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Capt. Dick McCoy
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Dennis Lang
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George Lockwood
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LANG AND I SAT BACK TO BACK ON THE C-141s HE BEING THE NAVIGATOR AND I BEING THE FLIGHT
ENGINEER-------
HE NEVER STEERED US WRONG-----SO TO SPEAK------BECAUSE WE ALWAYS GOT TO WHEREVER WE
WERE GOING ON TIME, ON COURSE, AND ON THE GROUND----------WE FLEW QUITE A FEW UNEVENTFUL,
ROUTINE MISSIONS TOGETHER-------PRAISE THE LORD BECAUSE IF IT WASN'T ROUTINE THEN IT WAS
SCARY.
ONE MISSION THAT BROUGHT US TO YOKOTA AB, JAPAN PROVED TO BE A LITTLE UNNERVING.
WE WERE ON DESCENT FROM 35,000 FEET AND OFF IN THE DISTANCE WE COULD SEE MOUNT FUJI
WHICH IS AN EXTINCT VOLCANO KIND OF HOVERING OVER TOKYO----ALL WAS WELL AND LANG WAS ON
THE RADAR WATCHING FOR ANY BAD WEATHER-----NONE WAS REPORTED AND WE WERE MAKING OUR
MERRY WAY DOWN TO THE RUNWAY---- ALL OF A SUDDEN--------SMACK---
WE GOT HIT WITH WHAT FELT LIKE A FEW HUNDRED BASEBALL BATS----
ITS WHAT'S CALLED CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE( CAT )-----IT SHOOK THE FILINGS OUT OF OUR TEETH AND
THE PENCIL MARKS OFF OF OUR PAPERS-----IT SHOOK US EVERY WAY BUT LOOSE ( I BELIEVE ) FOR
ABOUT 45 TO 50 SECONDS----THAT IS AN AWFUL LONG TIME TO BE IN THAT CHOP,BUT WE MADE IT------NO
OTHER AIRCRAFT HAD REPORTED ANY CAT SO LUCKY US HAD TO ENDURE IT AND WARN OTHERS OF ITS
LOCATION-------
CAT CAN BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY CLOSE TO THE GROUND---
AIRCRAFT HAVE CRASHED ON TAKEOFF AND LANDING AFTER ENCOUNTERING THESE MICRO BURSTS OF
TURBULENT AIR-----THEY CAN LOSE LIFT OR GET PUNCHED INTO THE GROUND BEFORE THEY CAN
RECOVER CONTROL----
WE WERE STILL ON DESCENT AROUND 15000 FEET SO WE WERE ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL AT THAT
ALTITUDE
SORRY I COULDN'T TELL YOU ABOUT BULLETS FLYING OR BOMBS A BURSTING AS I WAS IN ANOTHER
OUTFIT CALLED "BLACK SPOT" WHICH WAS ATTACHED TO "SPECTRE" AND ONLY FLEW ONE MISSION WITH
THE AC 130s----YOUR DAD WAS NOT ON THE SAME FLIGHT AS THIS WAS BEFORE HE ARRIVED IN
THAILAND----MY OUTFIT HAD 2 AIRCRAFT THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH EVERYTHING THAT WAS ON STAR
TREK IN THE LATE 60s EXCEPT WE COULDN'T BEAM PEOPLE UP AND DOWN ( YOU KNOW----BEAM ME UP
SCOTTY )------JUST LIKE SPECTRE WE WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR AN AWFUL LOT OF DESTRUCTION ON
THE HO CHI MINE TRAIL-----WE DID IT WITH BOXES OF BOMBLETS INSTEAD OF GATLING GUNS OR 40
MMs-------same results
MASTER SERGEANT GEORGE D. LOCKWOOD ( RETIRED ) FORMER FLIGHT ENGINEER ON C-141Bs AND
AC-123Ks
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Capt. Roy Shields and his former wife Jan.
Capt. Lang Metzger and his wife Linda
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Capt. Dave Edens
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Capt. Pat Gilmore
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Your dad was a partyer, but under his own terms. Lots of fun
in a big group, and a great teller of tales, but he did not put
up with situations he didn't want to be in. He liked his parties
quiet and dignified. I always admired him for his conviction.
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Capt. Jerry Burgess
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Chip Little
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Dear Lauren,
I wish that I could remember some specific event that we shared with Lang and Linda. I can tell you that we enjoyed a
season of bowling with them at the base alley. It was a fun time and Lang was the kind of fella that made it
something to look forward to. He was a bit older than me, and I felt that he did a bit of mentoring with me. The
navigators were the guys that really didn't have time to relax on the over-water flights, as they were always busy
making sure we didn't get lost. But Lang and others seemed to have extra stamina to play after the flight had ended.
Lang was one of the most experienced navs, sorry I don't remember his extra duty assignment, but seems that he
was always in the office when not on a trip.
Cindi and I took a trip up to see and stay with Lang and Linda after he separated from the AF. They were living in
northern California. My memory is sketchy as to what we did on that visit. One thing that I remember very well is that I
was very disappointed with our AF policy that approved of separating Lang before his retirement. I know that he was a
commando for some time early in his career, and that he told me that he had lost some friends and colleagues in
that period. I felt that the AF was selling him short, along with other people that had given so much. I guess that he
had not filled the "proper" squares. He never looked back, but continued to be an asset to our world.
Chip Little
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Capt. Vane Hugo II
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