I was an Air Force mechanic/Crew Chief on F-16s. I would often do engine runs after maintenance and at times I was allowed to do taxi checks. I must say there were times when I was just a little bit tempted to takeoff, but I knew it would be suicidal. On an annual basis we had to recertify our engine run skills using the same simulator that pilots use. It was there after some free time, that I was able to "steal" an F-16. Having a private pilot license and knowledge of the controls I was able to takeoff and land it without crashing. Later in my career I got a backseat incentive ride in one. What a blast!
I have a friend who is an Air Force vet and he got an incentive ride in an F-14. I bought him a scale model of an F-14 and by sheer coincidence, he was able to build the same plane he rode in.
I joined the Air National Guard in 1959 and at that time we had F89s, however,, shortly we got F86 D's and L;s. A yaer or so later we were having an Air Show and Bob Hoover was one of the mainattractions. There had been a long standing argument as to whether or not the F86 could go straight up or not. Bob said that it was possible and was given permission to give it a try. One of the things required to do to an F86 before it could climb at such a steep angle was to look the radar antena so it wouldn't be damaged, as a radar mechanic I was given that task. Bob climbed in the plane, in just his street cloths, strapped himself in and took off. Bob did indeed take the F86 straight up, that settled the argument. What a wonderful man and plane. Thank you so much fur this episode.
In 1952 in first grade, at 6 years of age, when all of us little students were resting our heads on our desks, I suddenly stood up and twirled around in a circle. No one but the bemused teacher saw, and she just nodded once as I obediently sat back down. In a moment of quiet, I just wanted to see if my circular skirt would twirl. Youthful exuberance and tolerant leaders warm my heart. 💃🏻
That poem (or part of it) was written on the manila folder the Air Force gave me when I joined up and was processing in at AFEES in Detroit in 1978. It held all the paperwork I needed. I remember sitting around for hours staring at that poem (hurry up and wait). How boring, no cell phones or magazines around. Never forgot that. I was 17.
@@jojobar5877 While I was preparing to retire from active duty at the Pentagon in 2007 I learned the USAF History Office had a copy of the old F-104 video of the poem in their data files. At the time I could not find it on YT so I downloaded it as a keepsake. I had fond memories from my youth of watching it late at night when one of our local TV stations near Tyndall AFB would play it just before they signed off the air. I still have it and consider it the finest rendition of the poem. Today anyone can see it on YT thanks to the AIRBOYD channel having posted it on YT about 13 years ago.
My colorblind, 2-tour twin-Silver Star Thud pilot Grandfather would argue with him about the eye test... My gpa enlisted as a radioman on KC-97's, got a copy of the eye test, memorized it, and that's how he got to be a pilot. His colorblindness actually helped him see things that other pilots couldn''t see in Vietnam!
I read a book about thirty years ago written by a guy who'd been a company commander of a rifle company in the ETO during WW2. He described how they had this guy who was colorblind who was used from time to time to spot enemy camouflaged positions. There was apparently enough difference in the camo materials used by the Germans that was plain for him to see, but that no one else was able to detect.
I was a USAF A-10A mechanic from the late 80's until 2000 and remember hearing a "story" about a mechanic who took a fighter aircraft for a flight. I always thought it was one of "those" stories and wasnt really true. Lo and behold it was!
A much more terrifying version was Taffy Holden's 1966 flight in the English Electric Lightning. He accidentally locked the throttle into the afterburner detent during a test run for a fault that would only occur at speed. He took off with the canopy removed and without a headset, so he had no radio. The ejection seat was also safed and the landing gear was locked in the down position due to a test mode. He was forced to try and land it completely by himself. He made it down on his third attempt but struck the tail on the ground because his only experience was in single engine tail wheel trainers. The tail strike broke off the rubber tail bumper and knocked off his drogue chute. He managed to stop 100 yards short of the end of the runway. The plane was repaired and put back into service and he wasn't punished. As a mechanic you would probably be interested to know the problem was the result of the wires being left behind from a removed ground test button which was shorting on the UHF radio housing when it moved under high acceleration.
What a great story! Dad was an RCAF Sabre pilot. He met and married my Mom while stationed in Zweibrucken, Germany. He went to radar school in Fort Huachuca, AZ, and my folks fell in love with the desert. After he mustered out of the service, my folks headed back to Arizona. I was born in Tucson a few years later. 😃
I was enlisted Army in '82 at Ft. Leavenworth where small planes were constantly heard and seen overhead. It was the Ft. Leavenworth Flying Club and one day I walked down to the small airfield and inquired about it and what a deal, for 20-bucks an hour I could fly a Cessna 150 with instruction by Air Force jet pilots and Army helicopter pilots, Vietnam combat veterans who were enrolled in the Command and General Staff College. Those gentlemen were the greatest instructors any student pilot could have, very cool in the passenger seat and very calm with their commands. "Steeper...steeper..." And ha, I thought I was flying straight into the runway when they'd finally say, "Okay, now pull up" and we'd touch down on the rear wheels. By the end of the year I was sent to the Pentagon, no more flying small planes, yet I still appreciate the privilege of that experience as a recreational pursuit.
I also went on active duty in January 1982. I did public address set ups as ground radio maintenance to include a 90 during the air war when I was stationed at RAF Mildenhall, so I was lucky enough to see all of the aircraft up close. I got to fly the T-37 simulator at Reese Air Force Base, what night when I was delivering parts after hours. I was supposed to get a incentive ride in an F-16 because I fixed there LST-5 SATCOM, and the F-16’s were there to guard them when we were in Oman in around 97. So now I fly virtually in DCS World, to include the F 86, which is really fun because it isn’t super fast but very maneuverable. I think I’ve spent enough money that I could buy my own jet at this point. Lol
@kurtvanluven9351 It was truly unbelievable, ten dollars to the instructor, ten dollars to the club, just pay per hour and nothing more. O and a small fee for the official Cessna student pilot kit with log for hours and manual and such In a red plastic satchel. And the instructors were always eager to go up, they were true aviators.
