breakingstufftoday - Round the World

[breakingstufftoday 24]

Dec 9

Since our destination was Eglin AFB in the Florida panhandle we took on a lot of fuel. The take-off was dicey. Making it over the Grand Mesa was a white knuckle event compounded by some mountain obscuration. Our planned cruise altitude was 310, but autopilot malfunctions ended that. Airspeed was deteriorating, rate of climb was slow, and we experienced a number of engine overtemps. This forced me to shut off the autopilot and assume manual control. Everything got better, but we decided to divert to Dyess AFB to get this fixed.

 

The Dyess AFB I remember was home to C-130’s and B-1 bombers, but now something very strange is happening here. Stephen King strange!

 

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Is this a fleet of the government's top secret chem-trail aircraft? Why are all those obsolete Navy F-4's parked here?

 

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Planned Route:
KGJT, HBU, PUB, BGD, AEX, MARBG, CEW, KVPS
Cruising altitude: 310
Cruising speed: 350kts IAS

 

Diversion Route:
KGJT, HBU, PUB, TBE, KENTO, BGD, KDYS
Cruising altitude: 210
Cruising speed: 300kts IAS

 

Video here: https://youtu.be/XloAKTLscLs

 

 

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Dec 10
    Except for the engines, the crewchief had everything warmed up and running. All of the write-ups in the 781’s had been cleared. There was little for the copilot and I to do, but get our office set up and do a quick walk around. In the middle of setting up the FMS, a staff car sporting a flag with four stars pulled up in front of our airplane.
    The crewchief charged on to the flight deck, “Sir, the General wants you to come down to the car right now!” 
    Since I was doing nothing of particular importance at the time, I decided to comply.
I was invited to take a seat up front with the driver and not turn around to make eye contact with anyone in the back seat during the meeting. Well I did, and what I saw was disconcerting. Yes, there was a four star general sitting behind me. Sitting behind the driver was a tall skinny guy wearing a black overcoat and a hat that just didn’t fit his head right. He wore sunglasses that almost covered his large black eyes. Again, I was sternly ordered “Eyes front!”
    “Major, your aircraft will carry a special package to England. You will not carry anybody on board except for the necessary crew. All other cargo will be removed from your aircraft. You must follow this intinerary with exactitude.” 
    The general taps me on the shoulder with an envelope. “You will land at Savannah Hilton Head, KSAV, and wait on the ramp for a courier delivered package.” He taps me on the shoulder and hands me a sticky note with a thirteen character alpha-numeric sequence. “If the package does not bear these numbers, decline it,” the General said. “You will get ample crew rest in New York prior to your Atlantic crossing. Have a nice flight, Major.”

 

No pictures today. Cameras were forbidden. Please watch the video.

 

Planned Route:
KDYS, GEENI, GGG, MHZ, MVC, CEW, SAMMY, HISEA, TUFER, MONJO, RECCE, KVPS
Cruising altitude: 290
Cruising speed: 296kts IAS

 

Video here:

 

 

This is the brief video about the thing the crew chief saw on the evening of the 9th.

Video here: 

 

[breakingstufftoday 24]

Dec 12
We got an early start from Eglin AFB. There was a problem as the copilot attempted to retract the landing gear. The system would cycle between retraction and extension and repeat several times before quitting in the retracted position. We were under a mandate to get this mission done so I pressed on.

 

At KSAV we waited on the Georgia Air National Guard parking ramp two hours before the package finally arrived. The place had changed a lot since I last saw it. It reminded me of the Dyess AFB we recently visited in an unsettling way. There were no signs of life and things weren't where they should have been. For such an important airport, it was odd that so few aircraft were present. My instructions were to open the package, remove a metallic cylinder and insert it into a hole in the side of our mystery cargo. The thing seemed to come alive. It made a faint hum and became warm.

The crew chief was worried. "I have to sit back here with this thing. It's not going to make me sterile, is it?"

I reassured him, "Would the Air Force put something on this airplane if they knew it would harm your health?"

The crew chief was not convinced.

