"Off We Go Into the Wild Blue . . . Heart of Aviation, Part 2

I know that viewing all of the airplanes in this blog 

is kinda like when you go to the Smithsonians in DC, 

in that you get over-saturated.  

That is how we felt, trying to get through all 

of the museum and to not miss anything!

The pics Roger took are just a smattering 

of what is there is to see.

It is such an amazing place, 

and Roger can check another thing 

off of his Bucket List!

So, for the second day,
we took the shuttle to the NAF Museum.
I snapped a pic of my husband posing "in" the astronaut suit.

Now, Roger, as our tour guide, 
take it away!

Here is a look at some of the earliest airplanes.  

It would have been fun to fly the open cockpit when 

it was mostly your feel, and not much instrumentation.

I said, "Honey, come pose by this "Pink Lady."

This "Off We Go. . . " Air Force Song 

makes us feel great pride for our Country.

What a beautiful and inspirational poem - "High Flight."

When we were going to go fly, 

we would often say that we were going to go, 

"slip the surlys,"

referencing this great poem.

Even now, reading through it, I get chills.

I love the two last lines.

While Pam and I were standing in front of this display,  

my Base Commander in Wichita Falls, 

Lt. Colonel Billy Mobley, came up by us.

We shared with each other how much this poem 

means to pilots and he said, 

in his Texan accent and 

with his teary eyes open incredulously,

"I can't believe I got to do that!

To think a young kid from a tiny town in Texas

was entrusted with those amazing machines,

representing this country, 

getting to have the experiences I have had - 

I just can't believe how lucky I have been!"

Our eyes teared up with him,

because we were touched by his profound emotion, 

and we also expressed our appreciation 

for this grand experience. 

This is the man who signed the furlough order

for me to go to Utah to donate a kidney to my brother.

It was the first time a USAF pilot donated a kidney 

while on flight status, and it had to be approved in 

Washington, DC, to put me back on flight status.

The next few pictures are different types of World War II planes.

This is a P-40 Warhawk, which is a single-engined, 

single seat fighter and ground-attack aircraft 

that first flew in 1938.  It was the most used aircraft 

by Allied powers during World War II 

and remained in front line service 

until the end of the war.

This is the first jet aircraft build by the Germans 

with the engine and explanation below.

This plane's name references the great bandleader, 

Glenn Miller's, "Moonlight Serenade."

Below are a couple of pictures of the T-28B model. 

This is the F-105 "Thud," 

which I could had flown out of pilot training, 

but I chose to instruct in Pilot Training Command.

This airplane is the fighter version of the T-37 which was used 

to instruct German pilots to fly at Sheppard AFB 

in Witicha Falls, Texas, my next assignment 

after the T-28's at Keesler. In this configuration, 

it is called the A-37 Dragonfly or Super Tweet 

and fought in the Vietnam War.

This helicopter is better know as "The Jolly Green Giant," 

a HH-3E Sikorsky.  It flew search and rescue throughout 

Vietnam, rescuing downed pilots from 1967 to 1975.  

The brave and great AF pilots that flew this helicopter 

saved many lives 

throughout the Vietnam War.

This is the T-38, which I flew in Flight School. It is the 

supersonic trainer still being used in the Air Force 

and is the fighter format to become the F-5.

This is the C-124 Globemaster II, a transport plane 

and better know as "Old Shaky".  I watched this 

airplane, as a young boy, 

constantly land at Hill Air Force Base.

I was so impressed with this airplane in the 1950's 

as a boy growing up on the farm and 

watching it land at Hill AF Base.  

It is called the B-36 "Peacemaker," and was the largest 

mass-produced piston engine aircraft strategic bomber 

ever made.  It was so unique because 

it has three prop engines on each trailing edge wing, 

along with one jet engine on each wing.

This airplane is know as the "Black Bird" or SR-71 

long range advanced strategic reconnaissance aircraft.  

It first flew in 1964 and retired in 1999.  During it's career 

it was the world's fastest and highest-flying operation aircraft.  

The pilots had to wear an astronaut suit to fly the airplane 

because it would exceed 80,000 feet in altitude.