@@robbchastain3036 They had demo rides on Speedway motorcycles. $20/5 laps. I crashed into the wall at 60mph, got up and asked for another bike. Why? You guys owe me 3 more laps. Yeah, I got kicked out!
I know this stunt put people's lives at stake but, I couldn't help that it put a smile on my face. This guy lived more life in an hour than some of us do in a lifetime.
I grew up in Las Vegas in the 40's and 50's. Nellis Air Force Base was close by and they were flying these beauties as well as T -33 trainers ..I remember well them flying overhead and the absolute thrill that a young boy can achieve at such a wonderful site. We were lucky enough to have a few pilots from Nellis at that time visit our dinner table on a regular basis. This has always been one of my very favorite aircraft...thank you for sharing this story.
This incident is the reason today USAF enlisted personnel are not allowed to taxi aircraft. I remember when we did an exercise with the Royal Australian AF. The USAF guys were all shocked the first time we saw the Australian enlisted guys taxiing their aircraft around. I was in the AF in the 90s and had the same bases Johnston had: Lackland - Chanute - Luke. RIP Chanute AFB.
Not to be pedantic; but this incident was not the actual reason why that restriction was put into place. Nobody was seriously hurt in this incident. The incident that put the hiatus on enlisted personnel taxing aircraft was due to a mechanic taking off and losing a C-130 (as well as himself though that loss was quite minor).
Must have gotten really rattled as I found the plane easy to fly when I got the chance. I was stationed at Little Rock AFB where there were just a few around.
There are a few hours that aren’t in my log book, though I never stole the aircraft involved. Ranks up there with my wedding and the birth of my children as the most unsurpassable moments of my life.
The F86 really was an incredible bird. The fact that he seemed to have such an enjoyable time flying with no real experience. It's honestly a great advertisement for the aircraft.
My Dad was a 30 year USAF Pilot and Officer. After Korea, he was stationed at Luke AFB in Arizona as a Squadron Leader in teaching Pilots from different NATO friendly Countries to the USA. He flew the F-86 back then. Unfortunately, during a maneuver, a pilot accidently shot my Dads plane and severely wounded his leg. He lost so much blood in minutes and he was temporarily blinded. Another Squadron leader heard his MAYDAY and came up along side him and proceeded to tell my Dad what his coordinates were while letting him know as easily as he could that his landing gear was torn up. Dad was talked down by his fellow Squadron Leader and ended up landing on the belly of the aircraft. This was eventually written up in Collier's Magazine and condensed in Reader's Digest under their "Drama In Real Life" series. Both stories were titled "Belly It In". Dad was able to have his leg saved and eventually flew helicopters for the majority of his flying days. IF he doesn't survive this event, me and my Twin brother and little sister are not here! He ended up receiving The Air Force's Distinguished Flying Cross. Forever and a day me and my siblings considered our Dad our very own Chuck Yeager!
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel I will follow up with my still living siblings and see what we can get to you Mr. Geiger. Dad has since gone to "Touch The Face Of God", but he would have absolutely loved your channel Sir! MOO From COW-lumbus, Ohio 👋
Being retired Air Guard, I heard about this event but this is the first time I've heard a detailed account. Thank you for a fascinating story. P.S.: Our squadron flew a couple different versions of the F-86, the last being the F-86H.
Similar thing happened in 1983/4 at El Toro CA. A Marine E4 air craft mechanic intentionally took off in an A4 at night and flew around the area and safety landed. I was in an infantry battalion at Camp Pendleton and one of our air officers was an A4 pilot. We gave him grief and said a corporal can do his job.
I enjoyed this as my father piloted the Sabre early in his career in the Air Force. He described a situation where he had to perform a landing at Eniwetok Island from 30K feet after loosing the engine. Lost a bucket, he said. He was assigned there temporarily from Williams AFB where he was performing air sampling during nuclear weapons testing. He said this was his favorite plane to fly.
My father was Army Air Corp during WWII. He was a base weatherman in Burma, but often helped out with plane maintenance since he had machinist experience in civilian life. He would also help taxiing planes back to their parking areas after maintenance. He often said it was very tempting to jam that throttle forward and take flight. He did manage to lift the tail one time, but if he took off he knew what the penalties were and never did.
As a pilot and a USAF veteran (and son of an F-86 pilot who trained at Williams AFB), I loved this story. Keep up the good work. BTW - Your video from 5:35 to 5:55 is an F-84 (in Thunderbird paint scheme).
I was a USAF avionics tech on T-33A jet trainers and the McDonnell F-101B/F Voodoo and Convair F-106A/B Delta Dart interceptors. On the T-33A it was so simple (a twoseat version of the venerable Lockheed F-80 fighter) we techs did a lot of crosstraining. I did some engine, electrical and hydraulic work on it. We would climb in and taxi a T-bird across the runway to the engine trim pad, or to the Compass Rose. It was one of the funner things we techs got to do. 😊 But we knew to NEVER try to fly it. 😮
My grandfather liked to tell the story of the F-86 that broke the sound barrier before Yeager in the Bell X-1. Officially, it never happened, but it did.
My dad flew the F86 in the 50s. Maj Ernest L. Bumgarner. Just an LT and Capt in those days. He was also a WW2 vet. Combat Engineer with the 1st Marine Div. He got out as a Sgt.
In 1967, while in the USAF, I watched the Thunderbirds fly F-86s at our base near Del Rio. The last maneuver, the Bomb Burst, turned out to be a show-stopper. The center jet blew off its wings and crashed, Fortunately, no one was injured. I saved a subsequent newspaper article about the cause - metal fatigue.
I don't recall ever hearing that the Thunderbirds ever flew F-86s. You may be misremembering the aircraft type. Or you may be misremembering the flight team name. It happens to all of us at one time or another.
You were correct to doubt mymemory. I found the news article online, and it was an F-100 Supersabre that lost its wings during our air show. Oh, well.@@stevevernon1978
They say a prototype F86 broke the sound barrier, just hours before Chuck did it in the Bell Aircraft. F-86 first flew Oct 1st, Chuck "officially" broke the sound barrier, on the 14th.
This happened again back in the 80's where a mechanic flew a military jet. I talked to the pilot at California city where he was flying gliders after his discharge. I think his name was Foote and it was a Marine A4. He said it was easy to fly.
