Small plane discussion

[railiner]

I recall that airline strike in '66...I had just graduated basic training at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, and had three days travel time to reach tech school at Chanute AFB, Rantoul, Il. I had looked forward to flying commercially to O'Hare, and then spending a couple of days seeing Chicago before reporting to Chanute. The strike put the kabosh to that plan. They took us on buses to San Antonio, where they then put us aboard a chartered Modern Air Transport, DC-6B. Let me tell you, after the 707 on the way down to San Antonio, it was not very modern. Neither were the stewardesses, who appeared to be the grandmother's of the Braniff 'stews' we had on the way down....

We were not told anything, so assumed we were still going to Chicago. Uh, Uh... We started a slow descent with nothing but corn fields visible, and then came the tell-tale red and white checkerboard water towers. Yes...we landed right on Chanute Field, which at the time was in the process of being deactivated and used by nothing more than the base aero club. We were then sent over to the "PATS" (Personnel Awaiting Tech School) barracks, where we spent our supposed three travel days doing lots of 'dirty jobs' around the base...

 

[Bob Dylan]

I recall that airline strike in '66...I had just graduated basic training at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, and had three days travel time to reach tech school at Chanute AFB, Rantoul, Il. I had looked forward to flying commercially to O'Hare, and then spending a couple of days seeing Chicago before reporting to Chanute. The strike put the kabosh to that plan. They took us on buses to San Antonio, where they then put us aboard a chartered Modern Air Transport, DC-6B. Let me tell you, after the 707 on the way down to San Antonio, it was not very modern. Neither were the stewardesses, who appeared to be the grandmother's of the Braniff 'stews' we had on the way down....

We were not told anything, so assumed we were still going to Chicago. Uh, Uh... We started a slow descent with nothing but corn fields visible, and then came the tell-tale red and white checkerboard water towers. Yes...we landed right on Chanute Field, which at the time was in the process of being deactivated and used by nothing more than the base aero club. We were then sent over to the "PATS" (Personnel Awaiting Tech School) barracks, where we spent our supposed three travel days doing lots of 'dirty jobs' around the base...

Sounds like typical Military SOP!!!

 

[Night Ranger]

I recall that airline strike in '66...I had just graduated basic training at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, and had three days travel time to reach tech school at Chanute AFB, Rantoul, Il. I had looked forward to flying commercially to O'Hare, and then spending a couple of days seeing Chicago before reporting to Chanute. The strike put the kabosh to that plan. They took us on buses to San Antonio, where they then put us aboard a chartered Modern Air Transport, DC-6B. Let me tell you, after the 707 on the way down to San Antonio, it was not very modern. Neither were the stewardesses, who appeared to be the grandmother's of the Braniff 'stews' we had on the way down....

We were not told anything, so assumed we were still going to Chicago. Uh, Uh... We started a slow descent with nothing but corn fields visible, and then came the tell-tale red and white checkerboard water towers. Yes...we landed right on Chanute Field, which at the time was in the process of being deactivated and used by nothing more than the base aero club. We were then sent over to the "PATS" (Personnel Awaiting Tech School) barracks, where we spent our supposed three travel days doing lots of 'dirty jobs' around the base...

I have no happy memories of that 1966 strike, aeronautical or otherwise. I had just finished basic training at Fort Campbell, KY, and had orders to Fort Sam Houston, Texas. I was slated to fly for the very first time in my life and at government expense which was even better, when the orders were revoked due to the strike and I spent a miserable 3 days on a series of Greyhound buses instead. I was a day late reporting so I missed all of those "casual duty assignments" but had to explain several times to various military personnel who were dedicated to making the troops as miserable as possible why I was late.

 

[HenryK]

Back in the 80s (I think) my wife and I flew one of those PBA DC-3s from Miami to Marathon in the Keys one winter day. We were sitting in the very last seats in the tail, there was a bit of a crosswind, and we felt every one of those rudder inputs to keep us on the centerline. I loved it. A decade later I was a student pilot.

 

[Asher]

I recall that airline strike in '66...I had just graduated basic training at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, and had three days travel time to reach tech school at Chanute AFB, Rantoul, Il. I had looked forward to flying commercially to O'Hare, and then spending a couple of days seeing Chicago before reporting to Chanute. The strike put the kabosh to that plan. They took us on buses to San Antonio, where they then put us aboard a chartered Modern Air Transport, DC-6B. Let me tell you, after the 707 on the way down to San Antonio, it was not very modern. Neither were the stewardesses, who appeared to be the grandmother's of the Braniff 'stews' we had on the way down....

