The List 7374
To All
Good Wednesday Morning December 3, 2025 . It is cloudy and is supposed to remain that way until around noon then it is going to be clear until around 4. The temps are supposed to hit 65 around 1. The rest of the week will be clear for the most part but still cool until the weekend when the temps will climb into the mid 70s for a week
This List contains the excerpt from DD Smith's book "Above Average, Naval Aviation the Hard Way".where he describes his spin in the F-14 test program. I met him at Tailhook and he was nice enough to provide the excerpt for all of us to read. I knew a couple of aircrew that got into this and did not survive.
The Bubba Breakfast is this Friday.
Have a great week.
.Regards
skip
.HAGD
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/. Go here to see the director's corner for all 94 H-Grams.
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History
December 3
1775—The first American flag is raised aboard a Continental ship when Lt. John Paul Jones hoists the Grand Union Flag during Continental ship Alfred's commissioning at Philadelphia, PA.
1863—The armed steamer Cambridge captures schooner J.C. Roker off the coast of North Carolina and the schooner Emma Tuttle off Cape Fear.
1943—USS Tinosa (SS 283) sinks the Palau-bound Japanese fleet tanker Azuma Maru northwest of Sonsorol.
1956—The first ship converted to support the Fleet Ballistic Missile program, USS Compass Island (EAG 153), is commissioned.
1983—Two F-14s are fired upon off Lebanon. The next day, USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) and USS Independence (CV 62) launch a strike against Syrian anti-aircraft positions. During the strike, two U.S. Navy planes, A-6E and A-7E, are shot down. In the A-6E, Lt. Mark A Lange is killed while Lt. Robert O. Goodman is captured. Goodman is released Jan. 1984.
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Today in World History
December 3
1468 Lorenzo the Magnificent and his brother Giuliano succeed their father, Piero de Medici, as rulers of Florence, Italy.
1762 France cedes to Spain all lands west of the Mississippi--the territory known as Upper Louisiana.
1818 Illinois admitted into the Union as the 21st state.
1800 The French defeat an Austrian army at the Battle of Hohenlinden, near Munich.
1847 Frederick Douglass and Martin R. Delaney establish the North Star, and anti-slavery paper.
1862 Confederate raiders attack a Federal forage train on the Hardin Pike near Nashville, Tenn.
1863 Confederate General James Longstreet moves his army east and north toward Greeneville. This withdrawal marks the end of the Fall Campaign in Tennessee.
1864 Major General William Tecumseh Sherman meets with slight resistance from Confederate troops at Thomas Station on his march to the sea.
1906 The U.S. Supreme Court orders Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) leaders extradited to Idaho for trial in the Steunenberg murder case.
1915 The United States expels German attaches on spy charges.
1916 French commander Joseph Joffre is dismissed after his failure at the Somme. General Robert Nivelle is the new French commander in chief.
1918 The Allied Conference ends in London where they decide that Germany must pay for the war.
1925 The League of Nations orders Greece to pay an indemnity for the October invasion of Bulgaria.
1926 British reports claim that German soldiers are being trained in the Soviet Union.
1950 The Chinese close in on Pyongyang, Korea, and UN forces withdraw southward.
1965 The National Council of Churches asks the United States to halt the massive bombings in North Vietnam.
1977 The State Department proposes the admission of 10,000 more Vietnamese refugees to the United States.
1979 Eleven are dead and eight injured in a mad rush to see a rock band (The Who) at a concert in Cincinnati, Ohio.
1984 Toxic gas leaks from a Union Carbide plant and results in the deaths of thousands in Bhopal, India.
1989 Presidents George Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev announce the official end to the Cold War at a meeting in Malta.
1992 A test engineer for Sema Group sends the world's first text message, using a personal computer and the Vodafone network.
1997 Representatives of 121 nations sign the Ottawa Treaty prohibiting the manufacture or deployment of antipersonnel landmines; the People's Republic of China, the US and the USSR do not sign.
2005 First manned rocket aircraft delivery of US Mail takes place in Mojave, Cal.
2009 Suicide bombing in Mogadishu, Somalia, kills 25 people, including three ministries of the Transitional Federal Government.
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Thanks to the Bear. We will always have the url for you to search items in Rolling Thunder
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER …
. rollingthunderremembered.com .
Thanks to Micro
From Vietnam Air Losses site for ..December 3
3-Dec: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=915
MOAA - Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
The site works, find anyone you knew in "search" feature.
https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
By: Kipp Hanley
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Thanks to Dr. Rich
From a two tour Thud pilot friend.
Powerful, indeed. There are still some good 'uns out there.
YP
(fade to A MAGPIE IN PICARDY)
Powerful.. Joshua Dyer (aged 14) was tasked at school to write a poem for Remembrance Day. An hour later (without any help) he produced this..
ONE THOUSAND MEN ARE WALKING
One thousand men are walking
Walking side by side
Singing songs from home
The spirit as their guide
They walk toward the light milord,
they walk towards the sun
they smoke and laugh and smile together
no foes to outrun.
These men live on forever
in the hearts of those they saved
a nation truly grateful
for the path of peace they paved.
They march as friends and comrades
but they do not march for war
step closer to salvation
a tranquil steady corps
the meadows lit with golden beams
a beacon for the brave
the emerald grass untrampled
a reward for what they gave.
They dream of those they left behind
and know they dream of them
forever in those poppy fields
there walk one thousand men ...
Joshua Dyer 2019 (aged 14)
Lest we forget...
This has to be shared. An incredible poem from 14-year-old Joshua Dyer.
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"From the archives
Thanks to Rhino and DR
: B-1 Bomber for sale
GREAT story! And, indeed...it's no longer possible to have this kind of tongue-in-cheek poke-fun any more...either in the military or otherwise...it's RACIST.
B-1 Bomber for Sale
A B1 bomber was in here ( Billings , MT ) doing practice approaches and touch and go's. On one of the landings the pilot sets his brakes on fire. He taxied in, and the airport parked him on a taxiway and then put cones around him until parts and mechanics can be brought in from Ellsworth AFB, Rapid City SD, the next day.
The next day is a Saturday, which doesn't have much going on, so we get to laughing in the tower that maybe somebody should hang a For Sale sign on the plane. We convinced one of our guys who's well known for doing things like this that it would be a good idea. So he took off for the hardware store to buy a For Sale sign. On the way back he stopped at a car dealer and got one of those "As is/No Warranty" signs that hang in all used cars. On that sign was written something like low miles, new engines, needs brakes and tires. Those signs were taped together, and off went our hero.
He climbd over the barbed fence, leaving some skin on the barbed wire, and made his way the 1000 feet or so to the aircraft. As he did that, we saw a couple of airport vehicles starting to gather with the recently arrived mechanics as well as the plane's crew. Not looking good for our intrepid airplane salesman. He got to the nose wheel and taped the sign to the nose strut. Then he started to make his way back from the plane as the vehicles started to head out from the shop on the way to the bomber. Somehow he made it without being seen.
The vehicles arrived at the plane, and of course noticed the sign right away. The Air Force guys were in stitches, funniest thing they've seen in a long time. Airport guys were not sure what to think. Airport management was livid as they've been tasked with security. Pretty soon a camera appeared and all the Air Force guys were taking pictures of each other by the sign.
Our hero is back in the tower now, and notices the bomber's commander is talking on a cell phone. Our guy got on the radio to the airport truck and asked for that guy's phone number. As soon as he finished that call, our guy called the aircraft commander. When he answerd, our guy said "I'm calling about the plane you have for sale." The aircraft commander about fell over from the laughter. It just so happened that the chief photographer for our local newspaper was a pilot and he may have been called prior to the sign being placed. He was told to get up here with a big lens. Here's one of the pics he got:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/3315809933_35fa96d641_o.jpg
An article showed on the front page of the Sunday paper. When that came out, the Colonel running Ellsworth called the airport director and read him the riot act, wondering what kind of dog and pony show he was running up there. We were later informed by the crew that the sign was framed and is now permanently mounted inside the aircraft. Hard to have that kind of fun anymore.
