bill.

I learned a lot that year. The veterans taught me to play poker, to their benefit and not mine. I learned to drink pitchers of draft beer while taking part in pseudo-intellectual conversations in the High St. bars. Most importantly I learned that without a math background and with poor study habits, college was not going to be an extension of high school. Lacking the basic math skills required for chemistry classes I was unable to grasp even the basics of the gas laws I decided to cut class and learn tennis from friends. College was not a total loss because I absorbed some intellectual insights from my exposure to the serious students and the general academic atmosphere of a university. The lessons learned outside of the classroom have served me well in my life.

I did succeed in the mandatory ROTC program. I didn’t choose the Air Force branch the Air Force got me by default. On our first day of class the instructor had us line up in front of him in our Army uniforms. He then shouted that all men on his left were in the Army ROTC and all on his right were Air Force.

Woody lost his first game to lowly Indiana and I joined the chorus singing “Goodbye Woody, Goodbye Woody, we hate to see you go”. We predicted that Mr. Hayes would not last more than one season at the “grave yard of coaches.” I barely survived my first year earning a stellar 1.75 GPA

I headed back to the farm for the summer with no idea of what I would do. After unsuccessfully applying for summer jobs my welcome at home was wearing thin. In those days young men were expected to leave home seek his own life or accept a subordinate position in the family business of farming. I received notice that OSU had placed me on academic probation. That information when coupled with increasing family tensions at home drove me to find a way out.

One afternoon in mid July of 1952 I hitch hiked the 18 miles to the Army recruiting station in Springfield. Sgt Klontz, the recruiter asked me what branch of service I preferred. Because my main reason for enlisting was to get away from home. I answered that it made no difference. Luckily he choose the Air Force for me.

When I informed my parents of my impending departure for the Air Force I noticed a barely suppressed smile on my father’s face. On the first day of August of 1952 my Dad dropped me off at the recruiting station where we said our goodbyes

Myself and several other recruits took a bus to the Ft. Hayes induction center in Columbus. We were given physicals, aptitude tests, sworn in. We were then bused over to the train station and given a train ticket to Syracuse in upstate New York.

At the end of my first ever train ride we were met by a blue Air Force bus and hauled of to Sampson AFB, across Lake Seneca from Geneva, N. Y. Sampson, like Parks AFB in California was a WWII Navy base that had been reactivated by the newly formed Air Force to accommodate the huge influx of new recruits for the cold war build up of forces. Sampson, Lackland and Parks in California were all basic training bases without planes or runways.

Getting off the bus at Sampson we newly minted Airman Basics were greeted by the ubiquitous shouting drill instructors, some still dressed in Army uniforms. We were issued our winter blue and summer khaki uniforms along with one-piece, olive drab fatigue coveralls. Thus began the time honored military tradition of breaking down individual personalities and instilling fear of, and subordination to, authority.

I realized that I would have to bury my anti-authority attitude if I was going to succeed in this program. I considered it my last chance to do something with my life.

Near the end of the eight weeks of training we were asked to list our preferences for an Air Force career field. My first choice was gunnery school and the second was a six months long aircraft and engine (A&E) maintenance school at Shepard AFB at Wichita Falls, Texas.

Against all odds I completed basic training and received my first promotion from Airman Basic to Airman 3^rd class and was assigned to A&E school.

A chartered DC-3 carried a planeload of us potential aircraft mechanics from Syracuse Airport to Shepard AFB. When we deplaned in the middle of the night the first thing I noticed was the pungent odor of the Burkburnett oil refineries in the air. Now, whenever I detect that aroma, I am transported back to that October night in 1952.

The Korean conflict was at its peak in 1952 and the newly formed Air Force was in a major buildup phase to recover from the post WWII draw down. Sheppard’s sole mission then was to train aircraft mechanics for all the aircraft in the AF inventory, mostly WWII vintage planes.

The school operated in three shifts, 24 hours a day. My student squadron and flight were assigned to “C” shift from 16:00 to 24:00 hrs. We were required to march to and from school each day, passing in review and paced by a stationary military band. The academic courses were divided into phases such as engines, electric, hydraulics etc.

At the completion of each phase the flight was given a day off. The squadron, however used these “phase days” to assign the students to extra duty, mostly as KP slaves. We would report to the mess hall at 05:00 and work until 20:00, cleaning tables, scrubbing pots and pans etc. We worked under the supervision of sadistic of full time mess hall personnel. The work was hard and degrading.

We were allowed to go to down on weekends on day passes and wear civilian clothes. In those low paying times the civilian clothing consisted of khaki uniform pants rolled up at the cuff, black low quarters, a civilian belt and some form of aloha shirt. The civilian items were passed back and forth as the need arose.

The residents of the then small town of Wichita Falls were less than welcoming to military people. “Lock up your daughters”. The Yankees are coming.

I spent most of my off duty time on base. I did send home for some of my college clothes including pegged pants and white bucks. I had to have the clothes altered to compensate for the 40 pounds I has lost since enlisting. Many of us went to the on base movies when not in school or on extra duty. The three theaters were open 24 hours a day to accommodate the three shifts of school. The movies were first run, uncut versions of the latest from Hollywood.

The petty graft that I had first encountered in Basic continued at Sheppard. Each payday we were required to contribute to the “red cross fund” in order to receive our pay. I later learned that my squadron commander, a non-rated Captain, faced a court marital and was found guilty of fraud and extortion.

(To be continued) 

Let The Sunshine Through

Not enough sun in Ohio for solar produced electric power to be effective? Think again. In the three years of operation, the small and already outdated and inefficient solar array on Nelson Ave has produced 234,255 kilowatt hours (KWH) for city use.

Some day in the distant future all the available carbon based oil and gas will be gone and if we continue to use dirty coal our grandchildren and their children will be at risk of a climate change that will negatively affect their lives. On the other hand the sun will shine and the wind will blow because we can't use them up.

So far the little solar array that could has prevented the burning of 100 tons of coal. In addition, since each ton of coal when burned combines with atmospheric oxygen to produce three tons of the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide that's 300 tons of CO2 not not released into the atmosphere.

For a technical explanation of coal combustion see: http://www.eia.gov/coal/production/quarterly/co2_article/co2.html

Paul Hunter budhunter@frontier.com

Need A Ride?

Car in the shop and need to get to work?

Grandmother is no longer able to drive and has a doctors appointment.

Handicapped neighbor can't afford to buy and maintain a car but needs to spend money at the grocery store.

Grandfather has seldom missed Sunday services but he can no longer drive to church. S

An out of state, family emergency, arises and you need to get to the Columbus as soon a possible and have no options.

Who do you call for safe affordable transportation to meet these needs and maintain your independence?

Wilmington Public Transit System, better known as “City Cab”, can meet these needs. City Cab is a taxpayer supported affordable transportation system using customer fares, city, state and federal funds to assures that our city and county's growing senior population is not mobility limited. Merchants, families and medical practices all benefit from the service. It makes our community livable and likeable.

Warning: In the State legislature and in the governor's office the push to cut taxes and reduce the amount of tax money returned to local communities is forcing a possible reduction to this service. Fares will have to be raised and/or the city's strapped general fund will have to be raided. State funding is falling at the same time as public transportation needs are rapidly increasing.

Call or write our Representative Cliff Rosenberger, and State Senator.

http://www.ohiohouse.gov/cliff-rosenberger/contact

District 91 77 S. High St
13th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone (614) 466-3506

http://www.ohiosenate.gov/peterson/contact
Senate Building
1 Capitol Square, Ground Floor
Columbus, OH 43215 
Phone (614) 466-8156

Posted by Paul Hunter