Chapter SIX -
The First assignment – Private Pilot Training,
That First Base MIGHT have been the Last
No sooner did we get back to our tech school base, just before the New Year when we were busy gathering our belongings and getting ready to see what our assignments would be, getting packed out, airline tickets and letting parents and friends know where in the world we'd be going, and taking a few more days leave before shipping to our first, as they say permanent party base. I never tried to visit Cheryl's granfather . I felt so totally embarrassed, stupid, again you can describe it and was scared tgo death she would be there as well.
As it turned out, minmy first permanentg base was going to be a place called Truax Field, in Madison, Wisconsin. I had no idea that was even a base one could be assigned to there, but it was a college town and that sounded good. Of course we didn't have any real choice anyway. The base was as it turned out, was in one part of the regional airport You did have to go out the main gate on one side of the base and drive around to the airport. At any rate, the first thing you'd run into of all things was a flight school.
This immediately peaked my interest in becoming a pilot and when I inquired that flight training in a Piper Cherokee 140, with the instructor and the fuel was but $18.00 an hour (back then in 1966 not today) I was hooked. After that first lesson, I knew I was going to be a captain for a major airline.
Quite a few have become anything from airline pilots to private pilots. In fact, when I was awarded my license to fly I was pilot number 1,696,712. So there are a lot of us with similar experiences in both venues. I started taking lessons, once, sometimes twice a week. I was working day shift at the Air Force job so my evenings and nights and most weekends were free to seek part time employment to pay for the lessons and that's exactly what I did.
To get trained faster I decided to take a job at the local Holiday Inn eventually becoming the head room service manager. Seems we were having a near constant change of hotel managers, the owner and his wife lived on the premises most of the time in a suite and finally they found one they really liked. As it turned out, so did I. I had one other person actually working for me on the weekend when it was especially busy, so I got to pick most of the plums as it were. I was basically in the lobby or the dining room and bar answering questions the guests might have about everything, every so often resolving a few complaints letting people into their rooms who had left their keys in the room or misplaced them outright and of course room service calls.
I also drove the van to the airport as needed to pick up passengers when they called. I actually met the very famous duo Sonny and Cher who did a show in town and stayed with us a few miles out of town. They were riding high on a huge and their first real hit, „I Got You Babe." That was a special moment to be sure.
At any rate, in addition to my salary I was making tips and was able to take up to four flight lessons a week. My instructor was a part owner in the school as was his brother. Both were certified flight instructors. We went through all the required paces of flight training including lessons on navigation on the ground and while in flight, how to recover from a stall and instrument flight. Wearing that hood in the cockpit while you were flying, could not see outside the aircraft, only your flight instruments took a lot of getting used to.
Then, one morning, as we touched down on the runway at the conclusion of the days lesson, the instructor asked me to pull over just off the active runway. Trust me, I never saw it coming which basically is supposed to be the idea when you are taking lessons and your instructor believes you are ready for that first solo.. He said, It's all yours, take it around, two timres one landing with flaps and one without, your ready to solo.
This is what every new traininee wants to hear who ever trained as a pilot. Your instructor would never let on that this was the moment. I can't remember when I have been so shocked, attentive, totally focused etc ALL at the same time. First thing you realize is that this is really happening and the very next is that if you screw this up it will likely ruin your whole day, like forever.
The first go around went quite well actually and that is a tremendous confidence builder. On the second take off, I flew right into a shower that seemed to come out of nowhere. But I turned on the base leg at 700 foot altitude as I had been trained and 20 seconds later, on the downwind leg which puts you paralell with the runway, just in the wrong direction for an actual landing. I get a call from the tower. Then on the speaker I hear, 27 Romeo please extend your downwind leg a couple of miles we have a Northwest Electra on final for your runway. About 90 seconds later I hear, 27 romeo turn on your base leg, advise if you have the runway in sight. The shower and clouds were still there. I didn't even have the airport in sight never mind the runway and I was sure to tell the tower that. He comes back, OK your doing fine turn on final now and advise when you have the airport and runway in sight. He was so matter of factly calm, cool and collected, but I instantly realized he was in the tower on the ground and I was about 700 feet above it in the air. Thirty seconds later, both appeared and I started breathing again. This was not in the script.
But with the help of a great person in the control tower that morning, I pulled it off without a hitch. You talk about a confidence builder, whew, that will do it.
