It was the year 1970 and I was 30 at the time. I was a member of the 14th Military Airlift Squadron. I had been assigned to the 63rd Military Airlift Squadron at Norton Air Force Base in California. I had served as an aircraft commander, navigator in the C 130, and had spent a year in Vietnam. Upon return, I was assigned to the C141, or Starlifter. The C141 has a gross weight of 325,000 pounds. At that weight, the airplane does not move without advancing throttle, so you know it is heavy. I was a captain and regularly flew from the West Coast to Vietnam carrying personnel and supplies as directed by MAC. My routes typically transmitted Hickam AFB to Hawaii, Midway, Wake Island, Guam, Clark AFB, Okinawa (Japan), Korea, and all large institutions
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Standard runways are ten thousand or more. The C141 had 80,000 pounds of cargo putting it at the limiting weight of the airframe. With the Pacific heat, and heavy aircraft, I would use about seven-thousand-five hundred feet of runway. Midway is also home to the Albatross, commonly known as the “gooney bird.” They range all over the Pacific but land in Midway, and can stay airborne for nine months. They have a twenty to twenty-five pound body and an eight foot wingspan. They are protected by the National Audubon Society. Gooney birds are rarely an issue because they do not like noise. However, on this particular day, with a particularly stubborn bird, the gooney bird caused quite a commotion.
I woke up that morning, refueled, and got ready for takeoff. Green flight suit, check; black boots, check; aviator sunglasses, check. I had planned to take off, get some coffee, cruise eight hours, stay in Cameron Bay overnight, and go home the next day. Unfortunately, these plans were quickly spoiled. The crew and I were all ready for takeoff, but there was a gray and white gooney bird on the runway. It had its wings straight out and was slowly swaying with the breeze. It was rather content soaking up the thermal heat being reflected off the
Standard runways are ten thousand or more. The C141 had 80,000 pounds of cargo putting it at the limiting weight of the airframe. With the Pacific heat, and heavy aircraft, I would use about seven-thousand-five hundred feet of runway. Midway is also home to the Albatross, commonly known as the “gooney bird.” They range all over the Pacific but land in Midway, and can stay airborne for nine months. They have a twenty to twenty-five pound body and an eight foot wingspan. They are protected by the National Audubon Society. Gooney birds are rarely an issue because they do not like noise. However, on this particular day, with a particularly stubborn bird, the gooney bird caused quite a commotion.
I woke up that morning, refueled, and got ready for takeoff. Green flight suit, check; black boots, check; aviator sunglasses, check. I had planned to take off, get some coffee, cruise eight hours, stay in Cameron Bay overnight, and go home the next day. Unfortunately, these plans were quickly spoiled. The crew and I were all ready for takeoff, but there was a gray and white gooney bird on the runway. It had its wings straight out and was slowly swaying with the breeze. It was rather content soaking up the thermal heat being reflected off the