2012 07 tarpa topics

JULY 2012 ISSUE 104

TWA ACTIVE RETIRED PILOTS ASSOCIATION

TARPA CONVENTION

DETAILS INSIDE

Cruising AlaskaSeptember 7-14, 2012

PAGE 1 ... TARPA TOPICS

The TWA Active Retired Pilots Association

















MY DAMASCUS ADVENTUREby

Larry Griffin

On August 29th, 1969, A PLO man and woman high jacked a TWA 707-331B airplane, forcedit to land at Damascus, got the passengers and crew off and then set a bomb off in the cockpit.The bomb destroyed the cockpit, and damaged the whole front end of the airplane. TWApersuaded Boeing to take a 331 BA cockpit off the assembly line and ship it in a "Guppy."(A4-eng prop airplane with an enormous fat fuselage). Boeing mechanics and some TWAmechanics were sent over to prepare the aircraft. They built a wooden cradle under the fuselagebehind the nose gear, then cut off the front end. They reskinned the perforated left side of thefuselage for approximately 25 feet back of the forward passenger door. The front toilet andgalley were removed and left out as was the lining and insulation of the cabin walls for quite adistance back. The cabin seats were all crammed together on the seat track and shoved to therear, leaving the whole front of the cabin empty. The new nose and cockpit section, when itarrived, was spliced on, the nose gear then extended and locked, then the wooden cradle wasremoved. Then began the ordeal of checking out and connecting up all the wiring, tubing, cablesetc. to the right places.

When they thought the airplane was approaching minimum conditions for ferrying, Flight Testat MCI was notified, and Lofton Crow, the Captain who was the head of FIt Test, and myself asFit. Test flight engineer, an international FE, and an international supervisory captain, flew toRome. We laid over in Rome to alleviate Jet Lag. Surprisingly, while wandering about thestreets of Rome for a little while, the other FE and I encountered a couple of TWA trainingschool secretaries who were on vacation and sight seeing in Rome. We then flew on an Italianaairliner to Beruit, then on to Damascus, Where we lodged at a hotel we jokingly referred to asthe "Damascus Hilton". The real name was the "Omayyad". Crowns plan had been to "Test" theairplane as we ferried it out to Athens; but although the crew and most of the passengers hadlong since been released, there were 2 Jewish civilians still being held. The international RedCross was negotiating for their release. Well, their tickets read Tel Aviv and the company's planwas to ferry them out with our plane when they were released, and to connect with a TWA flightat Athens going to Tel Aviv. Well, their release did not appear to be imminent, so on our 5th day,We made a test flight and came back to Damascus. Boeing crews fixed a few of our write-ups,put their tooling and tool boxes in the belly of the airplane, and left for Seattle. Then began along waiting period. We were to stay close in the mornings, for a quick takeoff if the Jews werereleased, but in the afternoons, we could use Cabs, 2 of which were at our disposal, and gosightseeing and souvenir shopping. We visited the "street called straight", the place where theApostle Paul was let down in a basket. (surely not the original building?), a mosque where thehead of John the Baptist was supposedly buried, a university (where students pointed to our pantlegs cuffs and chuckled), lots of shops in the "sook" etc. One day we were on an overlook takingpictures of the city and a MIG flew over and I took movies of it. A nearby Syrian soldierconfiscated my roll of film, so I lost my previously taken pictures as well. Another day we weredriven down to Bosra, an amazing combination amphitheater and fortress dating back to thecrusaders. The amphitheater had excellent acoustics. A loud whisper on the stage could be heardin the top row of seats. Another time we went to Beruit. The Taxi driver was wilder than usual,passing on hills. and curves in heavy traffic on the 2 lane highway. The pilots complained and he

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then drove better, but only after answering them, "Encha la" meaning "If Allah wills, we'llmake it." We spent the evening in Beruit, at that time a beautiful Mediterranean Sea coast city.We visited, in the Hospital, a pilot we knew who had gotten sick while working for SaudiArabian Airlines. We were called back early the next day. The Italian embassy in Damascus wasinvolved in the negotiations and the Ambassador's wife, (an Italian Countess) felt sorry for theseAmericans away from home on their Thanksgiving Day, so we had Thanksgiving dinner in thedining room at the Italian Embassy. She had gotten 2 frozen turkeys sent up from Beruit, alongwith a cook from the American Embassy in Beruit to cook it for us since their cook didn't knowhow. The official dining room, in which we were served, had oil paintings on the walls and thetable service was gold (probably plated.) The only criticism I could have made was that thesweet potatoes were sliced and looked liked carrots, instead of being mashed or baked. A fewdays later, our cab was about to pull away from the curb and a very attractive young lady wascoming down the sidewalk in dark glasses. The pilot in the front seat stopped the cab and allwatched the girl approach. Then just as she drew abreast of the cab she turned towards us andgave a big smile. It was only then that we recognized her as the "countess."