Both the Kendalberger brothers could speak and read German. They got early looks at the German data because they could smoothly. Dutch Kindelberger would make use of the German data to help design rocket engines and produce some of our most advanced programs from the 1940's through the 1970's. I worked with Dutch's Nephew on the Space Shuttle program in the 1980's and he was a trough of information.
I once read that when it was introduced to the Korean War it was to heavy because all the electronics. When this was mostly removed it was so much lighter it could take on the migs. It’s all plexiglass canopy was also a huge advantage because it gave the pilots a much better view than from the migs
I guess we have all made a bad decision of two in our lives, I know I have but mine involved a few minor speeding tickets. I am glad he got home safe, the punishment was quite fair. the Aircraft was really not seriously damaged. His comanding officers were really good about this and showed great leadership. Thanks for the wonderful story, you do great work !😃
I think everyone who has done any kind of military service has had those intrusive thoughts to see (or prove) if they could do something similar. For me, it was the Olifant tank and the Rooikat AFV... I went so far as sneaking in to the lecture rooms where the brand-new, one of a kind, Rooikat simulator was kept, and had hours of illegal fun in the thing. To this day, 34 years later, I swear I could have driven one off the base with no-one realizing I was unauthorized to do so. That is as far as my little act of rebellion went however. My bungalow was right next to the Detention Barracks, so I knew better than most the punishment I'd face if I gave in to my school-boy desire. Driving a landrover at night in the Light Vehicle Yard during guard-duty was another story though. When the Guard Room NCO called us up over the radio to find out what was going on, we'd stop the vehicle and reply that we'd investigate the issue. Eventually, after we'd all had a turn racing the vehicle around, we'd tell the Duty NCO that some civilians were holding drag races outside the base. We could only do this over the Christmas period when the base was mostly empty. We never got bust.
I could see how this could happen. As an aircraft mechanic working for a private contractor maintaining Navy aircraft, it would be very tempting to line up on the center line for a high speed taxi test and apply just a little too much throttle. Rotating happens quickly and runway disappears just as quickly. I never took that last step however as i wanted to keep my job!
That illicit Sabre flight was a real blast. Mowing grass was an amusing punishment. As a schoolboy in the 1950s I flew from Bermuda to London in BOAC Stratocruisers several times, and twice had refueling stops in Goose Bay, Labrador. I remember the long lines of neatly parked Canadian Airforce Sabres there. They were very sleek aircraft for that time.
As the son of a private pilot, runways uses reference to 360° of a compass, minus the (zero)° such as 35L(eft) or 35R(ight). L and R tells the pilots which way they are to turn the plane upon lift off or approach the runway upon landing.
..in my youth jobbing as an automated rolled towel deliverer by a wrong turn I accessed the runway area of Heathrow London. Have to confess that the fantastic idea of zooming my delivery van down a main runway crossed my mind…
Outstanding! As a former security policeman humping the tarmac guarding B-52, U-2 & finally tactical aircraft I alway felt the bullshit story of guarding the assets from the soviets was total baloney. An old grizzled lifer in a moment of mental clarity confessed to me that we guarded the assets from the fools within more than the fools without. A school buddy in airforce during our enlistment stated dis- gruntled line personnel were often leaving wrenches & ratchets & similar items in or near jet intakes for revenge....
You nailed it on this one! Have you looked at the all the stories on the Flight Simulators? The C130 before test flights had been done, the simulator was built. Then the manufacturer approached them and said they had a problem on take-off and landing. The simulator people filled in the rest of the story. They had been trying to get the shake out of the simulator for "old shakey".
Young men, military equipment, and regulations/rules that are so tempting to to violate ! At least this man had a minimum of training and was able to takeoff, fly and land the aircraft. He really got away with a BIG offense.
That was one hell of a story, he was clearly cool calm and collected. I guess it helped he was familiar with the aircrafts systems. You mention the F-86 Sabre was made in Australia - indeed it was by C.A.C. (Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation). What many may not know is that around 60% percent of the fuselage was redesigned to house the Rolls-Royce Avon R.A.7., as the Avon was shorter, wider and lighter than the J47 jet engine. It is said the Avon was capable of more than double the maximum thrust and double the thrust-to-weight ratio of the US engine. The Avon Sabre as it was sometimes known had a higher top speed and higher service ceiling than the F-86.
I know about this story. Except I thought he’s was flying in the T-33. Or an F-80. No matter, jet aircraft require a bit more skill to fly. It’s quite amazing that it turned out as well as it did. Great story.
As an A&P certificated mechanic, I recall working a couple years for a regional airline. We were doing an engine test run after maintenance and taxied out to the run-up pad at the end of a busy airport runway. After our check out, we normally taxied back from whence we came using the same taxiway. This time, however, several commercial flights were lined up behind us. The only way back was using the runway. Air Traffic told us there was an aircraft on final, "without delay" taxi back on the runway to the nearest highspeed exit that was about 1 mile down said runway. We didn't want to obstruct a landing aircraft, so we spun up the engines of our CRJ700. Sitting in the copilot seat, I wasn't really paying attention to the airspeed, but we must have been going pretty fast, since the airplane called out "flaps config - flaps config!" Meaning that we were nearing takeoff speed, but we hadn't set the flaps for take-off, so we may run out of runway before we're airborne. We didn't get off the ground, but we taxied faster than I had ever taxied before, and that was fast enough for me!
With youthful exuberance, he is the kind of guy the service needs. Cool and steady with an attention to detail, he would have gone far in the enlisted ranks if he had stayed in. Good Officers in command at the time didn't think ruining his life would be good. We as a nation and people need to return to that notioin. Yeah, he never got to fly an F-86 on Uncle Sugar Dime, and here I am, a retired pilot who has never flown a jet. Lots of turboprops and turbine helicopters, but no jet for me. Oh I was born in 1955, it was a different time.
A close friend of mine flew F-86's out of Perrin AFB in Texas back in the fifties. He said he was "fuel critical" as soon as the tires came off the pavement!
