Another "save at Ohkosh"
Thu Aug 30, 2007 1:57 pm
Some years ago one of the ground crew marshallers prevented a pilot from probably damaging his plane. I was the pilot. My Spitfire runs way cooler than a Mustang in the air, but sitting on the ground idling it does not get much air through the radiators which are under the wing out of the prop wash. So after landing I was going to taxi across the grass to get to parking quiclky rather than the long way around. Now many of the marshallers I know by sight if not name. You sort of have a extra level of trust with a vet like Hank. Someone I did not recognize signaled me to stop. At first I was sort of annoyed, I was outside the crowd line so I was pretty sure there were no people in the way, and I knew no planes were parked there. He was very young, new to me. Anyway I followed his stop signal, shut off the engine and climbed out. There were no planes or people in the way, but hidden in the long grass was a low spot, sort of a drain hole big enough for a wheel to sink in. This young guy, new to the job, had likely saved me from breaking a prop blade. Thanks again to these guys, girls too Rhonda.
Mon Sep 03, 2007 4:48 pm
You are welcome.
john
john
Mon Sep 03, 2007 5:52 pm
I guess its my time for a marshalling horror story. At Fredericksburg, Tx airshow several years back I was Air Boss and we were starting engines for several planes to go fly the downtown parade. I had been teaching my son to marshall and at that time he was probably 17 years old but had many years of experience helping me. He was on one of his first "solo: assignments and was the marshaller in charge of PTs' and BTs' (by the way he was about 6'4" and 250 lbs) Upon starting one of the BT pilots got angry because my son would not let him taxi out of the pits. He called me on the radio saying he was going to be late for join up. I started walking to the scene and kept an eye on my son who was signaling the pilot to stop engine, which he finally did. My son made him get out to show him that his scoop and intake pillows were still in place. I never said anything and went back to my tower. To this day that pilot always look for my kid to be his personel marshaller.
Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:22 pm
Obergrafeter wrote:I guess its my time for a marshalling horror story. At Fredericksburg, Tx airshow several years back I was Air Boss and we were starting engines for several planes to go fly the downtown parade. I had been teaching my son to marshall and at that time he was probably 17 years old but had many years of experience helping me. He was on one of his first "solo: assignments and was the marshaller in charge of PTs' and BTs' (by the way he was about 6'4" and 250 lbs) Upon starting one of the BT pilots got angry because my son would not let him taxi out of the pits. He called me on the radio saying he was going to be late for join up. I started walking to the scene and kept an eye on my son who was signaling the pilot to stop engine, which he finally did. My son made him get out to show him that his scoop and intake pillows were still in place. I never said anything and went back to my tower. To this day that pilot always look for my kid to be his personel marshaller.
I guess your "other" son didn't do as well
at Fredericksburg.....
Lynn
Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:31 pm
Always the Air Boss's fault when something gets broke you know that. No such thing as pilot error. Either mechanical or something else, no pilot ever screws the pooch!
Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:15 pm
Tyler Texas It was a local Air sho hosted by the CAF Tyler East Texas Wing in the mid eightys I was serving as Ramp Security making sure that nobody was crossing in front of or near working aircraft . The Ramp Boss did a awsome job of controling all the Carrot People (Marshalers) and training New recruits to boost. It was at the time when the Fighters were in recovery and the Heavys were cranking up and every thing is getting very exciting I notice out of the corner of my Eye a little Boy Running right towards the Front of a P-51 that was Ziz Zagging to park the child was in the pilots blid spot . As I ran and grab the child and rolled with him at the same time the Marshaler at almost the same time gave the command to stop/Kill Power ! The fighter was in a Zag . The pilot never took his eyes off of the Marshaler(Thank Havens) . The mother of the child was raising cain that I had grab her child and was going to make sure that I never did that again , 
When the Ramp Boss arrived and told her that if it was not for the combind action of us that her child would be gone ! then and only then did she calm down. ( not ever thanking us )
We were both shaken up to say the least . Let me tell you those people that wear the ORANGE Jump suits are not taking it lightly when they Taxi out and recover Aircraft . Hats off to those men and women who wear the orange . 
When the Ramp Boss arrived and told her that if it was not for the combind action of us that her child would be gone ! then and only then did she calm down. ( not ever thanking us )
We were both shaken up to say the least . Let me tell you those people that wear the ORANGE Jump suits are not taking it lightly when they Taxi out and recover Aircraft . Hats off to those men and women who wear the orange .
Tue Sep 04, 2007 9:04 pm
Obergrafeter wrote:Always the Air Boss's fault when something gets broke you know that. No such thing as pilot error. Either mechanical or something else, no pilot ever screws the pooch!
Just have to check that there hearing aid to make sure its working
Lynn
Tue Sep 04, 2007 9:59 pm
I work line crew at OSH and we are lucky to have m-a-n-y terrific pilots, like Bill & Vlado & Jack & Bud & Bob & Howard and...many pilots. It is always a pleasure to work with real pro's. With pilots and line crew - what goes around often comes around.
Tue Sep 04, 2007 10:31 pm
Whenever we take the C-47 to Osh or SnF, we make sure that when we are doing flights during the "morning rush hour" we reserve at least one flight to take up members of the line-crew.
It is the Cavanaugh Museums way of giving a small thank you to the line-crew men and women for all the hard work they have put in over the previous long hard days.
There is however a downside to taking 7 of the line-crew up for the ride.......those that are still on the ground now have 7 less people to handle all those other aircraft, and we are using up a line-crew to get us from parking to the taxi-way.
So to all those line-crew at Osh, SnF, and all those who where the orange at any other airshow we go to.........a big thank you for your time, your dedication...and your eyes!
Julian
It is the Cavanaugh Museums way of giving a small thank you to the line-crew men and women for all the hard work they have put in over the previous long hard days.
There is however a downside to taking 7 of the line-crew up for the ride.......those that are still on the ground now have 7 less people to handle all those other aircraft, and we are using up a line-crew to get us from parking to the taxi-way.
So to all those line-crew at Osh, SnF, and all those who where the orange at any other airshow we go to.........a big thank you for your time, your dedication...and your eyes!
Julian