We were not told anything, so assumed we were still going to Chicago. Uh, Uh... We started a slow descent with nothing but corn fields visible, and then came the tell-tale red and white checkerboard water towers. Yes...we landed right on Chanute Field, which at the time was in the process of being deactivated and used by nothing more than the base aero club. We were then sent over to the "PATS" (Personnel Awaiting Tech School) barracks, where we spent our supposed three travel days doing lots of 'dirty jobs' around the base...

I liked the DC6b it had a special partioned off area in the rear of the plane with club seating. Most major airlines were set up that way, the charter you flew on probably had a higher density seating plan though.

 

[Palmland]

Sometimes you get lucky. During the airline strike I was visiting my brother at an NAS base near Milton, FL. I had no advance reservation - just walked to the ticket window in Flomaton, AL and got a roomette on L&N’s Hummingbird to Cincinnati. The train was packed after we left Montgomery with many extra sleepers.

At Cincinnati I wanted to take B&O’s National Ltd but it was sold out and had to settle for C&O’s George Washington. At Washington the B&O was operating all trains separately to Detroit, Cleveland, and two sections to Chicago. Many of these had been combined by the summer of ‘66.

That was the last Hoorah for the Pullman Company and they were able to supply and staff all the extra sleepers. It was downhill from there to the end in ‘69.

 

[railiner]

That was the only time I recall several airlines striking at the same time...later on they seemed to be on an individual basis....

 

[Willbridge]

I have no happy memories of that 1966 strike, aeronautical or otherwise. I had just finished basic training at Fort Campbell, KY, and had orders to Fort Sam Houston, Texas. I was slated to fly for the very first time in my life and at government expense which was even better, when the orders were revoked due to the strike and I spent a miserable 3 days on a series of Greyhound buses instead. I was a day late reporting so I missed all of those "casual duty assignments" but had to explain several times to various military personnel who were dedicated to making the troops as miserable as possible why I was late.

Your experience is a good example of the downside of unplanned surges like major strikes, energy crises, wars, bridge failures, etc. When customers are forced onto something second rate their experience sticks with them as negative. In the same era, people were buying Greyhound Ameripasses and enjoying meandering trips and potential interesting stopovers because it was their choice.

During that 1966 strike I made a day round-trip from Spokane to Paradise. On the eastbound Mainstreeter there was a shipment of Army helicopter trainees griping about the long trip ahead of them. They had Slumbercoach berths, were on time on a train with friendly service, including a diner-lounge, where they could drink once the train got into Montana. But the Army couldn't get space for them on the North Coast Limited.

My project boss for a summer job was going with his daughter from Portland to Oklahoma City for a family wedding. They were only able to get space on the Portland Rose, not the Domeliners City of Portland / City of St. Louis. I heard about how unhappy they were several times before they left.

 

[Asher]

One of the things about small planes flying VFR, visual flight rules, see and be seen. Even in a place as big as Alaska two planes in the same spot is disaster. Happened again a couple of days ago with a Piper Super Cruiser and a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver. Sad!

 

[ehbowen]

One of the things about small planes flying VFR, visual flight rules, see and be seen. Even in a place as big as Alaska two planes in the same spot is disaster. Happened again a couple of days ago with a Piper Super Cruiser and a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver. Sad!

I got my wake-up call on one of my early lessons when a Twin Comanche crossed right in front of us, left to right, maybe 200 feet away. We were in Class B airspace and my instructor got on the horn with ATC and demanded, "What was that?" The controller replied, "Dunno, let me turn my radar up here." He had been watching transponder returns only and apparently the Comanche had been trying to sneak through the Class B north to south with his transponder off. I learned some new words that day....

 

[Brian Battuello]

As a retired CFII, I can imagine your response. Hope you had a new set of underwear in the car!

 

[Bob Dylan]

I got my wake-up call on one of my early lessons when a Twin Comanche crossed right in front of us, left to right, maybe 200 feet away. We were in Class B airspace and my instructor got on the horn with ATC and demanded, "What was that?" The controller replied, "Dunno, let me turn my radar up here." He had been watching transponder returns only and apparently the Comanche had been trying to sneak through the Class B north to south with his transponder off. I learned some new words that day....