Days of soloing were next, a cross country or two, an occassional check ride and finally at 38 flight hours I was ready to take my flight test.
Well, Murphy (that pesky law guy) wasn't too far away I guess because when I reported to the school ready to go, I got another unplanned surprise. Your instructor was NOT allowed to give you your final exam, it had to be another certified instructor. Well, that was going to be his brother whom had never flown with me but I had met and he seemed like a nice enough guy as well as was his brother who was my instructor. Well, so I thought. You see that day as good luck or bad luck as you would have it, there was a visiting FAA, (Federal Aviation Administration) certified flight instructor from Kansas City was paying the school a visit to check everything and recertify the school. I heard a very deep, menacing sounding voice say, oh no problem, I'll take him.
That's all I needed a certified instructor from the Fedreal Aviation Administration taking me for my final flight exam. Actually, it should have been an honor and a privilege I supposed to get a check ride from someone like that, but I tell you that is the last thing on your mind at the time.
So it was. I figured this was going to be exacting, difficult as he pretty much could make it up as we went. I was totally correct. He put me through all the ground school paces, plan a cross country flight, use of all the ground school tools, contact the tower with a flight plan, figure the route based on wind, weather, all of it. Pre-flight the airplane, gas, oil, chocks, propeller, and inside instruments. I got it all right.
OK, let's go he said. Then the totally unexpected happened. As we climbed to 3000 feet he announced, alright we are going to change our first destination airport. I now want you to fly here. And showed me the map. That means while flying you are refiguring....everything, pretty much in your head. But I found the grass field in the middle of basically nowhere or so it seemed and made my approach. About 50 feet off the ground he put on full throttle and said, OK you made all the right decisions, but you were about to land in a field of peas. However since there was a tractor on the actual runway, I won't deduct much as you had no choice. I thought, he's been here with somebody else. Well two hours later in a final, license granting check ride that should have been probably half that, all the exercises and a cross country under my belt, I heard a good job. I scored a 92 on the flight exam.
Now I was deteremined after that day, I would be the world's best pilot for any airline, on any plane, in any weather at any time.
About 3 months later, I saw an ad in the local paper where United Airlines was looking for pilots to train them in the 727 aircraft. I met all of the qualifications at the time except total solo time (250 flight hours) but I was well on my way to that.
That was until I met and became friends with a North Central Airlines DC-3 captain that used to fly into the airport about three times a week and stayed overnight at the Holiday Inn with us.
He said he saw the ad, and said if it looks to good to be true, it probably is, remember that. He continued, Look you train as a second officer, (there are no more of those these days). In about two years you make first officer, finally making a living wage and then in another 10 to 12 years perhaps Captain. But here's the deal. In about a year, the larger airlines are going to buy out the smaller ones like us at North Central. When you get hired as a second officer you basically get a number which is your senority position with whatever airline.
You move up as new hires come aboard. But then the airline is sold to a bigger carrier. They have to start letting smaller routes go and that means people as well. If your number comes up in the senority, you are gone. You then sign on with another airline as a SECOND OFFICER with NO senority.
If that airline is bought up by an even larger one, guess what happens all over again? You could spend a dozen years as a second officer. I wouldn't do it.
I could not imagine that happening to me of course but he was making perfect sense. As it turned out he was correct. About a year later, North Central Airlines was bought by Allegheny Airlines which was later bought by US AIR.
Oh how right he was. I have never forgotten it. So I just decided to stay in the Air Force and continue moving on up as a private pilot.
Here is the story that is the whole idea of this chapter in my life. It is 100% true as it actually happened. I have never told this story other than in conversation to anyone in a formal setting like to my parents for example while they were alive.
That first real assignment to an Air Force base might have been my last. In my day job as an airman (one stripe now)
I was not into electronic anything to be honest, but I was a bit intrigued by the job, or career I had been assigned by the Air Force. But truth be known and I am sure this applies to everyone out there, you just know when it is not your cup of tea.
