BATCAT14

553rd Recon Wing

Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base

I arrived in Korat Thailand in September 1967. I was a crewmember of flight crew 14 assigned to the 553rd Recon Wing. As an airborne electronics technician (A30150) my job was to help the senior tech maintain the surveillance and communications equipment on board our aircraft (EC121R) during missions in South East Asia. We techs were also tasked to support the flight engineers in case of need.

Some of my first memories of Thailand was ... it was HOT. We mostly were worthless for two weeks until our bodies became acclimated to the hot humid climate. We are in the tropics now Toto, did I mention it was HOT ??

Aircraft on the ramp have to be pre-flight inspected before the crew can put them into service. The ground crews would hang big air conditioning ducts from mobile a/c units in the cabin to cool it down. This had a positive effect, it lowered the temperature from 127 deg. F to just below 110 deg F. It was hot in those planes on the ground and it took about an hour to preflight and lug on the supplies (coffee and food) etc. before we were ready to go. Most of us carried two sets of clothes as when we got to altitude (18000 ft.) it was a very comfy (cold) 70 deg. F.

Major Lefferts was our crew commander and pilot. I made 87 take offs and landings (missions) with that fine gent and I thank him and Captain Cook for delivering the goods. He was a very good pilot and I remember one landing that was so good I didn't know we were earthbound until I felt the rollout. I only remember one or two multiple single landings and I am blaming them on Captain Cook. 8-)

Take offs were somewhat exciting as we were caring A LOT of hi-octane aviation gasoline. Enough that on many occasions we pulled double shifts and had 22 hrs in the air before we touched down again. Also fueling the excitement was the predilection of some of the aircraft to not want to fly due to extreme temperature and humidity counts. The only way to actually tell if the sucker would fly ... was to try it.

At some predetermined time during the full power takeoff the flight engineer would inform the pilot that the bird is not going to fly. This was determined, I think, by vigorous study of the seemingly thousands of gages he sat behind, at his console behind the co-pilot. At this revelation the pilot reverses the props and applies full engine power in the reverse direction. We come to a halt at the very end of the other end of the runway, brakes warm.

Now, it was policy that we had to be sure that it wasn't going to fly so we would turn the plane around and try taking off the other way. Two and a half miles back to where we started and still no dice. A full reverse power application and another stop ..... brakes now hot. ..... Twice. Three aborted takeoffs had to be accomplished to earn the opportunity to transfer all the gear and preflight yet another plane. All this resulted in some very exciting times for those of us that understood the ramifications of running aground at the end of the runway.

Here I will start a little photo tour of the parking ramp and interior of the planes we flew.

Hey, what the heck are those funny looking planes with all the bumps all over them? Oh, I know those are the College Eye folks with their EC121D models. Thanks to Les Robbins for pointing out the differences in the H and D models. Who knew? :-) Look close there are three BATCATS in that shot too. If you look at this shot you will see one of the famous a/c units stuck into the cockpit hatch in the far right camo connie.

If we go rearward we will enter the galley where we stow all the thermal coffee urns and goodies. We had C rations and pre-prepared meals, pre MRE ... way pre. If you got a pound cake or ham c ration u were in a very good bargaining position to get the strawberries that was in someone else's ration.

Take a look out the window over the table and through the spinning prop shadow you can see a 105 Thud on the beginning of a special delivery run. We used to have a semi humorous saying that all the thuds had shiny undersides from the jungle canopy rubbing the paint off cause they were so loaded down it was really hard to gain altitude. In fact they would stay at treetop level completely out of sight.

The folks that designed the thuds and the pilots that flew them are to be commended. Many was the times I saw only parts of a 105 return home and land safely. The missing components are assumed to be left somewhere on target.

Further to the rear we come upon a rascal named Mike Ribach, our radio operator. Hmmm I must have been shaking, probably cracking up is more likely. Mike was a lot of fun and was one of those folks you want on the team. Here yours truly and The Sarge, Bob Riddle are conversing with a hidden Mike behind the console of the radio station.

Behind Bob is a power console and behind that was my takeoff station. Directly behind me was the CICO station. This gent was in communications with the folks at NKP via secure commo link.

Across the isle is the sensitive equipment racks w/ equipment.

When we were in school learning about the 'sensitive equipment' and prior to receiving our Top Secret Crypto clearance we were told if anything happened we were to crack the cases of the KY8s and drop phosphorous flares onto the guts. The instructor mentioned that at no time were we to touch the flare because it was very hot. Hot enough to burn completely through the aircraft in seconds. He said this with a straight face.

Later, several times, I would remember his warning while contemplating the proximity of A LOT of very hi octane aviation gasoline.

Walking to the rear of the plane you will come to the man and cargo door on the right side. If we take a look outside we will see how high off the ground the aircraft sets. Across the road notice the crane and ready mix plant with elevator. There was a ton of construction going on while I was there.

Here is a six pack ready to go. Survival vest, weapon, knife, and my favorite a parachute harness. A nice shot of one of the birds in some sort of PM activity.

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