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Date Posted: Sat, December 18 2004, 11:57:24
Author: Bob Wyatt
Author Host/IP: 24.241.112.132
Subject: Re: Info needed from Vietnam Vets
In reply to: Veronica 's message, "Info needed from Vietnam Vets" on Wed, November 17 2004, 17:30:53

As a 28 year old USAF Capt flying a secret mission over Laos in the black of night, I had a partial failure of my onboard radar.

It was in the Spring months of 1970, as the sun was setting we flew North from Thailand across the Mekong river into Laos, the region known as the Plain of Jars. Traveling North in Thailand I, the senior navigator, used the various thunder storms to train Steve, the other navigator, how to see ("read") the clouds with various radar setting and changes to the antenna angle. I would "tune" the radar, have him look in the scope and compare it to what he saw as he look out the window at the actual clouds. The antenna angle was curial a settings. Crossing the Mekong river we had a serious line of clouds to penetrate, which was a great training experience for Steve. As was the custom, I went to the rear of the plane (C130) after crossing the river and suited up with a survival vest, parachute and heavy coat. I was the only one on the crew who needed a coat since I was the only one who sat in an open door to watch the road with the starlight scope.

The area we were flying in was filled with scattered clouds that went to extremely high altitudes with enormously destructive vertical winds. What people call "air pockets" are the vertical winds from thermal up drafts and adjacent down drafts. These winds are sometimes 100 miles per hour causing forces that rip off wings. Flying through one of these clouds was not an option. Flying through a barrage of AAA would be much safer.

After about two of our scheduled five hour in the target area, Steve keyed his mike and announced, "we just lost radar." Hearing those words sent a cold chill up my spine to the back of neck that had broke into a cold sweat. Immediately, I responded, "coming forward."

Steve was getting out of the seat as I got onto the flight deck, and I slipped into seat to assess the situation. First off I observed the radar was still transmitting and receiving a signal, but the antenna was in the full down position, 15 degrees, telling me that the stabilizing gyro had failed. The picture on the scope was a large dot in the center of the scope; I had to get the antenna up 15 degrees to see the horizon.

As I frantically flipped switches and rotated knobs, the two pilots each talked to other plane crews for their weather assessments. For about 10 minutes I tried everything I knew to do in order to regain control of the antenna. Not only did I have 7 years of flying experience, but I had been trained as a bombardier with extensive electronic training on how radars work. Each pilot relayed to me what they had been told by others what we could do; I had to dismiss their information because any error in the distance or direction could put us right into a killer cloud. I was the only man of the crew who could get the plane safely through these clouds and I had no answer. I stopped trying, sat back in the seat and quietly said to myself, "God what am I going to do?"

In less than a second, another crew member keyed his mike and asked, "how are we going to get back to base; what are going to do?"

I keyed my mike and replied, "no problem, all we have to do is make left and right turns."

"Say what?"

"Its simple, my antenna is pointing down 15 degrees. If we turn right at a 15 degree bank angle, the antenna will be at the horizon each time it pass under the left wing. I will see a snap shot of the horizon on each antenna revolution. I'll memorize the clouds and go for the holes."

I asked and God answered. And yes, we safetly avoided any clouds for the next 200 miles back to base.

For more information on these missions do a google for Blind Bat

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