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Military Air
Sembach Air Base, Page 2

My Son Gary Jr. by German Jet Trainer
garyjrgermantrainerjet.jpg
Day before the Sembach Air Base's Air Show, circa 1979

Sembach Air Show
sembachairshow.jpg
Sembach Air Base, Germany

OV-10A and snow
ov-10broncowinersembach.jpg
Winter at Sembach Air Base, West Germany

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Myself ready for flight
garyflightgear.jpg

I was one of two Propulsion Technicians that flew on Functional Check Flights (FCF). Whenever an aircraft had an engine changed or a major flight control work the aircraft was required to have a FCF performed on it before it was released back to its squadron for normal operations.
The requirements of a FCF made it necessary to put the aircraft through some tough flight maneuvers including, stalls, rolls, loops, dives, and to shutdown each turbo-prop engine in-flight and restart it again.  I remember we only returned to base once on one engine during a FCF.

Belgian Canel and shipping
belgiumcanelfromov-10a2.jpg
Taken from OV-10A

View during left banking turn
belgiumcanelfromov-10a3.jpg
Taken from OV-10A

Castle on forested hill top
castleonwoodedhill.jpg
Taken from OV-10A over Germany

NATO anti-aircraft missle site
natoanti-aircraftmisslesite.jpg
South Eastern Germany

View from co-pilots seat OV-10A
ov-10acockpitcopilotsview.jpg
Just after take-off from Sembach Air Base

Frankenstein Castle ruins on hill above road.
frankensteincastleonhill.jpg
I had seen the Frankenstein road sign and next time I flew got a pilot to fly over it for me.

OV-10A Bronco on Flightline (My Bird #785)
ov-10asembachabramp.jpg
Sembach Air Base, West Germany

OV-10 Bronco's on flightline
flightlineov-10s.jpg
Sembach Air Base, West Germany

Engine Maintenance Trim Box and aircraft
ov-10aenginemaintenancetrimbox.jpg
#1 engine cowling open for engine work

C-5A aircraft at Ramstein Air Base, West Germany
c-5ramstien.jpg
While out driving around snaped this shot circa 1981

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Myself just after flight
garyfrontofov-10a.jpg

FCF's could last only a few minutes if you incountered a serious problem requiring you to return to base, or an hour or two depending on how long the in flight checks took. Sometimes everything would go smooth and quick, leaving extra fuel to use before landing. This allowed for some flying around the countryside and made for some great photo opertunities. 
Pilots were used to the flying, but maintenance people like myself were sometimes surprized during a flight. Often the quick and violent flight maneuvers would catch your stomach off guard requiring you to reach for your air sickness bag. I believe the photo above might be after one of those flights!

Canel lined with trees
belgiumcanelfromov-10a.jpg

Castle on hill above German village
castleonhillabovevillage.jpg

German Castle with moat around it
castlewithmoataroundit.jpg
Part of moat water covered with bright green algie

German Tower
germantowertakenfromch-53chopper.jpg
Taken from a CH-53 Chopper

Flightline, Aircraft, Revetments, and Hanger
sembachflightlinehangers.jpg

Frankenstein Village Road Sign in winter.
frankensteinroadsign.jpg
"Mommy there really is a Frankenstein"

Air Show Team
airdemostrationteam.jpg

airdemostrationteam2.jpg
Ramstien Air Base, West Germany

Aircraft nose gear collapsed after landing
nosewheelcolapsed.jpg

airdemotean.jpg

Over the Rhine River
rhineriver.jpg

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