# Salute to the ground crews



## evangilder (Nov 19, 2005)

I spent the day at the museum, helping the mechanics, moving airplanes, taking pictures and having fun! After a fairly active air show season, this year is no exception to the amount of work that takes place in the off season. People often see and enjoy these amazing airplanes but do not see the amazing amount of time spent by gentlemen such as these below. This is my salute to the wrench turners and support people who "keep 'em flying". These dedicated and meticulous guys put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into these machines, and all of them pictured below are volunteers. They don't do it for money, but for love of aviation and history. If you were to add up the amount of experience of all the folks in the pictures below, you would have hundreds of years! Most of these guys have 40+ years in aviation.

Gentlemen, I salute you and your efforts!


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## Nonskimmer (Nov 19, 2005)

All I can say is, thanks fellas. 
You're right, evan. Without the maintainers the birds don't fly, and volunteers are the best kind. They _want_ to be there.


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## FLYBOYJ (Nov 19, 2005)

Very Cool Eric


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## syscom3 (Nov 19, 2005)

Great pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Nov 20, 2005)

great work, you see, the english like their homely comforts, they even carpeted the wing of the spit


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## lesofprimus (Nov 20, 2005)

Excellent, excellent stuff eric.... 

U know, from WWI to WWII, to Korea and Vietnam, from Iraq to Afghanistan, ground crews have always gotten kudos for their dedicated and professional duty.... Pliots and commanding officers will at any chance expound on them and their irreplaceable service....

Hats off to all of them, and by them, there are a few guys here who share in this... Adler, Joe, Track.... It aint too hard to point a M-16 and shoot, but repairing an aircraft for flight ops is altogether a different bag....


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## evangilder (Nov 20, 2005)

Well said, Les. When you spend a day looking over the shoulders and listening to what is going on, it is quite an experience. At times it is like they are speaking a foreign language with the technical jargon.

Lanc, that's not carpet, that's non-skid matting. It serves a 2 fold purpose; it keeps the mechanics from slipping on the wing if their shoes are wet or have oil on them and it protects the wing from scratching and abrasions. Any airplane that they are working on will typically have that on it near where they are working.


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## Nonskimmer (Nov 20, 2005)

the lancaster kicks ass said:


> great work, you see, the english like their homely comforts, they even carpeted the wing of the spit


Still funny.


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## evangilder (Nov 20, 2005)

Well, it is a bit cushion-y, so it serves a third purpose too, I guess.


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## Gnomey (Nov 20, 2005)

Nice pics Eric.


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## plan_D (Nov 20, 2005)

Excellent pictures, Eric. And a good hats off to the mechanics and technicians.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Nov 20, 2005)

Great pics. You are 100% correct even!


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## Wildcat (Nov 20, 2005)

Great pics Even!


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## evangilder (Nov 21, 2005)

Thanks guys.


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## mosquitoman (Nov 21, 2005)

They're the guys who deserve the most praise but never get it


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## evangilder (Nov 21, 2005)

Yep, hence my salute to them.


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## FLYBOYJ (Nov 21, 2005)

Thanks Guys!! After reading all this I feel like timing Mags on a 2800!!!


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## Nonskimmer (Nov 21, 2005)

Do it! 
And as an aircraft maintainer yourself, I salute you too. 





God, that was corny!


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## Erich (Nov 21, 2005)

duh !

you'll find many a Luftwaffe pilot and his chief wart in pics indicating that special bond between the flier and the grounder, same goes for the US fly boyz during the war. Can't live without them ............. good job !

good stuff Eric

♫


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Nov 23, 2005)

That is what I love about the Army Helicopter comunity. Us Crewchiefs and Pilots have a real special bond. We are very close, pretty much like a family. I think it has to do with the fact that we all rely on each other so much. We fly into combat together. We rely on them to dodge the bullets and get us home safe, they rely on us defend them with our door guns and on top of that they rely on us to repair the aircraf so that they can fly it safely. They even ask us how they can help us when we are working on the helcopter trying to fix something. Hell out pilots even go to the local pub with us and drink beers on the weekends. They are great guys. 

It is maintainer and pilot harmony!


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