truckin' on apr 2015
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Monthly NewsletterTRANSCRIPT
Disclaimer: Truckin’ On is an unofficial newsletter published every month in the interest of serving Air Force active duty, civilian and retired vehicle operations
and maintenance personnel. Articles submitted by its contributors are not to be considered official statements by the U.S. Air Force.
1 Apr 2015
Dedicated to the Men and Women of
AF Vehicle Operations & Maintenance — Past, Present, and Future
Truckin’ on
Special Points of Interest:
Oshkosh to supply Striker ARFF
vehicles to USAF: PG 1 - 2
Dobbins ARB Conducts Tractor
Trailer Training (3T) Course: PG 3
Inside this issue:
The Flying Car PG 2
The Future is Here PG 4
What are Your Qualifications? PG 5
Best Places for Veterans PG 5
JLTV Update PG 6
Oh, Those Women Drivers! PG 7-8
Paint — simply cosmetic or
something more? PG 9
Vintage Cars and Trucks PG 10
Detroit Steel PG 10
The Villages Region Antique
Automobile Club of America PG 11
More Vehicle Videos PG 11
Snuffy’s Corner PG 12
Oshkosh to supply Striker ARFF vehicles to USAF 23 January 2015
Oshkosh Airport Products has received a contract to supply Striker aircraft rescue
and fire fighting (ARFF) vehicles to the US Air Force (USAF).
Under the contract, the company will manufacture and deliver 16 new generation
Striker vehicles, including seven 4 x 4 and nine 6 x 6 variants.
All of the vehicles are expected to be equipped with an ultra high pressure (UHP)
firefighting systems, which feature a pump that delivers 300GPM of foam at
1,250PSI through a front bumper turret.
Oshkosh Airport Products vice-president and general manager Jeff Resch said:
"Our unwavering mission is to build the safest, most effective and powerful ARFF
vehicles on the planet, and the addition of an ultra high pressure firefighting system
adds another level of capability to our toolbox.
"Development and testing by the USAF shows significant advantages for UHP
firefighting systems, and we're excited to have this new technology integrated with
the Oshkosh Striker."
"Oshkosh Airport Product’s unwavering mission is to build the safest, most effective and powerful ARFF vehicles on the planet."
Continued on PG 2
An illustration of the 6x6 Oshkosh Striker aircraft rescue and fire fighting vehicle scheduled to be delivered to USAF. Photo: courtesy of Oshkosh Corporation.
Oshkosh to supply Striker ARFF vehicles to USAF
Continued from PG 1
UHP systems are designed to release smaller water droplets at
much higher pressure than legacy firefighting systems. This
leads to comparatively less water usage and faster knockdown
performance when used along with Class B foam.
Oshkosh Striker was launched in April 2010. It is a specialized
ARFF available in three models, namely 1500, 3000, 4500, all
fitted with a nozzle that can pierce an aircraft fuselage to
dispense fire retardant material within a cabin or cargo area.
The vehicle is powered by a 670 HP Deutz engine. Its TAK-4
all-wheel and fully independent suspension provides a smooth
ride and enhanced off-road capabilities, as does the purpose-
built instrumentation and controls.
In addition, the cab has 84ft of glass and a 238° horizontal
viewing radius to offer unobstructed panoramic views of the
scene with improved forward, upward and lateral visibility.
The first vehicles are scheduled to be deployed to key USAF air
bases worldwide, including those at home, South Korea, Japan,
and Turkey, from July of this year.
The Flying Car
.
“Mark my word: A combination
airplane and motorcar is coming.
You may smile, but it will come.”
Henry Ford, 1940
2
1 Apr 2015
Dobbins ARB Conducts Tractor Trailer Training (3T) Course
PTDI Certifies First Military Truck Driver Training Course
February 04, 2015 — reported on TIDA website
Contributor: Roger Storman, SMSgt (Ret/2T3) The Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI) recently granted
its first certification of a truck driver training course at a military
facility when it recognized the U.S. Air Force Tractor Trailer
Training (3T) program based at Dobbins Air Reserve Base near
Atlanta, Georgia.
PTDI certification of the course not only ensures that Air Force
personnel will receive industry standard training to operate
commercial vehicles during their service, but will also provide
them with a marketable, industry-recognized credential when
they seek to enter the civilian job market as veterans.