The guys name was Kenneth wine. Wife's name is Barbara just wondering if your family ever ran into the guy would've been mid 50s Perrin Air Force Base.
I was a student at the University of Arizona when a fighter plane successfully avoided crashing into our dorm and landed on 6th street. The pilot was killed, but he saved many lives.
I had heard about that a long time ago. Glad it wasn't a disaster. Thanks for the story and the easy way the Air Force doled out punishment. Less than $200 damage isn't bad anyway. Thanks for the story!
I’ve never flown in and F86 but I have sat in the cockpit and played in one. Our school had one parked beside the school. A lot of it was gutted but it was fun to play in and on. I believe it now resides at CFB Trenton.
thank s for the video - my dad was an f-86 mechanic in korean war - then f-100 in vietnem - he did cold weather testing on both in alaska and greenland - but he never talked about it - i am always looking for photos and videos that may have him in it or info about him - been lucky and found a few things but nothing here i think - and yes he taxied them a lot
😅 *If you do a little Googling you find out that this happens more often than you might think. Didn't you do one about the British fitter who had a similar Adventure in a RAF Electric Lightning?*
Back in the early 80s when I was stationed at McGuire AFB in New Jersey, we used to get Army recruits from next-door Ft. Dix climb over the fence after a night of drinking and try to fly the Air Force Reserve F-4 jets. We'd find them in the cockpits, usually too drunk to figure out how to climb out of the plane safely.
i worked a a guard on RAF Woodbridge when it was locked up, ,a fellow guard decided he was going to drive his car flat out down the runway one eve,well he got halfway when out of nowhere a seagull flew down hit the top of his windscreen with a big bang
Your video reminds me of the following. On the 22nd July, 1966, at R.A.F. Lyneham, Walter "Taffy" Holden, a 39-year-old engineer in command of No 33 Maintainence Unit R.A.F. with limited experience flying small single-engine aircraft inadvertently engaged the afterburner of a Mach 2.0 capable English Electric Lightning during ground testing. Unable to disengage the afterburner, Holden ran down the runway, narrowly missing a crossing fuel bowser and a de Havilland Comet taking off, before taking off himself. Flying without a helmet or canopy, the ejection seat disabled and the landing gear locked down, Holden aborted his first two landing attempts. He landed on his third approach, striking the runway with the aircraft's tail as he adopted the landing technique of a taildragger aircraft. The aircraft returned to service and was subsequently acquired by the Imperial War Museum Duxford.
As a crew chief on C-130's in the late 70's, because he did this, it was almost impossible to even turn the props on the plane without having the cops or the tower getting all kinds of excited. It took this long before enlisted people could even do an engine start on the flightline until 1978! And that was a 4-engine turboprop plane.
I guess we should be glad that very few EOD techs have such moth-to-flame responses. Though I'm sure some of those are history that deserves to be remembered.
![ลองสุ่มไอโฟน 990 โกงมั้ย? [ โกงมั้ยครับ ep.101 ] | DOM](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/bfsWe0j492k/mqdefault.jpg)
I was an Air Force mechanic/Crew Chief on F-16s. I would often do engine runs after maintenance and at times I was allowed to do taxi checks. I must say there were times when I was just a little bit tempted to takeoff, but I knew it would be suicidal. On an annual basis we had to recertify our engine run skills using the same simulator that pilots use. It was there after some free time, that I was able to "steal" an F-16. Having a private pilot license and knowledge of the controls I was able to takeoff and land it without crashing. Later in my career I got a backseat incentive ride in one. What a blast!
❤
Are you Dave Hartwig?@@SteveDave29
The F-16's first flight was accidental. During high speed taxi tests, the plane simple took off.
I have a friend who is an Air Force vet and he got an incentive ride in an F-14. I bought him a scale model of an F-14 and by sheer coincidence, he was able to build the same plane he rode in.
What is an “incentive ride”?
I joined the Air National Guard in 1959 and at that time we had F89s, however,, shortly we got F86 D's and L;s. A yaer or so later we were having an Air Show and Bob Hoover was one of the mainattractions. There had been a long standing argument as to whether or not the F86 could go straight up or not. Bob said that it was possible and was given permission to give it a try. One of the things required to do to an F86 before it could climb at such a steep angle was to look the radar antena so it wouldn't be damaged, as a radar mechanic I was given that task. Bob climbed in the plane, in just his street cloths, strapped himself in and took off. Bob did indeed take the F86 straight up, that settled the argument. What a wonderful man and plane. Thank you so much fur this episode.
Cool story. Thank you for sharing.
Had the pleasure of watching Bob Hoover fly the Rockwell international p-51 mustang
Thank you for your service. :)
In 1952 in first grade, at 6 years of age, when all of us little students were resting our heads on our desks, I suddenly stood up and twirled around in a circle. No one but the bemused teacher saw, and she just nodded once as I obediently sat back down. In a moment of quiet, I just wanted to see if my circular skirt would twirl. Youthful exuberance and tolerant leaders warm my heart. 💃🏻
... do it again ....
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Now how do I get back down?
Indeed!
That poem (or part of it) was written on the manila folder the Air Force gave me when I joined up and was processing in at AFEES in Detroit in 1978. It held all the paperwork I needed. I remember sitting around for hours staring at that poem (hurry up and wait). How boring, no cell phones or magazines around. Never forgot that. I was 17.
@@jojobar5877 While I was preparing to retire from active duty at the Pentagon in 2007 I learned the USAF History Office had a copy of the old F-104 video of the poem in their data files. At the time I could not find it on YT so I downloaded it as a keepsake. I had fond memories from my youth of watching it late at night when one of our local TV stations near Tyndall AFB would play it just before they signed off the air. I still have it and consider it the finest rendition of the poem. Today anyone can see it on YT thanks to the AIRBOYD channel having posted it on YT about 13 years ago.
"Dad, I want to be a fighter pilot when I grow up!"
"You can't do both, son."
Lol! As a musician I've heard the "guitarist" variation of this.
good one
@@ThinWhiteAxe
well said
My colorblind, 2-tour twin-Silver Star Thud pilot Grandfather would argue with him about the eye test... My gpa enlisted as a radioman on KC-97's, got a copy of the eye test, memorized it, and that's how he got to be a pilot. His colorblindness actually helped him see things that other pilots couldn''t see in Vietnam!
