Chapter Eleven - 1974 - 1975
Very Special Dates with Carla & Gloria
1975 Back to the USA in Style
My interest in weather, and specifically in severe weather, thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, typhoons and tropical storms. This had always been at the top of my interest in science. The how, what, when, where and why of what mother nature was capable of when all the right ingredients would come together was fascinating. Remember, I received an honorable mention at the Massachusetts State science fair at MIT when I was in high school so it was pretty much a natural when I traveled to one end of the base to visit at the time, the 54th Weather Reconnisance Squadron, the home of the Typhoon Chasers of the Pacific.
I met their public affairs lieutenant, we became great friends and he of course introduced me to the commander of the squadron.
I don't know what predicated it to be honest, but I was coming up for a re-enlistment at the time.
Just to make it different and special, I had this idea, to ask the lieutenant if he would do the honors aboard one of the WC-130 typhoon chaser aircraft that actually flew into these storms. He readily agreed. The day came, I was
re-enlisted, and again for whatever reason after getting to see all the special equiptment, cockpit and talking to an entire crew, I said, wow, it would be great to actually go along with you guys on one of your missions.
What came next, litterally floored me. Well, you know these missions are up to 13 hours long depending on where we have to fly to to make the storm penatrations for all the measurements we get. But, if you are really interested,
I think we can arrange that.
Trust me I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
Come to think of it, that's probably as close as I'll ever get, LOL !!
I was excited beyond belief. That day finally arrived and I boarded the WC-130 with the crew and we were suddenly airborne.
Before I go any further, I must make special note of an unmistakeable observation. The crews of any of the "chasers" that fly imto these storms as a military career, are without any doubt whatsoever, the most,"together" professional crew unit I have ever seen.
You can actually see and feel it when you are in their presence almost like they know what each other are thinking all the time, certainly on any mission into a storm.
One could say they have to be because their very lives depend on it. I suppose that is true to some degree, you never know what these storms are capable of doing at any moment. But it's not just the weather or the storms which as we know can change in a very few moments.
It's the entire attitude of each typhoon or hurricane crew member and what they represent. It is very special.
This was to be a daytime penatration mission. This storm was named Carla itself was a couple hundred miles south of Guam and not headed for our island. It was NOT a typhoon at the time but very possibly with the measurements we would take,on this mission we were about to fly about to become one.
I spent my time enroute to the storm, taking notes and asking questions of the pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer, meteorologist aboard and the dropsonde operator, a fellow by the name of Detleff Ringler. It started to get a little bumpy miles from the storm center. I guess we'd call it light to occassional moderate turbulence and through my headphones I heard the pilot say, we are about 50 miles out
He said, "if you'd like to come to the cockpit, and watch all of this, come on up, just grab a place to hold on because we never know what the next few miles will bring." I was there in a flash, still wondering if this was some sort of dream I was having.
I was watching the Doppler radar on the console and we could see the banding and what looked like a very large but clear „eye" on the screen.
As he flew, he explained to me that protocol was that we slowed the aircraft to 180 knots which would be penetration speed at an altitude of 10,000 feet. He said we always approach these storms from the weakest area that was indicated on radar, usually the northwest side.
Since the wind is circulating counter clockwise, we get to what is called the wall cloud surrounding the eye, there would prob ably be a bump or jerk as we penatrated the wall cloud and the storm then would actually capture the plane and let it fly right into the eye or center of the storm.
I am hanging on every word. Here I was, a former high school senior ten years before with a science project and a dream. This dream was about to come true.
As we got close, the rain on the windscreen, light before became pretty intense for a minute or two. Then the pilot said, OK hang on we are just about there.
Within perhaps 30 seconds there was a bump, like a car perhaps hitting a curb on a sidewalk just like he said and suddenly the sky cleared completely. We were in the „eye" of Carla. The only word that came to mind then and comes to mind even now is, unbelieveable. The eye they estimated as very large as these things go, estimated a close to 40 miles in diameter. The question was, was it a typhoon yet?
The dropsond operator in the back, sent a probe down into the center of the storm and the meteorologist went to work. The instrument sends back all sorts of data like temperature, wind speeds also recorded all during the flight, barometric pressure and all of that is compared to past penatration measurements.
Looking at the ocean below, the measurements that came back like barometric pressure in the center, then doing all the math. They determined that although weak by typhoon standards, Carla had indeed become a minimal typhoon. Winds were estimated at no more than 75, possibly 80 miles per hour, but it was all I needed to hear. We did two more passes and penatrations, flew around in the eye for about half and hour each time and then returned to Andersen AFB in Guam. Naturally, I wanted more, I knew I had to go again, into a bigger storm the next time. The experience was like waking up from a daydream perhaps that felt more real than one could imagine.