“The Air Force has taken the defense department’s motto of
‘Complete your service on Friday and begin your civilian life on
Monday’ to heart. By designing their program around the
standards set by PTDI, they have more than adequately
prepared their service members,” said Dave Money, PTDI board
chairman.
A key source of inspiration behind the Air Force 3T program
came when Chief Master Sgt. Trevor Shattuck, Career Field
Manager at the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, attended a
civilian driver-training program. Chief Shattuck saw a need for
more extensive driver training to ensure his personnel would be
at an equivalent skill level with their civilian counterparts.
“It’s important that when we put our Airmen outside the base on
the streets with civilians, they are safe operators,” said Shattuck.
“The people driving on the surface streets with our Airmen need
to feel confident that the guy driving that truck knows what he’s
doing.”
“Not only are we training a mission skill set with 3T, but we are
also training a Military Life Cycle skill set that can be utilized
once the Airman transitions from the military,” said Shattuck.
“With PTDI certification for the 3T course, we meet the civilian
standards, so it makes that military member much more
employable once they enter the civilian sector.”
The Air Force 3T course teaches pre-trip inspection steps,
shifting proficiency, and backing maneuvers, and provides
valuable over-the-road driving experience. One of the highlights
of the 3T course is a driving simulator located at Dobbins ARB,
which allows students to take a test drive before hitting the road.
Online course materials allow the trainee to perform operator
inspections, learn safe operation techniques and preventive
maintenance steps for current tractors and trailers. The course
encompasses more than 60 hours of one-on-one, behind-the-
wheel training, including real-world operation of commercially
available tractor-trailers in Atlanta’s legendary traffic. A
DMV-equivalent performance test is then given at the end of the
course.
“Making the driving skills of transitioning service personnel more
readily marketable helps address two critical issues, veteran
unemployment and the trucking industry’s continuing driver
shortage,” said PTDI and Truckload Carriers Association
President Brad Bentley. “We applaud the Air Force’s efforts to
gain certification for the 3T course at Dobbins, and we look
forward to their program serving as the basis for similar
programs across all branches of the military.”
Founded in 1986, the purpose of PTDI is to advance
tractor-trailer driver training, proficiency, safety, and
professionalism by promoting high quality truck driver training
courses and by verifying and publicly attesting to their quality.
PTDI does not certify an individual’s driving skills, but schools
with PTDI-certified courses may issue documentation verifying
the student has successfully completed a certified course.
View photos from the Capstone event on Jan. 23, 2015 by
clicking here.
To learn more, CLICK HERE.
3
1 Apr 2015
The Future is Here….
Lockheed Martin successfully tests self-driving
military trucks
by Randell Suba, Tech Times | February 3, 2015
In the time of drones and driverless cars, the United States
military will not be left behind. In an effort to lessen casualties
during its operations, the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive
Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), in
collaboration with defense contractor Lockheed Martin, has
successfully tested fully automated military vehicles.
The new technology explored through the Autonomous Mobility
Applique System (AMAS) program of the military has been
proven capable of operating in urban environments.
The capabilities of several large autonomous vehicles were
seen during a demonstration at Fort Hood, Texas in Jan. 14 to
mark the completion of the Capabilities Advancement
Demonstration (CAD).
With drone strikes as a regular part of the military arsenal, the
new technology will allow the United States to come closer to its
goal of autonomous warfare.
"We are very pleased with the results of the demonstration,
because it adds substantial weight to the Army's determination
to get robotic systems into the hands of the warfighter,"
said technical manager of TARDEC Bernard Theisen.
During the demonstration, the autonomous vehicles were
presented with real-world challenges that are normally faced by
military convoys. The success of the vehicles gets the military a
step closer to removing humans from convoys in the future.
"The AMAS hardware and software are designed to automate
the driving task on current tactical vehicles. The Unmanned
Mission Module part of AMAS, which includes a high
performance LIDAR sensor, a second GPS receiver and
additional algorithms, is installed as a kit and can be used on
virtually any military vehicle.
In the CAD demonstration, the kit was integrated onto the
Army's M915 trucks and the Palletized Loading System (PLS)
vehicle," Lockheed explained details of the program through a
statement.