That was NOT helped by the Chief Master Sargent in charge of the office shop and the repair mock-up where everyday work started at 0730. He had no liking and absolutely no respect for any new recruits, trainees to the military. I mean he didn't have to say anything but it was obvious. In his case however he always said exactly that in office briefings, stopping just shorrt of what he really thought. Then one day, he proved it. In a shop meeting, he actually stated that „first term" airman as far as he was concerned were basically no accounts. When you reenlist then you get my respect. There must have been 7 or 8 of us in the shop. Quite honestly I do believe we were all bewildered to hear something like that from the person who was in charge of all of us. A true leader is someone is supposed to guide you, teach you, show you what was needed, and help you become a better technician. All of us I am sure could feel it by his constant display of basic contempt for first term people. He rarely acknowledged us or spoke to us for that matter, and had this attitude of when I speak you listen but say nothing. I know I felt demoralized by what he said, but nobody dared say a word, well, nobody but me after his next pronouncement. You might imagine how that was about to play out but you don't have to, here is the whole storyfirst time in any writing.
He said, I like career people. People who are set on making a career out of the Air Force. So all you first termers, when I have a truck to clean or wash, a hangar to sweep, whatever detail I will pull you off and aircraft if your working one and the detail is yours. We all expected we would have our fair, perhaps more than fair share of the detail dirty work and we expected it to be honest, but he didn't have to make an issue out of it in front of everyone including our trainers, and all the other senior people in the shop.
So I politely raised my hand and when he said, what do you want, I said, well sir, the Air Force keeps telling us how much they spent on each of us during our 16 months of tech school education and training. Now we expected we'd get a lot of details. Burt we are constantly told we are hear to learn as well. So, if your going to deliberately take us away from that learning process meaning actually working an aircraft with our trainer all the time, how are we supposed to or going to learn anything about the planes we are supposed to fix over time.
He barked, well you can come in on another shift, I just don't care. I was somewhere between mad and stunned as to how shallow he really was.
My trainer pulled me aside later and said, hey don't worry, I'll come in and work with you anytime after hours, but this guy is a tyrant, he's „connected" and you may have just marked yourself.
My blood was boiling and if being honest with him no matter who he though he was, was wrong, it needed to be said and I had just said it. But the trainer was right, I would see his rath in the not to distant future.
Not much more happened for about a week, then one day I heard, hey airman, you want to learn so I am moving you to the mock-up to modify a unit for the airplane that needs doing. I was pleased, well so I envisioned. The units in question were called 663 units, a small but intricate part of the radar system on the aircraft. It required removing a few components and installing new wires and rerouting others. It was a very labor intensive and exacting task, especially for a first timer.
We were given six hours as the standard to modify one box by the manufacturer as an average time it should take. Well, I did my first one along with five others doing the same to other units. It took me nearly nine hours to complete that first one, but of the six units turned in only two of them worked as prescribed and mine was one of them.
Shortly there after, we were sent to another field training school not far from our office. Honestly, I am not sure if I learned anything new because they essentially taught us the test we would have at the conclusion of the course and then tested us on it with our books in front of us.
I did have one of two instructors I really enjoyed and if I learned anything it was thanks to him. So, things were going well, or so I thought and I graduated the course apparrently and went back to the original job, complete with sweeping hangars and taking inventories. Our actual time on live aircraft was fairly limited.
I was now a private pilot in my off time getting as many hours as I could afford when my medical certificate, a third class FAA medical, had to be renewed.
So I made an appointment at the base hospital dispensary to get an actual second class medical, required once a year rather than every two years, because I planned on moving forward in my flying career, and NOT staying with the Air Force after my four year commitment, just no longer sure of when, where or how I really wanted to proceed.
I just reasoned I'd keep my options open in that arena. I was at the dispensary for the exam that one morning and we were given forms, there was always plenty of those to fill out, to state the purpose of our visit for a full or partial medical. So I put down, FAA second class medical, the assistant took them and was to give them I guess to the doctor for review as to what was required and needed.
He came back in short order and said, something is wrong here. One of you is here for a discharge physical. Then I heard. which one of you is airman Murray? You are here for a discharge physical.
In a word, shocked, embarrassed and furious all at the same time. I was in complete disbelief and that became real anger in short order. The last several months all came roaring back in an instant. I wasn't being trained, I was being set up.
I told the assistant, oh no I am not and I refuse to continue with the exam. I'm leaving and I'll be in touch. I walked back to my work area fuming to say the least. When I got there, there was only one other person in the office and I went around the area to this chiefs cubicle and said with a few choice words, What's this discharge physical. I just got blindsided by the dispensary, I was never told anything as I was there for an FAA medical.