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From the archives
Thanks to Interesting Facts
8 Facts You Might Not Know About Yellowstone National Park
A couple years ago Paul Ringwood and I and our wives went to Yellowstone as part of our trip around the Northwest. So we were there at Old Faithfull and I looked around and saw a familiar face across the crowd and I said Paul we know that guy he flew F-8s with us so we flagged him down and it was Rob Rivers and we had a great old time talking for a few minutes. I talked to Rob earlier in this week because I had seen him on a TV show as an Expert in something or other and we talked about that meeting. What fun.
As America's first national park and one of its most important biosphere reserves, Yellowstone holds a unique place in our national consciousness — more than 4 million people visit the park each year. However, with its rich history, there are likely many facts you've probably never heard of, even if you consider yourself a park aficionado. Here are eight fascinating Yellowstone National Park facts that will take your knowledge of America's favorite national park to the next level.
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There's Another Grand Canyon at Yellowstone
When most people think of the Grand Canyon, they think of Arizona. But what about the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River? This 20-mile long canyon is said to be an important example of river-type erosion, with a depth of more than 1,000 feet. On the ridge of the canyon lies Artist Point, which offers one of the most beautiful views in the park. From this spot on the trail, you can see a majestic, 300-foot waterfall flowing into the canyon. If you look down, you'll see steep canyon walls in gorgeous hues of pink, orange, yellow, and red.
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Half of the World's Geysers Are in the Park
Yellowstone is home to a whopping 10,000-plus hydrothermal features, including 500 geysers — which scientists estimate is about half of the world's geysers. The most famous is Old Faithful, which erupts around 17 times a day. Other breathtaking features, like the Beehive Geyser and Grotto Geyser, are somewhat less popular but still provide a thrilling show of geothermal action. So, if you're worried about Old Faithful being too crowded at peak times of the year, don't worry — you still have hundreds of other geysers to see.
3 of 8
Bison in Yellowstone Are the Oldest in America
Bison grazing at Yellowstone National ParkCredit: Andrew Milas/ iStock
While many other grassland areas have been over-hunted and bison have been driven to extinction, Yellowstone's herd has remained intact. According to the History Channel, Yellowstone's bison population is the only herd that has existed since prehistoric times in the United States. In the 19th century, the herd was hunted down to its last 23 members by avid fur traders exploring the Wild West. Today, however, the park is home to 5,500 bison, making it the biggest bison population in the country.
4 of 8
Yellowstone County Has Its Own Judicial System
For 30 years, the United States Army kept order at Yellowstone. Until 1916, soldiers patrolled the park to protect the wildlife from unscrupulous poachers. The park spans three states — Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming — all of which have differing laws pertaining to wildlife and preservation. To fix this decades-old issue of disputes in different parts of the park, Yellowstone officially created the Yellowstone County judicial system in 2006. That means if you break the law while you're visiting the park, you'll be put in the official Yellowstone jail. And your mugshot may just be the only souvenir you get to take home.
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The Park Is One of Only UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the U.S.
Around the world, 878 extraordinary locations have been designated as United Nations Education, Science, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites. The United States only has 20 sites across the entire country, and Yellowstone is one of the most important.
UNESCO's website provides a list of reasons for Yellowstone's coveted honor, including its distinctive manifestation of geothermal forces and vast number of rare species. These ecological features are why Yellowstone stands alongside culturally significant sites like the Great Barrier Reef and Machu Picchu.
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Yellowstone Is Actually a Giant Supervolcano
Hot spots and geysers represent just a fraction of the action beneath the surface at Yellowstone. The whole park is actually a supervolcano, although it's not supposed to erupt anytime soon. But, how do we know this? Despite the warnings, Yellowstone is quite safe: Its supervolcano is made up of two magma chambers. The first chamber contains no more than 15% molten. Meanwhile, the second chamber contains only two percent molten. According to Forbes, it's practically impossible for a supervolcano to erupt unless its magma chambers contain at least 50% molten. So, rest easy — and don't forget to enjoy the view.
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The Bears Aren't as Dangerous as You Think( But when we went hiking we all had our Bells and Bear spray...Skip)
In the entire history of Yellowstone, only eight people have ever been killed by bears in the park. To put this in perspective, that means only one in 2.7 million visitors will have a fatal bear encounter. Getting injured by a bear is a bit more common, but still happens only about every 20 years. The National Park Service cautions people to look out for falling trees instead, which kill the same number of people (but get a lot less media attention).
8 of 8
Hundreds of Unique Flowers Thrive in Yellowstone
An estimated 1,350 different types of flowering plants grow wild at Yellowstone, the vast majority native to the region. One remarkable plant that calls the park home is Yellowstone sand verbena, a flower which normally thrives in warm environments but has managed to grow at a 7,700 foot altitude inside the park. Another unique floral trademark of Yellowstone is Ross's Bentgrass, which grows exclusively in hot, vapor-heavy environments. This plant is a common sight at the park but rare everywhere else in the world.
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Thanks to Nice News
This Year's Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Has an Extra-Special Backstory
Manoli Figetakis/Getty Images
The annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting is always a special event — but it's extra meaningful this year, thanks to New Yorker Judy Russ. Judy and her husband, Dan Russ, had always dreamed of their 75-foot-tall Norway spruce in East Greenbush becoming the iconic Rockefeller holiday tree. Now, five years after Dan died, Judy has made that dream a reality.
She got the ball rolling after taking their 7-year-old son, Liam, to see the Manhattan tree last year. Judy was inspired to reach out to a family friend whose relative works at Rockefeller Center, and soon enough, head gardener Erik Pauze was taking a trip upstate. After inspecting the spruce in person, he informed the Russ family that their tree, which Dan's great-grandparents planted in the 1920s, would be the perfect fit. "I think I just hallucinated, like, 'We need to go back because there's no way this is real, right?'" Judy joked to Today.
As for Liam, he's "excited that the whole world can see" the tree that formerly served as his personal jungle gym (the kiddo is pictured here with Judy, hammering a spike into the tree to prepare for its installation). It was transferred to the Rockefeller Center on Nov. 8, where it's been wrapped with over 50,000 rainbow LED lights and topped with a Swarovski star.
"As my husband has passed away, I know he would have loved to have been here for this moment," Judy said, adding, "Think of our family, think of my husband, think of us. We're just happy to share it with everybody." See more pics of the tree and learn how to watch tonight's lighting ceremony.
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One rarely if ever hears of an E-1 getting the MOH. If he died at age 56 from liver failure, it would appear he was unable to control alcoholism.
S/F,
- Mud
Medal of Honor Recipient ·
Private First Class Raymond "Mike" Clausen served as crew chief aboard the helicopter piloted by Walt Ledbetter in January 1970. A series of alcohol-related incidents and NJPs kept Clausen at the same rank he'd achieved 4 years earlier when he enlisted, but his commitment and skills trumped any concern over his single stripe. As Ledbetter dropped his chopper into the minefield, Clausen guided him to a crater to touch down. Clausen saw the Marines on the ground, unable to move after watching many of their buddies blown apart by mines. Without any concern for himself, Clausen left the aircraft and began carrying casualties through the minefield back to the hovering chopper. When everyone was aboard, he guided Ledbetter into the second and third locations where Marines were stranded, performing the same actions each time the helicopter touched down. He entered the minefield a total of 6 times, carrying the wounded to safety. When another mine detonated near the helicopter, Clausen was outside carrying a Marine. The explosion killed the corpsman and wounded 3 more Marines. Clausen helped them aboard and recovered the body of the corpsman. Not until all 19 Marines were accounted for aboard the CH-46 did Clausen give Ledbetter the signal to depart.
