When I stumbled upon this video my mouth opened in astonishment. I proceeded you by several years in my T-38 experience. When I was in UPT, a classmate perished in a loss of canopy incident. It was much different. He was a foreign national student and the plane was the T--33. He was not doing well and needed extra help. Through miscommunication he unlocked the canopy from the front seat which has the only lock handle. The canopy separated. His instructor could no longer function as they were penetrating bad weather at night.on a cross country. (Tyndall AFB) The Instructor bailed out, but the student did not. At the time, Vance was acquiring its first T-38's and getting ready to start that training program. I graduated and worked in Group ops until my next assignment. (T-38 IP at LRD). We became involved in the accident review. From tests at Edwards(?) it was determined that the T-33 could not be flown from the rear seat with loss of canopy. Also, the T-38 rear seat pilot was severely impaired if the front canopy was lost. To improve rear pilot capability, often the instructor pilot, air diffusors were placed below each side of the rear instrument panel to help eliminate severe air blast to the rear seat pilot. As I later transitioned to the T-38, those diffusors were being installed. I think they are still there. Later, all T-38's were modified with a safety device that I designed. That is another story.
The full story is too long for this response, and a bit off your topic. I conceived the system to disable nose wheel steering using the ignition activation switch circuit. My last change to my T-38 Dash-one before I separated from the service was the Flight Safety Bulletin announcing that modification.@@ronrogers
I share your passion for being "in" the sky, rather than having just the window view. In my early days of learning to fly, I began skydiving, and was hooked! If everybody appreciated how great it is to be in the sky, in general, the world would be a better place. :)
I grew up on a cotton farm north of CAFB. Around 1992, I was in a field when a canopy from a T38 landed in front of tractor. Not being a pilot at the time, I was horrified that I had witnessed the beginning of a crash sequence. I picked up the pieces that I could find and delivered them to the front gate (it didn’t occur to me that they might want to document where I found them or that I shouldn’t move them). They assured me that no aircraft were lost and thanked me for the return. Not sure what caused the loss, but it was a memorable event for me as a 15 yr old.
Loved the T-38. Clear visors were mandatory at night (UPT 1992) but I really hated the glare and cheated with mine half down - your story is a good reason to always have a visor down and mask secured.
In 1979 while driving on US 60 in Apache Junction, Arizona I was approaching the intersection of Ironwood and US 60 Westbound when a T-38 canopy landed slightly behind me in the Eastbound Lane. No one was hurt but it did make a loud noise when it landed on the pavement.
@@ronrogers No, about a year later while at work for the fire department an aircraft from Williams Air Force Base crashed. The pilot ejected and landed several miles from the crash site. Crew was coming back from a vehicle fire and noted the fire from the aircraft which was located just off the road. They stopped to check it out and found a piece of wreckage (vertical stabilizer) recovered it and thru it up on the hose bed of the fire truck. Realizing it was a military aircraft they moved away back to the road. Fire crew from Willlie showed up and told them to leave immediately which they did. The piece of wreckage was hung up on the wall of the fire station. About a month later someone from Willie shows up with a Thank you Plaque. Upon observing the piece of wreckage hanging on the wall he recovered it and left with it along with the plaque.
Ed Merkle did his master’s thesis on a bi-plane design that was fast, maybe 200 MPH. I believe it had laminar flow wings. The professors approved his thesis after he defended it but none of the committee believed it would go as fast as he said it would. So he built it to prove them wrong. I was able to see that airplane at the hanger at his house, next to his wife’s Luscombe. Bonnie, his wife, signed off for aerodynamics on some of my work at Boring. Ed was one of the nicest persons that I ever met. And Bonnie as well. His funeral was a sad day for all of us.
Glad you survived. My uncle was killed when a goose hit into his T-38 as he was approaching for landing, he lost his engine and canopy. Unfortunately, while he survived long enough to avoid a housing project and eject, he died from skull unjuries.
I really look forward to every upload. Your stories are so interesting & from the most exciting times in aviation! So glad you thought to make this channel to share them!
Love the channel, sir!!! As a maintainer, an aircraft coming back as an emergency code 3 gives us a sinking feeling. After you land safely, "what happened!!?" Knowing it wasn't my foul up is a large sense of relief!!!
No kidding, my wife was easier going 30 years ago. I've had some scary Navy/Marine instructors yell at me in my youth. That's nothing compared to a quiet wife with loud footsteps that exude intention.😂
When I stumbled upon this video my mouth opened in astonishment. I proceeded you by several years in my T-38 experience. When I was in UPT, a classmate perished in a loss of canopy incident. It was much different. He was a foreign national student and the plane was the T--33. He was not doing well and needed extra help. Through miscommunication he unlocked the canopy from the front seat which has the only lock handle. The canopy separated. His instructor could no longer function as they were penetrating bad weather at night.on a cross country. (Tyndall AFB) The Instructor bailed out, but the student did not. At the time, Vance was acquiring its first T-38's and getting ready to start that training program. I graduated and worked in Group ops until my next assignment. (T-38 IP at LRD). We became involved in the accident review. From tests at Edwards(?) it was determined that the T-33 could not be flown from the rear seat with loss of canopy. Also, the T-38 rear seat pilot was severely impaired if the front canopy was lost. To improve rear pilot capability, often the instructor pilot, air diffusors were placed below each side of the rear instrument panel to help eliminate severe air blast to the rear seat pilot. As I later transitioned to the T-38, those diffusors were being installed. I think they are still there. Later, all T-38's were modified with a safety device that I designed. That is another story.