I read a book about thirty years ago written by a guy who'd been a company commander of a rifle company in the ETO during WW2. He described how they had this guy who was colorblind who was used from time to time to spot enemy camouflaged positions. There was apparently enough difference in the camo materials used by the Germans that was plain for him to see, but that no one else was able to detect.
@@lonzo61 fascinating!
Happens more than you think.
I was a USAF A-10A mechanic from the late 80's until 2000 and remember hearing a "story" about a mechanic who took a fighter aircraft for a flight. I always thought it was one of "those" stories and wasnt really true. Lo and behold it was!
A much more terrifying version was Taffy Holden's 1966 flight in the English Electric Lightning. He accidentally locked the throttle into the afterburner detent during a test run for a fault that would only occur at speed. He took off with the canopy removed and without a headset, so he had no radio. The ejection seat was also safed and the landing gear was locked in the down position due to a test mode. He was forced to try and land it completely by himself. He made it down on his third attempt but struck the tail on the ground because his only experience was in single engine tail wheel trainers. The tail strike broke off the rubber tail bumper and knocked off his drogue chute. He managed to stop 100 yards short of the end of the runway. The plane was repaired and put back into service and he wasn't punished.
As a mechanic you would probably be interested to know the problem was the result of the wires being left behind from a removed ground test button which was shorting on the UHF radio housing when it moved under high acceleration.
George Welch was killed test flying an F-100 Super Sabre. Test flying was more dangerous than combat.
He did. More on his story here: Two American Pilots and Pearl Harbor
th-cam.com/video/zSvYxH6gqMc/w-d-xo.html
Indeed. RIP Dick Bong
It still is lol
The p-80 got Richard Bong,August 1945!
..the short 3 or 4 second clip.if that accident showed up in the movie "The Hunters" with Robert Mitchum and a VERY young Robert Wagner...
RAF had a similar problem when Taffy Holden an mechanic inadvertently lit the afterburners on a lightening.
THG did a video on that incident. Check it out.
th-cam.com/video/W4d7VKvG1z0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=h_qeVf3evonpXbZN
I find myself enjoying topics I have never had an interest in, just because of your vivid and engaging presentation.
🟫👃
What a great story! Dad was an RCAF Sabre pilot. He met and married my Mom while stationed in Zweibrucken, Germany. He went to radar school in Fort Huachuca, AZ, and my folks fell in love with the desert. After he mustered out of the service, my folks headed back to Arizona. I was born in Tucson a few years later. 😃
I was enlisted Army in '82 at Ft. Leavenworth where small planes were constantly heard and seen overhead. It was the Ft. Leavenworth Flying Club and one day I walked down to the small airfield and inquired about it and what a deal, for 20-bucks an hour I could fly a Cessna 150 with instruction by Air Force jet pilots and Army helicopter pilots, Vietnam combat veterans who were enrolled in the Command and General Staff College. Those gentlemen were the greatest instructors any student pilot could have, very cool in the passenger seat and very calm with their commands. "Steeper...steeper..." And ha, I thought I was flying straight into the runway when they'd finally say, "Okay, now pull up" and we'd touch down on the rear wheels. By the end of the year I was sent to the Pentagon, no more flying small planes, yet I still appreciate the privilege of that experience as a recreational pursuit.
I also went on active duty in January 1982. I did public address set ups as ground radio maintenance to include a 90 during the air war when I was stationed at RAF Mildenhall, so I was lucky enough to see all of the aircraft up close. I got to fly the T-37 simulator at Reese Air Force Base, what night when I was delivering parts after hours. I was supposed to get a incentive ride in an F-16 because I fixed there LST-5 SATCOM, and the F-16’s were there to guard them when we were in Oman in around 97. So now I fly virtually in DCS World, to include the F 86, which is really fun because it isn’t super fast but very maneuverable. I think I’ve spent enough money that I could buy my own jet at this point. Lol
Best $ deal ever.
@kurtvanluven9351 It was truly unbelievable, ten dollars to the instructor, ten dollars to the club, just pay per hour and nothing more. O and a small fee for the official Cessna student pilot kit with log for hours and manual and such In a red plastic satchel. And the instructors were always eager to go up, they were true aviators.
@@robbchastain3036 They had demo rides on Speedway motorcycles. $20/5 laps. I crashed into the wall at 60mph, got up and asked for another bike. Why? You guys owe me 3 more laps. Yeah, I got kicked out!
I know this stunt put people's lives at stake but, I couldn't help that it put a smile on my face. This guy lived more life in an hour than some of us do in a lifetime.
Luckily there were no ice cream shops nearby..... 😮
I grew up in Las Vegas in the 40's and 50's. Nellis Air Force Base was close by and they were flying these beauties as well as T -33 trainers ..I remember well them flying overhead and the absolute thrill that a young boy can achieve at such a wonderful site. We were lucky enough to have a few pilots from Nellis at that time visit our dinner table on a regular basis. This has always been one of my very favorite aircraft...thank you for sharing this story.
This incident is the reason today USAF enlisted personnel are not allowed to taxi aircraft. I remember when we did an exercise with the Royal Australian AF. The USAF guys were all shocked the first time we saw the Australian enlisted guys taxiing their aircraft around.
I was in the AF in the 90s and had the same bases Johnston had: Lackland - Chanute - Luke. RIP Chanute AFB.
I was allowed to taxi F-16s in the ANG as a Crew Chief. That privilege was taken away in the early 90s.
Not to be pedantic; but this incident was not the actual reason why that restriction was put into place. Nobody was seriously hurt in this incident. The incident that put the hiatus on enlisted personnel taxing aircraft was due to a mechanic taking off and losing a C-130 (as well as himself though that loss was quite minor).
Must have gotten really rattled as I found the plane easy to fly when I got the chance. I was stationed at Little Rock AFB where there were just a few around.
I wonder if he logged that one hour of f86 flight time in his log book.