Shortly after the mission, Clausen again got himself in trouble and was busted from PFC to Private. When he returned home in August 1970, he was discharged from the Marines. For his heroism and incredible courage, in June 1971, President Nixon called Clausen to the White House to award him the Medal of Honor. Clausen was the only Marine Private of the war to receive the award. He died in May 2004 at age 56 from liver failure.
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This Day in Aviation History" brought to you by the Daedalians Airpower Blog Update. To subscribe to this weekly email, go to https://daedalians.org/airpower-blog/
Dec. 1, 1984
After four years of planning and preparation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) intentionally crashed a Boeing 720 airliner to test an experimental fuel additive intended to reduce post-crash fires, and to assess passenger survivability. An anti-misting agent was added to standard commercial JP-5 jet fuel to create AMK, or "Anti-Misting Kerosene." The airliner's fuel tanks were filled with the AMK mixture, totaling 16,060 gallons. Instrumented crash test dummies were placed in the passenger seats. NASA 833, the Boeing 720-027 airliner, FAA registration N833NA, was a remotely piloted aircraft. NASA test pilot Fitzhugh Lee ("Fitz") Fulton Jr., flew NASA 833 from a ground station, the NASA Dryden Remotely Controlled Vehicle Facility. More than 60 flights had been made prior to the actual test. To find out how the test went, go HERE.
Dec. 2, 1992
Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-53) lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying a classified Satellite Data System-2 military communications satellite, USA-89. This satellite also included the Heritage (Radiant Agate) infrared early warning system for detection of ballistic missile launches. Several other satellites and scientific experiments were also carried. This was Discovery's 15th flight. The mission commander was Capt. David M. Walker, U.S. Navy, on his third space flight, with shuttle pilot Col. Robert D. Cabana, U. S. Marine Corps, on his second. Three mission specialists were aboard: Col. Guion S. Bluford, U.S. Air Force, on his fourth and final space flight; Lt. Col. Michael R. Clifford, U.S. Army, first flight; and Col. James S. Voss, U.S. Army, second flight. Discovery landed at Edwards AFB in the high desert of southern California on Dec. 9, 1992. The duration of the mission was 7 days, 7 hours, 19 minutes, 17 seconds.
Dec. 3, 1915
Navy Lt. j.g. Richard C. Saufley set a U.S. altitude record for hydroaeroplanes in AH-14 at 11,975 feet over Pensacola, Florida, surpassing the pilot's own record of 11,056 feet, which he had set only three days before. The Aero Club of America awarded Saufley its Medal of Merit for "twice breaking the American Hydroaeroplane altitude record in one year." Saufley was Daedalian Founder Member #13307.
Dec. 4, 1942
Ninth Air Force sends 24 B-24s to attack ships at the Naples docks in the first U.S. Army Air Forces air strike against mainland Italy in World War II.
Dec. 5, 1963
On Flight 97 of the X-15 Program, Maj. Robert A. Rushworth flew the number one aircraft, Air Force serial number 56-6670, to an altitude of 101,000 feet and reached Mach 6.06 (4,018 mph). The rocketplane was dropped from the Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress "mother ship" 52-008, Balls 8, flying at 450 knots at 45,000 feet over Delamar Dry Lake, Nevada. Rushworth ignited the Reaction Motors XLR-99-RM-1 rocket engine, which burned for 81.2 seconds before shutting down. The flight plan had called for an altitude of 104,000 feet, a 78-second burn and a maximum speed of Mach 5.70. With the difficulties of flying such a powerful rocketplane, Rushworth's flight was actually fairly close to plan. During the flight the right inner windshield cracked. Rushworth landed the X-15 on Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards AFB, California, after a flight of 9 minutes, 34.0 seconds. Mach 6.06 was the highest Mach number reached for an unmodified X-15. 56-6670 flew 81 of the 199 flights of the X-15 Program. It is in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum. From 1960 to 1966, Rushworth made 34 flights in the three X-15s, more than any other pilot. He retired as a major general on June 1, 1981, and died March 18, 1993. Learn more about him HERE.
Dec. 6, 1959
Navy Cmdr. Lawrence Earl Flint Jr. set a Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) World Record for Altitude with McDonnell YF4H-1 Phantom II, Bu. No. 142260, at Edwards AFB, California. At 47,000 feet, Flint accelerated in level flight with afterburner to Mach 2.5, then pulled up into a 45° climb and continued to 90,000 feet. He had to shut down the Phantom's two General Electric J79 jet engines to prevent them from overheating in the thin atmosphere. He continued on a ballistic trajectory to 98,556 feet. This was just short of the arbitrary 100,000 feet that delineated the beginning of space at the time. Diving back through 70,000 feet, Flint restarted the engines and flew back to Edwards. This was the first of three FAI World Records set by 142260.
Dec. 7, 1941
Japanese planes attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory, killing more than 2,300 Americans. The U.S.S. Arizona was completely destroyed and the U.S.S. Oklahoma capsized. A total of 12 ships sank or were beached in the attack and nine additional vessels were damaged. More than 160 aircraft were destroyed and more than 150 others damaged. A hurried dispatch from the ranking U.S. naval officer in Pearl Harbor, Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, Commander in Chief of the United States Pacific Fleet, provided the first official word of the attack at the ill-prepared Pearl Harbor base. It said simply: AIR RAID ON PEARL HARBOR X THIS IS NOT DRILL.
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This Day in US Military History
December 3
1942 – Admiral Tanaka leads 10 destroyers in a supply operation to bring food to the desperate Japanese soldiers on Guadalcanal. To avoid air attacks, the cargo is dropped not landed. Only about 300 of the 1500 containers reach the Japanese forces.
1943 – Elements of US 5th Army reach the summit of Monte Camino and capture Monte Maggiore. The British 8th Army takes San Vito. However, around Orsogna, a counterattack by the German 26th Panzer Division forces the New Zealand 2nd Division to retreat.
1944 – Elements of US 13th Corps (part of US 9th Army) reach the Roer River. Elements of the US 20th Corps (part of US 3rd Army) cross the Saar River near Patchen, in assault boats. They secure the main bridge of the Saar.
1973 – Pioneer 10 passed Jupiter (1st fly-by of an outer planet). This mission was the first to be sent to the outer solar system and the first to investigate the planet Jupiter, after which it followed an escape trajectory from the solar system. The spacecraft achieved its closest approach to Jupiter on this day, when it reached approximately 2.8 Jovian radii (about 200,000 km). As of Jan. 1, 1997 Pioneer 10 was at about 67 AU from the Sun near the ecliptic plane and heading outward from the Sun at 2.6 AU/year and downstream through the heliomagnetosphere towards the tail region and interstellar space. This solar system escape direction is unique because the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft (and the now terminated Pioneer 11 spacecraft mission) are heading in the opposite direction towards the nose of the heliosphere in the upstream direction relative to the inflowing interstellar gas. The spacecraft is heading generally towards the red star Aldebaran, which forms the eye of Taurus (The Bull). The journey over a distance of 68 light years to Aldebaran will require about two million years to complete. Routine tracking and project data processing operatations were terminated on March 31, 1997 for budget reasons. Occasional tracking continued later under support of the Lunar Prospector project at NASA Ames Research Center with retrieval of energetic particle and radio science data. The last successful data acquisitions through NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) occurred on March 3, 2002, the 30th anniversary of Pioneer 10's launch date, and on April 27, 2002. The spacecraft signal was last detected on Jan. 23, 2003 after an uplink was transmitted to turn off the last operational experiment, the Geiger Tube Telescope (GTT), but lock-on to the sub-carrier signal for data downlink was not achieved. No signal at all was detected during a final attempt on Feb. 6-7, 2003. Pioneer Project staff at NASA Ames then concluded that the spacecraft power level had fallen below that needed to power the onboard transmitter, so no further attempts would be made.
