Lightning Strikes C-141 (Mike)

Mike - My father was an F-86 pilot in the Korean war and flew the C-141 for a short time before he got out in hopes of using that experience to get an airline job when he got out. He used to call it "Old Shaky" and recalls a time flying over New Mexico when he saw cars on the highway below him going faster than he was (that might've been a stretch of the truth). Anyway, his name is Bill West and he is 79 years old this year. Just curious if there was an outside chance you knew him. Paul West Adventure Kwest '80 Cal 39 In a message dated 4/14/2010 8:52:34 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, mi… [at] wahini.org writes: Lightning can do many strange things. While I was flying as Flight Engineer on a C-141, a USAF cargo plane, we encountered a couple thunderstorms in the middle of Texas. We split the difference between the two storm cells. We had plenty of room to fly through when there was a sudden, blinding "FLASH!" and a little "bzzt!". We were hit by lightning. I quickly assessed all systems and a walkaround inside and it seemed the only damage was that it knocked out our radar, but upon landing, we found that it penetrated through the nose making a tiny pinhole and 1 inch of soft fiberglass around it. The strike then led into the radome and fried the circuitry before jumping to the aircraft frame where it traveled unimpeded and not affecting anything until the tail. At the tail of a C-141, way up on the end, is a navigation light assembly that weighs about 50 lbs. When I did my post flight walk-around, I found that part missing from our tail. The lightning had blown it completely off. The pilot had to file a "Dropped Object Report" and some farmer in Texas is wondering how it ended up in his field. On a side note, the airplane had static eliminators on the trailing edges of the wings and elevator. You could sometimes see them working at night discharging little sparks. They didn't seem to help in the above instance. Maybe if we flew with copper cable hanging out the back...:-s Mike On 4/14/2010 4:40 AM, Gerald Sobel wrote: --- On Tue, 4/13/10, Allen Edwards <al… [at] allen.edwards@all> wrote: From: Allen Edwards <al… [at] allen.edwards@all> Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Ground wires To: Cal_Boats@yahoogrouTo: Date: Tuesday, April 13, 2010, 5:42 PM What I kind of remember reading is that when lightening strikes it goes down your rigging, finds the lowest resistance path to the water, then blows out a 6 inch hole around that conductor. Then you sink. By then you are probably dead so it doesn't matter. Allen, now that you mention it, I can remember being taught the "Dead Man's float" as one of the first swimming techniques; if we are struck by lightening, and we become dead, that swimming technique would certainly come in handy! And best of all, it works whether or not you are wearing a PFD! My question is this; wouldn't attaching a large diameter copper cable to the base of your mast and trailing it overboard kinda encourage lightening to strike the top of your mast, for the same reason you' re not supposed to take shelter from the rain at the base of the tallest tree in the middle of a golf course (or open field, if there is no golf course nearby) during a thunderstorm? Also, would it help to jump overboard and look for a school of great white sharks for protection during said thunderstorm, since it is often said, "you have a better chance of being killed by a lightening strike than being killed by a shark attack?" And does this also have something to do with another saying, about "the bark being worse than the bite?". Jerry

Paul, I have flown with a lot of people since USAF cargo aircraft didn't have dedicated crews in the late 80's - mid 90's, I bet he got out before my time. Sorry. However, when I flew on C-130's, during training missions we would sometimes get caught up in a stiff headwind and we could see the cars on the freeway making better speed over ground so your dads' story could well be not exaggerated at all. If you called "BS!" on him for this story, you owe him a beer in humble apology. :-) As for sailing content; the training I received from the USAF in the physics of aerodynamics and how to fix shtuff have helped me understand how to make a sail fly better and how to spin a wrench when needed. Mike On 4/14/2010 12:55 PM, pw… [at] aol.com wrote: > > > Mike - > > My father was an F-86 pilot in the Korean war and flew the C-141 for a > short time before he got out in hopes of using that experience to get > an airline job when he got out. He used to call it "Old Shaky" and > recalls a time flying over New Mexico when he saw cars on the highway > below him going faster than he was (that might've been a stretch of > the truth). > > Anyway, his name is Bill West and he is 79 years old this year. Just > curious if there was an outside chance you knew him. > > Paul West > Adventure Kwest > '80 Cal 39 >

