Note to Jafo.
Friday, August 9, 2002 by Bangkokboy | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
Jafo, I read the explanation of your nick with a wry smile. As an Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO) on Spectre gunships during the Vietnam war, I was affectionately referred to as "Extra Weight Onboard". Until we'd cross the border and enemy radars would start trying to track us. 
 |
|
Page 1 of 2 | |
|
|---|
Bangkokboy
Reply #2 Saturday, August 10, 2002 9:44 PM
Reply #2 Saturday, August 10, 2002 9:44 PM
I left EWO training with orders for the Thud Weasel squadron at Korat, Thailand. A Major with friends in the right places walzed off with my assignment, and I had to choose between gunships at Ubon Rachatani, or a nuc alert B-52 at Minot, North Dakota. The decision took about 20 milliseconds. Even today there are few aircraft that can keep up with a Thud running full burn at treetop level. And the engine they had would eat golfball sized shrapnel and keep going. 
Jafo
Reply #3 Sunday, August 11, 2002 1:20 AM
Reply #3 Sunday, August 11, 2002 1:20 AM
You might want to check one of my walls I have up, here...couple a Thuds....originally a water-colour I did about 30 years ago, since 'modded' in PSP...
One reason I have for one day getting to the US is to catch up with a Thud in the flesh...
One reason I have for one day getting to the US is to catch up with a Thud in the flesh...
Bangkokboy
Reply #5 Sunday, August 11, 2002 2:41 PM
Reply #5 Sunday, August 11, 2002 2:41 PM
I got out of USAF in '84 and don't recognize the acronym. 
Short summary:
Tactical Air Command, Special Operations (Spectres) 15 months
Strategic Air Command (B-52s) 10 years
Detachment of HQ SAC (Simulator s/w developer) 2 years
Not very exciting I'm afraid!
Short summary:
Tactical Air Command, Special Operations (Spectres) 15 months
Strategic Air Command (B-52s) 10 years
Detachment of HQ SAC (Simulator s/w developer) 2 years
Not very exciting I'm afraid!
Bangkokboy
Reply #6 Sunday, August 11, 2002 2:58 PM
Reply #6 Sunday, August 11, 2002 2:58 PM
Got the Thud wall - momentarily speechless. Thanks!
The Rated PG
Reply #7 Sunday, August 11, 2002 4:31 PM
Reply #7 Sunday, August 11, 2002 4:31 PM
I'm sorry yeah you were it wasn't a seperate command yet. Now its Air Force Special Operations Command. You were classified as an air commando. Does that ring a bell? Hulburt Field is headquarters for the spectres now as part of AFSOC. The reason I was asking is I'm part of air force spec ops. I've got a dx zoomer out the and a logon screen with the new air force logo That you may like to have. Thank you for serving in the greatest air force in the world. Yeah cheesy but sincere.
The Rated PG
Reply #8 Sunday, August 11, 2002 4:38 PM
Reply #8 Sunday, August 11, 2002 4:38 PM
here's another artist's rendering of the thud. Hope you like. http://www.af.mil/photos/images/art_fighters_f105_0001.jpg
Bangkokboy
Reply #9 Sunday, August 11, 2002 5:24 PM
Reply #9 Sunday, August 11, 2002 5:24 PM
Thank you Zachary, that is indeed another great wall! I have lots of wallpapers I made from gunship photos, a few from B-52s (I pretty much hated the awful beasts), but nothing really good of the 105's. Until today! We did all of our gunship predeployment training at good ol' Hurlburt Field, but weren't considered Air Commandos back then. The four F-4 fighter squadrons at Ubon hated us passionately. (The gunships would rack up more Battle Damage Assessment every month than all four F-4 squadrons combined, and we were the only people on the flightline allowed to wear black baseball caps ). Spec Ops has a great tradition, and I wish you the best of everything as you carry the flag for us now.
Jafo
Reply #10 Sunday, August 11, 2002 6:15 PM
Reply #10 Sunday, August 11, 2002 6:15 PM
Great pic, Zachary...[I'll lose some of the white and turn it into a wall]...
Closest I ever came to flying/Air Force was talking to the pilots who did the dump and burn over Adelaide in the F111 during the Australian GrandPrix....when the Pilot introduced me to his Ex, and I said "ah, you're his Jafo", the reaction was priceless, and yes, I still have my teeth...
Closest I ever came to flying/Air Force was talking to the pilots who did the dump and burn over Adelaide in the F111 during the Australian GrandPrix....when the Pilot introduced me to his Ex, and I said "ah, you're his Jafo", the reaction was priceless, and yes, I still have my teeth...
MichaelO
Reply #11 Sunday, August 11, 2002 9:16 PM
Reply #11 Sunday, August 11, 2002 9:16 PM
Jafo,
There's a small air museum at the business airport in Addison, Tx. (Dallas suburb). The owners acquired a 105 about 4 yrs ago and restored (sans engine). That is one big airplane yet ver sleek and beautiful. Way ahead of its time.
There's a small air museum at the business airport in Addison, Tx. (Dallas suburb). The owners acquired a 105 about 4 yrs ago and restored (sans engine). That is one big airplane yet ver sleek and beautiful. Way ahead of its time.
