OPERATIONS

By Steve Gladwin, Squadron Operations Officer

     May has been a very busy month for The Rose with Air shows at Dyess, Laughlin, Tinker, and Eglin AFB as well as Fairhope in Alabama. For those counting on their fingers and toes, that’s 2660nM, further than Phoenix, Arizona to Honolulu, Hawaii (2530nM).

      Following this marathon, the current plan is to retire the left engine and install the new (new to us) item that has just completed its rebuild.

     We had plans for an air show in Ada Ok. Unfortunately, funding became an issue for the organizers thus we were declined. We have also received several other invitations, the most attractive being to Lake Tahoe, however they were also hoping for our appearance with no offer of reimbursement, ‘nough said.

      The air show season will begin again for us in September with a trip planned to Shaw AFB and Rome GA, both in the final negotiating stages. Airsho in Midland, Greenville, Little Rock and Lafayette are also planned as well as participation in the Nimitz museum activities on December 7 in Fredericksburg.

     Other suggested appearances are also being investigated and will be published at a later date as they become more realistic.

 

ENGINE CHANGE UPDATE

By Ron Dietes

     I thought it would be appropriate to let everyone in the Squadron know the status of the Rose now that the month of May is finally over and that we successfully completed all the contracted air shows.  I am extremely proud of the efforts made by the folks that came to the hangar to assist in keeping the Rose flying during the very busy months of April and May.

     Now it is time to focus on changing the left engine and I cannot express how glad I am the Rose is safely back in the San Marcos hangar.  It is always so much easier to change an engine in your home facility.  Not only are we changing the engine in our home facility, we are doing it in a time frame that we had planned.  Hopefully all will proceed as planned and we won’t have any surprises after we have the current engine off the aircraft and have had a chance to really inspect the engine area.

     I am driving to Oklahoma City on Wednesday June 11th and hope to have our newly overhauled engine in the hangar by Friday June 13th.  I want to thank Ray Janss once again for volunteering the use of his trailer.  I have all the arrangements made and while I am passing thru the Fort Worth area, I am going to stop and get the spare observer seat from the Pacific Prowler and take the needed pictures and measurements so we can have a seat fabricated for the Rose.  If the engine sling is also not in use, I am going to ask Jim Terry to borrow it again, as he was kind enough to lend it to us for the right engine change.  I don’t know at this time if we can use the seat for an additional passenger, but that is something I am going to investigate during our engine change down time.

     So, all of you guys and gals, get ready for some really dirty and fun work.  I am asking for your help getting the Rose engine changed so that we will be ready for the rest of the air show season.

ROSE TRAVELS

---

DYESS AFB, MAY 2 – 3

By Greg Young

On May 2, 2008; the Yellow Rose and her intrepid crew set out for the Dyess AFB airshow in Abilene, Texas.  The crew consisted of Ron Dietes, Ken Udcoff, Jack Reeves, Bob Gardner, Buzz Perez, Curtis Hall, Bubba Renfro, and Greg Young.  After a hour flight to the northwest in blue skies, we landed on the long and wide runway there at Dyess.  We were greeted by Air Force personnel including the Yellow Rose squadron’s own Capt. Pat Jopling.  Upon checking we were assigned 2 cars including a brand new Cadillac which like Cinderella turned into a pumpkin when a mixup was reported resulting in us getting a minivan which actually was more practical anyway.  We were invited to the squadron bar of the B1 squadron (9th) where we were guests of  Lt. Col. Jen Fulmer, Lt. Charlie “Razor” Buecker, and others.  To say the crew enjoyed the hospitality and spirits of this group is an understatement.  Thanks again, guys and gals and may all your missions be successful and safe.  Off to our quarters we went followed by dinner and a stop at the Airshow outdoor party.  The next morning turned out to be windy and cold although the sun was shining.  While Ron and Ken went to the airshow briefing, the rest of the crew prepared the Rose and PX for the day’s activities.  We were parked at the far end of the ramp and the cold air kept the crowd down especially in the morning although when it was all said and done, we did well for a 1 day airshow.  Ron, Ken, and Jack flew in the show which had a limited warbird participation which included the B17 Thunderbird, the SB2C, the Cavanaugh P40, and the Tora group.  Once the show ended, we packed up and headed southeast to San Marcos and home.  Another mission was complete.  

---

THUNDER OVER AMISTAD MAY 9-11

By Buzz Perez

   The Yellow Rose took off at 1515 on Friday, May 9th, for her 5th airshow of the season. On board were Ron Dietes, Ken Udcoff, Bob Gardner, Greg Young, Curtiss Hall and myself. As we arrived at Laughlin, AFB, we were already the center of attention. Other aircraft were requesting diversions so they could get a better look at the Rose in flight. We were given clearance for a “Flyover” and gave them a good one! After we checked in our rooms in the big metropolis of Del Rio, the crew headed back to base to refresh ourselves at the “Club XL”.  I was quite surprised to see one civilian pilot wearing what appeared to be a “Ten Gallon Hat” and his flight suit at the bar. Turns out this fellow went by the name of “Big Dog”, and he was buying for all in the house as long as he was wearing his hat. That “works for me”, Thanks, Big Dog! The crew headed to Applebee’s and we all shared some chow and camaraderie together.

   The next day we had great airshow that included a B-2 flyover and a performance by the Thunderbirds. It was a blistering 102 degrees on the ramp, and at one point our

PX lost the shade of our wings when they moved the ropes on us. It was HOT! About 1600 we secured ops and headed back to our rooms for a COOL shower. The crew hit Chili’s, chowed down and just had a good time “hanging out.” On Sunday after a short one hour flight we arrived home and secured our “Gallant Lady”, another mission complete.