The T-38 Talon two place, pressurized, tandem cockpit, 

twin-turbojet supersonic aircraft.  This was my favorite 

airplane during flight training.  During a cross country flight,

 I did a burner climb from Hill Air Force Base 

with my mom and dad and brothers and sisters watching.  

We flew it straight up, 

like the space shuttle, until 25,000 feet, when we had to roll 

the aircraft inverted to maintain our assigned altitude.

This B-2 Stealth Bomber is our American strategic bomber 

with low observable stealth technology designed for 

penetrating dense anti-aircraft defenses.  It is still in operation 

and we have seen it flying overhead to Nellis AFB, 

when Pam and I have been going to Las Vegas.

When Pam was on the USO Tour to Southeast Asia in 1967, 

she was transported by several different military aircraft.  

She has memories of backloading into this cargo carrier 

in the Philippines, hopping from one island to another 

to entertain the US troops,

each Balladier strapping into the seats along the sides.

The T-28A model, which I also flew at Keesler, was 

a little small with only seven radial engines 

and two propellers.  

It just didn't have the power and performance 

of the larger T-28B model.

That Saturday evening, the Reunion Banquet was held 

"Under the Wings" in the NMUSAF (the Air Museum).

Pam is chatting with Sherry Richmond and Rosemary Lovett.

Forty-seven former Instructor Pilots attended, 

forty-two from my 3389th at Keesler.

Eleven former Southeast Asia students 

and their wives also attended. 
A total of 129 attended the banquet.

Phil Ragan was one of my flying buddies. We called him, 

"The Governor," referencing his last name and Ronald Reagan. 

 That tells you how old we are - 

in the days when Reagan was the Governor of California! 

Phil was (and still is) a little wild and crazy, and a good guy.  

He used to drive a motorcycle around the base, 

and would drop by to see us occasionally.

We have a memory of our two-year-old, little Ricky,

being so impressed with that motorcycle - 

Phil let him sit on it with him, 

then revved the motor a few times.

There-ever-after, Ricky would say,
whenever he would hear a motorcycle,

" Where's The Gov-na? Where's The Gov'na?"

I would tell Phil that our son was asking for him,

and he'd come visiting on his motorcycle again.

A ceremony was conducted for MIA's and POW's 

with a single spotlight focused on the table 

set up with just one place setting 
to symbolize those brave men and women 

who are still being held captive or are yet unaccounted for.

This is the Roll of Honor of those Instructor Pilots 
who have passed away.

This is the Roll of Honor of former students 

who have passed away.

 The banquet began with the Posting of the Colors

 by the USAF Color Guard 

and the singing of the National Anthem 

by T/Sgt. Felita Larock.

She should be on The Voice!

We sat at a table with some of my old flying buddies 

and their wives- 

Lee and Rosemary Lovett

Kirby and Stella Woehst

Ken and Cheri Brown

Chic Lang (wife couldn't come)

Felita sang in this USAF Band of Air, 

and they were excellent musicians and they entertained us.

Each Vietnamese, Laotian and Cambodian student 

in attendance received an award.

Some had been POW's - the one in the pic, for seven years.

Colonel Mobley received an award.

Colonel Fred Gregory spoke to us.

He began his career as a student in T-28's, 

but eventually returned from his combat tour 

in Southeast Asia to continue his training in the T-38.  

After subsequent assignments in the F-4, he eventually 

entered the Astronaut Corps, flying on 

three shuttle missions as either Commander or PIC. 

He became the head of NASA for a time.

We took a pic of several instructor pilots 

seated at the tables around us.

Major Bob Rashka has kept in touch with us through the years.

 When he traveled to SLC, he drove to Ogden to visit us.

Every IP that I talked to at the reunion has made the Air Force 

their career, and are now retired.

Of course, they had all moved around a lot.

I am grateful I have had a civilian life and could be home 

(most of the time) raising our children.

Pilot Bob Simpson is also an artist and did a drawing of 

the T-28B and had it mass produced for everyone.

We met this Vietnamese student/pilot as we were leaving 

the banquet, and he told us his story.  

He was a Prisoner of War for ten years!

He said he never dreamed he would be at a USAF pilot's 

reunion all of these years later!

This was a really great day!

And the next day was even greater!

Stay tuned.