TheBanyanTree: Mechanics helper

[Jack Vaughn]

                                             Mechanics Helper!

I was an Instrument Technician on Guam. One night I was called out for a 
transient Aircraft with no oil pressure on Number 1 engine.I climbed on the 
wing from a stand to change out the Oil  Pressure transmitter. I was lying 
on the Number 1 nacelle  with hands down inside engine compartment, toolbox 
behind me on wing.A voice asked how I was doing and offered to pass me 
tools to help things along.So I'd say what I needed and he would put it in 
my outreached hand. When finished, with new transmitter safety wired in 
place,I got up to walk back to wing. I almost fell off the wing! My 
'helper' was   General Curtis  "Iron Ass" Lemay, the terror of the 
Strategic Air Command!
He said he'd go try it out,got into cockpit and started Number 1.After a 
run-up he gave me a thumbs up OK sign and motioned me inside.I crawled in 
one of the wing exits and found a planeload of Colonels and Generals! The 
Aircraft was a VC97,a tanker rigged out like a commercial airliner.The V 
stands for VIP. I quickly walked forward and climbed out through the nose 
wheel well.As I watched it take off, I wondered where they were headed? 
This was  in 1954 during Korean War.I never again had a 'helper' like that!


 From the South Bank of Walnut Creek,
Jack Vaughn, retired,
Austin, Texas 78753
Using Windows XP Pro!
God Bless Texas!