The Jet Set can talk all it wants to about NOE flying and CAS, but it’s rather exhilarating to have some group-4, first-name-obscured-by-rust Maru out in the North Atlantic, taking black water over her bows, and come flying by her at 300′ off the deck snapping pix from the handhelds and flir pod. We kept about 1000 foot seperation horizontally, and would rig her with three passes, port, starboard, and stern.

Always fun to watch the reactions of folks who were along for the ride when flight would shut down and feather #4. The crew would sort of cock an ear for a second to see if there was any commotion from the flight station, and then return to whatever it was we were doing… listening for whale farts, cavitating screws, etc…. The riders were always aghast, asking what just happened, and was it suppoesed to do that….

I always loved the Orions. Didn’t always like the 10-12+ hour missions that went with them, plus the 2 hour preflights and three hour debriefs, but the perks were pretty good.

Respects,

AW1 Tim

I was tagged by BillT. How nice of him to think of me on my Birthday!

Here are Three–…

My most vivid camse in 1979. And like Capt J said, Lex is correct. I can see every single detail as clear as if ir just happened, and like it was in slow motion.

I was tasked that day as the observer on a Pilot Trainer with VP-10 out of Rota. We had been out over the pond practicing various engine-out approaches and other emergencise, and were now in the pattern doing some crash-and dash’s to keep quals up to date.

After several of these, i sauntered forward to the flight station and was seated on the forward radar cabinet, directly behinf the Pilot. I had my camera and was taking some shots of the various crew positions, and some overhead shots of Rota and the area.

I was also plugged into the ICS and listening in as we turned base, hearing that another P-3 from a sister squadron was entering the pattern after a transit from NASB, Maine.

Something didn’t sound quite right, and I was looking over the pilot’s shoulder for the other aircraft. I shot a glance at the Flight Engineer, and he gave me that look back that said he heard something not kosher also.

We turned final and were just coming over the numbers when I looked up at the same time as the copilot and we both saw landing lights approaching from the other end of the runway. I said an expletive and he hollered ABORT!

The next few seconds happened faster than I can type it but seemed to take forever…. the FE was slamming the power levers forward, while the CP was busy retracting flaps and wheels and the PC pulling up…

Seeing we didn’t have time for vertical seperation, my peeps did the only thing left. He punched the mike and hollered “Other Aircraft, break Left!… ” and so we did.

That P-3 and ours banked 90 degress and we crossed belly to belly like the Blue Angels at an airshow, maybe 500 feet off the ground. I remeber looking out the small round observation window behind the pilot, and staring at both the Maintenace Chief and the CMC with their eyes as big as all get out and folks everywhere frozen at the horror about to happen just above them.

Where we passed was also the ramp for both Patron Rota and the VQ birds, and there were several P-3′s, a couple whales, and various other aircraft all parked nicely. Had we gone in, it would have been a very bad day for Maintenance Control…

Anyway, after we passed, the PPC rolled wings level and we climbed out and headed out to sea to calm down. A few minutes later we reentered the pattern and made a full-stop and taxied to the tower and shut down there. The Peeps and a couple others went topside to “chat” with the ATC fellows while we put the plane to bed, and called for a buddha to come tow us back to the line.

I thank God for the sheer power and nimblemess of that Orion. Had we been a transport, with normal jets instead of a turboprop with variable pitch props, we might not have been so lucky.

Interesting to remember, and like you said, skipper, it’s still as fresh in my mind as that day some 27 years ago.

Respects,

AW1 Tim

I don’t think anything you’ve written has scared me as bad as that did, despite the obvious knowledge that you survived.