The White Falcon - 03.03.1956, Blaðsíða 1

Crippled Globemaster Lands Safely Here

'56 Membership Drive
Launched By Red Cross
The 1956 Red Cross Drive for Keflavik Airport was
launched Monday, Feb. 27th, in a TFK-TV interview with
Field Director “Dusty” Miller. Conducting the interview
were 1st Lt. J. Quann, assistant project officer for the
drive and T/Sgt. Raymond L. Schmidt. TFK staff an-
nouncer.
--------------------During the interview, Mr. Miller
dwelt briefly with the 10 services
New Service Club
Director Arrives
Keflavik Airport’s Service Club
this week welcomed a new dir-
ector, with the arrival of Miss
Joyce Deller. The director for the
past 14 months, Miss Betty Corn-
well, leaves tomorrow for an as-
signment in the U.S.
Miss Deller, known to her
friends as “Rusty”, has been in
service club work for three years.
A native of Oregon City, Ore.,
she is a graduate of Oregon State
College. Finishing her schooling
with a BS degree in home econ-
omics, “Rusty” spent two years
teaching school in Maupin, Ore.
and Myrtle Creek, Ore.
Her first .two years in service
club work took her to Alaska. Her
three brothers were working in
Alaska at the time, and the four
spent a good deal of time hunting
bear, caribou and moose. An ar-
dent outdoorswoman, hunting and
fishing are among Miss Deller’s
popular hobbies.
Prior to her assignment to Ice-
land, Miss Deller spent a year
tour of duty at Guam.
Among her interesting exper-
iences, she recalls that her
teaching at a school for the
blind in Hawaii during the 1952
summer session was a most me-
morable occasion.
Places she has visited include:
Guam, Midway, Wake and the
Hawaiian islands, Alaska and
Canada. She has been over the
Alcan highway twice, once in the
springtime and again in fall, dur-
ing the two years she spent in
Alaska.
About her assignment here,
“Rusty” said, “I am very pleased
with the club. It is much more
than I expected.”
offered by the American Red
Cross. He pointed out that 41%
of the Red Cross funds are used
for armed forces personnel. Mr.
Miller also noted that the goal
set for the 1956 campaign is 90
million dollars.
The American people are being
asked to give more in 1956 than
they have in the past 10 years.
The increase was made necessary
by a series of tornadoes, hurri-
canes, and floods, including the
current Western States Floods
Operation, costing ARC an all-
time record of 27 million dollars
for emergency relief and recovery
after the emergency in behalf
of thousands of families and
small business people—and the
second half of the fiscal year
has barely begun.
In conjunction with the Red
Cross campaign, Keflavik Airport
will hold a benefit drawing, the
prizes for which will include: a
European, 2 door, rear engine
sedan; tape recorder; portable
radio; 8 MM movie camera; wrist
watch; two $25 gift certificates
and a pair of binoculars.
Project officer for the Red Cross
campaign is Maj. John O. Toliver.
Call For Donors
Gets Fast Reply
Response to an emergency call
for blood donors at the 1400th
USAF Hospital on Tuesday, Feb.
21, was termed “excellent” by
Capt. Edward W. Morris, hospital
adjutant.
The emergency call for donors
was aired over TFK—radio at 10
a.m. on Feb. 21 and by noon, the
hospital already had 7 pints of
blood from donors.
The blood needed was a rare
category, type B negative. It
was needed to help replace blood
being lost by Cpl. Joseph Bednar,
86th Field Artillery Battalion,
2nd BCT. The patient, suffering
from internal bleeding, is now
well on his way to recovery,
thanks to the generous response
of military and civilian volunteer
donors.
Shortly after the emergency call
was aired, the hospital was
swamped with phone calls. Many
volunteered their blood, but only
seven were found with the ac-
ceptable rare type.
Valuable Asset
Time is your most valuable
asset. Make good use of your
time. Sign up today for one of
the many high school, college,
group study or self study courses
available to you through your
Base Education Center. The edu-
cation office is located in Bldg.
SP-626; phone 35W.
The campaign will last through-
out the month of March.
Rabbit for a Chaser
De Smet, S. D. (AFPS)—Traffic
violators come up with the zaniest
excuses. A man was fined $10
here recently for driving on the
wrong side of the road. He told
the judge he was chasing a rabbit.
Opportunity
The past went fast! Are you
prepared for the future? An op-
portunity for self-improvement is
available at your Base Education
Center, Bldg. SP-626. College and
high school level courses are being
offered now. For further informa-
tion, phone 35W.