The kit was developed by Lockheed Martin through a
multi-million contract secured in 2012.
Military convoys are often attacked by enemies using suicide
bombers, car bombs, or improvised explosive device. In Dec.
27, for example, a car bomb was used to attack a convoy along
a major thoroughfare in Kabul, killing three soldiers and hurting
six civilians. In Jan.4, a NATO-led security force convoy was
also attacked by the Afghan Taliban in the same city.
Lives will definitely be spared with the use of unmanned
vehicles. Now all the military needs to worry about are hackers
that might be able to take control over these vehicles.
Editor’s Note: See this interesting demo video below:
The largest study to date on military personnel and a connection to childhood abuse and violence indicates the military life is likely viewed as a refuge for such victims. Researchers say much more data is needed to make a substantial link. (Photo: U.S. Army)
4
1 Apr 2015
1 Apr 2015
Hewlett -Packard Company managing public sector vehicles & equipment
Is Technical Experience Necessary for Fleet Managers? January 2015, Government Fleet - Feature
by Thi Dao
Many fleet managers get their start in the garage, fixing cars
and working their way up to become the head of the
department. There are benefits to this arrangement, the main
one being that they’re familiar with vehicle diagnostics and
maintenance. But as the public fleet profession evolves to
become more about metrics, budgeting, and effective
communication, there’s more of an emphasis on administration
and management. That’s where fleet managers without
technical backgrounds can bring their strengths to the role.
While not having shop experience can be an initial hurdle,
non-technical fleet managers bring to their positions various
other benefits. See full story at: Government Fleet
This article was reprinted, in part, with permission of the
author and Government Fleet Magazine.
Editor’s Comments: This is an interesting article that we
encourage vehicle fleet managers to read. Hopefully, it will
generate discussion, and we solicit your opinions. If we
receive sufficient feedback, we’ll run a follow-up story in a
future issue. Photo via Flickr/Seattle Municipal Archives
Editor’s Comments: We first ran USAA ’s ‘Best Places’ list in
our December 2013 newsletter. The most current list is for 2014
and differs from 2013’s best places.
USAA explains on their website how they selected the top 10
cities and, unlike 2013, provides a different list as it relates to
the service member’s career status — starting out, midcareer,
and retirement.
We couldn’t reprint the article here due to space limitations, so
please visit the website below to view the three listings and
additional information. For those who missed it, USAA also
provides a link to their 2013 list for comparison.
The best way to view the lists is to visit: https://www.usaa.com
and type “2014 Best Places for Veterans” in the search engine
at the upper right.
5
Firms Bid on U.S. Military’s Humvee Replacement Program
by Brendan McGarry | Wednesday, February 11th, 2015 Companies hoping the build production models of the U.S.
military’s Humvee replacement have submitted their final bids,
officials said.
Humvee-maker AM General LLC, truck-maker Oshkosh Corp.
and defense contracting giant Lockheed Martin Corp. are
competing for the work, one of few major ground vehicle
programs included in the Pentagon’s fiscal 2016 budget. A
contract is expected to be awarded this summer.
“The BRV-O is a combat system designed and built with a total
focus on Warfighter needs,” AM General Chief Executive Officer
Charlie Hall said in statement, referring to the name of the
company’s offering.
John Urias, president of Oshkosh’s defense unit, said the firm’s
JLTVs have more power, better suspension and faster speeds
than today’s versions.
“Every aspect of the vehicle—inside and out—is optimized for
the Warfighter in anticipation of future environments and
threats,” he said.
Overall, the Army aims to purchase about 49,000 Joint Light
Tactical Vehicles, while the Marine Corps plans to acquire about
5,500 of the armored trucks. They’re designed to replace about
a third of the military’s Humvee fleet.
Each of the companies has delivered 22 prototypes to the Army
for testing under engineering and manufacturing development
contracts signed in 2012.
Soldiers and Marines evaluated the trucks at Fort Stewart,
Georgia, in several mission scenarios, including off-road
handling, towing and pushing cars from the road. The testing
wrapped up last fall.
Now, the companies are vying to build 17,000 of the vehicles
under a much bigger low-rate initial production contract slated to
be issued in July.