Doreen
Reply #12 Sunday, August 11, 2002 9:29 PM
Reply #12 Sunday, August 11, 2002 9:29 PM
(sorry excuse me, passing through)
Hello crocodile dundee (Well the thread says "note to Jafo"
Hello crocodile dundee
(Well the thread says "note to Jafo"
Bangkokboy
Reply #13 Monday, August 12, 2002 10:54 AM
Reply #13 Monday, August 12, 2002 10:54 AM
Hi Doreen! Thanks MichaelO - that's only a few hours from me, and I'm going to take a look next time I head north. The 105 really is bigger than it looks in pictures. I got one ride in a Thud. The takeoff roll was rather lengthy, and when the afterburner kicked in it seemed to go from no-burner to full-burner in one big jolting bang. The pilot had mentioned that before takeoff so I wasn't too surprised. The 105 handled beatifully at normal speeds, but mushed somewhat pulling out of steep dives. This one had a modified center of gravity ( they were working on the dive pullout behavior), and we did steep dives/pullouts for the first 30 minutes (not fun, I wasn't wearing a G-suit!). The rest of the ride was great fun.
Jafo
Reply #14 Monday, August 12, 2002 7:23 PM
Reply #14 Monday, August 12, 2002 7:23 PM
I hate you, BKB...
I bought Janes' USAF just so I could fly a 105...
I even have a copy of 'Thud Ridge'....a game so old it's on 2 5.25" floppies....
Best way to get a handle on its 'size' is that it was the largest, heaviest single-engine aircraft at the time, and carried more ordinance than a Flying Fortress [bomber]...
[Hi, Doreen...XXXXXXXXXXXX]
I bought Janes' USAF just so I could fly a 105...
I even have a copy of 'Thud Ridge'....a game so old it's on 2 5.25" floppies....
Best way to get a handle on its 'size' is that it was the largest, heaviest single-engine aircraft at the time, and carried more ordinance than a Flying Fortress [bomber]...
[Hi, Doreen...XXXXXXXXXXXX]
WOM
Reply #15 Monday, August 12, 2002 7:31 PM
Reply #15 Monday, August 12, 2002 7:31 PM
5.25 floppy! I'am not sure if I still have any of those. If I do, I don't have a drive for them.
The Rated PG
Reply #16 Monday, August 12, 2002 8:05 PM
Reply #16 Monday, August 12, 2002 8:05 PM
I smell a Texan around here I'm from Ft. Worth
WOM
Reply #17 Monday, August 12, 2002 9:30 PM
Reply #17 Monday, August 12, 2002 9:30 PM
Zachary, your profile says South Carolina. Which is it. I'am in Ft. Worth. By the way, there are quit a few Texans on this site.
jcg
Reply #18 Monday, August 12, 2002 9:33 PM
Reply #18 Monday, August 12, 2002 9:33 PM
I wasn't born in Texas but I got here as fast as I could. Seguin here (just outside San Antonio).
WOM
Reply #19 Monday, August 12, 2002 9:50 PM
Reply #19 Monday, August 12, 2002 9:50 PM
jcg, do you still have your boat? There's a storm comming your way, so they say. I guess you've dried out since the last one.(I hope)
Bangkokboy
Reply #20 Tuesday, August 13, 2002 3:00 AM
Reply #20 Tuesday, August 13, 2002 3:00 AM
You're right about the Texans Zachary. Rosenberg near Houston.
Jafo - we used to have a saying that you could build a runway to any length, and Republic could build you an airplane that would take every inch of it for takeoff.
The Thuds would occasionally get jumped by trigger-happy F-4 jockeys who flunked aircraft identification classes. Not able to directly outmaneuver the F-4s, the 105s would dive to the treetops and light the burners. The F-4s soon disappeared at 6 o'clock.
The ride I missed was the SR-71 Blackbird. Had a ride set up out of Beale AFB in Sep 70, got all the way to suiting up in the spacesuit when the SR left to photo some crisis at the Korean DMZ. I was crushed for weeks! I'm afraid this threadborne stroll down memory lane has turned into a walkabout!
Jafo - we used to have a saying that you could build a runway to any length, and Republic could build you an airplane that would take every inch of it for takeoff.
The Thuds would occasionally get jumped by trigger-happy F-4 jockeys who flunked aircraft identification classes. Not able to directly outmaneuver the F-4s, the 105s would dive to the treetops and light the burners. The F-4s soon disappeared at 6 o'clock.
The ride I missed was the SR-71 Blackbird. Had a ride set up out of Beale AFB in Sep 70, got all the way to suiting up in the spacesuit when the SR left to photo some crisis at the Korean DMZ. I was crushed for weeks! I'm afraid this threadborne stroll down memory lane has turned into a walkabout!
Please login to comment and/or vote for this skin.
Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:
- Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums and downloading skins.
- Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
- Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
- It's simple, and FREE!
|
|
Page 1 of 2 | |
|
|---|
Reply #1 Friday, August 9, 2002 8:07 PM
The Vietnam saw the rise to prominence of ECM's....and therefore the Pilot was no longer the omnipotent entity..
"State your height and position"
"I'm six feet tall and sitting in the front of the plane"...
[My all-time fave aircraft is a Thud, BTW]...