 

The leg to New York City was uneventful. The problems with the landing gear did not reoccur. Winds at the time of our landing a KJFK were 350@15k, gusting 25-28k. We landed on 31L so it wasn't too exciting. During our stay in the Big Apple I hope to make a VFR recreational flight out to Montauk Point for lunch at the Crabby Cowboy. More gusting winds and IFR conditions will make this carefree joyride impractical.

 

Route:
KVPS, OTK, KSAV, ILM, EWN, PEARS, ORF, CCV, SWL, SIE, KVPS
Cruising altitude: 270
Cruising speed: 310kts IAS

 

Video here: 

 

 

[breakingstufftoday 24]

Dec 14

This was not much of a day for flying. We are stuck in New York making unexpected emergency repairs.

 

The symptoms:

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ETR to shop:

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It's a Mac, so it isn't a snap to fix. Let's see if I live up to my screen name. Hope not!

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Dec 17
Crossing an ocean is never trivial. We’re feeling the pressure now. The weather is turning nasty. There have been problems with the aircraft. We are carrying mystery cargo that is causing uneasiness with the loadmaster and the crewchief. Time is running out, It has been fun, but we just want to finish this trip before something else happens.

Once things settled down on our leg to Keflavik, the crewchief came up on the flightdeck to present me with a handwritten report on the back of a form 781 about his odd sighting back at Dyess AFB. I told him that it would be sent to the proper authorities. Truth is, there are no proper authorities to send a report like this to unless you want to crash your career.

 

Planned Route:
KJFK, SEY, LFV, YQI, YHZ, YQY, CYYT, (a long stretch across a lonely, cold ocean) BIKF
Cruising altitude: 250 (planned but amended several times)
Cruising speed: 280-300kts IAS

 

Video here:

 

 

Flying from St.John's to Iceland:

Weather was nasty on this leg. I almost had to ditch in the sea due to icing during our climb out from CYYT. Gaining altitude beyond 8,000' was impossible at full throttle. I would back off after four minutes to favor the engines and sink back down to 4,000'. It was icing faster than it would de-ice. We considered turning back to St. John's but it was soon realized that we wouldn't make it over the cliffs at the shoreline. We would smash into the Puffin preserve and be reviled for eternity in these parts. Luck was with us and we found a patch of overcast sky free of precipitation. Anti-icing caught up with the situation and we were able to climb out. 

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Flying was much better on top.

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Video here:

 

 

[breakingstufftoday 24]

Dec 18
It is about time to finish this up. We’re all looking forward to a few days of rest in London. Again, the weather looks frightful, but we are so close now.

 

Planned Route:
BIKF, SAY, HB, 52.86*N/4.14*, YHZ, GST, EGLL
Cruising altitude: 270
Cruising speed: 300kts IAS

 

Video here:

 

 

 

[breakingstufftoday 24]

Dec 18….assuming, well, I just don’t know anymore!
Flashback to what I remember:
It is about time to finish this up. We’re all looking forward to a few days of rest in London. Again, the weather looks frightful, but we are so close now.

 

Present time, whatever:

We regained consiousness somewhere along the English coast. The crewchief is babbling like a madman about the thing we are transporting. The loadmaster calmed him and strapped him into his seat. Except for the airspeed indicator, all other instruments are useless. I’m only guessing with regards to our altitude. I vow to land at the very first reasonable oportunity. My copilot spots a runway straight ahead.
“How about that? You said you wanted to land.”
“Looks good, and so we will!”
We could have passed over it if he didn’t spot it in time. As usual in emergency situations, there is always something tall at the end of the runway.
“Damned crane!” I cursed. Once beyond the crane, I pushed forward on the stick to get down to the TDZ.
While taxiing back to anything that looked like an important building, “Bones*” commented on the large number of B’17’s parked on hardstands.
I offered this explanation, “I bet they are filming a very realistic WWII movie here. Right now some director is screaming CUT, $#*+, CUT!!!! What is that C-17 doing here?”
“Well, that would explain it,” said Bones. “Hopefully we won’t cause too much of a disturbance.”