There are a few hours that aren’t in my log book, though I never stole the aircraft involved. Ranks up there with my wedding and the birth of my children as the most unsurpassable moments of my life.
Thank you for another interesting and entertaining piece of history.
It especially caught my interest as I too love flying.
The F86 really was an incredible bird. The fact that he seemed to have such an enjoyable time flying with no real experience. It's honestly a great advertisement for the aircraft.
My Dad was a 30 year USAF Pilot and Officer. After Korea, he was stationed at Luke AFB in Arizona as a Squadron Leader in teaching Pilots from different NATO friendly Countries to the USA. He flew the F-86 back then. Unfortunately, during a maneuver, a pilot accidently shot my Dads plane and severely wounded his leg. He lost so much blood in minutes and he was temporarily blinded. Another Squadron leader heard his MAYDAY and came up along side him and proceeded to tell my Dad what his coordinates were while letting him know as easily as he could that his landing gear was torn up. Dad was talked down by his fellow Squadron Leader and ended up landing on the belly of the aircraft. This was eventually written up in Collier's Magazine and condensed in Reader's Digest under their "Drama In Real Life" series. Both stories were titled "Belly It In". Dad was able to have his leg saved and eventually flew helicopters for the majority of his flying days. IF he doesn't survive this event, me and my Twin brother and little sister are not here! He ended up receiving The Air Force's Distinguished Flying Cross. Forever and a day me and my siblings considered our Dad our very own Chuck Yeager!
I’d love to do an episode on your Father’s story. Please feel free to email me at thg@thehistoryguy.net
That’s amazing! Thanks for sharing!
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel so would I!
@@jon9021 Salute Jon!👋
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel I will follow up with my still living siblings and see what we can get to you Mr. Geiger. Dad has since gone to "Touch The Face Of God", but he would have absolutely loved your channel Sir! MOO From COW-lumbus, Ohio 👋
Being retired Air Guard, I heard about this event but this is the first time I've heard a detailed account. Thank you for a fascinating story. P.S.: Our squadron flew a couple different versions of the F-86, the last being the F-86H.
Similar thing happened in 1983/4 at El Toro CA. A Marine E4 air craft mechanic intentionally took off in an A4 at night and flew around the area and safety landed. I was in an infantry battalion at Camp Pendleton and one of our air officers was an A4 pilot. We gave him grief and said a corporal can do his job.
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His name was Lipo Foote , he was in my unit and also my room mate….
Can’t stop the E4 Mafia! 😂
@@benparadude2028😮
I thought he was a lance corporal at the time? He was a major sea story in the Air Wing for years.
I enjoyed this as my father piloted the Sabre early in his career in the Air Force. He described a situation where he had to perform a landing at Eniwetok Island from 30K feet after loosing the engine. Lost a bucket, he said. He was assigned there temporarily from Williams AFB where he was performing air sampling during nuclear weapons testing. He said this was his favorite plane to fly.
It’s amazing that any of us survived our youth…and many didn’t. Excellent story.
My father was Army Air Corp during WWII. He was a base weatherman in Burma, but often helped out with plane maintenance since he had machinist experience in civilian life. He would also help taxiing planes back to their parking areas after maintenance. He often said it was very tempting to jam that throttle forward and take flight. He did manage to lift the tail one time, but if he took off he knew what the penalties were and never did.
Again a pleasure to listen. Thank you
As a pilot and a USAF veteran (and son of an F-86 pilot who trained at Williams AFB), I loved this story. Keep up the good work.
BTW - Your video from 5:35 to 5:55 is an F-84 (in Thunderbird paint scheme).
Just imagine if the history guy was your neighbor how badass the barbecues would be.. so full of information I cannot get enough
As a lifelong wannabe be pilot, who's only had a few lessons. This whole thing was very real to me. A wonderful episode.
Growing up as a kid I was infatuated with the F-86. When I saw the John Wayne movie Jet Pilot I was hooked. I used to draw them daily.
my dad was in the AF during this time as a jet mechanic, I wonder if he had the same thoughts about flying too, LOL
Hard to imagine he didn't. Who wouldn't? 😁
Back in the Saddle Again Naturally
I was a USAF avionics tech on T-33A jet trainers and the McDonnell F-101B/F Voodoo and Convair F-106A/B Delta Dart interceptors. On the T-33A it was so simple (a twoseat version of the venerable Lockheed F-80 fighter) we techs did a lot of crosstraining. I did some engine, electrical and hydraulic work on it. We would climb in and taxi a T-bird across the runway to the engine trim pad, or to the Compass Rose. It was one of the funner things we techs got to do. 😊
But we knew to NEVER try to fly it. 😮
My dad flew the 1oh wonder in the 60’s
My grandfather liked to tell the story of the F-86 that broke the sound barrier before Yeager in the Bell X-1. Officially, it never happened, but it did.
..in a dive...
My dad flew the F86 in the 50s. Maj Ernest L. Bumgarner. Just an LT and Capt in those days. He was also a WW2 vet. Combat Engineer with the 1st Marine Div. He got out as a Sgt.
Everyone should have their very own F86 in their garage!
There may be more elegant shapes than that of the F-86, but I’m not sure I’ve seen any.
In 1967, while in the USAF, I watched the Thunderbirds fly F-86s at our base near Del Rio. The last maneuver, the Bomb Burst, turned out to be a show-stopper. The center jet blew off its wings and crashed, Fortunately, no one was injured. I saved a subsequent newspaper article about the cause - metal fatigue.
I don't recall ever hearing that the Thunderbirds ever flew F-86s. You may be misremembering the aircraft type. Or you may be misremembering the flight team name. It happens to all of us at one time or another.
You were correct to doubt mymemory. I found the news article online, and it was an F-100 Supersabre that lost its wings during our air show. Oh, well.@@stevevernon1978
They say a prototype F86 broke the sound barrier, just hours before Chuck did it in the Bell Aircraft.
F-86 first flew Oct 1st, Chuck "officially" broke the sound barrier, on the 14th.