mike wrote: > > > > As for sailing content; the training I received from the USAF in the > physics of aerodynamics and how to fix shtuff have helped me > understand how to make a sail fly better and how to spin a wrench when > needed. I was talking to a neighbor the other day. He had steamed some dents out of a wooden surface. I told him the name of the guy who had taught me that--my 7th & 8th grade shop teacher. Your WHAT???, you say? What's a "shop teacher?" It's an unknown creature these days, and the world is worse off for it. Mr. Sonnevil taught me lots of things and I think of him every time I use the knowledge. Then there was the mechanic at the Olds garage that let me watch him work on my Dad's cars, tolerating my presence & my questions. Or the kindly neighbor with the wood shop. Thank you, Mr. Phillips, now long departed. I learned so much from them. The guy with the next boat in the boat barn said he was going home last weekend to change the exhaust system on his car. I allowed as how that's one chore I'm happy to hire out, but I change my own oil so I can keep tabs on the vehicles. He hires that one out. But there are fewer people these days who feel comfortable with a wrench in hand. Maybe that's why I like sailors--most of us have at least some rudimentary skills in fixing and maintaining things. It makes life easier to navigate. Chris Campbell

I have very fond memories of anyone and everyone who has helped me understand the value of making things and maintaining both the things we have with and the tools that you work with. I had a great metal shop teacher (found my brass match stick holder for the fireplace when I cleaned out my Dad's house) and my Dad was a fanatic about proper maintenance of the house and grounds. I worked my way through college by working in my Dad's body shop and Paul Arkitin (veteran of WWII and Korea) was my most ardent teacher. A job would come in and Paul would sit down, light his pipe and gaze at the car for about a half hour. Then he would get to work. Most people thought he was the slowest worker in the shop, but I wondered?? I asked him what he was doing and he would reply, "I am figuring out how this car was hit so that I can reverse the damage and the forces!" He also had a philosophy of excellence. I once asked him why he worked another hour getting a kink out of a frame when he had matched the alignment and could cover the kink with undercoat. He looked at me and said, "But, I will always know the defect is there, whether anyone else does or not!" Wise words. Turns out that Paul, with his slow methods, had the lowest return rate of anyone in the shop and made the most money! Not to mention earned our shop a reputation of excellence. My Dad always gave him bonuses and he stayed with us until Parkinson's took him. About that same time, I read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." (My favorite book of all time!) The philosophy of the book fit with what my grandfather, Colonel Donald L. Dutton told me -- "If your name is on the job, make it the best work you know how to do. If you don't like the company -- quit! But, don't ever leave shoddy work done in your name because you are unhappy with a boss or your pay!!" I happened to take the book literally and took my own "Chautauqua" and rode my 400cc Honda Hawk across this country for 21 days and 8000 miles camping the whole way. And I carried tools and adjusted the timing belt, chain, and changed the oil at every required interval. Sold that bike with 50,000 miles and no re-build. Few believed me. I didn't care because I knew it was true and knew Paul would know, too! My second "Chautauqua" was the crossing of the Gulf of Mexico on my Cal 33-2 that I have already mentioned. Six and a half days of pure reliance on your own skills, resources, and quality of work to both keep you alive and keep the boat working at it's best potential. I still change my own oil on both cars and boat and do most maintenance on my home, gardens, boat and/or cars myself as I can tell most of you do as well. It helps add to the enjoyment of each. And, as my Dad, Grandfathers, and good-old Paul did, I try to pass the attitude down to my children. Given their performances to date I believe it is working! However, just like your neighbor who will change an exhaust system -- messy, dirty, tough job -- but, will not change his own oil, there are jobs that just don't fit me and I avoid if I can help it. I can do sheetrock well, but would much rather pay someone to float it for me than do it myself. Yet I don't mind sanding the bottom paint on the boat. Don't quite know why, it is just one of those things that makes me who I am. A sailor at heart! Don Dutton, 1986 Cal 33-2, "Quantum Evolution" "Twenty Years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the things