European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 6, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse The Mission briefing room Model plants and fan to remind Piloti of How to identify enemy equipment. East Gorman Countryside firmly distinctly like the Well defined Banks of the Northern Mississippi loan indistinct Louisiana Type u that oozes through the czechoslovakian Countryside. 1 he fences Here Are often out of sight from ground observers. Che a slovakian officials Point i ilm As proof hot its Borders Ore More open than their East German neighbor s. Bui from the air the truth is exposed. Although not As Well crafted As the East German version there most certainty is a Barrier. This is the area where refugees from he Easl prefer to attempt their Crossings. It is More since Ltd seple her More than 20 refugees have fled across the czech Border Many ire East germans who rave led legally la Czechoslovakia then slipped into Bavaria. And the Border is deadly even for Wesl germans like 5 year old Johenri Dick a retired army lieutenant colonel shot by czech guards who were firing ,11 two fleeing i Olish teen agers. Red catchers learn to Fly the Border not the Fence. Even in the Best of weather the Skinny White poles marking the political Boundary Zig Zag through i he Hills and hollows and get lost in the Haze. If a Pilot does t memori/c1 the Border Trace .14 it s called he can effortlessly slip headlong into an International incident. / i int to i be a tolerably Puc by tip Stream ski , r n hot As the Fence crept River the Hill Ihen l us up la other Side in a Gul Wren Liing hairpin twist we ring the Doos and Woofer Dills Are what the real rathers tall their Best moves through this terrain it s really strange said one Pilot. Al Tine Point you can be travelling Eist then five minutes liter you can be travelling the Mission of the ked catchers is limited to surveillance according to regimental officials. They watch and report. If there is an incident such As an escape attempt the Only thing they can do is report with More Only the West German government s Border police have authority a it. They also operate both ground and air patrols. There is even a question of whether the red catchers would be capable of giving assistance since the army s policy is not to talk about whether or not the helicopters Are armed. In last year s incident involving the czech Jet the american aircraft did not return fire. The report said the cobra was armed with 20mm guns but the two Man Crew nude no Serif a along with the Safe i when an Cut in a family once Cap of in a hot or billion. Effort to return the Jet fighter s Given their restrictions their re Catther lag loses some of ils definition and Glamor. Still hit sad Awe that one Pilot described feeling during his first Ili Ghl Over those Grey lifeless towns hings Owr the Trace and add a realism to their Mission i hot s is thick As the tap. That often curtains those Hills. It is a realism of restraint is l in the usual image of cavalry bravado to keep their counterparts in the other Side of the Fence Chi their Loei the Aerial patrols Are Maggi real. The y dude different mixes of aircraft. They leave in Diffell it times in different Days. And they Tan go in either i ret i Ion it nude i a Ficat ache n think i a Hii of the Rivir to l Dawn far it Phi to t Tail a i this in Iii Iruine fiver both ways. Mark Twain the her Pilot cub indeed discovers the Border looks Tuik different flying it North to Suth Ihnn in does South to North. The regiment pal Riik almost 400 Rilei of Border every tiny in four hour shifts weather permitting. Thai s Lino Miles of every fold Bend and turn of the Border committed in every fold Bend and turn of your brain said a Flat. Randy Schoel troop d commander. There Are Only five Border qualified pilots in troop he said. Regimental officials like it that Way because they Don t want the re Catther skills watered Down. There is a constant need for evaluation and control of those pilots authorised to enter the Border zone they say fifth format and informal evaluations Are randomly conducted. Obviously we Don t want some Fruitcake dying where he Coull cause an International incident Scholet said. The Luce Nothe water in time became a wonderful Bonk a Book that was a a fear Rar to fudge to the but which Lom ils mind to me without Reserve delivering us most cherished secrets As if in uttered them with a voice. And it was not a Book to be read once and thrown aside for it had a new Story o Tell every Day. Marls Twain in fiscal year 1986, the regiment flew 222 Days with one Eye on the. Points bars islands bends and of the Trace and the other Eye wide open toward Prague and Berlin re catchers with maps in their brains and steady hands on the stick churning above a River of fear dividing East from West re Reading the Book and checking their notes everyday 1986 str few nug Flint 7