Several weeks later, I got my wish and this was to be a nighttime mission, a whole lot different than a daytime one. Here, all the flight instruments are critical, certainly radar, because you can't see anything except lightning, hear the rain and do a lot of soul searching as you get closer to the bullseye.
We had indeed found the ideal typhoon according to the aircraft that had gone before us and Gloria was getting bigger all the time in the warm waters of the Pacific. This one was big, growling weather monster prowling the Pacific about 500 miles south of Andersen AFB, taking aim at the Phillipines or Okinawa. At the time it's future track had not been established.
Even Japan at some point in it's journey was not out of the track possibilities. But in 1975, weather computers, for that matter any computers were not nearly as advanced or as accurate as they are today.
This storm was named GLORIA and she was a whole lot different, behaving erractically at times and determined at others. Other missions had already measured much lower barometric pressure, winds estimated at over 120 miles per hour and an eye wall of only 16 miles in diameter.
This, I thought, would be an experience I would never forget. I never have. Here is the complete story of this sureal experience.
It needs to be mentioned as well that a person, military or civilian, not directly a member of or connected to the crew is required to sign a waiver before the flight.
The waiver states that you completely understand what you are about to do and do so voluntarily. That you have been briefed what you are about to undertake and would hold the crew, squadron and Air Force harmless should anything happen. There had never been a plane lost in the entire history of the typhoon chasers or hurricane hunters at this point. All things considered, a remarkable testament to the crews in the air and on the ground maintaing and flying these planes.
After getting the briefing the aircraft was completely preflighted, we boarded and a few minutes later left the lights of Andersen AFB behind as we headed out to meet Gloria.
It is also required for the crew to remain in touch, call in to base communications every 5 minutes when about to penatrate or are flying in the eye of a storm. In our case this night we also stayed in contact with another aircrew that had been in the storm about three hours earlier to get the very latest information on what like, more importantly, what it was doing.
We heard that they had found that the storm seemed to have developed two „eyes" and the pressures were different in both that were fairly close together.
Today this is commonly known as an eyewall replacement cycle meaning one starts to develop and will eventually merge with the other. We were over 100 miles from the center of the storm and the light turbulence that we experienced in Carla was already getting worse. As we approached 60 miles, you could hear the strain of the prop jet engines getting drenched with torrents of rain and wind.
The turbulence was getting worse, much worse and I was sitting in my seat near where the dropsond operator would do his work. The pilot asked on the headsets if I was holding up alright. I explained, just fine thanks. Not two minutes later as I was listening to and actually recording the cockpit conversations there was a bright flash of light and I heard the pilot say whoa that wasn't very nice."
We had been hit by lightning. Then as calm as could be he said, I think I'll keep my hands off the electrical stuff, I have this thing about electricity." Again words you will always remember. Then again, the pilot, you OK back there?"
I ackowledged, affirmative. A bit of a rapid heartbeat perhaps but that was from shear excitement not any medical condition. Then there was a message to all. OK, we are about 12 miles out, it could get a little rough so hang on. The turbulence was approaching periods of severity, but it wasn't constant . Suddenly that bump, quite a bit more than in Carla.
There were a few more shakes in rapid succession then calm, no rain, no wind, no turbulence, but the temperature inside the plane rose several degrees in a couple of minutes.
We were in the eye. As it turned out we had to maintain a slight bank as we flew around in the eye using the doppler radar as a guide and looking for a place to exit once we had the measurements we needed.
I was invited to the cockpit to watch. The eye or center of these storms are essentially giant heat engines. At 10,000 feet in a storm that might be over 60,000 feet it certainly gets very hot and humid, very quickly. We could not see much but there were almost constant flashes of lightning and only then could we see a stadium like rows of clouds, but only for a few seconds. Winds were estimated to be well over 115 miles per hour and the calculation based on barometric pressure readings from the dropsond instrument, and the recorded windspeed at 10,000 feet suggested closer to 135 miles per hour.
Then we got a message as we were about to make our second exit from the three penatration series. It was Clark AB in the Philippines telling us that the plane that had gone before us suffered a nosewheel collapse on landing there. As a result we were being directed to proceed to Clark instead of returning to Andersen so we could take over their flight assignments the next day.
We'd get a bit of a break for crew rest and fly back to Andersen but explore Gloria again three more times en route back.
We landed at Clark after nearly 12 hours flying to and then flying in the storm and proceeded to the officers quarters for some sleep. It was already close to 6:00 AM when we landed.
