AA62,
Thanks for that and apologies if I have posted this previously. It's just a tale of GE life "down route".
I can only proffer this as something Gopher01 might recognise as "part of the job". I ask only that I'm not looking for sympathy, just to relate a trip from my experience as an AGE.
Having returned from an SF detachment to the gulf on New Year's Eve 1990. As a result of some "injuries received", the medics decided I was unfit to carry out my duties as a GE, and put me "sick at home", UFN ! After a week or so of being bollocked by SWMBO, I was grateful for the call from SAGE (Senior Aircraft Ground Engineer) asking if I felt well enough to do a trip for him. I was grateful, and surprised when he informed me that I was to be GE on a trip to Travis AFB to collect a load of the latest sidewinders for our air defence assets in the gulf. The trip outbound was, as always, pretty standard, with a night stop Gander followed by a refuel on the way to Travis. On arrival at Travis, I, like the rest of the crew looked forward to a night out, it was not to be. The Cargo pack had snags, HF1 had snags, No3 prop had snags, and as we had a serious need to RTB with our load, they needed fixing. So, I followed a logical path and fixed each in order. The hardest bit was finding a gasket and clamp for the one blown on the Cargo pack FCSOV, surely an easy task on a station that had both C130s and 141s based there ? Try waking them up at 0200 local. I got the parts I needed and eventually had everything ready for testing. With a couple of hours to go before the crew returning to the aircraft I decided that there was little point in going to the hotel, and got my head down on the top bunk.
On arrival I explained to the Eng that we needed to do a leak check on the cargo bay pack using the GTC to ensure it was OK. The prop snag was simple and required only the observation of the crew during start up to certify the fix. HF snag, well, I enjoyed the chat with Mrs Smudge. So, tired, and looking forward to getting into my hammock after take off, I mounted the ladder on the RH side, to leak check the cargo pack. That was when this turned up;
Biggie eh ? You can guess, he bit me, and by God did it hurt. I brushed it off and remember seeing the sting lying along my forearm still pumping, I then pulled the thing out. Anyway, job to be done, leak checks complete, 700 signed up and off we head for a St Johns night stop, with a refuel at Offutt AFB. Once airborne, I get in to the hammock, looking forward to a few hours sleep after around 14 hours graft. Poor thing I hear you all say (or am I deluding myself ?).
On landing at Offutt, I'm woken by the loadie, who remarks on the size of my "hulk like" left arm. The Nav, always the GEs best mate says I need to see the Flight Surgeon. To say I was alarmed at my sudden ability to stretch the capability of my grow bag would be an understatement. Our Nav took me to the USAF flight surgeon who promptly grounded me. I explained that I was not part of the operating crew (our recovery was via St John, then back to Lyneham. The Flight Eng could put it to bed at St John if necessary). I was grounded, and required to report to the Medic Major the next day, regardless. I now faced a problem that a few GEs may have encountered, being abandoned at a location where the RAF tends not to visit. Gone were the days when Beagle and his Vulcans routinely visited Offutt. On returning to the aircraft our Flt Eng (bless him) had refuelled and done the turn round. Proof positive that I was just a hangar on, and "not required on voyage" ! The Nav informed the Captain of the doctors decision and the "master race" went in to a huddle. I was informed that the Captain would contact ATFOC of the situation before getting airborne for the night stop St Johns. Having done that, I was gobsmacked when, on his return, I was informed that ATFOC had instructed him to night stop Offutt and depart the next day, when the GE had been cleared by the medical staff. Blow me down, somebody saw the problem from my point of view. The night stop was crap. With the Flt Eng putting the aircraft to bed, Smudge of the giant left arm, and pumped full of god knows what by the USAF medics, decided to have a beer n the bar with the lads, before the SSS routine. The lads said I fell off the bar stool like a sack of spuds. There endeth my night stop Offutt ( the crew did later inform me that they looked all over the place and the only bar open that night was in our hotel, which closed when they decided to go looking for other bars) wasn't it always thus ?
We picked up our route the next day, and did a long day flagging Gander for Lyneham. I think only a few hours behind scheduled time. On arrival at the GEs section I noted that I was outbound for the Riyadh Det the next day, where, our good friend Gopher01 welcomed me as he was the GE team leader at the time. I only had one other chance at California, and that was the El Centro Detachment. But I would have enjoyed downtown Travis equally. I seriously dislike wasps these days !!!
Smudge