you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." ........Mark Twain From: Chris Campbell <cl… [at] charterinternet.com> To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Wed, April 14, 2010 11:26:07 AM Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Lightning Strikes C-141 (Paul) mike wrote: > > >>As for sailing content; the training I received from the USAF in the >physics of aerodynamics and how to fix shtuff have helped me understand >how to make a sail fly better and how to spin a wrench when needed. > I was talking to a neighbor the other day. He had steamed some dents out of a wooden surface. I told him the name of the guy who had taught me that--my 7th & 8th grade shop teacher. Your WHAT???, you say? What's a "shop teacher?" It's an unknown creature these days, and the world is worse off for it. Mr. Sonnevil taught me lots of things and I think of him every time I use the knowledge. Then there was the mechanic at the Olds garage that let me watch him work on my Dad's cars, tolerating my presence & my questions. Or the kindly neighbor with the wood shop. Thank you, Mr. Phillips, now long departed. I learned so much from them. The guy with the next boat in the boat barn said he was going home last weekend to change the exhaust system on his car. I allowed as how that's one chore I'm happy to hire out, but I change my own oil so I can keep tabs on the vehicles. He hires that one out. But there are fewer people these days who feel comfortable with a wrench in hand. Maybe that's why I like sailors--most of us have at least some rudimentary skills in fixing and maintaining things. It makes life easier to navigate. Chris Campbell

Donald Dutton wrote: > > He looked at me and said, "But, I will always know the defect is > there, whether anyone else does or not!" Wise words. Turns out that > Paul, with his slow methods, had the lowest return rate of anyone in > the shop and made the most money! Not to mention earned our shop a > reputation of excellence. My Dad always gave him bonuses and he > stayed with us until Parkinson's took him. > > About that same time, I read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle > Maintenance." (My favorite book of all time!) The philosophy of the > book fit with what my grandfather, Colonel Donald L. Dutton told me -- > "If your name is on the job, make it the best work you know how to > do. If you don't like the company -- quit! But, don't ever leave > shoddy work done in your name because you are unhappy with a boss or > your pay!!" This is a good goal, but there are times when compromise is appropriate. My other boat will have her 50th season this year, so she is old as boats go. There are some imperfections, and my maintenance jobs are not always perfect. The boat has taught me to live with the concept of "good enough." I still aim for perfection, but settle for good enough. If perfection must be attained, she'll never get in the water. Sanding on the bottom of the Cal 20 last night, I aimed for "good enough" and attained it. Not perfect, but better than delaying the sailing season to find perfection. On the other boat, I settled for one coat of varnish on the mast this year, and then when I found a few holidays in the brushwork the next day, I cheated and just touched them up. The 15-foot rule will protect me. And I'll have time for other important chores, and she'll still be the prettiest vessel in the marina. However, just like your neighbor who will change an exhaust system -- messy, dirty, tough job -- but, will not change his own oil, there are jobs that just don't fit me and I avoid if I can help it. I can do sheetrock well, but would much rather pay someone to float it for me than do it myself. Yet I don't mind sanding the bottom paint on the boat. In Michigan it's drywall, and I can do perfection pretty well on that chore. I'll sand your drywall and you sand my boat's bottom, OK? Chris Campbell

On Apr 14, 2010, at 1:03 PM, Donald Dutton wrote: > > I have very fond memories of anyone and everyone who has helped me > understand the value of making things and maintaining both the > things we have with and the tools that you work with. I had a great > metal shop teacher (found my brass match stick holder for the > fireplace when I cleaned out my Dad's house) and my Dad was a > fanatic about proper maintenance of the house and grounds. I worked > my way through college by working in my Dad's body shop and Paul > Arkitin (veteran of WWII and Korea) was my most ardent teacher. A > job would come in and Paul would sit down, light his pipe and gaze > at the car for about a half hour. Then he would get to work. Most > people thought he was the slowest worker in the shop, but I wondered?? > > I asked him what he was doing and he would reply, "I am figuring out > how this car was hit so that I can reverse the damage and the > forces!" He also had a philosophy of excellence. I once asked him > why he worked