We parked next to the most realistic WWII airfield ops/control tower I had ever seen. The actors that came out to meet us did not come out of character once!

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*We had taken to calling our copilot “Bones” because he is very skinny. He drinks more than he eats, which is worrisome. I fear the events of this trip will push him over the edge. 

Planned Route:
????, EGLL
Cruising altitude: Anybody's guess
Cruising speed: 150-180kts IAS

 

Video here:

 

 

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Dec 19
The Brits seem to be getting a kick out of our surprise vist and are doing their best to make us comfortable. Our own American side seems a little standoffish. The command section is embarrased that they were not told of our impending visit, nor can they explain the technology they are seeing. Whatever, we can’t stay here much longer before it all comes undone. I told my guys to go buy those cool antiques while they are still brand new.

 

Yesterday afternoon the British fighter squadron commander called me aside.
“Your big airplane is causing all of us quite a problem. I guess what I am trying to say is, you are going to have to earn your keep.”
“What are you proposing?” I asked.
“If you were to take one of our Hurricanes on a sight seeing trip, the fellows on this base may become more accepting of you and your crew. If you can fire a few shots at some of the Jerry’s flying around here it would be a bonus.” said the commander. “Have you ever flown a Hurricane or anything like it before?”
“Well, uh, ummm, I’ve flown one in X-Plane,” I offered.
“What the hell is X-Plane?” he quieried.
“Well….uh, nevermind. The explanation would seem incredible to you. So, to answer your initial question, yes, I have flown a Hawker Hurricane.”
“Good!” declared the commander. “Be at airfield ops at zero five-thirty.”

Planned Route:
Go see Powis Castle, Fly around listening for radio reports of enemy sightings, 

Cruising altitude: whatever, wherever
Cruising speed: whatever, wherever

 

I marked the critical V-speeds on the airspeed indicator with a grease pencil. A veteran Hurricane pilot warned me about using flaps too high or too early while landing. Also, he cautioned against using the toe brakes too heavily.
“We used to land on a grass strip with these aircraft before we had these nice concrete runways. It’s okay if you run off the end of the runway with the Hurricane. Just don't run the thing into a ditch. Actually, I prefer the grass strips.”

 

Video here:

 

 

[Aerosoft Team [Inactive Account] 51558]

Ahh the sound of that engine...

 

When you are able to change into you tux do join us at the bar.

[breakingstufftoday 24]

Dec 21
For better or worse, it is definitely tme to leave Llanbedr. Our hosts were gracious even at the height of WWII. They even did some paint work on our aircraft to ensure that there would be no friendly fire incidents. As a bonus they added flying pig nose art with the caption, “Rosy, the Mildly Confused Flying Pig.”
“Guys, you really didn’t have to,” I said.
“The pig was inspired by your request for 10,000 lbs. of kerosene. That’s enough to light the lamps of our island for a year,” the fighter squadron commander said.
“And that will start our engines and get us to crising altitude,” I said. “For this we are most grateful. Thank you for the chart too. If all else fails, we will have to dead reckon to London and hope for the best. How is the weather?”
“Wonderful! Just like here! Good luck.”
Fortunately it was not necessary to back up the full length of the runway. It was sill quite a show for folks that had never seen and airplane back up.

 

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Our repaint consisted of nose art, invasion stripes, and WWII era high visibility national insignia.

 

The thing in back energized and transported us back to 2017. It was a relief to see all the navigation instruments start working again. Bones called in to Heathrow Director to get our squawk and approach instructions for 27L. We were getting sporadic TCAS alerts. Control confirmed there was a smaller aircraft about half a mile behind us. at our altitude and speed.
“Our wake turbulence should be deterrent enough.”  

Planned Route:
EGOD, 52.59*N/4.23*W, 51.85*N/5.30*W, 51.73*N/3.26*W, EGLL 
Cruising altitude: 3,000”
Cruising speed: 280kts

 

Video here:

 

 

The gathering at Heathrow really took us by surprise.

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[Aerosoft Team [Inactive Account] 51558]

Good show my dear boy, good show. Drinks in the bar.