[QCWA] Fwd: Old Ham Radio Movie

[Richard Rucker]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Bob Noyer <a58r at verizon.net>
Date: October 14, 2007 3:40:14 PM EDT

Friend Dick,

I greatly enjoyed DeSoto's ch5, especially the "old time" writing style.

[ note from Dick, KM4ML:  Bob's a champ at that writing style as  
well. Check out the stories on his webpage:
http://www.angelfire.com/rpg/ronoy/
This story is a good one to get started with:
http://www.angelfire.com/rpg/ronoy/nextpage.html ]

Speaking of a good fist..I had a ham working for me when I was Mgr of  
Tech Support, Field Eng'g for Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids. I took  
him on a survey trip to our field overhaul sites, LA for one. It was  
really something to see Wilson Moore, dualling down the freeways at 60 
+, with his bug on a shotfilled bag on the transmission hump,  
hammering CW at at least 40wpm!

And my cousin Dick Westley (old pre WWII ham) while RVing through Las  
Vegas in abt'95, stopped at a big ham meeting and was talked into  
taking a test for upgrading. Code at 13, solid (hadn't had a key  
since maybe '51 when he was radop on Flying Tigers A/l across  
Pacific)...then examiner upped speed to 40, still abt 99%. Dick key  
was too stiff!, Got upgrade to Advanced. Odd thing: he was living(?)  
in Gallup NM where his WWI father was asst sup. on Indian res. Dick  
went to Gallups Is MA to Maritime radops school, then to tankers off  
US East Coast. After sunk just too many times, he left Maritime and  
went with PanAm as radop for Panagra. Ford Trimotors, DC-3s. Then to  
AOL (not that one!) flying Atlantic...and Berlin Airlift.

A few years back, I prevailed upon Dick to write a few words when I  
was being cut upon and not quite able to reach the kybd.  here is one  
of his:

Temperature Inversion

With air temps hovering in the high 90s hereabouts in Pipe Crick TX,  
it’s time to think some cool thoughts. Some of the coolest I’ve ever  
encountered occurred on the ramp at the international airport,  
Helsinki, Finland. During the winter of 1947-47 it became my lot to  
be the American Overseas Airlines flight R/O (radio operator) on the  
Stockholm-to-Helsinki run.

In those days the instrument approach into Helsinki was made using CW  
whereby the approaching aircraft R/O sent a signal, the ground  
station computed an approximate bearing, and sent the information  
back to the pilot on CW, via the radio operator. Kind of makes your  
hair prickle up on the back of your neck, doesn’t it? Anyhow, that  
was SOP, and many successful approaches were thus accomplished.
				
The real problems cropped up the next morning, following an overnight  
at Helsinki. Temps on the flight line routinely plummeted to -40°F,  
which conveniently is almost exactly -40°C. And a bit colder at  
night. The equipment AOA used on this run was a DC3-A, probably out  
of the stateside American Airlines fleet. As I recall, the only cold  
weather modification was an engine oil dilution system, allowing  
gasoline to be pumped into the oil sump so that was a prayer of a  
chance in getting engine start in the morning.

It all sounds pretty reasonable right up to activating the cabin  
heater. What a Rube Goldberg contraption! There was a water  
reservoir, which of course at 40° below rapidly became an ice tank. A  
lot of interconnecting plumbing connected to some sort of a boiler in  
the vicinity of #2 exhaust manifold. And a maze of manual valves–the  
original plumber’s nightmare. Obviously the whole system had to be  
drained immediately following engine shutdown.

The early morning drill ran something like this: first run up both  
engines guaranteeing they would both start, maybe, after a brief  
shutdown. Quickly load passengers, simultaneously pouring water into  
the heater system. Note– if you spilled a little, not to worry, the  
water immediately froze and rolled back down the aisle like a handful  
of marbles. ( Note from Grey Baron: Coffee “marbles” rolled down the  
aisle of Lake Central’s DC-3 early January 1962, Cedar Rapids IA).  
Immediately re-start #2 and hope for the best. If #2 was a little  
slow in starting, you aren’t going anywhere for another hour and a  
half, minimum. It would be years before the modern monstrous ramp  
auxiliary power units made the scene with their heaters, air  
conditioners, and enormous generators. And I’m sure there have been  
major advances in cabin heaters, too!

Bob Noyer  K4JMG almost silent