another hour getting a kink out of a frame when he had > matched the alignment and could cover the kink with undercoat. He > looked at me and said, "But, I will always know the defect is there, > whether anyone else does or not!" Wise words. Turns out that Paul, > with his slow methods, had the lowest return rate of anyone in the > shop and made the most money! Not to mention earned our shop a > reputation of excellence. My Dad always gave him bonuses and he > stayed with us until Parkinson's took him. > > About that same time, I read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle > Maintenance." (My favorite book of all time!) The philosophy of the > book fit with what my grandfather, Colonel Donald L. Dutton told me > -- "If your name is on the job, make it the best work you know how > to do. If you don't like the company -- quit! But, don't ever leave > shoddy work done in your name because you are unhappy with a boss or > your pay!!" I happened to take the book literally and took my own > "Chautauqua" and rode my 400cc Honda Hawk across this country for 21 > days and 8000 miles camping the whole way. And I carried tools and > adjusted the timing belt, chain, and changed the oil at every > required interval. Sold that bike with 50,000 miles and no re- > build. Few believed me. I didn't care because I knew it was true > and knew Paul would know, too! You would like Neville Shute's book "Round the Bend." Shute was an aeronautical engineer who had his own company for a while in the 30s. He was also a sailor and wrote one of the best sailing novels, called "Trustee From the Toolroom." Round the Bend has been compared to Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance for years. Mike Kennedy All of Shute's novels are still in print 40 years after he died. > > My second "Chautauqua" was the crossing of the Gulf of Mexico on my > Cal 33-2 that I have already mentioned. Six and a half days of pure > reliance on your own skills, resources, and quality of work to both > keep you alive and keep the boat working at it's best potential. I > still change my own oil on both cars and boat and do most > maintenance on my home, gardens, boat and/or cars myself as I can > tell most of you do as well. It helps add to the enjoyment of > each. And, as my Dad, Grandfathers, and good-old Paul did, I try to > pass the attitude down to my children. Given their performances to > date I believe it is working! > > However, just like your neighbor who will change an exhaust system > -- messy, dirty, tough job -- but, will not change his own oil, > there are jobs that just don't fit me and I avoid if I can help it. > I can do sheetrock well, but would much rather pay someone to float > it for me than do it myself. Yet I don't mind sanding the bottom > paint on the boat. Don't quite know why, it is just one of those > things that makes me who I am. A sailor at heart! > > Don Dutton, 1986 Cal 33-2, "Quantum Evolution" > > "Twenty Years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things > you didn't do than by the things you did do. So throw off the > bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in > your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." ........Mark Twain > > > From: Chris Campbell <cl… [at] charterinternet.com> > To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > Sent: Wed, April 14, 2010 11:26:07 AM > Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Lightning Strikes C-141 (Paul) > > > mike wrote: > >> >> As for sailing content; the training I received from the USAF in >> the physics of aerodynamics and how to fix shtuff have helped me >> understand how to make a sail fly better and how to spin a wrench >> when needed. > > I was talking to a neighbor the other day. He had steamed some > dents out of a wooden surface. I told him the name of the guy who > had taught me that--my 7th & 8th grade shop teacher. Your WHAT???, > you say? What's a "shop teacher?" It's an unknown creature these > days, and the world is worse off for it. Mr. Sonnevil taught me > lots of things and I think of him every time I use the knowledge. > Then there was the mechanic at the Olds garage that let me watch him > work on my Dad's cars, tolerating my presence & my questions. Or > the kindly neighbor with the wood shop. Thank you, Mr. Phillips, now > long departed. I learned so much from them. > > The guy with the next boat in the boat barn said he was going home > last weekend to change the exhaust system on his car. I allowed as > how that's one chore I'm happy to hire out, but I change my own oil > so I can keep tabs on the vehicles. He hires that one out. But > there are fewer people these days who feel comfortable with a wrench > in hand. Maybe that's why I like sailors--most of us have at least > some rudimentary skills in fixing and maintaining things. It makes > life easier to navigate. > > Chris Campbell > > > >