"With hook, wheels and flaps down, Tom came up the groove, hanging on his prop at 90 knots. Catwalk Cummings picked TK up with a Roger and held the "okay" signal until it was time for the cut. The Corsair, which bore it's typical resemblence to an old lady with her skirts at half mast and ready to go potty, touched down on three points without even the hint of a bounce.
Bally turned to me and answered my grin with one of his own. 'He's qualified.' Then the skipper turned to his phone talker, who had a hot line to all essential stations in the ship. 'Tell Pri Fly to have the pilot of that Corsair to report to me as soon as he's parked.'
Shortly, TK reported with a snappy, 'Lieutenant Killefer, Captain. You sent for me?'
'Well done, Killefer. Any problems?'
With an absolute straight face, TK responded, 'Thanks, sir. No sweat. It was just like stabbing guppies in the toilet with a three pronged fork.'
Captain John rolled his eyes heavenward as he turned to me. 'Jesus, Tommy, are all these guys as outrageous as you?"
- The Jolly Rogers, Tom Blackburn |