It took awhile to realize I guess the incredible series of events that had occurred on this mission and to realize that I was going to get another crack at this storm about 27 hours later, this time during the day. I could not begin to imagine, what we might see, given all that we felt on this night flight, just a few hours before.
I slept soundly, well until about 3:00 PM. There was a knock at the door and the co-pilot said we are going to the village off base to like pick up a few souveniers,was I interested?
I was ready in 30 seconds, OK maybe 40 seconds. I wasn't going to miss a moment of any of this.
The little village was Angeles City, not a city at all but there were all kinds of souvenier shops, bars, all open of course, but pretty non functional in the afternoon. Still, the shop merchants were everywhere offering deals on everything under the sun.
Prices are much better in the afternoons. I think all of us went a little crazy. Most of us bought a papasan chair, one size or another at a fraction of what they cost today.
We each managed to buy some unique shell lamps as they are known. The merchants did well.
Not only that, they delivered right to base operations and somebody loaded it all on the plane for us.
The next morning we received a briefing that it looked like the storm might" be starting to decay as the planes in after us were getting consistantly higher barometric pressure readings than we did. So they told us to fly as close to the northeast quadrant of the storm as we could.
This is usually where you find the highest winds in any hurricane or typhoon and to use our judgement when in the area. In about two hours we were off, headed back to Andersen with a lady named Gloria between us and Andersen AFB, a cool home and a warm meal.
As it turned out we thought the turbulence was less but I would still say moderate to heavy at times. We penatrated the eyewall, and now in daylight, there was a sight to behold. Stadium effect clouds in this thermal eye heat engine that we saw ascending from where we were flying at 10,000 feet to I would guess and the meteorologist confirmed over 60,000 feet high. What a sight !!
The eye of this storm had a light cloud pattern below us in a few places and we only got quick glances at the sea below.
When we did get to the northeast corner of the storm what we saw was sea foam. This means the winds are blowing so hard on and near the surface of the ocean that it just blows breaker tops everywhere. This also means that the wave heights are about 60 – 70 feet if you can imagine something like that, and the winds are near 130 miles an hour and higher in gusts.
We did not get higher pressures that were recorded by the plane before us. The eye of the storm was estimated to be about 12 miles. It looked to the onboard meteorologist that either the storm was regenerating or possibly the aircraft that flew in before us was getting measurements possibly as the eye of the typhoon was regenerating. Our pressure readings were lower.
No, Gloria was not dying, not at all. We exited the storm each time in the southern end, which with the winds, rain and clouds according to the aircraft's radar would make life a bit easier. We landed at Andersen about 9:30 PM that night.
One other note was the Anderen Flight control asked us if we had cargo aboard. I think they asked all crews returning from the Philippines. We did and so we were met by a local customs official when we parked the plane.
When he boarded, he shook his head smiled, actually laughed and said, oh forget it and signed the clearance admission papers.
I would like to say that the remaining tour was restful, easy and smooth and looking back it was I suppose. But Murphy, (that law guy) still had a thing or two up his sleeve to spring loose.
Its the spring of 1975 and in 4 months my tour is finished and I am just wondering where I might end up in the USA for an assignment. One afternoon, talking to my lieutenant friend at the Typhoon Chasers about coming over for dinner.
He mentiones he'd like to but couldn't that evening because he was scheduled is going on a mission that night that would take them to the South China sea investigating a tropical storm that was showing signs of strenthening into a typhoon. He was going as co-pilot (first officer) and the 54th Squadron commander would go as the Captain.
It's going to be out and back flight because we have to fly quite awhile just to get to the storm he said. It may not be much at all but that's what we do. Then he mentioned that part of the initial crew, you first flew with will also be going. I could not resist and asked, well, we can do dinner most any night. Do you have room for me on the flight tonight?
Sure he said I'm sure the CEO won't mind a bit. Again though, it might not be much of anything out there and it's a long way out and back so are you sure? I said yes, of course to be flying with the Squadron Commander, you and part of the original crew I flew with would be a good ending to my story and soon to end tour.
It was nearly both.
In ten minutes I had the official OK from the CO, called the wife to tell her and headed back to the station to let them know I'd be out all night, please call or go by the neighbors next door and tell them we have to postpone dinner tonight.
When I got back to the station, The program director Msgt George Biren said to me, Oh I can't let you go not tonight as we need you to substitute the evening duties tonight, sorry. I tried my best to see if someone else could do it but I was it.
I was not happy at all, in fact I'd say mad to have to miss this opportunity. It would have brought the whole experience full circle. I got home around 10 PM knowing the flight had already left and went to bed soon after. I guess it was just after 3:00 AM, half asleep I heard the phone ringing The wife got up to answer it.