---

FAIRHOPE, AL, MAY 15-18

By Greg Young

On May 15, 2008; the Yellow Rose and her crew of seven left San Marcos to participate in the Fairhope Festival of Flight in Fairhope, Alabama: a show that we had participated in last year.  The crew consisted of Grant Lannon (recently back from Down Under), Ron Dietes, Greg Young, Jack Reeves, Curtis Hall, Buzz “Hobo” Perez, and our World War II veteran, Jim Stahl.  The departure was delayed for awhile due to inclement enroute weather, but in the afternoon, we were able to leave and head east arriving in Fairhope some 2 hours and 40 minutes later.  Upon arrival, we were met by the local police who turned out to be our on demand drivers for the entire show.  As a retired police officer, I found it neat to have these officers driving us around in the SUVs and not having to take them to the HEARTBREAK HOTEL (jail) like I did with most of my passengers when I was an active officer.  We checked into the Holiday Inn Express and then headed for the American Legion where we had visited the year before.  A lot of the local patrons really were interested in the Yellow Rose.  The next morning found Fairhope being deluged with approximately 5 inches of rain so planned media flights did not occur.  The afternoon rains ended and we went to the VFW Hall where again the patrons enjoyed having our crew among them.  In particular, I want to thank Joel who provided steaks and trimmings to us out at the airport Saturday, Katrina who was a good bartender, and Randy the plumber who paid for some of our drinks at TAMARAs restaurant.  Also the VFW commander paid for some drinks also.  Saturday’s weather was cooperative for the actual airshow.  The Rose did not fly in the show but was one of the highlights of the static displays and the PX and cockpit tours did well for a one day show ($803 and $236 respectively).  It seems these smaller airshows are good for us as the public’s attention is more focused on the few stars of the show.  After the show, we flew a complete RIDE FOR HIRE flight followed by a PR ride with a RIDE FOR HIRE passenger.  Meanwhile Buzz Perez continued his barnstorming tradition by taking a ride in a 1928 TRAVEL AIR biplane accompanied by Curtis Hall.  It was a long day but worth it and ended with stops at the airshow party and then the VFW again.  The next morning we left and headed east arriving back in San Marcos and ending another successful mission.  On a personal note, this marked my first time as the designated Flight Mechanic/crew chief, something I have wanted to achieve since I joined the squadron.  It was a special moment and it was neat for me to start the trip on my Dad’s birthday (he would have been 91) as it was my DAD who instilled in me my love of aviation.  Beginning with being on his shoulders and watching Chuck Yeager break the sound barrier in a dive in an F86 and the Thunderbirds flying overhead in their F84s during an airshow in Lima, Peru; my love of aviation grew much because of him.  I want to thank all of the guys  especially the existing flight mechanics, for all the help and patience they have shown in helping train me.  It has meant a lot to me and I look forward to my share of trips as the flight mechanic as well as continuing to do the PX. 

    

66 YEARS LATER, B-25 BOMBERS RETURN

 

The following is the reprint of an article appearing in the North West Florida Daily News on May 31, 2008

by staff writer Andrew Gant.  Reprinted  with permission.

 

     DUKE FIELD - Seven airmen died, 16 B-25s were lost and even the man who planned the top-secret raid thought he'd failed.  Instead, Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle's dangerous, unprecedented attack on Japan early in World War II roused a nation still aching from Pearl Harbor.

     On Saturday at Duke Field, the men who did it returned to their training ground.  "It is the highlight of my career to be here with these American heroes," said Maj. Gen. David W. Eidsaune, commander of the Air Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base. "The Doolittle Raiders gave millions hope" and proved for the first time that "there's nowhere on Earth where our enemies can hide," he said.
     Hundreds of visitors milled around the runway to gawk at the "Killer B" and the "Yellow Rose" (two still-operational B-25s). Some people climbed up each tail gunner's hatch for a peek inside.  They all were waiting for a third B-25 to arrive - the "Special Delivery," which landed and rumbled to stop carrying 93-year-old Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole (Doolittle's co-pilot) and 92-year-old Master Sgt. Edwin W. Horton Jr., an engineer and gunner who lives in Fort Walton Beach.

     The storied covert training exercises were held on Eglin runways because the area was well-hidden - only populated by "many, many cows" said Doolittle historian C.V. Glines.  Doolittle himself didn't even trust the phone lines to inform his superiors of the crews' progress, so he routinely flew to Washington, D.C., to report in person, Glines said.  The mission required the 16 B-25s to launch without stalling off an aircraft carrier in enemy-controlled waters about 500 miles east of Japan, all the while carrying four 500-pound bombs and enough fuel to make the flight. Many called it the idea impossible; B-25s typically used 5,000-foot runways.
     The crews practiced on an Eglin airstrip with lines painted to mark the carrier's dimensions. One pilot would crash during training (he survived, but did not go on the raid) and some officials complained about safety violations in the exercises. Meanwhile, the crews were told only that their mission was secret and they could back out without punishment.  None did. Just before April 1, 1942, command issued its secret order to launch ("Tell Jimmy to get on his horse") and crews loaded the USS Hornet.

     On April 18, after more than two weeks at sea, all 16 bombers took off successfully - 10 hours early and more than 100 miles farther away than initially planned - after a Japanese boat spotted the Hornet.  The airmen dropped bombs on Tokyo and other Japanese targets before most of them crashed or bailed out. Two crews went missing - some died before they were captured, others were executed and one starved. Several of the surviving airmen went on to become prisoners of war in later tours of duty.
     The seven who made it to Duke Field on Saturday received multiple ovations from the crowd. In a brief talk, Raider Maj. Gen. David Jones said the men were glad to be appreciated.  "We feel honored, and there's not too many of us left," said the pilot of the fifth Doolittle crew.

     "A simple thank you covers lots of things. It's only a start here."