Two Engines Fail On C-124
Crew Dumps Cargo Into Sea
Ordering his crew to dump more than 18,000 pounds of
cargo overboard, a C-124 “Globemaster” aircraft com-
mander was able to guide his huge craft to a safe landing
at Keflavik Airport last Friday night after “feathering”
two bad engines while still more than 300 miles out over
the sea.
As the mass cargo throwaway
was progressing, a swift alert
scramble by the 53d Air Rescue
Squadron enabled two radar—e—
quipped SC-54 “Rescuemasters”
to intercept the crippled craft in
less than an hour after the original
distress call.
The “Globemaster”, largest
operational transport in service
today, was enroute from Goose
Bay, Labrador to Prestwick, Scot-
land after leaving its stateside
base at Robins AFB, Georgia.
When one engine Jailed 400 miles
southwest of Iceland, Capt Ro-
land Cornwall, aircraft com-
mander, immediately turned the
big plane towards Keflavik al-
though the C-124 was still
maintaining its normal altitude
on three engines.
A short time later, however, the
number one engine also had to
be “feathered” and the heavily-
laden “workhorse” gradually be-
gan to lose altitude.
Capt Cornwall immediately or-
dered that all removable cargo
and equipment be dumped to
lessen weight. Meanwhile, the
plane’s radio sent out a steady
“Mayday” international distress
signal, asking for any available
help if the crew would have to
ditch in the rough and icy North
Atlantic.
The lower decks of the multi-
leveled giant bustled with activ-
ity as crew members threw every
removable piece of equipment over-
board, including the freight elev-
ator located in the belly of the
plane just behind the wing. The
hoist was released through the
trap doors beneath it, which nor-
mally serve as a ready access way
for cargo to the plane’s gaping
interior.
Twenty-one minutes after the
first distress signal had been
sounded, the first of the 53d’s
rescue craft was in the air, ra-
pidly closing the distance bet-
ween itself and the stricken
plane.
The “Globemaster” finally le-
veled out of its gradual descent
and with nothing more to throw
into the dark ocean below, the
crew huddled at their ditching
stations after donning exposure
suits.
Everyone was silent and anxious
as .the long minutes ticked away
and the remaining two “good”
engines throbbed along at max-
imum power, propelling the craft
towards safety at 140 knots-per-
hour.
First relief from the anxiety
came as one of the two SC-54s;
commanded by Capt Vernon Har-
disty, “homed” in on the crippled
cargo plane. The second SC-54,
Commanded by Capt Lawrence W.
King, approached a few minutes
later. The “Globemaster’s crew
knew if they did ditch, sturdy
ARK life rafts would be dropped
seconds after they hit the water.
The rescue planes would then
circle the area until helicopters
arrived.
Ditching wasn’t necessary,
however, and the plane roared on.
Ninety miles out, the crew
sensed the lumbering craft would
return them safely to terra-
firma, but another harrowing
problem was still to be faced
as the crew’s cheers quieted.
As the “Globemaster” closed in
on Keflavik, escorted by its two
guides, weather dictated a GCA
landing had to be made. On the
first run, however, the nose land-
ing gear stuck and failed to drop
into place, necessitating a second
approach on only two engines.
The crew worked frantically on
the jammed gear until it was
finally free and in place.
As the “Globemaster’s” giant
tires squealed protestingly on first
contact with Keflavik’s long run-
way, a cumulative sigh of relief
was heard from all corners—in
the plane, in the air and on the
ground.
Sixteen lives and a multi-
million dollar airplane were
saved—thanks to the cool-headed
thinking of the veteran aircraft
commander; a superb ditching
effort by his crew; the exper-
ience and safety that is built in-
to American airplanes, keeping
them airborne when others would
have failed; and the ever-vigil-
ant eye of the Air Rescue Serv-
ice.
Smooching ‘Barred’
Oklahoma City (AFPS) -— Kiss-
ing has been “barred” for prison-
ers at the city jail here. The police
inspector was shocked recently
when he sauntered into the jail
lounge and found some of the in-
mates “smooching” with wives
and sweethearts. From now on
visitors will be separated by jail
bars.
Bowlers Wanted
Do you have your bowl-
ing ball here? Do you have
an average of 170 or above?
Are you interested in form-
ing a base bowling team to
compete in the NEAC
tournament later this month?
If so, please contact Sgt
Pearce at 271 during duty
hours.