The first time I took my Family on a Weekend getaway trip in a Cessna 172, we were flying to San Antonio and landing @ San Antonio International.

I was flying V-IFR( Visual/ I Follow Roads) down I-35 when the Approach Controller advised we that T-38s were doing Touch and Go Landings @ Randolph AFB and would be crossing in front of us @ Low Altitude @ 300 Knots!

These planes are hard to spot in the air and with the Sun setting behind them it was even harder. After seeing several, I was given Landing Clearance for SAT.

I was given Clearance to Land and was on Final Approach to Landing when out of Nowhere a Braniff 727 come over the top of me out of the setting sun, and Landed on the runway I was cleared to Land on!

I immediately started a go around, called the Tower and the Controller was apologetic,saying that another Controller Cleared Braniff without telling him!( Military Planes and Airlines are on on different Frequencies)

He vectored me to another approach,and once again cleared me to Land, which was done with no problems.

As the CFII said above, I probably should have had some clean underwear after that one!

And it took awhile for my Wife and Daughter to fly with me again!

 

[Asher]

The first time I took my Family on a Weekend getaway trip in a Cessna 172, we were flying to San Antonio and landing @ San Antonio International.

I was flying V-IFR( Visual/ I Follow Roads) down I-35 when the Approach Controller advised we that T-38s were doing Touch and Go Landings @ Randolph AFB and would be crossing in front of us @ Low Altitude @ 300 Knots!

These planes are hard to spot in the air and with the Sun setting behind them it was even harder. After seeing several, I was given Landing Clearance for SAT.

I was given Clearance to Land and was on Final Approach to Landing when out of Nowhere a Braniff 727 come over the top of me out of the setting sun, and Landed on the runway I was cleared to Land on!

I immediately started a go around, called the Tower and the Controller was apologetic,saying that another Controller Cleared Braniff without telling him!( Military Planes and Airlines are on on different Frequencies)

He vectored me to another approach,and once again cleared me to Land, which was done with no problems.

As the CFII said above, I probably should have had some clean underwear after that one!

And it took awhile for my Wife and Daughter to fly with me again!

Yeah, I think I would be sitting Out a few after that also. Did they fly home with you, or did they do like my friend Gordon's wife did after a flight to Portland from Los Angeles in his small plane, she took the airline home.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Yeah, I think I would be sitting Out a few after that also. Did they fly home with you, or did they do like my friend Gordon's wife did after a flight to Portland from Los Angeles in his small plane, she took the airline home.

Actually I flew home for work, and since it was Summer, ( No School) they stayed with the family for a week, and I picked them up by car the next weekend.!

It was a couple of months before they flew with me again, but my daughter did grow to really like to fly! My wife never liked to fly, but did a few times!

 

[user 1215]

I was given Clearance to Land and was on Final Approach to Landing when out of Nowhere a Braniff 727 come over the top of me out of the setting sun, and Landed on the runway I was cleared to Land on!

Reminds me of the time I was flying into DFW.

We were flying over the Dallas metro when we heard Approach tell a Southwest 737 "Traffic 12:00, Cherokee, 500' below". As Southwest responded, "looking", the big yellow, blue, and orange plane passed 500' right above us!

Then approach had the gall to forget us and vectored is way over Denton before bringing us back to DFW.

These stories encouraged me to go get my first medical in over a decade. Sadly my body ain't what it used to be, with diabetes and eyeglasses added to my list of oldness since my last check. But I should still get my second class after this short deferral.

 

[ehbowen]

Reminds me of the time I was flying into DFW.

We were flying over the Dallas metro when we heard Approach tell a Southwest 737 "Traffic 12:00, Cherokee, 500' below". As Southwest responded, "looking", the big yellow, blue, and orange plane passed 500' right above us!

Then approach had the gall to forget us and vectored is way over Denton before bringing us back to DFW.

These stories encouraged me to go get my first medical in over a decade. Sadly my body ain't what it used to be, with diabetes and eyeglasses added to my list of oldness since my last check. But I should still get my second class after this short deferral.

