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After graduating from college I joined the Air National Guard and was sent to the Air Force's Institute of Air Navigation at the old Mather, Air Force Base in Sacramento, California. In those days the Vietnam War was at its height and all of our instructors were career Air Force navigators who had served one or more tours in Vietnam. So, in addition to our lessons on air navigation, we also got to listen to a lot of good war stories from Vietnam.

One instructor's previous assignments had been as a navigator on a C-141 military transport assigned to fly troops from Travis, Air Force Base in California to Tan Son Nhut Air Base in South Vietnam. On board would be up to 138 passengers, mostly Army troops bound for Vietnam. The flight was long and the soldiers, mostly enlisted men and second lieutenants all fresh out of training and all somewhat apprehensive as the headed west toward the war in Vietnam.

Half way across the Pacific the pilot would decide it was time for a little levity and would call the crew chief in the back of the plane on the intercom and ask him to identify a gullible second lieutenant for him. The crew chief would oblige and give a description of the lieutenant and his location.

The pilot would then take out two balls of twine that he carried with him on these trips, and tie one end of each of them securely to the back of his seat. He would then back out of the cockpit and proceed down the aisle, unwinding the twine as he walked. When he reached the second lieutenant that the crew chief had described, he would lean over and, with a serious look on his fact, tell the lieutenant that he had to use the bathroom in the back of the plane but didn't want to disturb the co-pilot who was sleeping. So, would the lieutenant please hold these two balls of twine and keep the lines taunt as they were tied to the control stick in the cockpit and, so long as the lieutenant kept the lines taunt the plane would remain steady on course.

“Yea, right” was probably the thought that went through the lieutenant's head. However, being fresh out of Officer Candidate School and newly commissioned, he knew better than to express such a thought to the pilot with the silver oak leafs on his shoulders designating him as a lieutenant colonel. So, the second lieutenant would respond with a “yes, sir” and take the two balls of twine. The pilot than proceeded to the back and joined the crew chief observing the lieutenant from afar.

After the pilot disappeared, the second lieutenant would let the two lines go slack. The crew chief would report this to the co-pilot, who was out of sight in the cockpit. The co-pilot would then proceed to begin moving the stick back and forth causing the plane to begin dipping and turning as if it was out of control.

Panicking, the second lieutenant would pull the twine taunt. This would be reported to the co-pilot who would immediately steady the plane.

A few moments would pass and the second lieutenant would again think that this was crazy, but being a little more uncertain following his previous experience, would cautiously let the left line go slack while keeping the the right one taunt. Upon learning this, the co-pilot would bank the plane to the right. The second lieutenant would then pull the left string taunt and the co-pilot would straighten the plane out. A few more moments would pass and the second lieutenant would very cautiously test the twine again, this time slowly letting the right piece go a little taunt. Upon being informed of this, the co-pilot would begin to slowly bank the plan to the left. Where upon the second lieutenant would pull the line tight again and the plane would straighten out.

After this the second lieutenant would be convinced that he really was in control of the plane and focused all of his attention on holding the two lines and keeping it steady on course.

The pilot would then return, thank the lieutenant, take the two balls of twine and return to the cockpit leaving the lieutenant contemplating how he would describe his experience of flying the plane from the passenger compartment in his next letter home.

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