I jumped your birds several times at Ft Campbell, KY, backin '59 to '62. What a blast! On one jump, the pilot (a BirdColonel, Reserve type) ambled on back to tell us he didn't get to flythe airplane much, and that, well, he was a little out of practice. And that the engines would act up on occasion, but he would do hisbest to get us into the air. If it didn't work out, well , then hewas sorry, we'd have to ditch in the trees off the end of the runway. He allowed as how he would give it his best shot! He ambled on backinto the cockpit, fired up, taxied to the business end of the runway,and did his run-up. Those big old round motors would pop and fart,run smooth, run rough (mag check) until we were certain it was all overfor us. Then we began to roll. It didn't exactly snap one's headback, if you know what I mean. We slo-o-o-owly gained speed, began tolift off, got to about 200 feet, and the right engine (my side) startedbackfiring, popping, pukin', the airplane began to sink, the trees gotREAL close, and my eyes got REAL big. And my spinckter got realtight. But, as luck would have it, this was not our day to die, for theengine picked up smooth and we began to gain a little altitude, and awaywe went.

The jump went smooth, all turned out peachy. But, I havenever forgotten that Colonel and his tall tales. I can still see himbitin' on his stoggie with a shit eatin' grin. Mercenary bastard! I know he pulled the mixture or switched a mag,or something. Just to scare the crap out of us. It worked too!

You have a great page. Love that Merlin engine, must be a P-51sneakin' up on you. Keep up the great work. Thanks for thememories.

Vaun Skellenger,
Chairman, Northern Arizona All AirborneChapter,
82nd Airborne Div Assoc.

Brad Baldwin, Ed Young,McClintock, Tony Zendejas, George Lapiene