European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 18, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Magazine Load master Workhorse of the air Force by wend v Bourl and stall writer it. I ii c think they re having nil the inn Bill Jtb la Walkowaik knows bolter the Xii a i in of is in the belly of thu Pobric ire Thi Villi Iho Best jobs Ihn one who get Hall Iho . Horn . is assigned la ihu7ih lie air let 5q at Rhyn a Iii a. During a in Tim i a. S flow Alli Lude Parachute extraction 5 y to i a ,Ion abort to c-130 or go plane Piru Fina in a roller coaster Wilh n Blindfold on Tho 27-Yc-Jf in h i to 0. N native has in in a Lapes him. Lion be of his 10 year c. In Ito ail Fores i if in i ". . Of Lapes , a month simply Pijl iia Fri i pc r s Fob s itts. To supervise la Toad d a i Coard the air Rall be it food. Equipments a. P a in secure it for Takou to make sure in ii Ritico .1 ,.v.l condition at us destination and to see it a you a i c i la .i.vitp. You be Goi to to a had of Ihbe game. In -.i, Tiia pilots flying Iho plane he s open Minyan Milo knew whal s going on Back what going on lines irom the mundane to Iho Tho with tac Airlift so que Tail Flics participate m a lilt command . Lake personnel irid can scary goods to Amon Tan embassies in Warsaw fact count ios provide supplies and equipment to Iho us cd slates Willary train my Mission in Saulti Aram and have even blown food Al Hal supplies la victims in Africa Nom Tiei Ruline the Mission Walkowiak packs a pistol in a shoulder hols for beneath this Green coveralls All Load masters do. Its prot Calion am nil the Ihre Ai of Ler Ronsom and subversion. Rolac has never had a flight hijacked he says this is to make sure we never Walkowiak s Woik begins hours before Iho plane leaves the ground Thrig Are prs Mission cuttings to Allend cargo la be loaded and lashed Down and dozens of checks to be made. So Many checks in fact. That to Carrie an each Light a worn ring bound Black Book to guide him through dilute sent cargo handling procedures the laminated pages have personal nates scribbled an them Walker us s Day often begins Well before sunup if t Lapes Mission is scheduled to depart at 7 is ame�5 pm glue by 6beniia Mostior r Bill Walkow Lek Cheeks the foe plate Assembly in tc-141 before loading the piano with cargo. Tightening Down a Load of Concrete blocks used in Low Altitude Pam Hutt extraction system training. He s a i Squadron he a Quarle a by 2 45. And on inc Light line by 1-30 is Vilics Throo or four limes a week. Sometimes he s alone sometimes inc Mission Calls ii two Load masters Fri the air Walkowiak s Noonday inert is a Box Funch to eats while sitting Alop inc Load surrounded by Tho Dei pfening whine of Iho engines. There air some Days i wished worked 9 to 5 and had an actual lunch break he says smiling but to get to travel i m of cosy much Anjo Sittg it. You name in i be been Ihorn whether uie Tnp is a few kilo Melcs or a continent away Walkowiak takes along some Basic items a Toothbrush a change of underwear and his Check Book Tho Crew never knows if the weather will go bad. Delaying the return irom a Mission or in the air Rall will be diverted to another destination before heading Back to Rhein main the travel May bus exciting but How can Walkowiak got about a Job when a spends hours chaining i v, or Cement blocks masquerading As a tank it s a lot of work for two to live the corids of Diop to admits the answer can a found aboard twin Piane. A couple minutes before a Lapes drop i undo the c-130 s Back doors open Tho top door goes up. The Bottom folds Down Loring a Plai torm a Woupio seconds later a Alkouk is standing on in. The wind blowing around turn a imn connected Ronis harness Hookery him to the in site Al the plane he s Wal chm tanks rumble around Muddy holds in big circles watching Waves Cross a wind whipped Lake watching Fields dusted Wilh Snow go whinny by beneath him. Pretty soon holi have to get out of the . But not yol. Since this particular Mission to Lor training purposes several passes Are made Over is drop Rone before unloading the three 10,000-Pound Concrete blocks inboard during these preliminary passes Drogue Friday. March in 193b parachutes arc released. Drogus ars Small chutes used to create drag they re also used to test the Pilot s ability la hit the drop zone. The Lun begins when Tho piano Makos its final approach Wolkowick s. Normally impassive Ace lights up this time it s for real the Toad pulls 1 i g a 12 times its own weight to shouted above inc engine s Roar. A person at t2g s in would probably break your the Host warning goes off Al 20 minutes to drop time. Iho plane is Hying in zigzags enl a training Lor she flight Crew. Walkowaik and his partner. Chic master sol. Ken Flegman Jho 37th s Chick Loa Mastor Don harnesses and Camhout Lac helmets Wuh head sols. Theio s another warning at 10 or autos to drop and one or two More after thai with a couple minutes to spare Ida Loa mastors clamber to the front of Iho cargo hold they fold out a Seal and strap in. The drop happens quickly yet in Slaw motion the c-130 approaches he Grassy strip Between runways it s flying Al about 135 mites per hour and comes be each other the thumbs up the Job is done almost they weft and Al the crop site a West German air Force base near Hannover there they will grab a Cupol collect and some Wurst. Then Load the Concrete aboard Lor Iho Tup Home. Very Anli climactic. Hauling cargo is no big Cav Walkowiak said you throw in in there and go on Yout Way " the stars and stripes Page 13