Every time I pass by the EAA museum in Oshkosh WI I enjoy the view of real Sabre on pedestal right by I-41 . It's a real beauty
This happened again back in the 80's where a mechanic flew a military jet. I talked to the pilot at California city where he was flying gliders after his discharge. I think his name was Foote and it was a Marine A4. He said it was easy to fly.
Joyride: 1986 Theft of a Marine A-4 Skyhawk
th-cam.com/video/HersvTbNdC0/w-d-xo.html
Gotta' say, sounds like fun!
Both the Kendalberger brothers could speak and read German. They got early looks at the German data because they could smoothly. Dutch Kindelberger would make use of the German data to help design rocket engines and produce some of our most advanced programs from the 1940's through the 1970's.
I worked with Dutch's Nephew on the Space Shuttle program in the 1980's and he was a trough of information.
This story brings back some great memories.
This is my idea of a flight of fantasy
I originally read this story in Smithsonian Air and Space magazine. It's great to hear it narrated.
Wow. That's the experience of a lifetime right there, he probably considered that one of the high points of his life. And what a story to tell!
"The runway looked so good, I just let her go." Why, wouldn't you?🙂
I once read that when it was introduced to the Korean War it was to heavy because all the electronics. When this was mostly removed it was so much lighter it could take on the migs. It’s all plexiglass canopy was also a huge advantage because it gave the pilots a much better view than from the migs
The F-86 was designed by a German engineer who also designed the P-51 mustang….Edgar Schmued. This was of course kept hush hush, for obvious reasons…
My dad was a Flying Tiger and flew both the P 40 and the Mustang
3:08 Hey, my son is there right now for basic training! 😊
Congratulations. I wish him the best of luck, I hope his enlistment is as fun and rewarding as mine, if a little less eventful. 👍🫡
@HM2SGT I thank you on his behalf 🫡
In my Airforce time I did Basic in Lackland AFB, then Avionics Tech School at Chanute AFB in 1976. Chanute was closed many years ago.
@lancerevell5979 👍🫡
I guess we have all made a bad decision of two in our lives, I know I have but mine involved a few minor speeding tickets. I am glad he got home safe, the punishment was quite fair. the Aircraft was really not seriously damaged. His comanding officers were really good about this and showed great leadership. Thanks for the wonderful story, you do great work !😃
"The runway looked so good, I let'er go" made me laugh. 😅
I think everyone who has done any kind of military service has had those intrusive thoughts to see (or prove) if they could do something similar.
For me, it was the Olifant tank and the Rooikat AFV... I went so far as sneaking in to the lecture rooms where the brand-new, one of a kind, Rooikat simulator was kept, and had hours of illegal fun in the thing.
To this day, 34 years later, I swear I could have driven one off the base with no-one realizing I was unauthorized to do so.
That is as far as my little act of rebellion went however.
My bungalow was right next to the Detention Barracks, so I knew better than most the punishment I'd face if I gave in to my school-boy desire.
Driving a landrover at night in the Light Vehicle Yard during guard-duty was another story though.
When the Guard Room NCO called us up over the radio to find out what was going on, we'd stop the vehicle and reply that we'd investigate the issue.
Eventually, after we'd all had a turn racing the vehicle around, we'd tell the Duty NCO that some civilians were holding drag races outside the base.
We could only do this over the Christmas period when the base was mostly empty.
We never got bust.
Great story
Wonderful story! I'm surprised more mechanics haven't "accidentally" taken off!
It's happened afew times, including a deliberate stealing a C130 out of UK.in early 70s
A great story, artfully conveyed as always, Lance.
I could see how this could happen. As an aircraft mechanic working for a private contractor maintaining Navy aircraft, it would be very tempting to line up on the center line for a high speed taxi test and apply just a little too much throttle. Rotating happens quickly and runway disappears just as quickly. I never took that last step however as i wanted to keep my job!
That illicit Sabre flight was a real blast. Mowing grass was an amusing punishment. As a schoolboy in the 1950s I flew from Bermuda to London in BOAC Stratocruisers several times, and twice had refueling stops in Goose Bay, Labrador. I remember the long lines of neatly parked Canadian Airforce Sabres there. They were very sleek aircraft for that time.
OG Sky King
😂
As the son of a private pilot, runways uses reference to 360° of a compass, minus the (zero)° such as 35L(eft) or 35R(ight). L and R tells the pilots which way they are to turn the plane upon lift off or approach the runway upon landing.
..in my youth jobbing as an automated rolled towel deliverer by a wrong turn I accessed the runway area of Heathrow London. Have to confess that the fantastic idea of zooming my delivery van down a main runway crossed my mind…
Outstanding! As a former security policeman humping the tarmac guarding B-52, U-2 & finally tactical aircraft I alway felt the bullshit story of guarding the assets from the soviets was total baloney. An old grizzled lifer in a moment of mental clarity confessed to me that we guarded the assets from the fools within more than the fools without. A school buddy in airforce during our enlistment stated dis- gruntled line personnel were often leaving wrenches & ratchets & similar items in or near jet intakes for revenge....
You nailed it on this one! Have you looked at the all the stories on the Flight Simulators? The C130 before test flights had been done, the simulator was built. Then the manufacturer approached them and said they had a problem on take-off and landing. The simulator people filled in the rest of the story. They had been trying to get the shake out of the simulator for "old shakey".
That's the reason they only let me work on trucks and jeeps.
Well you can still do a barrel roll in a jeep
Young men, military equipment, and regulations/rules that are so tempting to to violate ! At least this man had a minimum of training and was able to takeoff, fly and land the aircraft. He really got away with a BIG offense.
That was one hell of a story, he was clearly cool calm and collected. I guess it helped he was familiar with the aircrafts systems.
You mention the F-86 Sabre was made in Australia - indeed it was by C.A.C. (Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation). What many may not know is that around 60% percent of the fuselage was redesigned to house the Rolls-Royce Avon R.A.7., as the Avon was shorter, wider and lighter than the J47 jet engine. It is said the Avon was capable of more than double the maximum thrust and double the thrust-to-weight ratio of the US engine. The Avon Sabre as it was sometimes known had a higher top speed and higher service ceiling than the F-86.