The Pentagon has estimated the effort to develop and build the
vehicles at almost $23 billion, or about $400,000 per truck,
according to a 2013 report from the Congressional Research
Service. Leaders have maintained each vehicle will cost about
$250,000.
The Defense Department’s proposed budget for the fiscal year
beginning Oct. 1 calls for $457 million in funding for the
program, more than double what was appropriated for the
current year, to buy 559 of the vehicles and fabrication
equipment for live-fire testing, according to budget documents.
Editor’s Note: We published a front-page article on the
JLTV in our Feb 2014 newsletter. This is an update on the
program.
Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) — Update
future warfighter technology
New Military Vehicles Twice as Fast: DARPA is
developing the next generation of armored vehicles that will
be faster, more agile and highly automated.
Watch this amazing concept video courtesy of DARPA, CNN
and YouTube. Project begins in 2015.
6
1 Apr 2015
Oh, Those Women Drivers!
Luella Bates
Luella Bates (b. Luella Born, October 17, 1897 - d. Luella
Coates, November 25, 1985) was the first woman truck driver.
Luella Bates worked for the Four Wheel Drive Auto Co. from
1918-1922. During World War I, she was a test driver traveling
throughout the state of Wisconsin in a Model B truck. After the
war, when the majority of the women working at Four Wheel
Drive were let go, she remained as a demonstrator and driver.
In January 1920, Bates traveled to New York City, where she
attended the New York Auto Show. During her stay, she met
with Secretary of State of New York Francis Hugo and became
the first woman truck driver to receive a driver's license in New
York.
Bates was such a hit in New York that Four Wheel Drive
decided to utilize her skills even further. In 1920, they sent her
on three transcontinental tours throughout the United States.
The advertising scheme introduced the idea that the FWD truck
was easy to steer, as evidenced by a woman driver. During her
first tour, she represented Francis Hugo's Safety First
Campaign.
She toured approximately 25 towns, beginning in Kansas City,
Missouri, and finishing in Bellefontaine, Ohio. While in Erie,
Pennsylvania, she flew over the city in an "earoplane"] and
saturated Erie with information about the Four Wheel Drive and
its vehicles. In May 1920, Popular Science magazine referred to
her as "exhibit A for feminine efficiency."
She returned to Clintonville, Wisconsin, in late July 1920. She
began her next tour within the month, traveling to state fairs
throughout the eastern United States. In September, she drove
her truck loaded with coal through the streets of Utica, New
York. Both an expert driver and a mechanic, Bates was more
than capable of completing all maintenance on her truck.
During her final tour of 1920, Bates took the southern states by
storm. She was now known as "our girl driver." In Oklahoma,
she defied the police and took her truck across a flooded road,
hauling meat for a packaging plant. This courageous venture led
to the sale of ten trucks for Four Wheel Drive and much
admiration for Bates. For the next two years, Bates traveled as
a demonstrator, both locally and throughout the United States,
demonstrating the Model B truck and the newly developed fire
trucks.
In early December 1922, Bates moved to Milwaukee, later
marrying Howard Coates and having two sons. Her
descendants include one granddaughter and three
great-grandchildren, one of whom is actress Ashley Hinshaw.
Luella Bates has been included in several books about the Four
Wheel Drive company, the history of trucking and the history of
Clintonville, Wisconsin. During the infancy of the trucking
industry, she played an important role in the history of women in
trucking. Source: Wikipedia.
Also see this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=XYmKbE0-DTI
Editor’s Comments: I wanted to do this article in
recognition of our fellow female transporters, perhaps long
overdue.
Where I grew up in the ‘50s & ‘60s, it was rare to see
women driving a car. As I think back on it, of all the women
in my family, only one of my aunts drove. My mother
eventually learned to drive at the age of 47 because my
dad lost his eyesight due to diabetes.
Now, however, female drivers are as commonplace as
male drivers, whether it’s driving the kids to soccer games
or competing on the racetrack.
But who were the pioneers and when did women first get
behind the wheel? Here are the stories of two women who
were there from the beginning.
Promotional photo of Luella Bates driving a FWD model B truck, 1922
Note: Luella Bates expresses her views on women
automobile mechanics in a 1920 newspaper article:
http://www.newspapers.com/clip/1261324/
Continued on PG 8
7
1 Apr 2015
Oh, Those Women Drivers!
