[R-390] R-389 stuff, Part I

[Fred Stillwell]

Hello Ed,
  After reading your post about the DC-3 being way cool, I just had to
write.

  Way toooo many years ago ( 1959) when tubes
were king I had the great time thanks to the old USAF.   We flew from
Elmendorf AFB  (Alaska)
to Nome and then to ST. Lawrence Island  in an
old Curtiss C-46  ( oh yeah) that belonged to Alaska Airlines.  In the
middle of winter !  Cold
and slow and loud...    The only nav aid
at Northeast Cape ( st. lawrence) was a LF homing
beacon " OHC".    Let me tell you,   we broke out of the snow storm  and did
a " go around"
the first try but did make it down on the 2nd try.

  Eleven months later I made the return flight in
a C-123,   cold and loud but just a bit faster.

  Before we left we had to load  the cargo bay with all the "Pabst Blue
Ribbon Beer" that nobody in
the Airman's club wanted to drink.

Plenty of R-389's, R-390s, and SP-600s for all.
Spent many hours driving a '389.

73,s
Fred,     AA8S