The line shack is where the
flight crews, line crews and mechanics usually end up during the
course of the day.
This is the place where one
gets all the hot scuttlebutt. (rumors, half facts and just plain
bum dope)
Sit down have a cup of coffee and I
will tell you about whats going on in my mind about the Guard.
My love of the sea and air comes from
being born on the rockbound coast of Maine between 
Portland
Head Light and the Biddeford Pool Lifeboat Station.The air part
comes from a relative who used to fly folks to (in those days)
the virgin lakes up country to fish.I would get rides in his
planes and I especially loved the double winger open cockpit one.
Someone has already asked why my
opening page doesn't play Semper Paratus.The reason is, I have a
special place for it when I get there.The opening song is from
WWW2 and starts out "we must be vigilant, we must be
dilligant American patrol". Any savy person knows we are
both and also had Coast Guard Cutters by those names.We are
American and we are always on patrol.Anyway, it works for me.
This site is a work in progress and all
kinds of things may pop up here and there. It all depends on
resources and the kindness and help of others.
I am proud to have served in the Coast
Guard as a boat coxswain at Salem Mass when I first went into the
guard after my tour in the Navy,waiting for my approval to be
assigned to an aviation unit. I consider my general service
freinds to be the proud bearers of a great tradition and I salute
them but from here out, all your gonna hear is CG Air. Did you
know the Coast Guard is our oldest sea service? The hot scoop is
back in my links section. Did you know the Coast Guard (Revenue
Cutter Service) fired the first shots in the Civil War?........Do
you know there are many people who don't even know the the Coast
Guard is a part of the armed forces and has served in every war?
If you said yes to all the above this
is one us airdales in the Guard like.Do you know the Coast Guard
is first in aviation? Well pal, let me tell you! Surfmen,(Coast
Guard) pulled chocks for the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk.(look
it up in my links)There are some real Firsts in CG air to look up
on this site so surf and see and learn
.
I have had the pleasure to be involved
in a few first and lasts myself. Nothing earth shattering,
nostalgia for me.I flew in the last B17 in military service, (we
called it a PB1G). Saluted the Navy Blimps when they left to be
retired at Weeksville NC,(the end of an era). Flew with the last
of the enlisted pilots.I was a crewmember on the Coast Guards
First C130 and Gulfstream1.
I haven't decided yet to tell you about
my days in the old guard .My kids never liked to hear how when I
was a kid I had to walk two miles uphill both ways to school and
back in raging blizzards and nor'easters.So I am not certain that
the newbies want to hear about the travails of the bondo,safety
wire,marvel mystery oil and duct tape Coast Guard Air.(hmmm we
will have to ponder that one)
I am going to contact some of my old
shipmates and get an opinion of how I am doing and where I am
going.
I have a feeling that I will get pleny
of comments, just be gentle guys, this is a work of passion and
you all know how tender my feelings are. (HoHo)
I hold our modern Aviation in the Guard
in awe.It is really great to see we are training our crews our
way, instead of always having to depend on other organizations
for training .A lot of big steps have happened since I retired.
All for the better, as far as I can see.
Modern aircraft, high tech equipment,
specialized ratings such as rescue swimmer, hoist operator,
flight mechanic.CG air has moved ahead in leaps and bounds.Its
Great!!!!
I will say that during my last years,
things were starting.We got the C130s, HH52's and the HH3F's so
we wern't flying second hand aircraft any more except for the HU16E
.
Don't pay any attention to the guy over
there he's looking for something to fix.
Give a mechanic a big enough hammer and
screwdriver and he can fix anything.
A coat of paint and 10,000 feet and no
one will know the difference.
I don't want to go to far without
saying, as folks that know me will agree, anything I say is all
in fun. No offence intended and if it sounds bad believe me, the
Guard was my life. As I tell kids today, "the best without
trying the rest"
I found early in the game that for
myself, a sense of humor is very handy in tense situations. Not
only for myself but for whoever was helping share the load.
There are a lot of things that can't be
made funny, and in that case, you just tough it out and when you
are alone pray to the man for strength.
A Chain
is only as strong as its weakest link and the facade we put on
when the going gets rough is quite often what gets one through.
SO!!!! If you don't understand what I
am saying, for now, just chuckle and grin a bit .
Somewhere along the way I am bound to
get really serious.
Planes don't get hit by lightning
right?Wrong!!!!
The Gulfstream One on a flight suddenly
had a large brilliant blue light fill the cockpit.A Blue ball
developed which rolled(or flew)through the cabin and dissapeared.
After inspecting the aircraft on the
ground a group of quarter sized brownish marks all in line on
both sides under the wings were found and a sizeable hole was
found at the top of the tail.(apparently the exit point)Needless
to say it was an experiance that won't be forgotten.
The only other things I can think of
that is more of mother natures work is to get caught in a hail
storm and when you examine the aircraft is to see a bunch of
little dings that look like someone ran around the fuselage with
a ballpeen hammer.
How about hitting an airpocket and
dropping straight down for what seems to be a gazillion feet
without any clue.
Know what its like to get caught in the
turbulence of a jumbo jet on an approach landing?
Someone asked me once if I had been
scared in a bad experiance.My reply was "only the person who
washes my skivies will ever know".(not original but I will
claim it anyway)
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