Author Topic: It's true, it's true! (Read 9250 times)

Cobra412 · « **Reply #135 on:** February 26, 2005, 12:49:15 AM »

Bohdi,

I hear ya. If I knew the last name I could even check with some old friends who work at Strike and Eagle on Nellis. If he was infact an F-15 pilot and he was stationed there I'm pretty sure I could get a positive ID on him. One thing about the F-15 career field is our 1 stars and above are always remembered by the crew chiefs of the wing jet. Considering so much goes into ensuring his plane is not only in tip top shape and pretty but also due to the fact everyone knows when he's flying with the squadron.

It's not much different than how Brig. Gen. Pearson gets treated when he flies with us. He is a very well known name though throughout the F-15 world. Considering he was the only pilot to ever shoot down a satellite. He ranks up there with the likes of Yeager too. He has also flown with us a few times.

Toad · « **Reply #136 on:** February 26, 2005, 12:53:11 AM »

Hey, Cobra... ever hear of a Tom Watson in the F-15 community? Old bud of mine from UPT, was in the ASAT program a while too I think. Lost track of him after he left McChord.

Cobra412 · « **Reply #137 on:** February 26, 2005, 12:56:46 AM »

Toad nope I haven't actually. I wasn't here during the ASAT program. I also haven't ever heard of that last name flying with us since I've been here. Which has only been since Jan 2002. In my ten years I've only been stationed at 3 bases. If he's primarily a C model guy then I doubt I've seen him. I've worked the E model for most of my career. I just started working the A-Ds here.

Toad · « **Reply #138 on:** February 26, 2005, 01:01:01 AM »

Knew it was a long shot. If he stayed in.. and I'm pretty sure he did... he'd be hitting 30 years last November. Have to be wearing a button or they'd toss him.

He's probably out.

Cobra412 · « **Reply #139 on:** February 26, 2005, 01:08:01 AM »

Toad I do have an old civilian that works here on the F-16s that I can ask though. He actually crewed Gen. Pearsons jet during the ASAT program.

Actually now that I think of it I think I might have seen a photo of him. We have a picture on our wall with Gen. Pearson and his crew chiefs standing next to the ASAT bird. Thinking of that I'm almost dead positive it's him. I was thinking for a minute that the reason Watson sounded familiar was only because of a guy I went to school with. Now I'm almost dead positive it's him because that photo was placed right next to my office. He would have worked with a guy that had the last name of Day.

Toad · « **Reply #140 on:** February 26, 2005, 01:12:22 AM »

Tom was a pilot. Willie, Class 75-04 (gee, I remember that as easy as I remember my Fairchild's N number

).

Good friend, great guy... need to track him down sometime.

Cobra412 · « **Reply #141 on:** February 26, 2005, 01:16:50 AM »

Well then it must be a different guy. You've got me curious though. I'm either getting old and can't remember watermelon or the crew chiefs name was Watson in that photo. I'll have to take a look Monday at the photo again.

The guy that works F-16s here might still know of him though if he was in the ASAT program. He was stationed here all of his career and he was very involved with the ASAT program. The only aircrew that I know of that was in the ASAT program and still here was Gen Pearson.

Was that Thomas J. Watson by chance?

GRUNHERZ · « **Reply #142 on:** February 26, 2005, 01:21:18 AM »

This is turning out pretty intresting and sad.

Just last week I took this great 35-40 minute ride in a Streaman over Oahu and saw all the major historical sites around Pearl Harbor from the plane. It was a great flight, my first time in a small airplane, first bipe, first open cockpit all that and I'm very happy about it. Heck I even got the pics to prove it..

I was smiling from ear to ear the whole weekend That will be a great memory that does not need to be embellised or lied about. ... Why some people need to do that sort of lieng about their experiences and just maks fools of themselves to the extent seen here is really bizzare?

Toad · « **Reply #143 on:** February 26, 2005, 01:22:08 AM »

Yeah, I think it was J.

Medium height, medium build, had brown hair when I knew him, wore glasses. New Yawker.

We spent many nights holding the stag bar Foosball table against all comers. Played for drinks... won till we fell down.

Cobra412 · « **Reply #144 on:** February 26, 2005, 01:24:03 AM »

I just asked because I did a search and there was a research center named after Thomas J. Watson. I'll pass the info on to my friend at work. I'll see if he can remember anything about a pilot named Watson. Don't be surprised if he doesn't remember. He's an even older fart than me.

Toad · « **Reply #145 on:** February 26, 2005, 01:24:04 AM »

So, Grun.. did you log the time? I'm sure you made a daring landing in a 30 knot crosswind when the pilot had a heart attack, right? No.. better cut it down.. no one's going to believe you did 30 in a Stearman... go with calm winds and the heart attack. It'll be enough.

Toad · « **Reply #146 on:** February 26, 2005, 01:26:19 AM »

Wow, Cobra.. to weird. And scary... 'cuz you know how you get stuff named after you on an airbase!

I gotta do some checking too.

Cobra412 · « **Reply #147 on:** February 26, 2005, 01:29:52 AM »

Probably not him it's the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center based in New York. It's just weird that the name was directly related to the ASAT programs.

GRUNHERZ · « **Reply #148 on:** February 26, 2005, 01:33:46 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Toad
So, Grun.. did you log the time? I'm sure you made a daring landing in a 30 knot crosswind when the pilot had a heart attack, right? No.. better cut it down.. no one's going to believe you did 30 in a Stearman... go with calm winds and the heart attack. It'll be enough.

500 hours baby!!!! Later, when caught, I will claim it was a simple mathematical error of a misplaced decimal...

No hear attack Toad, thats simply ridiculous. Bruce, the pilot, got hit by a bird and I bravely took over. I als9o have pictures from the air and ground, so when Golfer comes I can prove myself!!!

But I gotta say it was so much fun and all in all seemed quite straight forward and easy at only 80mph on a calm day with the very experienced pilot flying of course. Actually he might check AH out, he seemed quite intrested and surprised when I described the deatil and thuriougness of our FM.

Flying is fun stuff, I'm tempted to try it myself sometime but I think I'm somewhat nearsigted so I may want to check out that issue first...

Wohoooo!!! So much fun!

Cobra412 · « **Reply #149 on:** February 26, 2005, 02:35:53 AM »

It's got me thinking. Did his dad fly P-51s or F-51s? If his dad was flying P-51s for the military then it had to be prior to 1948. If he had approximately 30 years of service he would have retired in the late 70s or early 80s. Kinda narrows down the time frame that he would have been at Nellis.

Seems odd he would state in May 2004 it was F-16s then 7 months later he stated it was F-15s. Makes you wonder considering he specifically stated P-51s in those two seperate posts. That itself would mean he was flying Mustangs prior to January 1948 when the pursuit designation (P-51) was changed to the fighter designation (F-51). With that in mind did he actually fly in the Korean War too?