1975 – Laos fell to communist forces. The Lao People's Democratic Rep. was proclaimed.1977 – The State Department proposed the admission of 10,000 more Vietnamese refugees to the United States.
2000 – Space shuttle Endeavour's astronauts attached the world's largest, most powerful set of solar panels to the international space station.
2001 – A test US anti-missile launched from Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands successfully hit a dummy warhead from Vandenberg Air Base in California, 4,800 miles away.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*CANO, PEDRO
Rank and Organization: Private, U.S. Army, Company C, 4th U.S. Infantry. Place / Date: December 2-3, 1944, Schevenhutte, Germany. Born: June 19, 1920, La Morita, Mexico. Departed: Yes (06/24/1952). Entered Service At: Texas. G.O. Number: . Date of Issue: 03/18/2014. Accredited To: . Citation: Cano is being recognized for his valorous actions in the months-long battle of Hurtgen Forest. He was advancing with his company near Schevenhutte, Germany, in December 1944, when the unit met heavy enemy resistance. During a two-day period, Cano eliminated nearly 30 enemy troops. Sometime later, while on patrol, Cano and his platoon were surprised by German soldiers that caused numerous casualties within their platoon. Cano lay motionless on the ground until the assailants closed in, then tossed a grenade into their midst, wounding or killing all of them. It was in this engagement, or shortly thereafter, that Cano sustained serious injuries. He was returned to the States and placed in a Veterans hospital in Waco, Texas. After which, he returned home to his wife and daughter in Edinburg. Cano would pass away six years later. Posthumously, Cano received the Texas Legislature Medal of Honor. A school in Edinburg, Texas is named after Cano.
*HENRY, ROBERT T.
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: Luchem, Germany, 3 December 1944. Entered service at: Greenville, Miss. Birth: Greenville, Miss. G.O. No.: 45, 12 June 1945. Citation: Near Luchem, Germany, he volunteered to attempt the destruction of a nest of 5 enemy machineguns located in a bunker 150 yards to the flank which had stopped the advance of his platoon. Stripping off his pack, overshoes, helmet, and overcoat, he sprinted alone with his rifle and hand grenades across the open terrain toward the enemy emplacement. Before he had gone half the distance he was hit by a burst of machinegun fire. Dropping his rifle, he continued to stagger forward until he fell mortally wounded only 10 yards from the enemy emplacement. His single-handed attack forced the enemy to leave the machineguns. During this break in hostile fire the platoon moved forward and overran the position. Pvt. Henry, by his gallantry and intrepidity and utter disregard for his own life, enabled his company to reach its objective, capturing this key defense and 70 German prisoners.
*WEICHT, ELLIS R.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company F, 142d Infantry, 36th Infantry Division. Place and date St. Hippolyte, France, 3 December 1944. Entered service at: Bedford, Pa. Birth: Clearville, Pa. G.O. No.: 58, 19 July 1945. Citation: For commanding an assault squad in Company F's attack against the strategically important Alsatian town of St. Hippolyte on 3 December 1944. He aggressively led his men down a winding street, clearing the houses of opposition as he advanced. Upon rounding a bend, the group was suddenly brought under the fire of 2 machineguns emplaced in the door and window of a house 100 yards distant. While his squad members took cover, Sgt. Weicht moved rapidly forward to a high rock wall and, fearlessly exposing himself to the enemy action, fired 2 clips of ammunition from his rifle. His fire proving ineffective, he entered a house opposite the enemy gun position, and, firing from a window, killed the 2 hostile gunners. Continuing the attack, the advance was again halted when two 20-mm. guns opened fire on the company. An artillery observer ordered friendly troops to evacuate the area and then directed artillery fire upon the gun positions. Sgt. Weicht remained in the shelled area and continued to fire on the hostile weapons. When the barrage lifted and the enemy soldiers attempted to remove their gun, he killed 2 crewmembers and forced the others to flee. Sgt. Weicht continued to lead his squad forward until he spotted a road block approximate 125 yards away. Moving to the second floor of a nearby house and firing from a window, he killed 3 and wounded several of the enemy. Instantly becoming a target for heavy and direct fire, he disregarded personal safety to continue his fire, with unusual effectiveness, until he was killed by a direct hit from an antitank gun.
*PAGE, JOHN U. D.
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, X Corps Artillery, while attached to the 52d Transportation Truck Battalion. Place and date: Near Chosin Reservoir, Korea, 29 November to 10 December 1950. Entered service at: St. Paul, Minn. Born: 8 February 1904, Malahi Island, Luzon, Philippine Islands. G.O. No.: 21, 25 April 1957. Citation: Lt. Col. Page, a member of X Corps Artillery, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty in a series of exploits. On 29 November, Lt. Col. Page left X Corps Headquarters at Hamhung with the mission of establishing traffic control on the main supply route to 1st Marine Division positions and those of some Army elements on the Chosin Reservoir plateau. Having completed his mission Lt. Col. Page was free to return to the safety of Hamhung but chose to remain on the plateau to aid an isolated signal station, thus being cut off with elements of the marine division. After rescuing his jeep driver by breaking up an ambush near a destroyed bridge Lt. Col. Page reached the lines of a surrounded marine garrison at Koto-ri. He then voluntarily developed and trained a reserve force of assorted army troops trapped with the marines. By exemplary leadership and tireless devotion he made an effective tactical unit available. In order that casualties might be evacuated, an airstrip was improvised on frozen ground partly outside of the Koto-ri defense perimeter which was continually under enemy attack. During 2 such attacks, Lt. Col. Page exposed himself on the airstrip to direct fire on the enemy, and twice mounted the rear deck of a tank, manning the machine gun on the turret to drive the enemy back into a no man's land. On 3 December while being flown low over enemy lines in a light observation plane, Lt. Col. Page dropped handgrenades on Chinese positions and sprayed foxholes with automatic fire from his carbine. After 10 days of constant fighting the marine and army units in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir had succeeded in gathering at the edge of the plateau and Lt. Col. Page was flown to Hamhung to arrange for artillery support of the beleaguered troops attempting to break out. Again Lt. Col. Page refused an opportunity to remain in safety and returned to give every assistance to his comrades. As the column slowly moved south Lt. Col. Page joined the rear guard. When it neared the entrance to a narrow pass it came under frequent attacks on both flanks. Mounting an abandoned tank Lt. Col. Page manned the machine gun, braved heavy return fire, and covered the passing vehicles until the danger diminished. Later when another attack threatened his section of the convoy, then in the middle of the pass, Lt. Col. Page took a machine gun to the hillside and delivered effective counterfire, remaining exposed while men and vehicles passed through the ambuscade. On the night of 10 December the convoy reached the bottom of the pass but was halted by a strong enemy force at the front and on both flanks. Deadly small-arms fire poured into the column. Realizing the danger to the column as it lay motionless, Lt. Col. Page fought his way to the head of the column and plunged forward into the heart of the hostile position. His intrepid action so surprised the enemy that their ranks became disordered and suffered heavy casualties. Heedless of his safety, as he had been throughout the preceding 10 days, Lt. Col. Page remained forward, fiercely engaging the enemy single-handed until mortally wounded. By his valiant and aggressive spirit Lt. Col. Page enabled friendly forces to stand off the enemy. His outstanding courage, unswerving devotion to duty, and supreme self-sacrifice reflect great credit upon Lt. Col. Page and are in the highest tradition of the military service.
