About 500-600 pilots were trained every year in Big Spring, Texas. We were all college graduates and about 75% were not married and were looking for fun wherever they could find it. I found my fun in Waco... every single weekend... except one or two.
It even snowed in Big Spring... a new thing for a valley boy...
Evenings almost always started out at the Officer's Club... that meant the "Stag Bar"... No girls allowed... but it was almost always happy hour... it was a big draw. If you walk in the Stag Bar with your hat on and someone rings the bell before you get it off you have to buy everyone a drink... I only heard it ring a few times... all drinks were 25 cents. A funny thing about pilots is that when they are in the airplane they talk about girls... when in the bar... they talk about flying. There was no time to talk in the cockpit in pilot training though, so it was all "there I was" stories... usually a guy hold up his hand and imitating the movement of his airplane during the story. Drinking was encouraged... unit spirit. Crazy things happened after bar time.
In this photo we even shared our beer with Sweats... who showed after the keg floated...
It even snowed in Big Spring... a new thing for a valley boy...
Evenings almost always started out at the Officer's Club... that meant the "Stag Bar"... No girls allowed... but it was almost always happy hour... it was a big draw. If you walk in the Stag Bar with your hat on and someone rings the bell before you get it off you have to buy everyone a drink... I only heard it ring a few times... all drinks were 25 cents. A funny thing about pilots is that when they are in the airplane they talk about girls... when in the bar... they talk about flying. There was no time to talk in the cockpit in pilot training though, so it was all "there I was" stories... usually a guy hold up his hand and imitating the movement of his airplane during the story. Drinking was encouraged... unit spirit. Crazy things happened after bar time.
In this photo we even shared our beer with Sweats... who showed after the keg floated...
My personal favorite was Lt Thacker leaving the bar after dark and driving away in his Corvette. The runways looked deserted to him so he decided to see how fast he could go in a mile and a half... he survived... but he was caught racing down the runway on his second pass! He was elevated to class hero. Most guys would have been sent to a not so fun place after that... but.... there was a Senator in the family... nothing happened. Thacker was very mellow the rest of pilot training.
One night I even went for a motorcycle ride in the wee hours... on the base golf course, sand traps and greens included. It was my first time to ride a motorcycle and it was probably a good thing I didn't know how to get it out of first gear...
One night I even went for a motorcycle ride in the wee hours... on the base golf course, sand traps and greens included. It was my first time to ride a motorcycle and it was probably a good thing I didn't know how to get it out of first gear...
The most popular hangout was the local Ramada Inn. A bar would have to be a "club" to serve mixed drinks and they had to charge to be a member. The Ramada Inn charged $1 to be a member each time you showed up. The place was always packed with girls, loud music and a packed dance floor. I don't remember any of our guys marrying a local girl though.
The first phase T-41 training. Joe and Chuckles practicing a pre-flight inspection.
After my roommate "Mama Hutz" washed out of pilot training I needed a new roommate and it was: Lt Tom Batura ("Batman"). Our normal routine for dinner was to head out to downtown Big Spring where there was a good cafe that served home cooking. I remember eating Salisbury steak covered in brown gravy and sauteed onions on many occasions. The first time I let Batman drive to dinner was the last time. He had a old Dodge Dart with a small engine but he drove like he was in a spy movie. Everything about Batman was crazy... he was totally out of control... but a lot of fun. About a year or so after pilot training, when Martha and I were in Destin, Florida we ran into Batman again. He came by our apartment to visit... in a new Corvette... as a Corvette lover I was lured into a ride... dumb idea... Batman took off kinda normally but when we hit a 4 lane road where the speed limit was 40 MPH he took off. We were doing 140 MPH and weaving in and out of traffic when I finally screamed "stop"... he did... he wanted to show me how good the brakes were! It was hard to believe we weren't rear ended while we were completely stopped and him laughing at me... and me shouting go go. Batman was assigned to a HC-130 aircraft... rescue aircraft... the perfect job for him. He would take more chances than anyone, to rescue someone... I am sure of that. I often wonder if Batman is still alive... Don't ever ride with Batman!
I found a photo of Batman... helping me celebrate a solo by dumping me in cold water... dirty cold water...