I know about this story. Except I thought he’s was flying in the T-33. Or an F-80. No matter, jet aircraft require a bit more skill to fly. It’s quite amazing that it turned out as well as it did. Great story.
As an A&P certificated mechanic, I recall working a couple years for a regional airline. We were doing an engine test run after maintenance and taxied out to the run-up pad at the end of a busy airport runway. After our check out, we normally taxied back from whence we came using the same taxiway. This time, however, several commercial flights were lined up behind us. The only way back was using the runway. Air Traffic told us there was an aircraft on final, "without delay" taxi back on the runway to the nearest highspeed exit that was about 1 mile down said runway. We didn't want to obstruct a landing aircraft, so we spun up the engines of our CRJ700. Sitting in the copilot seat, I wasn't really paying attention to the airspeed, but we must have been going pretty fast, since the airplane called out "flaps config - flaps config!" Meaning that we were nearing takeoff speed, but we hadn't set the flaps for take-off, so we may run out of runway before we're airborne. We didn't get off the ground, but we taxied faster than I had ever taxied before, and that was fast enough for me!
With youthful exuberance, he is the kind of guy the service needs. Cool and steady with an attention to detail, he would have gone far in the enlisted ranks if he had stayed in. Good Officers in command at the time didn't think ruining his life would be good. We as a nation and people need to return to that notioin. Yeah, he never got to fly an F-86 on Uncle Sugar Dime, and here I am, a retired pilot who has never flown a jet. Lots of turboprops and turbine helicopters, but no jet for me. Oh I was born in 1955, it was a different time.
A close friend of mine flew F-86's out of Perrin AFB in Texas back in the fifties. He said he was "fuel critical" as soon as the tires came off the pavement!
The guys name was Kenneth wine. Wife's name is Barbara just wondering if your family ever ran into the guy would've been mid 50s Perrin Air Force Base.
I was a student at the University of Arizona when a fighter plane successfully avoided crashing into our dorm and landed on 6th street. The pilot was killed, but he saved many lives.
I had heard about that a long time ago. Glad it wasn't a disaster. Thanks for the story and the easy way the Air Force doled out punishment. Less than $200 damage isn't bad anyway. Thanks for the story!
I envy that guy. I would have done the same thing. When you work on jet planes every day, it's hard not to think what it is like to fly one.
Just came across your channel. You have a new subscriber,great storytelling. Cheers from Canada. Hope everyone has a great day.
Nice passage film of an F84 in Thunderbird paint.
Wish things were like they were back then with this kind of stuff.
I’ve never flown in and F86 but I have sat in the cockpit and played in one. Our school had one parked beside the school. A lot of it was gutted but it was fun to play in and on. I believe it now resides at CFB Trenton.
Never ceases to amaze me at some of the crap that some people can get themselves into. 😅
I enjoy your history lessons. My time is well spent learning something new. Thanks for making history fun to learn. Keep it up sir.
thank s for the video - my dad was an f-86 mechanic in korean war - then f-100 in vietnem - he did cold weather testing on both in alaska and greenland - but he never talked about it - i am always looking for photos and videos that may have him in it or info about him - been lucky and found a few things but nothing here i think - and yes he taxied them a lot
My father told me about this many years ago. It happened while my dad was in the Air Force.
That’s a great story! I grew up a few miles from Williams AFB and never heard this before! Thx history guy!
Loved the cufflink.
Every teen-aged boy's dream back then.
What cool story !!!
1:40 shows a Mig-15 in the foreground ... granted there is an F-86 in the background
Same thing
@@brucerayson3544 *Indeed. Just like oranges & tangerines.*
First USN jet was the McDonnell FD-1(FH-1) Phantom.
Fair point. The FJ-1 Fury was the first jet aircraft in USN service to serve at sea under operational conditions.
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel That would be correct. The FJ-1 did make the first operational landing of a jet fighter on a US carrier at sea.
😅 *If you do a little Googling you find out that this happens more often than you might think. Didn't you do one about the British fitter who had a similar Adventure in a RAF Electric Lightning?*
Taffy Holden. Taffy Holden, the Accidental Lightning Pilot
th-cam.com/video/W4d7VKvG1z0/w-d-xo.html
Thanks!
Thank you!
Back in the early 80s when I was stationed at McGuire AFB in New Jersey, we used to get Army recruits from next-door Ft. Dix climb over the fence after a night of drinking and try to fly the Air Force Reserve F-4 jets. We'd find them in the cockpits, usually too drunk to figure out how to climb out of the plane safely.
All smiles! Thanks again History Guy!
Great episode and wonderful history. Thank you very much.
i worked a a guard on RAF Woodbridge when it was locked up, ,a fellow guard decided he was going to drive his car flat out down the runway one eve,well he got halfway when out of nowhere a seagull flew down hit the top of his windscreen with a big bang
Your video reminds me of the following.
On the 22nd July, 1966, at R.A.F. Lyneham, Walter "Taffy" Holden, a 39-year-old engineer in command of No 33 Maintainence Unit R.A.F. with limited experience flying small single-engine aircraft inadvertently engaged the afterburner of a Mach 2.0 capable English Electric Lightning during ground testing. Unable to disengage the afterburner, Holden ran down the runway, narrowly missing a crossing fuel bowser and a de Havilland Comet taking off, before taking off himself. Flying without a helmet or canopy, the ejection seat disabled and the landing gear locked down, Holden aborted his first two landing attempts. He landed on his third approach, striking the runway with the aircraft's tail as he adopted the landing technique of a taildragger aircraft. The aircraft returned to service and was subsequently acquired by the Imperial War Museum Duxford.
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As a crew chief on C-130's in the late 70's, because he did this, it was almost impossible to even turn the props on the plane without having the cops or the tower getting all kinds of excited. It took this long before enlisted people could even do an engine start on the flightline until 1978! And that was a 4-engine turboprop plane.
37 second crowd!
I guess we should be glad that very few EOD techs have such moth-to-flame responses. Though I'm sure some of those are history that deserves to be remembered.
I've "piloted" an F-85 (Oldsmobile). I'm not qualified for an F-86!
Thank you for the lesson.
Into the distance, a ribbon of black
Stretched to the point of no turning back