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trof

(54,255 posts)
Sun Oct 12, 2014, 06:35 PM Oct 2014

50th Pilot Training Class Reunion in Dallas. I didn't visit the W. lie-berry.

Started to post this in Lounge, but thought it might be GD material.

Miz t. and I just attended the 50th anniversary reunion of my USAF pilot training class. We had our wings pinned on in October of 1964 at Vance AFB, Enid, Oklahoma. Many of the guys I had not seen for all of those 50 years.

From our original class of 32, we lost 8 in Southeast Asia.
SAM fodder.
Bummer. And for many wrong reasons.


On Friday we toured Southwest Airlines.
Our tour guide was a guy in our class who was their very first chief pilot. They had three airplanes.

Boy, was that a leap of faith for him to sign on to this fledgling airline.

We enjoyed seeing their state-of-the-art B-737 flight simulators and the absolutely AMAZING Network Operations Center (NOC).
http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Exclusive-Inside-Look-at-SWA-New-Network-Operations-Control-Center-265306411.html

The NOC, among many other things, monitors 'social media' (facebook, twitter, etc.) for problems cropping up in the system. Any post that mentions Southwest is viewed on scrolling screens in the NOC complex because social media is where they show up first.
Brilliant!

Saturday the group was scheduled to tour the George W. Bush Presidential Library.
Miz t. and I declined.
We couldn't stomach it.

You should understand that we were blue dots in a sea of red. Many of our guys were career Air Force. A couple made general.
It's a VERY conservative bunch.

Schadenfreude:
The group had paid in advance for lunch at the library. The staff member contracted with 'forgot' to schedule it. The restaurant was full.
So...no lunch for you 70 somethings (and your wives), members of the same branch of service as the former SCOTUS sElected pResident, here on a very special occasion.



We did enjoy it. It was a lot of fun telling war stories and just catching up.
trof



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50th Pilot Training Class Reunion in Dallas. I didn't visit the W. lie-berry. (Original Post) trof Oct 2014 OP
A year after you at Moody. Downwinder Oct 2014 #1
Lovely Selma, Alabama. trof Oct 2014 #2
I didn't know I could have requested Williams. Downwinder Oct 2014 #3
Bush burns military again! Ilsa Oct 2014 #4

trof

(54,255 posts)
2. Lovely Selma, Alabama.
Sun Oct 12, 2014, 06:52 PM
Oct 2014

I was an ALANG guard troop.
My buddy from the same guard unit (Birmingham, 106th TRS) was at Moody about a year ahead of you.
He was born and raised in Tuscaloosa, joined the guard in B'ham, and they sent him to Moody for UPT.

He said ??? I at least thought I'd get out of Alabama.

Downwinder

(12,869 posts)
3. I didn't know I could have requested Williams.
Sun Oct 12, 2014, 07:05 PM
Oct 2014

They were having a drought in the Okefenokee, i had never seen so much rain. Came through Selma coming and going.

Ilsa

(61,675 posts)
4. Bush burns military again!
Sun Oct 12, 2014, 07:59 PM
Oct 2014

Yeah, that's pretty funny about their lunch not making. I wonder how long they have to wait for the refunds.

Congrats on your landmark anniversary!

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