Yep... that's ice that they kindly broke before tossing me in. Batman is in the background with his hands together, hat on and big grin.
I found a photo with Mama Hutz in it... makes me sad... He just kept falling for trick questions on the exams. A really good guy. That's him sitting on the bench. I can't help but wonder if he had a bad day that day and I didn't know it. The guy on the far right is our class womanizer... or at least he told us he was.
Dining-in ? Mess Dress?
"Dining-in" back in the 1970's was a formal dinner where Officers wore the Mess Dress... formal attire... Short white coat and bow tie... it was an all men deal. There were toasts and roasts and it started out refined and formal. The alcohol did flow at those affairs and it ended up a total mess before it was all over. The base commander would slip out as things started to get out of hand and we would proceed to party. That was the first time I ever witnessed a carrier landing... You run right at a table full of food and dishes... then time your jump carefully so you land softly on the table stomach first and arms out like an airplane and slide down while knocking everything off. I chickened out... I had to wear my Mess Dress again in a few weeks at Martha's Chi O formal. I can imagine most Mess Dress uniforms could not be worn after one Dining-in.
I guess high water pants were in style then... but then, I wouldn't have known anyway.
At the end of Pilot Training you are awarded your wings... it is tradition to break your first set of wings in half ... for good luck... worked for me.
Top wings are my first pair and the ones I broke for good luck.
The middle wings are my Dad's from WWII. My Dad was a fighter pilot... P-51 in Europe. He was based in England and was bomber defense against German fighters. He had 3 confirmed kills (shoot downs) and two "probables" (not confirmed because they went through clouds and were not seen completely breaking up) of German Me-109's. It takes 5 confirmed kills to be an "Ace".
The bottom wings are Martha's Father's Chinese Wings. He flew the Hump during WWII for the USAF but he was helping fight the Japanese in China. He flew through (not over...THROUGH) the Himalaya's carrying 55 gallon drums of gasoline to Chennault's Tigers. The Wings were awarded to him by Chiang Kai-shek, who ran China until defeated by the Communists in 1975.
All three of us were very blessed to make it through war with very dangerous jobs.
My Dad pinning on my wings while Mom watched and Martha took photo.
The first phase T-41 training. Joe and Chuckles practicing a pre-flight inspection.
And... "There I was story" time...
Yep... I fit
I found a photo of Batman... helping me celebrate a solo by dumping me in cold water... dirty cold water...
Yep... that's ice that they kindly broke before tossing me in. Batman is in the background with his hands together, hat on and big grin.
Batman is holding my feet
Dining-in ? Mess Dress?
"Dining-in" back in the 1970's was a formal dinner where Officers wore the Mess Dress... formal attire... Short white coat and bow tie... it was an all men deal. There were toasts and roasts and it started out refined and formal. The alcohol did flow at those affairs and it ended up a total mess before it was all over. The base commander would slip out as things started to get out of hand and we would proceed to party. That was the first time I ever witnessed a carrier landing... You run right at a table full of food and dishes... then time your jump carefully so you land softly on the table stomach first and arms out like an airplane and slide down while knocking everything off. I chickened out... I had to wear my Mess Dress again in a few weeks at Martha's Chi O formal. I can imagine most Mess Dress uniforms could not be worn after one Dining-in.
At the end of Pilot Training you are awarded your wings... it is tradition to break your first set of wings in half ... for good luck... worked for me.
The middle wings are my Dad's from WWII. My Dad was a fighter pilot... P-51 in Europe. He was based in England and was bomber defense against German fighters. He had 3 confirmed kills (shoot downs) and two "probables" (not confirmed because they went through clouds and were not seen completely breaking up) of German Me-109's. It takes 5 confirmed kills to be an "Ace".
The bottom wings are Martha's Father's Chinese Wings. He flew the Hump during WWII for the USAF but he was helping fight the Japanese in China. He flew through (not over...THROUGH) the Himalaya's carrying 55 gallon drums of gasoline to Chennault's Tigers. The Wings were awarded to him by Chiang Kai-shek, who ran China until defeated by the Communists in 1975.
All three of us were very blessed to make it through war with very dangerous jobs.
My Dad pinning on my wings while Mom watched and Martha took photo.
Dad and my bride of 6 weeks.
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