It was my neighbor from communications, asking her if she had heard from me. She said, yeah he's in the bedroom asleep. He was clearly relieved.
He said to her, well he was supposed to be on this storm mission tonight wasn't he?" She said yes but he had to work. They got to the storm about midnight and they are supposed to check-in every five minutes. We haven't heard from them in over half an hour.
Now I am up, she gave me the phone and he said to me, I am so glad you are here.
We haven't heard from the plane in over 30 minutes, it could be their radios are out but I doubt that as they were communicating with us as prescribed and suddenly nothing. I said, oh my God, my friend and the 54th squadron commander along with most of the original crew I flew with were on that plane. He said, well the pilot was and the name he gave me was NOT the squadron CO. I asked about the First officer, but he didn't know. He would keep me posted. I didn't get a lot of sleep after that and again at about 4:45, he called again and said, Still no radio contact, we think they might be down.
The plane never returned to Andersen and searches were launched and of course a million questions along with it. As it turned out, this was the FIRST accident of the 54th Weather Reconissance SquadronTyphoon Chasers. My friend and the squadron CO had to cancel about one hour before the departure. Both had been replaced by other pilots.
Neither of them were aboard, but the flight engineer and the dropsonde operator I had flow with were. Among the relief, and grief, I honestly don't remember my feelings at all other than knowing I did not go.
So I thank, Master Sargeant George Biren, I am sure now long retired, for basically saving my life. If he could have possibly let me go, I know he would have. He knew how important it was to me.
We'd all attended the memorial service held on the base about two weeks later. They spotted like two seats in the area where they were last thought to be located but nothing else. The chapel was filled to overflowing and perhaps a few hundred people were outside that could not get in.
It took awhile to get a handle on all of it, but we all did and the rest of the tour went well. I received orders to
F.E. Warren AFB in Wyoming. They were later changed to Malmstrom AFB, Great Falls, Montana, known as „big sky" country.
I thought, other than chilly winters and warm summers, this should be a really nice tour, no excitement, nothing major, a little R & R as they say finally. I mean what could possibly happen out there in Big Sky country.
Well, I still had to check out of Andersen and fly back to the USA with the wife, a now adopted daughter and oh yes, our cat named SNOOPY, a beautiful, very smart and very spoiled siamese cat. It didn't take long to find out I was wrong yet again.
I had orders in hand for all of us. But military contract air would not take pets at the time. They went as cargo and not on the same flight.
I solved that by telling then asking an an acquaintence in the transportation section if it would be possible to get what they called Category Z travel back to the USA.
This meant a commercial flight rather than a charter military flight but you could take small pets commercially, actually in the cabin with you in a carry container by pre-applying.
My request was granted and I gave them all our names and got authorization to take the cat in a transfer carry-on case and put him under the seat with us in the cabin.
Problem solved, well so I thought, that is until the day of the flight, a Pan American 707 to Hawaii and then a change of planes to San Francisco. When we arrived at the navy/commercial airport , we checked in at the counter. The guy handed me FOUR tickets. I said, Interesting even a ticket for the cat. The guy looked a bit embarrassed and said we have tickets for an R. Murray, C. Murray, M. Murray and an S. Murray. I said the S. Murray is Snoopy, he's the cat .
Oh, he said, we assumed S. Murray was a person. I said we'll there are times when he thinks he is. So we moved to another counter to sort it all out.
We boarded the plane though, and were on our way to Honolulu, International where we'd have to change planes. Since Snoopy was a cat we had the briefing that he would have to go through vet checks etc and be seperated from us in Honolulu while his papers were checked but would be at the boarding gate in Hawaii probably before we were.
Landing in Hawaii, this was the day they picked to have a work slowdown for whatever reason. There were like four clearing gates in operation out of maybe twenty.
Then a friendly Pan Am agent came up and said. You have a 2 hour connection. Look I'll take the cat, bring him through entry and vet checks and he'll be at the boarding gate for you.
This brought instant tears from the wife and the daughter, who seeing the mess at customs, just knew they would never see Snoopy again. I said if he's not where they said he'd be, we won't go either. That helped. We got to the next flight boarding gate and there in all his glory was Snoopy in his container. Smiles everywhere and then I heard. Sargeant, we have a little problem here. I think, oh God, what now.
Well the agent says we thought your cat was a person and we can only take one pet passenger per cabin . There are two dogs booked from here to San Francisco. So, I guess whet we'll do is move all of you up to FIRST CLASS to be within regulations.
I knew I loved that animal. So there we were flying from Honolulu to San Francisco, on Pan American, First Class. We got booties to wear, blankets, pillows, a real dinner we chose from a real menu of possible choices , real silverware and plenty of legroom. Life was good.