Yesterday, my wife found my dzus key.\u00a0 Afterward, I found myself thinking more about the T-28B Trojan which was the first Navy airplane I flew in flight training. \u00a0Here is another memory I have from that time in my life.<\/p>\n
There were five of us in my T-28 class.\u00a0 The day we started, a crusty Marine major had us sitting on the bench outside Eastline Brief.\u00a0 Another marine pilot, a captain, accompanied him.\u00a0 He was getting to know us and he wanted more information.\u00a0 He first question was, \u201cOK, which one of you sumbitches has flight time?\u201d\u00a0 Immediately, I started sweating.\u00a0 I had over 3000 hours gained by my love of flying, teaching others how to fly, and flying checks on the night routes throughout the southeast.\u00a0 I was… well,… experienced.<\/p>\n
I decided I wanted to get as much time in the \u201928 as possible, so I was not about to tell anyone of my previous flight time.\u00a0 I wanted no one to look at me and cut flights from my training just because I was already seasoned.\u00a0 After all, I was not seasoned the Navy way.\u00a0 And I wanted to fly that \u201928.<\/p>\n
I sat on one end of the bench and the major started at the other, going left to right.\u00a0 He looked at the ensign and said, \u201cWell?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have about 20 hours, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOK.\u00a0 You\u2019re trainable.\u00a0 How about you?\u201d he asked the next officer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have about 200, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou might be a problem child.\u00a0 We\u2019re probably going to have to break some bad habits.\u201d\u00a0 He looks at the third officer, a j.g., and asks, \u201cAnd you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got about two.\u201d\u00a0 I noticed there was no \u2018sir\u2019 on the end of his reply.\u00a0 The j.g. must have been salty and knew more about the game than the rest of us.\u00a0 The major looked a little irritated.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is that, mister?\u00a0 Two?\u00a0 Two hundred?\u00a0 Two thousand?\u00a0 What?\u201d\u00a0 The j.g. clearly looked in his place now.<\/p>\n
\u201cUh, two, sir.\u00a0 Only two hours.\u201d\u00a0 The major and the captain looked of each other, smiled, and shook their heads.\u00a0 The major turned his attention to the officer next to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many hours do you have?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a little over 15, sir.\u00a0 I just soloed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll right.\u00a0 You should be trainable.\u201d \u00a0The marine then looked at me.\u00a0 I started to really get nervous now.\u00a0 \u201cYou?\u201d<\/p>\n
Right then I coughed and spurt out the word, \u201cThree.\u201d \u00a0At the same time, a \u201928 backfired during an engine start on the line.\u00a0 Everyone\u2019s attention turned to the \u201928, including the major\u2019s and the captain\u2019s.\u00a0 I did not get the condescending question he asked the other officer.\u00a0 In my mind, I could hear him asking, \u201cDo you mean three?\u00a0 Or 300?\u00a0 Or 3000?\u201d<\/p>\n
But the question never came.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The marine and his assistant herded us up off the bench taking us inside to further introduce the \u201928 training devices we would use to learn our blind cockpit drills and emergency procedures.\u00a0 As we went through the door, I felt like I dodged a bullet.<\/p>\n
I found later I would take that bullet about 10 weeks into the program.<\/p>\n
-30-<\/p>\n
\u00a9 2010 J. Clark<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Yesterday, my wife found my dzus key.\u00a0 Afterward, I found myself thinking more about the T-28B Trojan which was the first Navy airplane I flew in flight training. \u00a0Here is another memory I have from that time in my life. … Continue reading