by Sam A.
The year was circa 1991. I was president of the Air Force Association in southern Colorado (an
independent, nonprofit, civilian aerospace organization that promotes public
understanding of aerospace power and national defense). As part of the thanks
for our support to the “Blue Suits,” we did what were called military affairs events.
For an event held at Dobbins AFB, we flew from Peterson AFB in Colorado Springs
to Dobbins. This was my first flight in a C-130 since my service in the US Army
in 1971. It was the first flight that I did not exit the plane from the door
while it was in the air, an odd feeling! And, this
aircraft was the oldest in the Colorado Air Guard’s inventory. We landed during
a tropical depression with about three inches of water on the runway. The pilot
put the aircraft on the numbers!
We did many things that week at Dobbins and
the Marietta facility. The most memorable was when we took delivery of a
"D" model C-130 for the Colorado Air Guard. I was allowed to be part
of the final walk down. The aircraft was perfect, even the sealant was perfect
and uniform. The new aircraft and military affairs team flew back to Peterson
AFB.
One of my final thoughts was that Lockheed
Martin might be a cool place to work. I left Boeing in 2001 and started at Skunk
Works® in Palmdale, California. Thanks C-130 team!
