Warbird Information Exchange

One of the most f*cked-up things I saw when I was in the Army was a 35 year old Private Second Class E-2, fresh out of basic training (again), wearing a Drill Sergeant Badge on his uniform. I kid you not...this guy was for real and was authorized to wear it.

This guy was prior service and had been in for like 7 years before getting out. He had been to drill sergeant school and was a former drill instructor. He eventually came back into the Army but was forced to go back to basic training again and also lost all his prior rank (He had been an E-5 when he got out the first time). Most people don't know that if you're prior service and have been out over 5 years, you have to go back through basic training again. Also, if you've been out long enough you go back in as a private. I guess this guy must've been through some hard times to resort to starting at the bottom rung again. What was really funny was seeing this dummy trying to act like a drill sergeant to everybody else in order to get some respect. Of course we all just laughed at him and gave him a hard time every chance we got.

John

that's a twist!!

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Going back to the phonies: I have a somewhat interesting story along those lines.

When I was involved with the closing of NAS Alameda back in the 1990s we were working closely with much of the base's brass. There was one Naval aviator (I won't use names to avoid any issues) that was active in the base reutilization process. I can't remember if he was a commander or lt. commander but lets just say he was commander for the sake of the story. We got to know the commander fairly well, went to his house, saw pictures on his wall of him in Vietnam, throughout his career, etc. He told us stories of his time flying in combat etc. He also was well connected with the the Admiral and much of the higher brass that were involved with NAS Alameda.

Anyways after a year or so of dealings with them we get a phone message out of the blue from him saying something to the affect of: "Hey just wanted to let you guys know that you are going to hear a bunch of stories about me etc and I just want you guys to know that I'm sorry about everything and take care."

Later on we hear that another naval aviator was at NAS Lemoore for some sort of training mission and he sees the the commander's name on a roster of aircraft assignments and remembered the commander's name from flight school. Apparently he remembered that the commander had washed out of flight school. Being curious about it he talked to some others about it and long story short they discovered that he had somehow found a way to alter his documents so that he could become a pilot.

At one point later on we heard that this guy had actually been out of the Navy for several years and was still flying aircraft. Nobody really knows what the full story is because I guess NCIS classified all of the documents regarding this but it was the strangest thing and nobody can even begin to speculate about how he could have accomplished this. We often speculate if this guy was some sort of foreign spy, just some fraudulent guy who wanted to fly Navy jets, or some sort of black ops operative or something. Whatever it was it seems like this guy must have had some sort of help to execute such an act.

Hpoe this is not too far afield. 2 stories: Years ago in a magazine(?Air Classics?) there was a story about a guy that was a friend of an AF officer and pilot. He would visit the base with his high ranking friend, guys got used to him. He watched military ops, sat in cockpits,wore uniform and took rides in the T-33. He got pretty good, but not only was not a pilot he was not even a student pilot nor in the military. One day they go out and there are two planes together, but F-80s, single seat!, not T-33s. Nobody asked the real officer for ID or the friend is in uniform. The non pilot is hesitant, but does as he is told, gets the briefing, etc. and off they go as a dual flight. They are never discovered, it finally ends when the lead guy is transferred. Is it true? I don't know, I would not bet against it. The other story is that one that Tony Curtis played in the movie where he had all the carreers that he really invented himself into.

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Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK

Wow! Could you imagine flying a P-80, and not even being a pilot?

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

There was this guy who was a fellow volunteer at a warbird museum...

I first met him at a hobby shop around '92 or '93..he wieghed about 300 pounds and was wearing a flour-covered Pizza Hut uniform. The guy began regailing me with tails of derring-do as a navy helicopter pilot in the Gulf War (just a year or two earlier)..even claimed he'd done a "barrier landing" on a carrier in a Sea Cobra.