Damascus is known as the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. It lays to the south ofa mountain and runs part way up the side. The city (Pop. 800,000) lies in a shallow bowl-shapedtrough.

Mount Hermon lies near where Israel, Lebanon, and Syria join. Four rivers flow from the snowcapped peak. One (the Jordan) goes south to the Dead Sea, another (the Barrada, I think) goeseasterly to and through Damascus. Upstream of Damascus, dams are used to break the flow intothree streams. The center stream goes down through the lowest part of the shallow "trough". Theother two streams go around, higher up on both sides of the city, all joining together again on theeast side, flowing on out a few miles through a garden area, soaking into the sand anddisappearing. No more river. Back in town, the two higher rivers on both sides have places allalong where water can be diverted through properties for irrigation and water supply, on downthe gradual slope of people's yards, ending up in the center river, which actually becomes a"sewer." This "feeds" and waters the city's vegetable gardens on out of town where the riverends in the sand.

After a total of about 4 weeks, we were given the go signal. We quickly "taxied" to the airport,pre-flighted the aircraft. Our 2 passengers and TWA personnel arrived and we were airbornewithin an hour of our call. We connected with a TWA flight at Athens, that was bound forTel-Aviv, picked up an International FE, that had been waiting there for us for a long time. TheInternational FE that had gone over with us originally had gone home earlier because of awedding anniversary. We flew on to Paris and laid over getting a few more things repaired overnight. I was just a passenger now, and we took off non-stop for MCI. Since our long-range radionavigation equipment was out of order, we had to fly the "blue spruce" route, over Iceland,Greenland, Newfoundland, etc. This put us in 150 knot headwinds all the way, stretching theflight to 11 + hours, landing at MCI at midnight, in a blizzard , with a 200 foot ceiling. The pilotshad to summon up the necessary adrenaline for a precision approach after that long flight withno relief crew. We got down to 200 feet and no runway, so we leveled out, thinking missedapproach?

Then the strobes starting flashing through the snow and angling the aircraft down again the

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approach lights appeared and the landing was completed. Customs had been invited outespecially to welcome us (and see what souvenirs we had brought home.) The Overhaul base VPBill Meador was there to greet us, and to see that we got transportation home in the snow. Hehad called Opal many times that month to assure her of our safety, and now he offered to driveme home so that Opal would not have to come out at midnight in the blizzard to pick me up. Ithought the offer was great, since he would have to drive back also, because he lived up north.But shift change was occurring and I found a stores man going my way who took me home, so Idid not have to accept Meador's offer.

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FLYING RADIAL VS. JET ENGINES

STARTING A RADIAL ENGINE AIRCRAFT

Be sure you drain both the sumps. (You can fill your Zippo lighter while you do this.) Look out the left side of the oily cockpit canopy and notice a very nervous person holding a huge fire bottle. Nod to this person.

1. Crack throttle about one-quarter of an inch. 2. Battery on 3. Mags on 4. Fuel boost on 5. Hit starter button (The four bladed 13' 6" prop will start a slow turn) 6. Begin to bounce your finger on top of the primer button. This act requires finesse and style. It is much like a ballet performance. The engine must be seduced and caressed into starting. 7. Act one will begin: Belching, banging, rattling, backfiring, spluttering, flame and black smoke from the exhaust shooting out about three feet. (Fire bottle person is very pale and has the nozzle at the ready position.) 8. When the engine begins to "catch" on the primer. Move the mixture to full rich. The flames from the exhaust will stop and white smoke will come out. (Fire bottle guy relaxes a bit) You will hear a wonderful throaty roar that is like music to the ear. Enjoy the macho smell of engine oil, hydraulic fluid and pilot sweat. 9. Immediately check the oil pressure and hydraulic gages. 10. The entire aircraft is now shaking and shuttering from the torque of the engine and RPM of prop. The engine is an 18 cylinder R-3350 that develops 2,700 HP. 11. Close cowl flaps to warm up the engine for taxi. 12. Once you glance around at about 300 levers, gauges and gadgets, call the tower and taxi to the duty runway.

TAKING OFF IN A RADIAL ENGINE AIRCRAFT

1. Check both magnetos 2. Exercise the prop pitch 3. Cowl flaps open. 4. Check oil temp and pressure. 5. Crank 1.5 degrees right rudder trim to help your right leg with the torque on takeoff. 6. Tell the tower you are ready for the duty runway. 7. Line the bird up and lock the tail wheel for sure. 8. Add power slowly because the plane (with the torque of the monster prop and engine power definitely wants to go left.) 9. NEVER add full power suddenly! There is not enough rudder in the entire world to hold it straight. 10. Add more power and shove in right rudder till your leg begins to tremble. 11. Expect banging, belching and an occasional manly fart as you roar down the runway at full power. (I have found that the engine can make similar noises.) 12. Lift the tail and when it "feels right" pull back gently on the stick to get off the ground. 13. Gear up 14. Adjust the throttle for climb setting 15. Ease the prop back to climb RPM 16. Close cowl flaps and keep an eye on the cylinder head temp. 17. Adjust the power as needed as you climb higher or turn on the super charger.

