FLIGHT TV SHOW

I'm Colonel Robert Evans late that afternoon elements of my wing were circling waiting to hear what happened to my aircraft I say here because they couldn't see us in the clouds and we couldn't see the ground it's a game of blind man's buff it looked like we didn't have a chance this is an instrument of flight a tube from a GC a receiver in the next 30 minutes you'll hear GCA mentioned frequently GCA means ground control approach this tube looks and acts like the tube in your television set with it a trained expert can pinpoint a plane in flight by means of radar but this is not the story of a technical instrument it's the story of a human being Colonel Robert Evans who was stationed in Arizona at a strategic air command base early in 1947 when GCA was still in its infancy we'd better begin and Berlin the city at that time on the edge of chaos the former German capital was supposed to be under for power control but the Russians began to stymie you all efforts in cooperation a new phrase came into being cold war finally they walked out of the control council completely according to their timetable for power rule was dead the next step was a Soviet takeover reacting to this situation Joint Chiefs of Staff despatched general Theodore Baxter on a special mission to the davis-monthan Air Force Base in Arizona this is where Colonel Bob evidence came into our story take my desk down no you sit there is fine too warm this point this isn't complaining as usual a weather nice been rocking cold rain you fly through that pea Souper while you'd appreciate this Arizona sunshine true the weather doesn't bother our operations their cigarette no thanks going it in general I'm sure you didn't come here for the ultraviolet infrared it'd be more like that if you said russian Red you'd be right on the beam Evans have you been keeping up with the Berlin situation a half sir doesn't look good the only thing the Soviet seem to understand is force and Washington has decided to give them just that sounds reasonable sir trouble is we're not sure that we're capable of mounting such as shown you'll have to decide for us basic we want them to know that if the need of rose we could hit a target anywhere in Eastern Europe without refueling and you do that well sir I before you answer one way or the other let me say that we know your unit has been on training status that you met maintenance problems that you're far from being operational but you're the best farming unit we've got available giving me a big responsibilities well no one knows your own capabilities is whether you do it wasn't Lydon they say you've got a mind like a computer now you say you can make it Commission is yours we can make it good good alcohol Washington you have a special order on the teletype in 15 minutes when do you estimate you can be able by midnight sir I'll tell Washington you'll be in the air at 1700 hold it yeah want to take a swim no thanks why don't we just go on home attention all crew members of the 91st bomb wing will report immediately to operations repeat all crew members of the 91st bomb wing will report to operations immediately ncrc later wait a minute I don't know how long it'll be before it see the real thing again while the air crews were reporting to the base the maintenance were doing themselves proud maintenance procedures that normally took hours were compressed into minutes this is a long flight gentleman almost 6,000 miles therefore the most exacting cruise control procedures will be necessary will fly at 18,000 feet all the way where we can get some help from the wind a high pressure area over most of Western Europe should make for clear weather at rhein-main now are there any questions you may call your wives gentlemen but tell them only that you're going on extended TDY in exactly 30 seconds it will be 16 27 that's all what do you think I'll see you again my failings not as strong as predicted well at the engineer let's lean the mixture we're not getting the help from the wind we expected that'll give us another 20 minutes worth of fuel when we get over rhein-main as we neared the continent of Europe word of our coming spread among they were grateful to the Russians the reasons behind our mission were clear when the b-29s left arizona we had every reason to expect perfect weather here at ryan main make sure what's happen I'll see the sole high-pressure system has suddenly dissipated weather for the entire continent is rapidly deteriorating but can we expect rain fog low ceilings your weather often try to get a new crystal ball look at that to death this altitude we're close to the phrasing level let's climb see if we can top it add power go take more fuel Roger Irongate later to wing climb to 21,000 feet hand level Irongate later to rhein-main power Irongate leader this is ryan main tower go ahead what's the water down there Ryan main to Irongate leader ceiling is now reported at 300 feet visibility one-half mile what about alternate fields over rhein-main to Irongate leader all fields west of here are below minimums irongate later this is Colonel me Seeley has dropped to 200 feet visibility holding at one-half mile with slight drizzle the nearest open field is Milan can you make it Ryan main this is iron gate leader- we cannot reach my lad estimate we will arrive over rhein-main with minimum fuel is your GC a standing by Roger however our GCA equipment was just installed it has not been played tested do you think they can bring us in standby I'll contact you from our GC a unit maybe there's stuff a lift what are the chances very doubtful soon the Russians will be dancing in the streets yes they're not hit by falling b-29s iron gate yet iron gate later estimating rhein-main 11 minutes sealing 200 feet visibility one-half status of GCA equipment davao kayla what's the law ceiling ever landed through I made a penetration at Westover when the weather was down to 150 feet the GCA was excellent as we neared rhein-main the whole world knew of our mission was following the Russians who were aware of the bad weather were delighted any mishap an American air power would be made to look ridiculous and in truth the prestige of American air power was as close to zero as the gasoline in our tanks don't break down there yet listen things we can't expect one either I guess not give me the GCA 10 Ryan mangy CA you read iron leader Roger on Kate leader this is your GCA operator I read you five square can you bring us in iron gate leader this is Colonel need the GCA operator tells us that there hasn't been time to calibrate the equipment is said is an operation but there is a 15ft chance it'll bring you in up to a couple of hundred feet either side of the runway for above or below the glide path Roger what about obstruction to the left you're okay but on the right you have a high hanger that parallels the runway I'll get back to you stand by one we gotta try for another field there reach any what chance have we got with uncalibrated equipment they can calibrate during our landing in other words if we splash