Alice Huyler Ramsey
Alice Huyler Ramsey (November 11, 1886 – September 10,
1983) was the first woman to drive across the United States
from coast to coast.
Ramsey was born Alice Taylor Huyler, the daughter of John
Edwin Huyler, a lumber dealer, and Ada Mumford Farr. She
attended Vassar College from 1903-1905. On June 9, 1909, the
22-year-old housewife and mother from Hackensack, New
Jersey, began a 3,800-mile journey from Hell's Gate in
Manhattan, New York, to San Francisco, California, in a green
Maxwell 30. On her 59-day trek she was accompanied by two
older sisters-in-law and another female friend, none of whom
could drive a car. They arrived amid great fanfare on August 7.
The drive was originally meant as a publicity stunt for
Maxwell-Briscoe, the carmaker. At that time, women were not
encouraged to drive cars. The group of women used maps from
the American Automobile Association to make the journey. Only
152 of the 3,600 miles (244 of the 5,767 kilometers) the group
traveled were paved.
Over the course of the drive, Ramsey changed 11 tires, cleaned
the spark plugs, repaired a broken brake pedal and had to sleep
in the car when it was stuck in mud. The women mostly
navigated by using telephone poles, following the poles with
more wires in hopes that they would lead to a town.[4]
Along the way, they crossed the trail of a manhunt for a killer in
Nebraska, Ramsey received a case of bedbugs from a
Wyoming hotel, and in Nevada they were surrounded by a
Native American hunting party with bows and arrows drawn. In
San Francisco, crowds awaited them at the St. James Hotel.
Ramsey was named the "Woman Motorist of the Century" by
AAA in 1960. In later years, she lived in West Covina, California,
where in 1961 she wrote and published the story of her journey,
Veil, Duster, and Tire Iron. Between 1909 and 1975, Ramsey
drove across the country more than 30 times.
She was married to Congressman John R. Ramsey of
Hackensack, New Jersey, on 10 Jan 1906 in Hackensack, NJ
with whom she had two children, John Rathbone Ramsey, Jr.
(1907–2000) and Alice Valleau Ramsey (1910- ), who married
Robert Stewart Bruns (1906–1981).
She died on September 10, 1983, in Covina, California.
Legacy
On October 17, 2000, she became the first woman inducted into
the Automotive Hall of Fame.
Quotes
"Good driving has nothing to do with sex. It’s all above the
collar."
Source: Wikipedia.
Alice Huyler Ramsay, standing beside her auto
Asphalt roads were a rarity and repairs frequent during the pioneer cross-country drive of Alice Huyler Ramsey in 1909. Shown here changing a tire on her green Maxwell
8
1 Apr 2015
Why the color of your Air Force vehicle matters
by Roger Storman, SMSgt, (Ret/2T3)
When I joined the Air Force in the 1960s vehicles were painted
four basic colors. General purpose vehicles were strata blue;
special purpose, base maintenance, materials handling, and
flight line servicing vehicles were yellow. Fire trucks were red,
and tactical vehicles were olive drab, or sometimes camouflage.
There were a few exceptions like gray refuse trucks and white
staircase trucks, but most vehicles, including ambulances and
law enforcement, fit into the four basic color schemes.
Circumstances changed over the years, which dictated new
guidance with regard to vehicle color. For example, we
transitioned from a jungle environment in Southeast Asia to the
desert in the Middle East. Since it’s not practical to go to war in
the desert with OD or jungle camouflage vehicles, tactical
vehicles were, and are now, painted desert sand, although the
shift was gradual — tactical vehicles were first deployed with
OD paint. Color matters.
In the 1980s RED HORSE vehicles were painted olive drab, but
with a slight deviation. We stenciled red horse heads on all of
our vehicles and our wrecker had “RED HORSE” emblazoned
across the boom, naturally in red letters. We were cited for
noncompliance, but the logos remained because it instilled
esprit de corps within the unit; it’s who we were. Color mattered.
In response to a push from TAC/ACC general officers, the
1990s brought more changes when refuelers and other flight
line equipment were painted high-gloss OD. It was a significant
upgrade. To them, color, as well as appearance, mattered.
