Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-08-24
By John A. Giles


A trip to Berlin. Moscow OF
Shanghai has become largely routine
to a group of pilots of the Air
Transport Commands special mis-
sion feet" sometimes called the
brass hat squadron" based at Ma
tional Airport.
But Transportation of the Pre- 81
dent, cabinet members, members of
Congress, generals and assorted dig
nitaries, domestic and foreign, still
has few thrilling moments for
the specially selected, highly trained
pilots who take pride in the fact
that they have yet to be involved
in a fatal accident.
The fleet includes the presidential
planes-the new independence and
the world travelled Sacred Cow
and seven C-54 type aircraft. Three
Of the latter are of the so-called
executive variety" because they can
be used for conferences with tables
and the like as we'll as living and
sleeping quarters. The fleet, upon
demand, such as the Bikini opera
ton last year, is sometimes expanded
by calling in extra ships from else
where in ATC.
Safest Pilots in World.
A pilot may be assigned to take a
"V. I. P.-Very Important Person
to Brispsne this week and, on re-
turn to Washington, proceed to
Moscow. The chances are he has
been over the routes several times
previously. These pilots take no
risks where not absolutely necessary,
and the added factor of long e.
perience makes them some of the
safest pilots in the world, in the
opinion of 1t. Col. K. T. Boughner,
1856 Valley drive, Alexandria, a
native of Saginaw, Mich. who is
chief of the ATC traffic division.
But luck sometimes plays a part
in the flights as Capt. Joseph f..
Kreider, Alb North Washington
street, Alexandria. native of
Lemoyne. Pa, recalls about his
fight to London with Field Marshal
Montgomery, after the latter's visit
to the United States last Septem-
Der.
I'VE arrived over he United
at night in a severe storm
and were required to hold over
Northholt Airdrome at 1000 feet
while a search was carried on by
radio for two airliners which were
lost in the vicinity" he said.
Sixty-Mile Wind.
Fortunately no one in the plane
got sick, despite the severe kicking
around we we're getting from the
extreme turbulance,' he continued.
Finally we were cleared for land
ing in wind of go miles an hour
with extreme gusts which are eX-
ceptionally high even for big plane
like SkymaSter. But our luck
held out and we got Monte home
okay"
All foreign planes which fly over
Russian territory are required to
have Russian navigator and radio
operator, and it fell the lot of Capt.
Charles M. Mills, Beverly Park Gar
dens, Alexandria, native of Neder-
land, Tex, to get couple of Rus
slams who spoke no English. Capt.
Mills and his crew spoke no Russian.
The Russians were the only ones
with maps and radio facility charts
on the trip to Moscow from Berlin
with Ambassador Walter Bedell
Smith aboard, Capt. Mills recalls.
We spent slightly more than three
hours on instruments in snow
storm" he said. Finally, by gesture,
the Russian navigator made it clear
that it was time to descend.
Down to Dangerous Level.
"At 500 feet, we were still or in
struments, with not the slightest
iGea of what kind of approach sys-
tenn was being used,' he continued.
The Russian continued to point
downward. We hesitated, not being
too familiar with the terrain. but
finally dropped to between $50 and
400 feet, which his getting awfully
close to the ground to still be on
instruments.
Just 30 seconds before we flew
over the airport, we broke out of
the overcast and landed without
incident. 1t worked out all right, but
my confidence in that Russian GER
tainly weakened few times. Later
we found that if we had been just
a few seconds later we would have
missed the airport and would have
had to search for the field at that
low altitude"
Capt. Mills was President Thu
mans pilot on the flight to Kansas
City recently, when the Presidents
mother died. 1t. Col. Henry T..
Myers, the Presidents regular pilot,
who also flew the late President
Roosevelt on many trips, was flying
the Independence on "shakedown"
fight to South America. Secretary
of the Treasury Synder was aboard
the plane.
Shortly after VI day, Maj. Will
liam F. Shanklin, 3400 Gunston road,
Alexandria, native of Bridgeport,
Okla. was plotting a special mis-
sion" plane. in the Orient with
Edwin C. Locke, jr., special presi-
Dental adviser, aboard.
At Shanghai. the crew was briefed
and told that Tdinan, Formosa, the
next point en- the itinerary. was in
the hands of the United States Navy
and that. although no radio facilities
were available, the airport was suit
able for C-54 type aircraft.
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