When I was a T-38 IP at Vance, we would occasionally take a 2-ship, (with 4 IPs), to Pease AFB, NH to pick up fresh, live lobsters for our occasional Sunday evening “Viking feasts!” Surf, and turf. Typically we would pick up a dozen or so, pound-and-a-half live lobsters, and store them in our seat packs for the trip back to Vance.
Flying West, we had to plan for 2 refueling stops to get home. One Sunday our first stop was at Rickenbacker AFB, OH, just outside of Columbus. It was a beautiful day, that day, and for some reason or another, I had a “feeling” during the descent. So, about 50 miles out, I called Base Operations and asked if there were any anticipated delays in refueling. The Base Ops guy told me that there were 10, maybe 12 jets ahead of us for gas. Crap!
So, I thanked him, and casually remarked, “Okay Sir, be advised, we are transporting ‘whole blood,’ and could use an ‘expedited turn’ if possible.” And I left it at that.
When we landed and taxied up to the ramp, there they were – 2 fuel trucks – just sitting there, waiting for us! And maybe a dozen or so IPs and students, standing by their respective jets, just glaring at us.
As it worked out, we were in and out of there within 11 or 12 minutes – a pretty ‘quick turn’ for us. When we got to our next stop, one of the guys from the other jet asked me how I thought we got in and out of Rickenbacker so fast. So I told him about the radio call I had made to Base Ops – concluding with the thought that, ‘there had to be some ‘whole blood’ in one of those lobsters…’
