The deal was, the customs official got to drive the Z every other weekend, right? ;-) lol
Ed 300E 2008/12/6 Wilton Strickland <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Yea, using a BUFF to transport cargo is not usually done, but it was OK and > safe, of course. > > When we flew a D model BUFF from Guam to Wichita, KS, 2 Jan '73 (returning > from 6 months temporary duty flying bombing missions to Vietnam), we had a > "cargo" rack in part of the expansive bomb bay to haul all of our baggage > plus "contraband" such as coupla motorcycles, microwave ovens, stereos, > etc., we had purchased in Japan, Thailand, Guam Base Exchange, etc. We > brought a very light load compared to some crews. I had "threatened" to > put > a Datsun 240Z in there. Customs official met us at Wichita, and everything > was properly declared, of course. ;<))) > > Wilton > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Bill R" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "'Mercedes Discussion List'" <mercedes@okiebenz.com> > Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2008 7:24 PM > Subject: Re: [MBZ] OT - BUFF stuff for Ed > > > > Wilton, you do realize that for some of us - ok, me - the idea of you > > transporting cargo in the buff was sort of interesting. Your story was > good > > also. > > BillR > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > On Behalf Of Wilton Strickland > > Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2008 3:56 PM > > To: Mercedes Discussion List > > Subject: Re: [MBZ] OT - BUFF stuff for Ed > > > > 'Planning to use the remaining H models on into the 2040's. > > > > BTW, that large open area in the BUFF aft fuselage wasn't really meant > to > > haul cargo (no proper floor), but it could hold a bunch. Access hatch in > > the belly sorta small - maybe 3 feet by 3 feet or less. > > > > Wilton > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "E M" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: "Mercedes Discussion List" <mercedes@okiebenz.com> > > Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2008 3:47 PM > > Subject: Re: [MBZ] OT - BUFF stuff for Ed > > > > > > > Great story Wilton! The BUFF really is the evergreen bomber, and a > pretty > > > good cargo plane too from the sounds of it. > > > > > > I have a site bookmarked that features pictures submitted by members of > > > various planes. Lots of pics of BUFFs on there too. Always sad to see > > one > > > being parted out, or scrapped. As far as operational costs go, the > BUFF > > is > > > probably pretty cheap. Do you see a similar design coming one day to > > > replace it, or will the current fleet continue on for several more > > decades? > > > > > > Thanks for the stories Wilton. > > > > > > Ed > > > 300E > > > > > > 2008/12/6 Wilton Strickland <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > > > MOVING IN THE BUFF by Wilton Strickland > > > > > > > > Several weeks after I arrived here at Seymour Johnson AFB, NC, I > learned > > > > that one of our crews was going to deliver a B-52G from our unit to > > Edwards > > > > AFB, CA, for a test crew there to fly a couple of times with ALCM's > (Air > > > > Launched Cruise Missiles) during a weekend as part of the missile > > > > development program. My wife and two sons were still living in a > little > > > > mountain village of Wrightwood about 45 minutes from Edwards. We had > > moved > > > > there while I was a Civil Engineer at George AFB and just before I > went > > to > > > > Greenland for a year. I wangled my way onto the flight to visit my > > family > > > > for a couple of days. > > > > > > > > SWMBO, Alice, picked me up at Edwards upon my arrival there on Friday > > > > afternoon and dropped me off there for the flight back to Seymour on > > Sunday > > > > afternoon. Because I was beginning to build a house here in North > > > > Carolina, > > > > I needed some of my tools and equipment from our home in California. > I > > > > brought several of those things back to NC with me in the BUFF: a > long > > > > aluminum extension ladder, a six-foot wooden step ladder, a radial > arm > > saw, > > > > a gas-driven rotary lawn mower (fuel tank was drained and vented), > > several > > > > boxes of assorted tools and lots of "stuff." > > > > > > > > To take my stuff out to the airplane at Edwards, we loaded it and the > > rest > > > > of the crew's baggage aboard an Air Force Suburban driven by the > Edwards > > > > crew. The long extension ladder was laid across the tops of the > seats > > and > > > > the dashboard for the short trip onto the flightline. One end of the > > > > ladder > > > > was touching the windshield; the other end was protruding slightly > from > > the > > > > rear of the vehicle. We warned all the guys on both crews, Edwards > and > > > > ours, "Don't close the rear doors. You may break the windshield by > > shoving > > > > the ladder into it." Sure enough, the last one of our crewmen to > put > > his > > > > baggage on the vehicle tried to close the rear doors, cracking the > > > > windshield, of course. 'Don't know how the Edwards crew explained > the > > > > cracked windshield when they turned in the vehicle. > > > > > > > > All of this stuff went very easily into the large open and > unpressurized > > > > area in the aft fuselage behind the aft main gear. All of it was > > strapped > > > > down very well and presented no problem at all for the BUFF. I could > > have > > > > brought back a lot more, but I was a bit shy to appear to be moving > my > > > > entire household in the BUFF. > > > > > > > > We sold the California house a couple of months later, Alice and the > > boys > > > > drove to North Carolina to join me, and the rest of my stuff was > moved > > in > > > > the conventional manner by van. > > > > > > > > Wilton > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________ > > > > http://www.okiebenz.com > > > > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > > > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > > > > > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > > > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > > > > > _______________________________________ > > > http://www.okiebenz.com > > > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > > > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > > > > _______________________________________ > > http://www.okiebenz.com > > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > > > > _______________________________________ > > http://www.okiebenz.com > > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
