"Lumpy"

Our third Warbird Weekend was yet another rousing success, thanks to the hard work of the event staff, the sponsors, and a lot of unsung volunteers.  As usual, I joined a number of aviation enthusiasts in wandering around the parking ramp taking pictures, talking to the pilots, and in general drooling over the aircraft on display.  Unfortunately I seem to have a problem with my camera, as nearly three quarters of my pictures are either badly light streaked or out of focus.  (I will have a new camera next year!)  On the other hand, I ran into an old friend out there, and had the time of my life!

“Lumpy” is an AT-28D “Nomad”, a pilot training plane from the 1950’s, and after retiring from US service were modified in the 1960’s to be an armed light attack aircraft for use in the counter insurgency role.  For those of you who might be a bit confused by the name “Nomad” rather than “Trojan”, the T-28 series aircraft (A, B, and C models) were named the “Trojan”, while the armed “D” model variant was named the “Nomad”.  But the –28D certainly fits the name, as it’s most definitely a wanderer!  These planes served with the French Air Force in Algeria, where, adding to the confusion, they were called the Fennec.  Many were sent to the Congo during that unpleasantness.  Some were sent to the Philippines, while many others served with the air forces of South Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia during the Vietnam War.  The US Air Force retained quite a few AT-28D’s as well, where they operated as the famed “Zorro” Air Commando truck busters along the Ho Chi Minh trail.  (“Steel Tiger” to you vets.)

“Lumpy” was assigned to the Royal Lao Air Force, which is where I got into the act.  As an Air Commando, my assignment was to “Project 404”, in support the RLAF T-28 operation as an instructor, advisor, and doing whatever else needed doing.  (You haven’t lived until you try to teach a highly technical subject when you don’t speak the student’s language!)  Anyway, “Lumpy” was among sixty some AT-28’s, while I was one of many Air Commandos in the midst of the so-called “secret war” in Laos.  To make a long story short, “Lumpy” and I both survived  the war.  I came home, and “Lumpy” soldiered on, finally being evacuated to Thailand by a Lao pilot during those horrifying final days.  From there she somehow made her way to Australia for a few years, and was finally brought home to a well-earned retirement.  Nowadays several of those Lao AT-28D’s still survive and are flying in various countries, taking their rightful place in the Warbird lineup.

 

She showed up in Grangeville for our Warbird Weekend, complete with simulated guns and bombs, and flown by her current owner, Roger Collins of Woodinville, WA, and yes, it did take a few minutes to get my feet back on the ground.  Ron Morrell of Renton WA. showed up with his T-28A, (the shiniest T-28 I’ve ever seen), which made our part of the flight line quite interesting to a lot of people.  I managed to spend most of the weekend pestering Roger, discussing the Nomad operations in Laos with him, answering questions for a good many by-standers, and in general making a nuisance of myself.  Roger is an old USAF F-4 Phantom II driver who now flies because he enjoys flying.  Thus he could readily understand my excitement,  and tolerating my somewhat excessive exuberance, let me play Crew Chief once again, and even took me for a half hour ride in the old girl.  That certainly made my day!

I’ve often seen the “Old Guys” at airshows, seemingly lost in time as they stand almost reverently touching a particular warbird.  Now, as I’m reaching my twilight years, I guess I’ve become one of them, and can now understand them a lot better.  Those old guys aren’t lost, they’re remembering the days so long ago and often far away, when they and their aircraft took part in some earth shaking events.  To those of us who flew and fought in them, those old planes aren’t just a collection of nuts, bolts, rivets and sheet metal… they are living creations, each with it’s own character and personality… and our companions through some often terrifying experiences.

I’ll see you next year old friend.