The guy is a complete joke around the museum..he has also claimed to have a nuclear weapons clearance, claimed to have a have flown a P-51 (like he would fit,) and claimed to have a girlfriend who flew F-18s in Afghanistan, who took him up for a ride (I don't think they make G-suits his size.) The kicker was the time I saw him wandering around the museum one day wearing a pair of gold wings. I was chatting with a genuine Naval Aviator, who started asking this guy questions about where he trained, was stationed, etc.. The guy mumbled a few things and quickly found an excuse to leave. Oh, he also claimed to have gotten a free ride in "Fifi" once, but strangely didn't mention it around the crew when she made a stop at the museum a couple of years later.

He isn't allowed to be a docent anymore, but somehow manages to keep volunteering as "security." I suppose he could sit on somebody..he certainly couldn't catch anyone.


SN

We were at a show once and FIFI was on static so I went over and took at look at her. There was a man with his son by the nose and he was filling the boy's head with all sorts of knowledge (aka BS). Has I walked by I overheard him say "Yeah son, those were the good days flying the ol F1-F1" and all I could think was you knit whit that's the name of the freaking airplane

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Don't touch my junk!!

Hey guys, I once had a guy in his 30's tell me that the Tornado in the NMUSAF's collection was an F-14! I tried to explain to him that it was not, and he said, "Hey I am an F-14 pilot, trust me I know what I am talking about" I even walked him up to the plane, and showed him the sign, he said that we were wrong.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

Did this nut also ask about the secret captured alien space craft?

Just Smile and nod. Smile and nod.

Remember what they say about arguing with idiots. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience. Some are more experienced that others apparently...

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Phil K.
Yankee Air Museum
Systems Admin / Ramp Crew / Professional Photo Ruiner

I've had many of those "smile and nod" moments over the years.

Once I was in the NMUSAF annex, and a couple of middle-age women were looking at the YF-12, and wondering about the long pitot tube on the nose. One concluded "It must be so it can peirce the sound barrier more easily."

I was chatting with a guy awhile back about the Lancaster that used to be displayed in a park in Windsor (currently under restoration.) He claimed that when it was first put on its pedestal, they forgot to remove the guns, and they were stolen by vandals. I tried to explain to him that she had been converted to an air-sea rescue bird, and the guns and turrets had been removed long before she was retired..but of course he was sure of his "facts." He also told me that the military still had vast boneyards of WWII planes on remote Pacific islands, and if you need B-17 parts, they can just take them off one of those in storage. Yep..just smile and nod..you're not gonna change his mind....

I was at an airshow once and an elderly gentleman was standing in front of the Collings B-24 wearing a WWII AAF uniform. He was telling the crowd that the engines on the Liberator were interchangeable with those on the B-17. I politely tried to correct him, but he rather angrilly dismissed me. I didn't press the issue..let the guy have his moment...

SN

SN

I think we have all heard our share of howlers uttered by everyone from arrogant kids and buffs to museum docents, airshow announcers, and veterans. Rather than share a good laugh at their ignorance, I wonder if we ought to ask:

1. How do we get the true facts out to people in an effective way that won't raise hackles or injure pride?

2. Or, is it even worth bothering? Does this type of misinformation matter at all in the greater scheme of things?

August

Yes! He did over and over again. At the time the B-2 was not out of the restoration shop yet, but the spot and signs werer up for where is was going in the building. He asked about it(by this time I was fed up with him) so I told him that we were still taking the Hyper jets out of it. He yelled, "I knew it! I knew we had that technology!" he then ran off some where. I went home after that day, and looked at the wall for a while.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

I freind and I were in the annex a few years ago, and some guy was following me around peppering me with questions..I remember he wanted to know if the YF-12 was a Stealth Bomber. While his back was turned, my buddy and I ducked into one of the Presidential birds and managed to lose him...

For some reason, I seem to be a "geek magnet" at museums. Seems like some guy always attaches himself to me and follows me around with incessant questions. Over the years I've gotten a bit more selective about who I strike up conversations with..

SN

I think that is an honest question for the non-aviation savvy individual.