FLYING THE RADIAL

1. Once your reach altitude which isn't very high! (about 8000 feet) you reduce the throttle and prop to cruise settings. 2. The next fun thing is to pull back the mixture control until the engine just about quits. Then ease it forward a bit and this is best mixture. 3. While cruising the engine sounds like it might blow or quit at any time. This keeps you occupied scanning engine gauges for the least hint of trouble. 4. Moving various levers around to coax a more consistent sound from the engine concentrates the mind wonderfully. 5. At night or over water a radial engine makes noises you have never heard before. 6. Looking out of the front of the cockpit the clouds are beautiful because they are slightly blurred from the oil on the canopy. 7. Seeing lightning in the clouds ahead increases the pucker factor by about 10. a. You can't fly high enough to get over them and if you try and get under the clouds----you could die in turbulence. b. You tie down everything in the cockpit that isn't already secured, get a good grip on the stick, turn on the deicers, tighten and lock your shoulder straps and hang on. c. You then have a ride to exceed any "terror" ride in any amusement park ever built. You discover the plane can actually fly side wise while inverted.

U.S. Navy A-1H Skyraider from At-tack Squadron VA-152 over Vietnam

in 1966.


8. Once through the weather, you call ATC and in a calm deep voice advise them that there is some turbulence. 9. You then scan your aircraft to see if all the major parts are still attached. This includes any popped rivets. 10. Do the controls still work? Are the gauges and levers still in proper limits? 11. These being done you fumble for the relief tube, because you desperately need it. (Be careful with your lower flight suit zipper)

THE JET ENGINE AIRCRAFT

STARTING A JET

1. Fuel pumps on. 2. Hit the start switch. 3. When the N1 reaches 15% raise the start lever. 4. The fire bottle person is standing at the back of the plane and has no idea what is going on. 5. The engine lights off---and--- 6. That's about it.

TAKE OFF IN THE JET

1. Lower flaps 2. Tell the tower you are ready for takeoff. 3. Roll on to the active runway while adding reduced thrust takeoff power. 4. Tricycle gear---no tail to drag---no torque to contend with. 5. At some exact airspeed you lift off the runway. 6. Gear up 7. Milk up the flaps and fly. 8. Set climb thrust

FLYING THE JET

1. Climb to your assigned flight level. 2. Set power for M.85 cruise. 3. It is silent in the plane. 4. You can't see clouds because you are so far above them. 5. You look down and see lightning in some clouds below and pity some poor fool that may have to fly through that mess. 6. The jet plane is air conditioned!! Round engines are definitely not. If you fly in tropical areas, this cannot be stressed enough 7. There is not much to do in a jet, so you eat your crew meal at your leisure. 8. Few gauges to look at and no levers to adjust. This leaves you doodling on your knee board. 9. Some call girl friends on their cell phones: "Guess where I am, etc"

SOME OBSERVED DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RADIAL ENGINES AND JETS

1. To be a real pilot you have to fly a tail dragger for an absolute minimum of 500 hours. 2. Large round engines smell of gasoline (115/145), rich oil, hydraulic fluid, man sweat and are not air-conditioned. 3. Engine failure to the jet pilot means something is wrong with his air conditioner. 4. When you take off in a jet there is no noise in the cockpit. This does not create a macho feeling of doing something Manly. 5. Landing a jet just requires a certain airspeed and altitude---at which you cut the power and drop like a rock to the runway. Landing a round engine tail dragger requires finesse, prayer, body English, pumping of rudder pedals and a lot of nerve. 6. After landing, a jet just goes straight down the runway. 7. A radial tail dragger is like a wild mustang---it might decide to go anywhere. Gusting winds help this behavior a lot. 8. You cannot fill your Zippo lighter with jet fuel. 9. Starting a jet is like turning on a light switch---a little click and it is on. 10. Starting a round engine is an artistic endeavor requiring prayer (curse words) and sometimes meditation. 11. Jet engines don't break, spill oil or catch on fire very often which leads to boredom and complacency. 12. The round engine may blow an oil seal ring, burst into flame, splutter for no apparent reason or just quit. This results in heightened pilot awareness at all times. 13. Jets smell like a kerosene lantern at a scout camp outing. 14. Round engines smell like God intended engines to smell, and the tail dragger is the way God intended for man to fly.
















































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2012 07 tarpa topics