Let’s look back at more of these changes starting with our
favorite chameleons — fire trucks. They were red, lime yellow,
olive drab, and now red with white trim.
Fire trucks have pretty much followed the color scheme of their
civilian counterparts with one exception. Project Tone Down in
the 1980s allowed overseas commands to deviate from
the prescribed color and paint fire trucks olive drab.
CONUS-based fire trucks had already transitioned from red to
lime yellow by then.
One interesting tidbit about olive drab fire trucks occurred in
1989 when United Flight 811 experienced a cargo door failure
shortly after take off from Honolulu International Airport (HIA).
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Airlines_Flight_811.
Hickam AFB and HIA share a flight line and provide mutual fire
fighting support. I was PACAF liaison at WR-ALC at the time of
the UA 811 incident and the message traffic we received said
the pilot reported he could not see our fire trucks upon returning
to HIA. Hickam subsequently painted its fire trucks lime yellow.
Color matters.
In the late ‘70s or early ‘80s, if memory serves, the Air Force
experimented with light blue for some of its passenger carrying
vehicles. We called it “powder blue.” I don’t recall how many
procurement cycles we went through before someone pulled the
plug, but it wasn’t long. This color, in my opinion, was an
embarrassment.
There’s a reason why general purpose vehicles are painted
strata blue, or color number 15045 as it’s designated in the tech
order. It represents the Air Force — flight, the stratosphere, etc.
Powder blue didn’t present the right image. Again, color matters.
Now, however, cost and limited budgets have driven us away
from tradition and standardization. In the late 1980s and early
1990s the Air Force began leasing its general purpose fleet from
GSA and accepting off-the-shelf, factory colors. We were, I
believe, the last holdout among the services to do so.
It resulted in a hodgepodge of colors. We could no longer look
down those neat rows of vehicles and see a uniformed fleet.
The motor pool looked more like a shopping mall parking lot
than a government fleet.
Several years ago I was giving our new wing commander a tour
of vehicle operations and maintenance facilities when he
interrupted me and said, “I want all blue vehicles for my staff.”
He meant for himself, his vice, and the group commanders.
I started to explain that our vehicles were leased and we had to
accept whatever GSA provided, which wasn’t always blue. He
interrupted me again, but this time with his finger on my chest,
and said, “I want all blue vehicles; make it happen.” There was
only one acceptable response to that — yes sir.
My fleet manager and I worked closely with GSA, hand
massaged the lease process, and were successful in getting
what he wanted. We were fortunate that dark blue happened to
be available in the models that GSA was purchasing.
This might sound petty to some, but the wing commander took
pride in the appearance of a uniformed fleet. To him, color
mattered.
There’s an operational, safety, and security need for vehicles in
each category to have different color paint. I get that. I also
appreciate smart business decisions, budgets, and priorities.
However, I’m a traditionalist and dislike a multi-colored general
purpose fleet. I agree with our wing commander; color matters.
Editor’s Note: This article is an editorial, strictly one man’s viewpoint. It’s not offered as anything more than that. I was thinking of the various colors for Air Force vehicles over the years and wanted to share my thoughts with you.
1 Apr 2015
9
1 Apr 2015 Vintage Cars & Trucks
Man drives $75 pickup for 38 years
Published January 05, 2015 / FoxNews.com
Contributor: Mack Burton, CMSgt (Ret/2T1)
The average transaction price for a pickup truck today is about
$40,000, and Bob Sportel probably couldn't care less.
The Prinsburg, Minn., resident bought his 1957 Chevy pickup
for $75 bucks 38 years ago and has been driving it to work at
the local farm co-op every day since.
Sportel tells KARE 11 it wasn’t running when he bought it, but
he fixed it up and hoped to get four years out of it. It’s still going
about 300,000 miles later (he’s not exactly sure, the odometer
has always been busted.)
The truck sports what’s left of its original paint, plus plenty of
duct tape and Bondo. Other than that, Sportel says he’s spent a
total of about $1,000 on repairs and gets the oil changed four
times a year. He never even had a radio installed, and when the
exhaust busted, well, let’s just say the locals know when he’s
coming.
Sportel recently retired, but he’s not ready to put the truck out to
pasture.
"It just becomes a part of you," he tells KARE. "I don't know how
to explain it."
