Nah. I've got some C-47 hours. Hard to get a spridget loaded onto that
beast
through the waist cargo door. Best to stick with the Herc so we can load via
the rear ramp!
Okay. That took care of the LBC content, now a great story from an old pilot
pal.
Flying a DC3 Gulf Coast Airline back in the early 60s... Miami to
Tallahassee, I
think. Back when they had "stewardesses" and the cockpit phone was on
the rear bulkhead. Hard to get a trim young stew on these old birds...most
of the real sharp ones were on the Super-G Connies.
Anyway, new girl, first flight and a bit on the chunky side. My old pal was
right seat and also new. Once they reached FL120 they switched on the
autopilot and went through the "New Stew" drill. Open the cable bay door
between the seats and behind the throttle console (DC3 has cables, not
hydraulics), both pilot and right seater squirm down into the cable bay.
Pilot grabs the mic from his yoke and calls the phone on the back bulkhead.
"Don't rush and don't alarm the passengers, but we need your help in the
cockpit", then close the cable bay door. Stew walks into the cockpit and
all she sees are the two yokes moving synchronously on autopilot.
This time, however, the drill backfires. Chunk stew passes out and falls
on the cable bay door. With little or no leverage from below they have to
until she wakes and moves to get out. By then they are over Dothan,
Birmingham center is screaming on the radios, and the USAF has scrambled
F100s from Maxwell AFB to intercept.
God! I'd love to have been a mouse in the corner!!
Cheers!!
Jim - reliving the good-ol'-days in Dodge City
On 11/30/05, Robert E. Shlafer <pilotrob@webtv.net> wrote:
>
> DC-3 would work also the same, Buster...though we'd have to pack a
> lunch....lot slower. :)
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