![]() Unfortunately for Self, every time he changed units he had to lose a rank in order for his new unit to administratively accept him. Then they closed down the Big Crow program, and I had to go back to C-130s at Rhode Island and at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado,” Self said. “Every time I switched aircraft I had to go back to school for training. ![]() These planes were also used as a target simulator for testing the Boeing YAL-1 Airborne Laser. “After that, I started a new life and became a full-time reservist with the Big Crow program at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, working as a KC-135 flight engineer.”īig Crow is the name of two NKC-135 test-bed aircraft, which are heavily-modified KC-135s used for electronic warfare testing. “Then that unit went away and got C-17s, and they don’t have flight engineers,” Self said. He became a trained flight engineer in the C-130 Hercules. To remain in Hawaii, he took a part-time air national guard position at a unit that had C-130s at Hickam. But after some time, his unit at Travis AFB wanted him to come to California. He trained to be a C-5 flight engineer and managed to stay in Hawaii. He then became an Air Force Reserve C-5 Galaxy mechanic at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, which had a sister unit at Travis AFB, California, that had C-5 flight engineers. ![]() The Army also eliminated the flying-sergeant career field to make way for junior officers to fly in the second seat of OH-6s. “But then special operations took them – took all the OH-6s and painted them black, so I’m out of a job,” Self said. The unit in Rhode Island was deactivated, so Self went back to Hawaii to continue flying in OH-6s. That’s beautiful flying, I loved it,” Self said.īut as Self would see – and what would become a common theme in his career – changes in the military every few years would change his role, too. We would pop up, radio coordinates to artillery and pop back down. “We would fly really low with the doors off. He would fly in OH-6 Hughes Cayuse Light Observation Helicopters as a “flying sergeant.” He joined the Rhode Island Army National Guard where he served as an aeroscout observer and helicopter mechanic. But the urge to fly brought him back to the military. After a four-year term, he returned to his birthplace of Rhode Island to complete college. He first became interested in aviation in the Marines when he was a helicopter crew chief stationed in Hawaii. But over the years the technology has improved and the systems in the airplane have gone to computers, so they have taken engineers and navigators out.” “Maybe 15 years ago they had a flight engineer on the KC-135 and even a navigator. “The flight engineer runs the fuel panel, watches the systems and is a technical advisor to all the pilots,” Self said. He said the love of flying is what has kept him going, but with advances in technology, the role of flight engineer has been decreasing over several aircraft platforms. With 34-and-a-half years of military service, 26 on active duty, Self has had a diverse set of assignments. Marine Corps in November of 1978 and will wrap up his military career next month as a full-time Air Force reservist with the 370th Flight Test Squadron. These stories focus on individual Airmen, highlighting their Air Force story.)Īfter a career that has spanned almost four decades, the last Air Force flight engineer for the KC-135 Stratotanker is set to retire at Edwards Air Force Base. (AFNS) - (This feature is part of the " Through Airmen's Eyes" series.
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