Do you drive a truck that’s lasted this long? Tell us your story in
the comments section.
Detroit Steel — All American cars, all the time
Contributor: George McElwain, CMSgt (Ret/472)
Today's cars may be faster, safer, more luxurious and get better
gas mileage—BUT THEY DON'T EVEN COME CLOSE ON
LOOKS! When Detroit Was In It's Full Glory
See more at: http://www.pinterest.com/tomeldridge4/detroit-steel/
Click image to activate video
‘57 Thunderbird
‘57 Corvette
10
http://www.tvraaca.org/oldmovies.htm#movie
The Villages Region Antique Automobile Club of America
Great old movies for car buffs and more!
Contributor: Don Sanders, CMSgt (Ret/2T2)
If you like cars and great movies of places from all over the
world, there’s hours of entertainment. No matter the brand of
car you enjoy, it's referenced in this historical line up.
I have watched many of them and I am keeping the site to
watch more when I have time.
Editor’s Comments: This is one of the best collections
of old car films I’ve ever seen. There’s also a historic, color
film on VJ Day celebrations in Hawaii, but the focus is
definitely on cars. I’m using the word film because in my
mind they’re a little different from the sleek YouTube
videos we’re used to seeing today. So, let’s go to the
movies! Just click the link on the screen below.
World War I steam convoy
Contributor: Richard McElderry, CMSgt (Ret/472)
Mechanic constructs drivable "upside-down
truck"
11
1 Apr 2015
Snuffy’s Corner
Flight line driving woes
by Ronnie Ward
I was a 19 year old two striper (A1C Snuffy) and arrived at
Ramstein AB, Germany in 1969 and was assigned to the
special purpose shop. After I became acclimated to the base I
was assigned as the mobile maintenance mechanic which was
a great job because I was on my own for the most part. I had
my flight line driver license certification and I thought I was
untouchable. Well, one day I got a call from radio dispatch and
was told to immediately go to the flight line because of a
disabled fire truck, we all know the priority of a down fire truck.
I arrived at the flight line and could see the fire truck, but it was
across the active runway so instead of going around the
perimeter road to get to it, I decided to take a shortcut across
the active runway — big mistake. However, I did get out of my
mobile truck to make sure no F4 aircraft were not approaching.
I did not realize that I needed clearance from the tower to cross,
even though there was a sticker on the dashboard of my truck
with warnings telling me so. I got to the fire truck and was trying
to get it started and all of a sudden I hear sirens and see red
lights blinking in a distance. I thought to myself, what is going
on? Well, little did I know they were headed straight for my
location.
However, I did get the fire truck started before they arrived
(mission accomplished in my book) but I was not able to drive
my mobile truck back to the shop as I was escorted by the Air
Police, as they were called in those days, to detention and was
not released until my TSgt supervisor and commander came to
sign for me. Needless to say, I did not drive mobile maintenance
again until I attended the base drivers’ school and flight line
course for the second time.
Guess I didn’t pay close attention during my first course. I did
get my mobile maintenance job back after completing the
course so all was good; however, it was a valuable lesson
learned for a young Airman.
Get the ‘H’ out of there!
by Roger Storman
Ronnie’s story reminded me of when I was a young buck
sergeant (Sgt Snuffy) stationed at Clark, 70-72. Our shop
pickup truck had a canopy on it. The tarp was attached to metal
rods that were mounted in the stake holes of the truck bed. It
was a pretty flimsy setup and wasn’t secured down very well.
One of our routes from the main shop to refueling maintenance
was along the flight line apron, not the active runway. However,
the apron had a helicopter pad with a big "H" in the middle of it,
like the one in the pic below.
One day on a return trip, I stopped at the edge of the pad and
looked around before proceeding through it, like we had been
trained to do. I didn't see or hear anything.
As I started through the zone, however, I suddenly heard the
distinctive “whoop, whoop, whoop” of rotor blades. This huge
HH-3E (Jolly Green Giant) was coming down directly above me.
It got so close that it blew the canopy off my truck. I hauled my
butt out of there and chased down the canopy as it went rolling
across the apron.
Nothing became of the incident, although I felt like an idiot and it
scared the “H” out of me. I was also a lot more cautious about
traveling through that area on future trips to and from the main
shop.
12
1 Apr 2015