they can tell how wrong they were by where I recoges you want to look at it that way they'll be able to bring the others in any you don't know but you're married to a guinea pig I'm gonna switch the wing common I'm gate leader to wing I'm going to attempt a GC a landing their equipment has been newly installed and has not been flight tested however they will calibrate from my approach let's all switch to GC a channel GCA this is iron gate leader over Roger on gayley to go ahead you're ready to bring us in we'll give it a try at 15,000 feet over Ryan main the weather was cleared at ground level however weather was approaching a 0-0 condition we had flown for 17 hours but the next 15 minutes would be the toughest if as the Russians expected we failed their respect for the newly organized Strategic Air Command would be destroyed however if we were to make the landing it would be with equipment that had never been tested we were in fact guinea pigs for the rest of the wait GCA to Irongate leader maintain present heading and descend to 4,000 feet Roger mixture full rich rpm 2,500 come back to 30 inches manifold pressure R&K leader this is GCA the weather at rhein-main is holding 150 feet with a quarter-mile visibility calm winds you will be landing on runway zero for now Thibodeau is 299 to set your jarrow at this time and do not change it for the remainder of this run you are now 12 miles northeast of station descend to and maintain 3,000 feet prepare for a left turn to your downwind leg Roger understand the weather sending to 3,000 feet ready for turn to downwind leg I gave leader turn to a heading of to 20 degrees and descent to 2,500 feet this is your downwind leg perform initial cockpit check at this time Roger turning to a heading of 220 degrees and descending to 2,500 feet under stand down wind lake performing initial cockpit you are now eight miles northeast of field heading 220 altitude 2,500 feet at this time to send to 2,000 feet 220 descending to 2,000 continue your descent to 1,500 feet heading 220 Roger 220 descending to 1,500 he had us the equipment was working properly something we wouldn't go till it might be too late and gay leader you are now eight miles southeast you should be at 1,500 feet heading 220 degrees perform your final cockpit check at this time your gear should be down and locked prepare for return to your base leg get out a lot Landing tech completed over you think he's where your equipment indicates sir there's no way I can tell I've crash truck standing by both ends of runway zero for something wrong Suri's relying on me up there that's equipment is run that can run him right into the ground GZA this is iron cage you still with me boy Roger you should be a 2,000 feet a disregard 1200 feet a disregard 1500 feet GCA this is iron gate you're doing a good job not stick with it fella you'll make it okay I are engaged this is GCA turn right to a heading of 310 degrees your altitude should be 1200 feet this term will put you on the base leg 310 on the base 1200 keep up the chatter I engage leader continue your turn 20 40 degrees you are now turning on your final approach your altitude should be 1200 feet this is your final control do not acknowledge any from the transmissions if you lose contact for any five second period execute missed approach procedure I brought you in to close establish your rate of descent you're slightly high on the glide path adjust your rate of descent you're correcting back to the glide path nicely no 20 feet high 10 feet high you are now back on the line man correct two degrees to heading of 0 for two you are now one mile from touchdown and slightly to left of center line correct back you're now approaching GCA minimums you should be over runway at this time you see anything not take it around to the left we're not gonna do that again are we how far to the right were those runway lights about 200 feets it could you tell how far we were down the runway too far girl I asked your help are about half way sir GGA this is iron gate iron gate leader this is GCA I'm sorry sir I I'm sorry stick with it now if you can allow for the air in your equipment we got it hacked we were 200 feet too far to the left and broke out halfway down the runway can you adjust I don't know sir it'll be tough we can climb out of this bailout we're the only chance the boys behind us have if they can bring us in the rest of the wing has got at me GCA this is iron gate leader I'm level at 1,500 feet we'll try it again this time we'll make it Roger turn right to a heading of 130 and I'll get you right back in the pattern as I made my turn I knew that this one had to be right the rest of my wing was approaching Ryan made if I didn't get down neither would they with fuel low they were stacking up over the station down below the Russians knew the spot we were in our attempt at a show of force might end as a disaster Winston Churchill had called us airpower a shield at that moment the shield was no bigger than the blip on a radar screen an uncalibrated radar screen carefully the radar operator worked to get me around the pattern and back to the final approach for me this would be a battle all the way between my nerves and my mind the one urging me to trust my own senses the other the man on the ground did not acknowledge any further transmissions if you lose contact for any five seconds climb out you are now three miles from touchdown adjust your rate of descent to 600 feet per minute you are on the glide path on course you are now two miles from touchdown you're wrong with a glide path 5 feet 10 feet 15 feet adjust your rate of descent adjust your rate of descent no correction is good you're now 10 feet over 5 feet over you are now on the glide path on course now you're drifting left turn right one degree two degrees three degrees your correction is good you are approaching centerline go one mile from touchdown your melodic line at my feet 10 feet 15 feet maybe you oughta send him around again good direction very good you're five feet under go back on the line 10 on course you are crossing feel bad I'm half good touchdown in three seconds you're overrun one like that good maybe I'll see you so nice work TCA now if I can just get the rest of the wing down you will irongate later to wing I am sitting on the ground GZA operator now knows the proper direction for the error in the instrument just follow instructions he'll get you down irony to dissented 2,000 feet from then on it was GCA show one by one the 29 s landed until the whole wing was on the ground that afternoon the four power control council met Berlin the Russians attended and they were very congenial to the new strategic air command had demonstrated its ability the Russians like the rest of Europe were impressed I'll be back in a moment to tell you more about Colonel Evans training men to rely on instruments rather than feel has been a necessary adjunct to the advance of aviation and it has been Air Force men like Bob evidence who have helped and are still helping to push back the frontiers of flight you you