*HOLCOMB, JOHN NOBLE
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company D, 2d Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. Place and date: Near Quan Loi, Republic of Vietnam, 3 December 1968. Entered service at: Corvallis, Oreg. Born: 11 June 1946, Baker, Oreg. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Holcomb distinguished himself while serving as a squad leader in Company D during a combat assault mission. Sgt. Holcomb's company assault had landed by helicopter and deployed into a hasty defensive position to organize for a reconnaissance-in-force mission when it was attacked from 3 sides by an estimated battalion-size enemy force. Sgt. Holcomb's squad was directly in the path of the main enemy attack. With complete disregard for the heavy fire, Sgt. Holcomb moved among his men giving encouragement and directing fire on the assaulting enemy. When his machine gunner was knocked out, Sgt. Holcomb seized the weapon, ran to a forward edge of the position, and placed withering fire on the enemy. His gallant actions caused the enemy to withdraw. Sgt. Holcomb treated and carried his wounded to a position of safety and reorganized his defensive sector despite a raging grass fire ignited by the incoming enemy mortar and rocket rounds. When the enemy assaulted the position a second time, Sgt. Holcomb again manned the forward machine gun, devastating the enemy attack and forcing the enemy to again break contact and withdraw. During the enemy withdrawal an enemy rocket hit Sgt. Holcomb's position, destroying his machine gun and severely wounding him. Despite his painful wounds, Sgt. Holcomb crawled through the grass fire and exploding mortar and rocket rounds to move the members of his squad, everyone of whom had been wounded, to more secure positions. Although grievously wounded and sustained solely by his indomitable will and courage, Sgt. Holcomb as the last surviving leader of his platoon organized his men to repel the enemy, crawled to the platoon radio and reported the third enemy assault on his position. His report brought friendly supporting fires on the charging enemy and broke the enemy attack. Sgt. Holcomb's inspiring leadership, fighting spirit, in action at the cost of his life were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for 3 December, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
3 December
1915: Lt Richard C. Saufley reached 11,975 feet over Pensacola, Fla., in a Curtiss AH-14 to set an American altitude record for hydro-airplanes. (24)
1937: Maj Alexander P. de Seversky flew from New York, N. Y., to Havana, Cuba, and set a new record of 5 hours 3 minutes 5 seconds. (24) Jacqueline Cochran flew from New York, N. Y., to Miami, Fla., in 4 hours 12 minutes to set another record.
1945: The 412th Fighter Group became US Army Air Force's first jet fighter unit when it received the first operational P-80 at March Field, Calif. This aircraft, however, was the group's second jet as the Lockheed delivered the XP-80 on 14 November 1944. (4)
1951: KOREAN WAR. Enemy jets made their first air-ground attack of the war, bombing and strafing United Nations ground positions near Chorwon, almost sixty miles northeast of Seoul. (28) First B-36's to visit North Africa arrived at Sidi Slimane, Morocco. The six bombers from the 11th Bombardment Wing at Carswell AFB, Tex., made the flight nonstop. (1)
1952: The USAF accepted its first two Republic F-84F Thunderstreaks. (12)
1956: The U. S. Navy commissioned the USS Gyatt, the world's first known guided-missile-launching destroyer, in Boston, Mass., with Terrier missiles as its principal weapon. (24)
1957: Col Archie Blood led 16 F-100D Super Sabres on a 3,850-mile flight from Tokyo, Japan, to Honolulu, Hawaii, in 6 hours 21 minutes to set an unofficial record. (24)
1959: PROJECTs BOOMTOWN and SLIDE RULE. To enhance the reconnaissance abilities of the Nationalist Chinese Air Force, Pacific Air Forces delivered four RF-101A Voodoo aircraft to them under the auspices of BOOMTOWN. Under SLIDE RULE, the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron conducted and completed the training of the pilots and maintenance personnel by 11December. (17)
1960: The 567th Strategic Missile Squadron at Fairchild AFB, Wash., received the first Atlas E missile. (6)
1963: President Lyndon B. Johnson designated National Air and Space Administration and other facilities at Cape Canaveral as the John F. Kennedy Space Center.
1965: Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara directed the Air Force and General Dynamics to develop a F-111 for reconnaissance, the RF-111A. (5) (16)
1968: Maj William J. Knight received the 1968 Harmon International Aviator's Trophy for flights in the X-15A-2. (16)
1973: Pioneer 10 became the first space vehicle to fly near Jupiter. (21)
1987: The last three remaining O-2As in the Air Force inventory made their last flight from Edwards AFB, Calif., to Kelly AFB, Tex., for retirement.
1988: After a one-year trial program, the Air Force decided to continue its policy of assigning mixed male/female crews to 24-hour missile duty. (NY Times, 5 Dec 88, p B8).
1989: The Solar Maximum Mission Spacecraft reentered the atmosphere over Sri Lanka. Astronauts of the April 1984 Challenger Space Shuttle mission had captured, repaired, and relaunched this satellite. (8: Feb 90) 1998: The Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, Calif., completed the final flight test sortie for the B-1B Offensive Radar System program. (3)
1999: The 412th Test Wing at Edwards AFB, Calif., decided to end a mission that used three EC-18B Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft (ARIA). (3)
2001: Lockheed Martin delivered the USAF's first C-130J-30 to the 143d Airlift Wing (Air National Guard) at Quonset State Airport, R. I. The C-130s with the "J-30" suffix had a longer fuselage than the standard "J" model. It could carry 128 combat troops and 8 standard 463L pallets rather than 92 troops and 6 pallets. (22) Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. The EC-135C Big Crow and deployed support personnel returned to Edwards AFB, Calif. The aircraft flew 15 electronic combat missions from Thumrait, Oman, to disrupt Taliban/al Qaeda communications and perform psychological operations. (3)
2004: After a two-year hiatus to install the laser weapon's beam control system, the YAL-1A Airborne Laser aircraft made its first flight above Edwards AFB, Calif., as part of a series to recertify the jet's airworthiness. A cabin pressure leak terminated the sortie ahead of schedule. (3)
2005: Dick Rutan, an XCOR Aerospace test pilot, completed the world's first point-to-point flight by a rocket-powered aircraft. The 10-mile flight, from Mojave to California City Airport, was flown in the company's EZRocket, a kit-built LongEZ sport aircraft powered by two of its 400 pound thrust reusable liquid rocket engines that can be shut down and reignited in flight. The unique aircraft also carried a load of regular US Postal Service mail. (3)
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Thanks to DD Smith
This excerpt is directly out of my book — Above Average, Naval Aviation the Hard Way.
I met him at Tailhook and our conversations led to him to tell me about his spin while testing the F-14. This is the excerpt from his book.
It had a little problem with out-of-control flight. All high-performance aircraft can go out of control – it's a part of the flight envelope. The Navy simply requires that the resulting gyrations or spins be recoverable using reasonable pilot effort, and that such gyrations or spins not be harmful to the pilot. Certainly, an airplane's out-of-control mode should not be fatal to the crew.
But that was the problem with the F-14. Wind tunnel tests on scale models had shown that the Tomcat had a spin mode that was not only unrecoverable, but also was fatal to the crew!
Grumman's position was that, while they agreed that such a characteristic was not acceptable, they stated flatly that it was not possible for a pilot to get the airplane into a spin. The Navy had already demonstrated a reluctance to spend money on hugely expensive spin test programs – the years of delay in spin testing the A-7 was an example. In this case, the Navy did not want to expend the bucks necessary to properly evaluate the spin characteristics of the F-14, and the contractor was in no mood to delay the introduction of the airplane into the fleet by having to initiate a lengthy spin test program. Besides, both the Navy and Grumman were comfortable with the reams of data which purported to show that the airplane could not be piloted into a spin.
