STOWAWAY

One day at Stead, Don and I had an H-19 out for "proficiency" training. (which meant anything goes) We generally didn’t have a crew chief on board when two instructor pilots flew together.  Anyway we flew up north toward Pyramid Lake and points in between, buzzing along as low as we could.  We searched for mule deer on the hills and gave them a buzz job. We'd go up over the ridges and jump a flock of chukar partridge and chase them down the hills and thru the gullies. Up and down and around and around.  We got after a coyote and with much twisting and turning, chased it into the ground. 

After about an hour, I happened to look down in the cabin and saw someone down there.  I made sign language to Don as 'who the heck is there?'  About that time a quivering voice comes over the intercom "Ah, sir, could we land for a moment, I just lost my lunch!" We landed and got out and apologized profusely to our passenger, explaining we didn’t know he was there.  He said that was OK but we swore him to secrecy for the maneuvers we had done and took it easier on the way back to the base.

I never knew who the guy was but suspect he was one of the line troops that our crewchief put on board for a helicopter ride. I’ll bet he never got on a helicopter again…