Would be interested in hearing about the safety device you installed.
The full story is too long for this response, and a bit off your topic. I conceived the system to disable nose wheel steering using the ignition activation switch circuit. My last change to my T-38 Dash-one before I separated from the service was the Flight Safety Bulletin announcing that modification.@@ronrogers
@19:56…”looking at the ground above you”…a true pilot speaking !
these are really excellent stories! Keep ‘em coming and don’t forget to add them to the playlist!
Thank you! Will do!
I share your passion for being "in" the sky, rather than having just the window view. In my early days of learning to fly, I began skydiving, and was hooked! If everybody appreciated how great it is to be in the sky, in general, the world would be a better place. :)
I grew up on a cotton farm north of CAFB. Around 1992, I was in a field when a canopy from a T38 landed in front of tractor. Not being a pilot at the time, I was horrified that I had witnessed the beginning of a crash sequence. I picked up the pieces that I could find and delivered them to the front gate (it didn’t occur to me that they might want to document where I found them or that I shouldn’t move them). They assured me that no aircraft were lost and thanked me for the return. Not sure what caused the loss, but it was a memorable event for me as a 15 yr old.
Loved the T-38. Clear visors were mandatory at night (UPT 1992) but I really hated the glare and cheated with mine half down - your story is a good reason to always have a visor down and mask secured.
In 1979 while driving on US 60 in Apache Junction, Arizona I was approaching the intersection of Ironwood and US 60 Westbound when a T-38 canopy landed slightly behind me in the Eastbound Lane. No one was hurt but it did make a loud noise when it landed on the pavement.
Did you keep it as a souvenir?🤣🤣🤣
@@ronrogers No, about a year later while at work for the fire department an aircraft from Williams Air Force Base crashed. The pilot ejected and landed several miles from the crash site. Crew was coming back from a vehicle fire and noted the fire from the aircraft which was located just off the road. They stopped to check it out and found a piece of wreckage (vertical stabilizer) recovered it and thru it up on the hose bed of the fire truck. Realizing it was a military aircraft they moved away back to the road. Fire crew from Willlie showed up and told them to leave immediately which they did. The piece of wreckage was hung up on the wall of the fire station. About a month later someone from Willie shows up with a Thank you Plaque. Upon observing the piece of wreckage hanging on the wall he recovered it and left with it along with the plaque.
Ed Merkle did his master’s thesis on a bi-plane design that was fast, maybe 200
MPH. I believe it had laminar flow wings. The professors approved his thesis after he defended it but none of the committee believed it would go as fast as he said it would. So he built it to prove them wrong. I was able to see that airplane at the hanger at his house, next to his wife’s Luscombe. Bonnie, his wife, signed off for aerodynamics on some of my work at Boring. Ed was one of the nicest persons that I ever met. And Bonnie as well. His funeral was a sad day for all of us.
Boeing. Not Boring.
Yes I agree, I worked with both and they were/are great people. So is this design the MK-1 I got a chance to fly?
Yes.
I also misspelled his name. It’s Ed Merkel.
Glad you survived. My uncle was killed when a goose hit into his T-38 as he was approaching for landing, he lost his engine and canopy. Unfortunately, while he survived long enough to avoid a housing project and eject, he died from skull unjuries.
Sorry to hear that
I really look forward to every upload. Your stories are so interesting & from the most exciting times in aviation! So glad you thought to make this channel to share them!
Thank you so much!
Love the channel, sir!!! As a maintainer, an aircraft coming back as an emergency code 3 gives us a sinking feeling. After you land safely, "what happened!!?" Knowing it wasn't my foul up is a large sense of relief!!!
This was awesome man! I really hope you get more attention, as you definitely deserve it.
Thanks, appreciate the nice comments and approval.
I wholeheartedly agree! Ron's channel is a little aviation goldmine and I sincerely hope it reaches a much, much wider audience!
Thanks!@@theflyingfool
No kidding, my wife was easier going 30 years ago. I've had some scary Navy/Marine instructors yell at me in my youth. That's nothing compared to a quiet wife with loud footsteps that exude intention.😂
Dynamic solo. Ah yes, I don’t think that lasted very long.
I didn't feel that confident... well I was right. Haha
Great Citabria pic
Thanks Russ!
Thank You for sharing Your memories. But why no book?