It took the fleet less than a year to identify some handling problems with the F-14 at high angles-of-attack (AOA). A high angle-of-attack exists when the airplane is being flown at or near a stalled condition. This type of maneuver is routine in air-to-air combat, where the airplane is vigorously maneuvered at slow speed to get in the opponent's six o'clock position. In the case of the F-14, slamming the stick to the left, for instance, which should result in a left turn, would instead cause the nose to slice sharply to the right. This, in fact, was a "departure from controlled flight" to those of us experienced in the trade. But it was mild, and fighter pilots being what they were, simply worked around it. However, it caused alarms to go off all over the test community. This, after all, was the F-14 Tomcat, one of the world's premier fighters, and certainly the best airplane to clear a carrier deck since the Corsair!
Naval Air Systems Command in Washington, DC, who were our bosses, ordered Grumman Aircraft to modify the flight control system for the F-14 to correct this deficiency, and directed NATC to evaluate the modification.
Here's the kicker: I had completed the spin evaluation of the A-7 only four years earlier, and memories at NATC were very long. Since I was now current in the F-14, I was asked to participate "hands on" in this evaluation. Of course, I was more than happy to do so.
A brand new F-14A, BuNo 159826, was pulled off the production line at Grumman and diverted to NATC for the tests. This evaluation was to be a "quick look," – certainly not a spin program. So instead of the 30 parameters the A-7 spin bird telemetered to the ground, the F-14 was wired for only half that number. There also were no onboard cameras, auxiliary hydraulic pumps, battery back-up nor any sort of spin recovery devices. It was to be a simple evaluation of the effectiveness of the modified control system in coping with the airplane's adverse yaw problem at high AOA.
My test pilot partner and I developed a straight-forward 15-flight flight test program and had it approved by the safety review board. To properly evaluate the changes to the flight control system, it was necessary on each maneuver to place the airplane out of control – we agreed that only one-half turn would be necessary to do our job. The review board deemed this a Class-A Hazardous Flight Test Project. That seemed a little up tight to me, but I suppose anytime you're deliberately placing a state-of-the art fighter out of control, it could get hazardous. On our part, we reviewed all the documentation we could find which might help us understand the stall characteristics of the Tomcat. I particularly remember viewing the contractor's film of the F-14 model spinning in the vertical spin tunnel. OMG! The spin was absolutely flat, with an outrageous turn rate!
None of us really expected a spin (a spin was impossible to get into, remember?). We nonetheless exhaustively prepared a series of spin recovery control positions; one for each control mode we were to test. The backup, in case these recovery controls were ineffective, was to punch off the stabs, which would revert the airplane to its normal flight control system.
The day finally arrived when all stars were in alignment and the actual flight test would begin. Since my partner, Andy, was the project officer on the program, he flew the first flight. Thereafter, we alternated flying either the test aircraft or one of the chase planes – but we were both always in the air. These flights were to be quite a gaggle, since each one had a minimum of three ground cameras tracking, the full complement of engineers in the ground station, and three aircraft blasting down the runway. Besides the F-14 test aircraft, there was a safety chase (F-4, F-8 or A-4), and a photo chase with a cameraman in the rear seat (F-4 or T-38).
The initial flights were completed without much excitement. The F-14's departure mode was surprisingly bovine. It just kind of lumbered around for the half-turn we had to execute, the nose normally dropping sharply as it rotated. This was in stark contrast to the A-7 tests of years ago, where the airplane would routinely cartwheel or even flip inverted during departure from controlled flight.
The first hiccup occurred on flight five or six (I can't remember which). In analyzing the data, we noticed that during the departure the modified system was applying pro-spin controls! What?? Now, we were dancing on the edge as it was, and we sure as Hell didn't need the flight controls trying to coax the airplane into a spin! We terminated the flight test program and flew the test aircraft back to Calverton, on Long Island, for the contractor's analysis. It didn't take them long. "Yeah, we're not surprised," they said. "You want us to tinker with the flight control system, there's a downside. Call it collateral damage!" Jesus! We turned to our bosses at NAVAIR. There was a whole lot of consternation up there – we're talking about the F-14, God's gift to Naval Aviation! Finally, NAVAIR took the predictable route; they threw it back on us. "Continue the tests," they said, "but be careful!" Jesus!
Well, we were already careful. We proceeded slowly through flights 7, 8, 9 … then 10, 11 and … TWELVE. It was an even numbered flight, so it was mine. I remember distinctly that it was a Friday morning. Jo was planning to spend the day with Phoebe Wessinger, a distant relative on her side of the family. Phoebe lived a little more than an hour away in Southern Maryland. An old, old friend, Dick Grant, from my very first squadron in Alameda had stopped in for a few minutes during the flight briefing to chat. He told me later that while taxiing out in his A-4 he had to give way to our big F-14 test entourage when we were cleared into position for take-off. Up to that point, at least, flight number twelve was going as briefed.
I led the take-off roll. I sucked up the gear, accelerated to 400 kts and came out of afterburner so everyone else could catch up. We headed to the test area over the Chesapeake, climbing to 38,000-ft for the first maneuver. At some point during the climb-out, our controller called and said the tower notified them that they thought they saw a panel of some sort fly off the F-14 during take-off. Oh great. But that's what safety chases are for. Andy, in his F-4 Phantom, snuggled up real close and carefully checked every square inch of my airplane. All panels were present and accounted for.
All this activity messed up the first pass, so we had to swing into orbit and reset the whole gaggle for the first maneuver. This included ground cameras, telemetering checks and the safety chase scanning the area for stray airplanes. At last, we were set. The first maneuver was to be a departure to the right. The morning's coffee was still swilling in my gut.
It began like all the rest. From a straight ahead stalled condition, the nose drifted lazily to the right in response to my control input. The nose dropped to about 45-degrees nose down – still behaving like a Tomcat should. As the airplane approached 180-degrees of turn and I began to relax the controls, something happened. And it happened fast! Instead of the nose staying down so I could fly out of the stall, two things happened. First, the nose started coming up rapidly, and secondly, a rapid yaw to the right developed. Within seconds – and I mean two or three seconds, the nose was flat to the horizon and the airplane had developed a yaw rate of 180-degrees a second. I was stunned – but I knew exactly where I was. I was in that spinning F-14 I saw in the film clip of the vertical spin tunnel! That would be the vaunted unrecoverable spin. I remember stealing a quick look at the horizon and seeing, I swear, the words printed in white across the whole horizon: NOT SURVIVABLE BY THE CREW. That was my last look outside the cockpit. Some giant's foot had borne down on the back of my neck and smashed my face into the instrument panel. My mask filled with blood. Every vessel in my eyes seemed to pop as they, too, filled with blood. Now all I could see was light flashing by.
I was pulling 7½ eyeballs-out g. Not positive g like experienced in a dive pull-out. Not negative g as when you shove the stick forward and are thrown toward the top of the canopy. Eyeballs-out g's are what would occur if your ankles were bound with a rope and you were swung around someone's head. Since the spin axis of an F-14 is back at the twin tails, this rope would be more than 50-ft long! A spin rate of 180-degrees per second generated an astounding 7½ eyeballs-out g!
Even though my face was jammed against the instrument panel, I could still handle the controls. I quickly applied the spin recovery controls that Andy and I had worked out for this particular configuration. I saw no response after a few seconds – and boy, things were getting rough; I was hurting! I then reached over to the console and punched off the stabs and applied the regular anti-spin controls for the F-14. I could detect no results. Only about 20 seconds had elapsed since I entered the spin. I lost consciousness. This airplane was out of control and the pilot was no longer in the loop.
I don't know how long I was out – just for a matter of seconds, I suppose. But there was a lot of screaming on the radio. Everyone was going nuts! I tuned it all out except the altitude calls. The airplane was spinning like mad and all I could see was the light flashing by on the instrument panel. That was the least of my worries! By this time all thoughts of recovering this airplane from this spin ceased – it was going to be all I could do to save myself and my back-seater, Pete Angelina.