I will never forget the look on his face, like an authoritarian smirk as he said, no, I'm putting you in for a discharge from the Air Force as unadaptable to military service. As your supervisor, I can request it and I have.
By that point, even while trying to keep some demeanor, it was very difficult. I said look you pompous (deleted) I will fight you tooth and nail on this. I might not win, but I guarrantee you will know you were in a fight and I started to walk out. He said, you won't win, the regulations are on my side, there is nothing you can do. I said, well there is one thing.
I have refused to take the medical for openers and since you want me gone, I'll grant you your wish while I look at what i can do. You never even brought it up once. His response was, I don't have to. With that I walked out of his office.
I thought my first stop would be best at the base legal office to see what on earth was going on, what the regulations actually said and what if anything I could do. So I went over there. I got a briefing I will never forget as well by a young Master Sargent who basically saw my rage and said, just calm down and let's look at this. So we did.
As it turns out there is an Air Force regulation, at least there was then, that was called AFR-39-16. It was there to discharge basically first term airmen who could not or would not by the opinion of their superior, adapt to military life. It did not give the actual process or how it should be determined such as misbehavior on several incidents, or drug use, being an incorrigable, that sort of thing. So the loophole was huge and this chief was about to take every advantage he could.
In most cases it would be a general discharge without predjudice, but you'd still be gone and could not re-enlist or join another service. It was close to as iron clad as these things can get and for a first termer, they were afforded counsel or a counselor, but NOT a lawyer. Basically, a person subject to a discharge under this regulation, had no real rights to refute anything.
In the wrong hands this could be terribly misused and I knew that this was in the wrong hands this could be devestating to me and I realized in his hands it certainly was about to be. But all that made me was more determined than ever.
More or less, the request is sent in, a disinterested officer looks it over, it goes to the base commander at the local base, NOT any higher, if he decides to accept it as written, it's over, just go away.
The deck was stacked against me and I knew it. Then I got a rather pleasant surprise. The Master Sargent said to me, look, nobody to my knowledge has ever beaten this.
The majority of the people subject to this regulation, actually want out of the military. I can see that is not you, not at all. Let's get the paperwork, have a look at the charges and see if there is any daylight at all.
Please feel free to use my desk or office, the printer whatever you need. I am here every day. You are one determined individual and frankly he said I'd like to follow this with you. I don't hold out much hope, but we can slow things down here certainly and that I will do to every extent I can. By now, I was rational again, very apprciative of his words and more determined than ever to win this. But reviewing the actual regulation as written, I'd say at the time the chances were perhaps a fraction above zero of being successful.
Two days later I was back in the legal office and we sat down together to review the complaint, charge sheet as it was called and the statements and reasoning behind each one of them.
Before we started he told me, I know this chief that is doing this to you. He is on every committee I think on the base like Boy Scouts, Little league, advisory committees so he's got a lot of friends in high places. That only made me more determined than ever. I was going to beat this guy one way or another.
We look the charges. Number one was Insubordination.
I said, I guess that was when I asked him what I thought was an honest question about his statement in the office meeting. So I told the sargeant and he chuckled and said, typical, OK, item two. Failed to complete a generously timed modification project in the suggested time. That was the modification and I said yes but they left out there were six units, only two worked after the modification and mine was one of them. OK, item three. Failed repeated blocks of a field detachment school. I said, that is a lie, I passed the course overall with an 76%. I might have had a couple of failed quizzes, everybody did, but my final grade was a passing grade for the course.
The sargent looked at me and said, I can't say I haven't seen this sort of thing before where the most important parts are left out. Your're being railroaded.
Look, this is still going to be very difficult, but I am clearly in your corner and I think if anybody can do this, you will.
OK, let's see who your assigned review officer counselor is. Major _____. Oh boy, I know him. He's at the base library. I'm not sure but something happened to him and he'll have his 20 years so he can retire in like a month. He's just there, with no job, awaiting retirement and I think not to with it to be nice.
I thought, boy, when they stack the deck, they stack the deck. Well I thought, let's go see him and see what is or isn't. I went to the library, and was directed to a room where this major was just half sitting and half leaning on a couch. I saluted and introduced myself He half looked up acknowledged I was there and said, yeah they told me you might be coming. We'll talk. I want you to know that it will be my opinion to make a recommendation after after a few chats to recommend what I think to the base commander and he will make the decision, not me.