Flying that Decathlon in and out of Hobby Airport...remember the time that Ground Control had me crossing directly behind a Northwest DC-9. Bob and Jon had told be to always be extremely cautious of jets with their exhaust high and to the rear. I was solo that day; no help in the back seat. Just as I was directly behind his tailpipes and ninety degrees crosswise I heard, "Northwest _____, Hobby Ground, cross runway 4, expedite!"

I grabbed the stick and hung on. Fortunately the Decathlon has good ground manners, for a taildragger, and there was enough separation that I just barely felt the jet blast. But there was some pucker factor for a second or two!

 

[TWA904]

When I was about 7 -8 years old, the town we lived in (Atmore, AL) began to develop its airport.When it opened it had a grass runway. I talked my parents into riding to it because they were giving free rides to anyone who wanted to go.My mother let me and my brother for a ride, but she was afraid I'd be afraid and crying. We flew around town and over our house on a flight for about 15 - 20 minutes and came back to land. When I got off the plane I did start to cry but it was because she wouldn't lets me go again. I've been hooked on airplanes every sense.

 

[saxman]

All this talk makes me want to get back into GA to do some real flying again.

But in the jet, my favorite story is when I made the guy in his C-152 change his pants out. I was flying the CRJ into KRAP (Rapid City, SD). A 152 was doing pattern work there while we were in a straight in visual. Tower asked the 152 to extend his downwind to let us go in front and asked him if he had us (the CRJ) in sight. He affirmed that he had us in sight was to follow us in. A minute or so later our TCAS alert goes off. This sometimes happens when aircraft are on the ground, but nope! I see this dude making his base to final turn right in front us!! I'd guesstimate a mile or so in front. I tell my FO to GO AROUND, and we go sailing above his head. Nothing evasive, but a little exciting none the less. I inform the tower and he sends us in the pattern for a return. Meanwhile, the tower rips this guy to shreds. He was furious. You could hear the tremble in the guys voice trying to justify what he did and how he realized what he had just done. Turns out there was another CRJ on the ground taking off, and he thought he was suppose to follow the other CRJ...that was on the ground. Either way, tower apologized to us. I smiled and told him no big deal. He just got us another 20 minutes of pay for that.

 

[Bob Dylan]

All this talk makes me want to get back into GA to do some real flying again.

But in the jet, my favorite story is when I made the guy in his C-152 change his pants out. I was flying the CRJ into KRAP (Rapid City, SD). A 152 was doing pattern work there while we were in a straight in visual. Tower asked the 152 to extend his downwind to let us go in front and asked him if he had us (the CRJ) in sight. He affirmed that he had us in sight was to follow us in. A minute or so later our TCAS alert goes off. This sometimes happens when aircraft are on the ground, but nope! I see this dude making his base to final turn right in front us!! I'd guesstimate a mile or so in front. I tell my FO to GO AROUND, and we go sailing above his head. Nothing evasive, but a little exciting none the less. I inform the tower and he sends us in the pattern for a return. Meanwhile, the tower rips this guy to shreds. He was furious. You could hear the tremble in the guys voice trying to justify what he did and how he realized what he had just done. Turns out there was another CRJ on the ground taking off, and he thought he was suppose to follow the other CRJ...that was on the ground. Either way, tower apologized to us. I smiled and told him no big deal. He just got us another 20 minutes of pay for that.

Good one Chris!
Much as we GA Pilots like to tell Flying Stories, Airline Pilots have many more to share!

 

[basketmaker]

Back in the 80s (I think) my wife and I flew one of those PBA DC-3s from Miami to Marathon in the Keys one winter day. We were sitting in the very last seats in the tail, there was a bit of a crosswind, and we felt every one of those rudder inputs to keep us on the centerline. I loved it. A decade later I was a student pilot.

Was with PBA for 5 years ('70-'75) in MIA.

 

[PVD]

They are transitioning to Tencams. I didn’t get lucky, though.

Just read the Tecnams will be grounded for a "review" of sorts.....

 

[Exvalley]

Just read the Tecnams will be grounded for a "review" of sorts.....

Oh no!

 

[Asher]

Just read the Tecnams will be grounded for a "review" of sorts.....

What model?

 

[PVD]

The article referred specifically to Cape, it is their P2012 Travelers, as reported by "The Points Guy", that's where I saw it.

 

[Asher]

The article referred specifically to Cape, it is their P2012 Travelers, as reported by "The Points Guy", that's where I saw it.

Nice looking, should be a good replament for the 402.