But I was getting very tired … and I kept passing out. That force – that brutal force – was sucking the life out of me. Around and around we went. It was smooth and it was powerful. God, it felt good to just relax. When consciousness left me, it was so serene – such a beautiful contrast to the terror of reality. And my limbs were so incredibly tired; aching, really. Then came the voice. Deep, slow and haunting … without a doubt the most soothing, comforting voice I have ever heard. "Please, just relax," was the message. "There is nothing to be afraid of, and there is nothing for you to do now. It will be over for you soon – just go to sleep." I was exhausted beyond anything I had ever experienced … I wanted more than anything to just slip into the beautiful calm of deep sleep.
Then came the other voice. When I say "voice," I do not mean in the abstract. I'm not talking about a feeling or a sensation or some ethereal harking. I'm talking about distinct, loud voices that easily penetrated all the Hellish commotion that was the cacophony of a spinning airplane on its way to oblivion. This voice was shrill, loud and commanding. "Wake up!" "You've got to get out of this thing – you're going to get killed!" "Get a hold of yourself – do something!"
I struggled into consciousness. By now I was at 28,000-ft and both engines had flamed out. Again I listened for altitude calls – I struggled again with the ejection handle for the umpteenth time– blacked out -- passed 18,000-ft. I could NOT get out of this airplane. I wondered if it was going to hurt. One hundred seconds is a long time to deal with your own death.
Keep in mind that this was the first time this airplane had been spun. Deep in my subconscious I harbored the view that Pete was experiencing the same forces I was. In fact, Pete was about seven feet behind me and was experiencing only about 3 ½ eyeballs-out g. Yeah, it was a lot, but he was not under anywhere near the stress that I was. He was not bleeding, and he could easily brace himself by grasping the cockpit rails. And – he instinctively thought that I was in about the same shape he was in. While I never said one word throughout the whole maneuver, Pete said a couple of times that I should, "get us out of this thing."
The rocket seat in an F-14 is configured with two means of initiating ejection. The primary is a face curtain, which involved reaching over my head. Obviously, this was not going to work. The secondary mode was a loop between my legs near my crotch. This loop required 48 pounds of upward pressure to fire it. I was wearing 55 pounds of flight gear, I was hunched over the loop, and my face was planted on or near the instrument panel. In this position, and with my bodily juices seeming to just drain away, I could not come up with that kind of force.
I would pull and pull until I was totally exhausted, and then the voice of doom would return. He was so right, and I felt myself succumbing to every soothing word he said. Then the shrill voice would chime in like a bolt out of the blue. "Wake up! Get up! Get out of this thing!" I would shake myself to alertness and attack the ejection loop again. This show was about over – I was approaching 12,000-ft. I had been with the airplane for 55 turns, and I had nothing left to give.
At 12,000-ft, as we saw later from analyzing the telemetered data, the airplane began to bobble as it encountered denser air. At some points in its rotation, the g's slacked off to no more than 3½ eyeballs-out g. At one of these points, I happened to be pulling with all my might on the ejection loop. All I can recall is a gray mass that faded away under my feet and in an instant I was hanging from a parachute! While I had initiated the ejection, the sequence was; canopy first, rear seat second, and pilot third. Of course, there was only a few hundredths of a second separating each firing. Since there was no forward motion in a spinning airplane, there was a serious problem with canopy separation. In fact, Pete Angelina and the canopy occupied the same chunk of airspace after ejection. The canopy, which was ten feet long and weighed six hundred pounds, tore out several of the panels from Pete's parachute.
For me, I was hanging in the straps but with little joy. I was exhausted beyond description. I had not a single muscle anywhere that had any life in it. I was once again in and out of consciousness, but the voices were gone. I noted what a beautiful day it was, and how unique it was to actually hear the chase aircraft as they continued to circle us.
I learned later that the chase aircraft were concerned because the pilot "was hanging in the straps like a rag doll." That I was. I looked slightly above me and about 500 yards away – Pete had deployed his raft, which was standard procedure when over water. Of course, I hadn't even thought of it. All it involved was pulling one simple lever on the seat pan by my right thigh. I began the effort, and it was excruciating; I simply had a big zero in energy reserve. After several minutes, I finally managed to pull the lever and the raft fell below me on a ten foot lanyard. The chase pilots rejoiced – the pilot deployed his raft! He's OK! Well, not quite. After that effort, I was never conscious again until I woke up on the ground. On the ground? Wasn't I over the Chesapeake Bay? Had I landed in the water, I am confident that I would never have had the strength to do what was necessary to save myself. There was just no way.
Instead, I apparently drifted over one of several swampy islands on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake. I crashed through a large tree, still unconscious and in the rag doll position. My parachute snagged the tree limbs and let me down gently on a dry mound at the base of the tree. That's where I regained my senses. I sat there for a while, dazed. Finally, I removed my helmet and released the parachute fittings. It took forever, it seemed, and sucked up just about all the energy I had left.
Suddenly, I heard a helicopter approach and then hover over a clearing about 200 yards away. God he got here quickly! Actually, it took the helicopter more than twenty minutes to arrive – another sign that I spent part of that time under the tree in an unconscious state. I decided I had better make an effort to get over there. I struggled to get vertical, and then on wobbly knees started slogging through foot-deep water toward the chopper. In a decision amazingly crisp for my condition, I could see myself collapsing and drowning in a foot of water. I returned to my mound and waited for the swimmer. It wasn't long before he showed up. He was in a black wet suit, and he wasn't a very big fella. No matter to me, I collapsed my 175 pound frame plus 55 pounds of wet flight gear squarely on his shoulders! It was all I could do just to hang on. We made it to the chopper and lifted off toward home plate at Pax River.
We arrived just outside of base operations at Pax. I was feeling a bit stronger and thought I could walk into operations OK. But no – a bunch of medics wrestled me onto a gurney and wheeled me toward base operations. Jeez – there seemed to be 100,000 people there! Well, there were at least a hundred – most crammed inside the ops building. My boss, CAPT Smith, thrust his face next to mine and shouted, "Where's Jo?" I gave him all the information I could remember. As I was wheeled into the lobby a couple of nurses showed up out of nowhere. In front of God and who knows who else, they proceeded to cut away my flight gear and stick a catheter in my … oh Christ Almighty!
I wound up in a small room in the base hospital where I was wired with all sorts of things, since the doctors were keeping track of everything going in and of everything going out. They were convinced that I had suffered some major internal injuries. My head was a mess. It was round, like a pumpkin; full of fluids from all those g's. My face and scalp were full of scrapes and contusions – from that trip down through the tree, I suppose. And my eyes – they were something straight out of Stephen King. The flesh was yellow, black and swollen. The eyes themselves were liquid pools of dark blood. The iris and pupil were not discernible – liquid blood was discernible. Yet I could see just fine. Once my fluid equilibrium was restored, my energy level began surging back. I looked like Hell and I was sore everywhere, but I was functioning fine. The catheters and IV's were soon removed – my innards appeared to be OK, also.
The Strike Safety Officer, LCDR Kurt Dose' was soon in my room to take a statement while everything was fresh in my mind. This was standard procedure. Very shortly after that, Grumman's Chief Test Pilot, Chuck Sewell, and their head of flight test showed up in my room. This was not standard procedure. But they had enough pull to get whatever they wanted. They were polite to me, and acted with deference to my condition, but I knew they were seething. I had just bared a dirty diaper on their "baby." There were major, major ramifications in store for Grumman Iron Works, and I was the one who had dumped the shit into the fan.
