unsafe flying maneuver

[Joe Hanner]

Saw the post on AK's being ineffective and have to vent a personal shot. Nov '67 with HMM-263 [ H-34's] at Phu Bai. Pilots from the squadron relieving 263 had arrived [ HMM-264 I think] but their '46's were still enroute on a boat. 263's s were going stateside to reform with '46's. Had just come back from a gaggle [supporting the Army] that dropped off people who didn't exist doing something that never happened from a place we put them 3 days earlier we never were. Landed at Phu Bai 28 minutes into the 30 minute low fuel light and taxied into the fuel pits. Mitch Gibbs [ crew chief EG-5] told me we also had a flat tailwheel. Asked him how long to get a tow tractor. At least an hour. How about air taxiing back so fuel pits weren't blocked for rest of gaggle? Tower says O K so we air taxi back to park it and crew can have more time for repair for next launch. Next morning at the all pilot's meeting [ 34's and 46's combined], the 46 CO stood up and says he saw the most dangerous, unsafe and unauthorized flight maneuver he ever saw the day before. An H-34 hovering down the taxi ramp. If he ever caught anyone doing that again he would take their wings and send them to be a FAC somewhere. Being a mere Lt., I took it and didn't have the brass to ask 1] should I have left the fuel pits closed for everyone else low fuel for an hour 2] If it was so unsafe, why was it taught at P'cola as a basic flight maneuver- remember the box patterns? 3] Has anyone sent a Notam to VMO? That's the only way Huey's moved- via air taxi [ no wheels]. 4] Tower said it was OK so that was authorization for me. Sorry, but getting old, cranky and just had to vent and let loose of that burr under my saddle.

[Slick]

some might say the post was "Hostile", I'd just say it was from Hostile.

[Ray Norton]

Joe:

I am sure you are not the only lieutenant who has had a beef with seniors.

In one case (of many), I kept telling the CO than if he continued a certain procedure he would crash. He did.

I never stayed around to see how I would act as a "heavy." I sometimes wonder: If I were a CO would I know everythingf?

And life goes on. War is not a simple matter. Nor is governing or mananaging any large organizatin a simple matter. Overall we did a good job and those who serve now are, I believe, doing even better.

So be it.

[sutterwl]

First, all field grade are lobotomized a _ _ holes.

Second, in the old corps, all FAC's had to be NA's on DIFOT orders.

Third, once upon a time, I was flying emergency medevacs out of Phu Bai in Sept 67. Had refueled, my gunship escort was already airborne, and the duty runaway was occupied by a VN civilian 2 engine Beech, Piper, Cessna, or whatever.

The tower gave me clearance to take off from the parallel taxiway and remain clear of the gook on the runway. I told the crewchief to aim the M-60 at the gook as he climbed out behind and beside me. If his left wing started to dip, send him to hell.

Well, Col Frank Wilson, MAG 36 CO, was trying to cross the runway as I took off, so he observed my heroic actions. Probably headed for the club and cocktails. When the day was done, I shutdown and was greeted by the 362 CO, LtCol Cline. He informed me that I was in deep doodoo with Wilson. I was grounded for a day. I was well into a hundred hour month by that time. So, I thanked them for the time off.

And, everyone knows what happened next, I was FACKED to 3/3/3 in November. But, nobody pulled my wings and nobody gave me an UNSAT fitness report.

The problem with field grades is that they do not know their place. War is a young man's game. All company grades must be full of piss and vinegar. It is the field grades place to recognize that as an asset and utilize it. Of course, the people who are promoted to field grade never had any piss and vinegar in them to begin with, that is why they got promoted.

Semper fi

Wayne Sutter

Fighting Mad 1 - 4 Actual out

[Jim Wilkening]

First, all field grade are lobotomized a _ _ holes.

Wayne,

I was only a Sergeant and never a field grade officer. I also never liked brown nosers but, some of the best field grade officers I’ve known were pretty fine individuals who genuinely cared for their Marines. Calling all of them a-holes is a pretty bold statement.

Look some of them up. Major D.E.P. Miller, Lt. Col. Warren Cretney, Major “Bud” Wildfang, Lt.Col. Leo Ihli, Lt. Col. Art “AlfaGolf6” Friend on this forum (a Sergeant when we served together in SAR, El Toro), and our very own Col. “Slick” Katz a L/Cpl. when he arrived in RVN.

We’ve all known NCO, SNCO, Company Grade, as well as, field Grade officers who were a-holes but, most were fine Marines.

I don’t want to get into a pissing contest but I have to disagree. Also, they were all Company Grade first.

Semper FI, my brother, Jim Wilkening

[pm3777]

I was flying there 4 Years 1964/1968 never saw Gooks in that type A/C. I suspect they were Air America. Most of those were being flown by Marines that temporarily were detached to Air America. I found that there were good & less than good in all Grades Officer & Enlisted.