Mind if I borrow that F-86?

[Stonewall]

Back when enlisted crew chiefs taxied aircraft, one Airman got a little carried away on a high speed taxi down the runway and took a little joy ride in an F-86. Great read.

Link to story.

Before the evening shift's work could be signed off on, the mechanics had to perform a functional check, to be followed the next morning by a pilot's flight check.

Donning his headset, Johnson called the control tower, manned by Airman First Class Theodore Davis Jr., who cleared him to taxi to the run-up area. A few minutes later, after the engine check, Johnson called again and asked for permission to use the runway for a high-speed taxi test—a common procedure after any work on the brakes or nosewheel.

"My intentions were still just to do a high-speed taxi," Johnson recalled. "I never had a conscious intention to fly that airplane. The nose lifts off the runway at about 105 knots [120 mph]. As I approached 105, I could feel the nose getting light, and I thought I would just wait a few more seconds to see if I could feel the plane getting light on the main gear. The few seconds passed, and I just didn't think I had enough room to stop. I wasn't thinking about being in trouble. I was thinking about maintaining climb airspeed, and when I was in a definite climb, I retracted the landing gear. 

[Critical AOA]

One of those "That's my story and I'm sticking to it" moments in life.

[a2capt]

I kinda wonder .. if he had actually stopped the thing, and steered it off the runway, would he have gotten the flight training slot   .. had done more than they told him to ...

[Майор Хаткевич]

I kinda wonder .. if he had actually stopped the thing, and steered it off the runway, would he have gotten the flight training slot   .. had done more than they told him to ...

Said that he actually had a damaged eye, so who knows.

This story, mentioned in the comments seems even more fascinating:

[Strick]

That was a good read....could not imagine if somethinglike that happend today with a f-16 or F15.

[NIN]

I'm trying to remember the exact year, I think it was early 1988, we woke up early one morning to rumors of a OV-1D Mohawk crash at the airfield we were at in Korea.

A bunch of us skedaddled down to the company area to see we could spot wreckage, etc, and the story started to morph.

Not an OV-1, but a UH-60 and it had been "stolen" by a drunk crew chief at our sister maintenance unit and subsequently crashed.

The story that finally came out was that this fellow had wanted to go home from Korea, got drunk, saw the logbook and aircraft keys in the key box in the barracks (my question: What was the CQ doing?), took the keys and booked for the airfield.  Word is he got it fired up OK, pulled pitch and wound up inverted over the "swamp" near the intersection of our shared ramp and the taxiway, at which time he supposedly jumped out.  the aircraft crashed into the swamp and he was found nearby none the worse for wear.

I saw what remained of the UH-60 after they pulled it out of the swamp.  The recognizable parts on the flatbed were the main rotor mast and hub, and the nose door with the instrument panel attached.  And one landing gear leg.

Word was that he was court-martialed and sent to Leavenworth.

ETA: Found it. http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=77635  It was about a week before I went home on mid-tour, so I missed all the action surrounding the guy's disposition.

[MSG Mac]

Don't forget the guy who stole a chopper over New Years, from Ft Mead during the Nixon administration and tried to fly it to the White House.

[FlyTiger77]

...A bunch of us skedaddled down to the company area to see we could spot wreckage, etc, and the story started to morph.

Not an OV-1, but a UH-60 and it had been "stolen" by a drunk crew chief at our sister maintenance unit and subsequently crashed.

When I was the XO of the sister maintenance unit in 1992, I still had a copy of the Report of Survey in my desk drawer where the Soldier was held liable for $7,000,000+ for the loss.

[NIN]

When I was the XO of the sister maintenance unit in 1992, I still had a copy of the Report of Survey in my desk drawer where the Soldier was held liable for $7,000,000+ for the loss.

You were the XO of 45th Trans? (well, probably not called 45th Trans by then.  Like E Co 2/52nd Avn or some crap) That's AWESOME!

[a2capt]

So if that guy ever won the Powerball, wrote a book, or made a movie deal and it flew, he's got this thing haunting him forever.

[FlyTiger77]

When I was the XO of the sister maintenance unit in 1992, I still had a copy of the Report of Survey in my desk drawer where the Soldier was held liable for $7,000,000+ for the loss.

You were the XO of 45th Trans? (well, probably not called 45th Trans by then.  Like E Co 2/52nd Avn or some crap) That's AWESOME!

Yep, as a brand-new 1LT, I took over as the XO of A Company, 3/501st AV Regiment. It was a great job in a great unit.

[bosshawk]

K-16?  Or Pyontaek?

[NIN]

K-16?  Or Pyontaek?

Pyongtaek. (K-6)

[bosshawk]

Ah, yes: K-6.  Been there when I flew out of the old K-16 in Seoul.  Also was there for the Mohawk retirement in Sep 96.  Sure had gotten bigger and busier than I knew in 63-64.

[Critical AOA]

I was in the 45th Trans in 1983-84 at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek. Interesting times.

[NIN]

I was in the 45th Trans in 1983-84 at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek. Interesting times.

I was right next door in the 213th, 1986 to 1989.

[FlyTiger77]

I was in the 45th Trans in 1983-84 at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek. Interesting times.

I was right next door in the 213th, 1986 to 1989.

By the time I got to Korea, all of the units were regimentally affiliated. Was the 213th the Innkeepers (CH-47)?

One thing about Korea is that the flying was good. I first became a PIC with the Flying Tigers. My callsign was Tiger 77.

[NIN]

I was in the 45th Trans in 1983-84 at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek. Interesting times.

I was right next door in the 213th, 1986 to 1989.

By the time I got to Korea, all of the units were regimentally affiliated. Was the 213th the Innkeepers (CH-47)?

One thing about Korea is that the flying was good. I first became a PIC with the Flying Tigers. My callsign was Tiger 77.

Blackcats, not Inbreeders, er, Innkeepers.   Who nicknames their company after a bunch of maids, anyway?

Sadly, about mid-1988 the 213th became "A Co, 2/501st Avn" and subsequently "A Co, 2/52nd Avn" (and subsequently was deactivated and reactivated at Fort Hood as B Co, 2/227).  Disliked the loss of identity and lineage associated with the whole regimental realignment.

[Critical AOA]

I remember the 213th Blackcats.  If I recall correctly, when I was in the Camp Humphreys Sport Parachute Club, a couple of our members were in the 213th.   I had a lot of fun while there.

[FlyTiger77]

I remember the 213th Blackcats.  If I recall correctly, when I was in the Camp Humphreys Sport Parachute Club, a couple of our members were in the 213th.   I had a lot of fun while there.

I had the chance to carry sport parachutists up in my Huey-bago a couple of times in Korea. Once was on Easter and the second was over Camp Hialeah (now closed) in Pusan (now Busan). The Huey was not happy at 10,000 feet even on a cold day. Two-hundred pound skydivers unloading unevenly out both doors just added to the fun.