So, we started to talk and in no less than 10 minuted time, he said, „OK, what is your name again" I was a bit shocked and then he said „and you are here for some type of evaluation or something correct." I knew right then how this was going to end. Someone would remind him, recommend to him and he'd agree to pretty much anything.
So after session four he said, well OK, I think I've got the story and I'll think on this awhile and let you know.
I thought, nice try but the AYE's have it and you my friend are toast. Well, I really believed my future in the Air Force was about to end. My fate was essentially in his hands and more often than not, he didn't know what planet he was on.
I went back to the legal office to see this Master Sergeant, basically thank him for his efforts. That evening as I was relating a part of the story to a good friend I had, he told me something that really gave me a glimmer of hope in a desperate situation.
As it turned out, Truax Field was a small base in the grand scheme of things than other much larger Air Force bases.
As such, the Commanding officer on the base wore two hats, not just one. He was as it turned out the base Inspector General as well as the Commanding officer.
Needless to say I litterally ran to the legal office
acquaintence, by now I'd say if not a friend because he had to remain neutral, hoping for the best. He knew my determination and respected that. We talked and when we concluded I was smiling and hopeful all at the same time.
I told him. His reaction was yes, that's true. You may have found the key, and then said, all things considered, and the fact that you are up against in my opinion, a real bully with a terribly inflated ego about his own greatness, I hope so.
I have to tell you, for the first time I had hope and it didn't feel like false hope. If Igot to tell the inspector general my story, he could not make a deciusion without througholy investigating my claims if he thougfht they had merit
So, we talked, made a plan for an interview that had to be granted by regulation.
I called the commanders office the next morning and made my request, I gues spoke to the secretary and askled for an urgent appointment. I told the, I guess secretary assistant to the commander why and I got an appointment to see the Inspector General for the following Monday (five days later) at 9:00 AM. I couldn't wait for Monday to come.I consulted with my mentor at legal, and prayed a lot.
At 0845 on the Monday, I was in the commanders waiting room. We spent nearly two hours together as I related all of the story from day one, gave him documents I had gathered from the same period told him who and what I was up against and that I wanted to stay in the Air Force.
He must have been impressed, because as we finished he said. I will look into this and follow it wherever it leads. I will promise you only that until I have looked at everything for myself, I WILL NOT sign or approve any discharge order against you, fair enough? I gave him a huge thank you and a Yes Sir and left. I was thrilled.
I had been reassigned to the base service club which I requested while all this was going on.
That chief in the radar shop didn't care, he OK'd it as he was convinced I was history anyway. I was fairly convinced I reallyu had a chance here.
The service club had a civilian manager and a staff sergeant assistant manager and two airmen assigned as a career duty. It was my job to do just general needs but in my case paperwork and, occassionally checking out equiptment.
But I started being an MC of sorts at club events. I had a good radio voice they said so that was also in the mix. Then one day maybe a week later I was told that the club director had recommended me to read the citations of retiring service men and women at the monthly retirement parade and ceremonies. I gladly accepted.
Kind of like a jury I guess, after about 6 weeks I think it was I was wondering where the decision was. I thought apparently the Inspector General was seriously looking into my case and investigating it througholy.
Then it happened. It was 9:30 AM one morning, I was in the check-out equiptment room when the club director and his assistant came to the counter. Short and sweet with a big smile, they said, we just got the decision, YOU WON ! CONGRATULATIONS.
I can't begin to relate all the emotions of the moment.
I don't believe there was ever a written report or any other entry in the official ledger because I didn't see it if there was, but honestly, I didn't care.
Well, that was until I guess two or three months later when as part of my announcing duties for the base retirements,
I found out. People retiring after 20 plus years or a career in the Air Force, stand at an afternoon ceremony. Their retirement citations are read, any awards they are to receive are presented. I was the one that that read all of these citations for each person as the base commander proceeded down the line of retirees from highest ranking officer to the enlisted personnel.
Usually there are eight to twelve retirees of both officer and enlisted ranks. There were four officers that day the rest were enlisted. On the fourth, I turned the page of the book and there was the name of that Chief Master Sargent.
I didn't even know he was retiring. But here was his name and there was this BIG RED „X" drawn through the citation. He wasn't there. Justice had prevailed and it belonged to me. I smiled and went on to the next name.