My next visitor was Jo! Somehow, our guys managed to locate her at Phoebe's – no small feat in the primitive age before cell phones (or even pagers)! Jo said they told her that I "had been in an accident, but that I was OK." Go directly to the base hospital, but don't hurt yourself on the way in, was the gist of their message. It was one of the longest hours Jo has ever spent in her '72 Vette.
After 30 hours, I was released from the hospital. Ten days later, I was once again flying the F-14. The Navy is a big believer in the "hair of the dog" philosophy when it comes to hangovers and aircraft accidents.
In looking at the telemetered traces, it was possible to reconstruct the entire episode. The spin had begun at 38,000-ft and had continued for 55 complete turns at a rate of 180-degrees per second. The most astonishing number was that of the eyeballs-out g: 7½ ! The most advanced centrifuge in the nation was located at the Naval Air Development Center at Johnsville, Pennsylvania. The lab was not able to simulate eyeballs-out g, but estimated in their publications that human tolerance for eyeballs-out g was "about 5gs for 5 seconds." I had been subjected to 7½ eyeballs-out g continuously for more than 100 seconds! While the airplane was spinning like Hell in a flat attitude, it was descending vertically at about 165 mph. Airplanes are simply not designed to function in that environment. The engines both flamed out at 28,000-ft because of gross inlet airflow distortion. Canopy separation, in particular, was almost totally precluded in this environment. Ejection seat function was also suspect.
An emergency meeting was called for Sunday, right after the Friday ejection. It was held at Strike where they had set up the mother of all Long Green Tables – and I was the honored guest at one end of this thing. Everyone connected with the F-14 was present. All of my people at NATC, our bosses at NAVAIR, Sewell and senior people from Grumman, airframe, canopy and ejection seat people – about forty in all. My bruises and lacerations were still fresh, and I looked terrible. I wore sunglasses so I wouldn't make everybody wince every time they looked at me. For two agonizing hours, I laid out the whole story. The most depressing memory I took away from that meeting was when Grumman said they couldn't understand how the canopy separated properly during the ejection sequence (if it hadn't, Pete and I would be dead!), and when the ejection seat folks said they thought that it was a miracle that the seats functioned at all.
While it will never be understood why the Tomcat chose that moment to enter into a flat spin, it didn't take our engineers long to uncover the reason why I couldn't recover from it. The telemetered traces clearly showed that I had slammed the controls into the full anti-spin position – but the control surfaces themselves only deflected one-third of the way. It was a consequence of the particular flight control software modification that I was testing on that flight. Given that fact, there was no way that that airplane could have been recovered from a flat spin.
Over the years, I have heard a good deal of conjecture about how the F-14 might have been recovered from the spin. Sweeping the wings full aft? Doubtful. Full afterburner on the inside (of the spin) engine? Maybe. But I think that Grumman's guidance should be taken very seriously – the flat spin is not survivable by the crew. If the pilot stays with the airplane to fiddle around with some recovery techniques, he is very likely to be incapacitated. In the ensuing years since my flat spin, the F-14 community has lost several good and able aviators to flat spins.
But what about those voices? I have thought about that a lot. I'm not the kind of guy who is comfortable with paranormal-style activity. But those voices were there, I kept telling myself. I could not deny that. I was confused, and I had no answers. I didn't tell anybody about the voices. It was more than a year, I think, before I even confided to Jo about what had transpired during the longest 100 seconds of my life, when death seemed inevitable. It is only now, in this book, that I am laying this episode out to family and friends.
A few years ago, I was watching a program on The History Channel, I believe, concerning flight testing. There was an Air Force pilot telling about his experience in spinning an F-15. My God – he was talking about "voices!" His experience was identical to mine, and our words could have been interchanged!
I have come to think that the deep, comforting voice has a purpose. Just as adrenalin prepares the body to "fight or flight," I believe the body has a chemical mechanism to prepare the mind for death, when death is inevitable. In the ensuing years, I have heard of others who have felt the overwhelming calmness, if not the actual voice, that prepares one for the inevitable.
As for my little friend whose shrill voice shouted me into consciousness and probably saved my life? I have no answer. He's among the long list of things in life that I just don't understand.
Did my life flash before me, like some say? Well no, but during the darkest moments of the spin I did actually visualize the faces of my family for a few nanoseconds. For some reason, the faces of Dana and Jo stood out.
It took my eyes about six weeks to return to their normal beauty. In the meantime, I wore sunglasses to ease the suffering of those who had to work with me. Once, while shopping in a local market, I had to remove my glasses in order to read the fine print on a box of cereal. A little girl had strayed into my vicinity. When I looked at her, she screamed and ran to her mother! In modern day America I probably would have been arrested.
Of course, my buddies in flight test had a lot of fun with this. They drew a cartoon which had me standing in the middle of a busy street, clad in a yellow rain coat. It was accompanied by the following citation:
"The Antique Automobile Association, in concert with the Scary Halloween Mask Company and the manufacturers of Mureen eye drops, take the highest pleasure in awarding the Golden Eyeliner Award to CDR D.D. Smith, USN, for a revolutionary breakthrough in eye makeup. In the true spirit of his research and development field, CDR Smith experimented with countless combinations of different whiskeys and women in search of the perfect hangover look. After diligence that will forever inspire other researchers, CDR Smith achieved the ultimate success, a new look so dynamic that when he wears a yellow shirt and hat, he can stop cars merely by opening his eyes. CDR Smith's performance is in keeping with the highest traditions of the Town Creek Girl Scouts."
I am told that my flat spin served as the inspiration for the F-14 flat spin in the movie, Top Gun, which was released in 1986 and starred Tom Cruise. Since the Navy camera footage was not of sufficient resolution to be used in the film, renowned aerial stunt man Art Scholl was retained by the studio to get some action shots from a spinning airplane. He rigged his Pitts Special with several cameras and commenced a spin sequence over the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Carlsbad. After radioing that he "had a problem … a real problem" his aircraft spun into the sea. Neither Scholl nor his aircraft were ever recovered.
As I write this, I have read that a sequel to Top Gun may be in the works, and Tom Cruise says he wants to be a part of it! Update! TOP GUN MAVERICK was released in 2022! I was so swamped for comments that I wrote a Facebook review:
I really enjoyed it! Max action, non-stop! I vowed to check my wings at the door and just enjoy the show. Of course, the plot was literally impossible, the flying was exaggerated and shamelessly glorified – but we expected that, right? It was simply entertaining, and very well done, at that. I particularly liked the carrier deck scenes, since they were REAL, and I had "been there" for a substantial period of my life. I have 800+ carrier landings and catapult shots, remember? I actually surprised myself and choked up a bit at the intensity and nostalgia of the incredible mayhem and precision of an operational flight deck. Only flight deck veterans could feel this like a punch in the gut! There's nothing like it in the world, and I am so glad to have experienced it up close and personal. It was powerful stuff for me.
By the way, those two menacing enemy aircraft were Russian SU-57's – all computer generated since Russia was not about to lend any aircraft for movie duty. All F-14 flying scenes had to also be courtesy of the computer; there are no flyable F-14's in existence outside of Iran that I know of. The aircraft carrier was the Abraham Lincoln.
If you're not a Naval Aviator, you might enjoy Top Gun even more, since you won't be burdened with those pesky little realities that pop up almost constantly during the story. It isn't only the planes that twist and turn, and there's enough noise and smoke for everyone. Hats off to Tom Cruise – he racked up another good one that will be shown for the next 50 years!
Life went on for me at Pax River, and I resumed my work with the F-14. I participated in many test projects in the airplane, including some carrier landing tests aboard the Nimitz. That was quite a thrill, since I had already concluded that I was never to see the back end of an aircraft carrier again. I found the F-14 to be a comfortable airplane around the ship; in many respects it was similar to landing an A-4.
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