4th FCC Stage (OTBH 2017) - Workin' in, above, and around the sandbox on my fourth deployed flying stage. I am a 3500 hour Flying Crew Chief on the Boeing C-17. These are some of my travels from around the world sponsored by the United States Air Force. See more at www.adrianspeeder.com



001 - Last Coors Lite, Texas rib eye, and bar night before leaving on a jet plane.







003 - Last bit of sand with water.







004 - Damn you AAFES.







005 - Forgot my banjo.







006 - First desert ride.







008 - Desert swag.







010 - This two piece unit is the most comfortable thing I've ever been issued.







012 - Team Dover all over the world!







014 – Rise and shine you silly sleepy head!







015 - There are plenty of things to bitch about on a TDY to the desert. Food, weather, dirt, sand, rocks, non-potable water, laundry, cold showers, and other random nonchalantness that drags out the day. Even the best job I’ve ever had gets taxing with a combined pile of non-constant rest time, bag drags, customs checks, locked doors, dirty gear, small vans, more rocks, no trash bags, demanding flight schedules and beat to **** jets.



It’s no one’s fault when everyone does their best to work them along, but without the luxury of time parked with piles of spare parts, the love is lost. Of course the plane safe to fly, but minor quirks come along for the ride. Pushing the bodies, beans, bullets, and bombs in and out of the ‘box makes the night to day to night cycle strum on with a solid rhythm across all the airframes.



Then a phone rings. A soldier is hurt. A sailor is sick. A Marine is wounded. An airman is burned. A contractor is bleeding. No one wants these calls, but they will come. Centers are alerted, references are run, medics are located, and the big board is looked at. “Where’s the closest bird that isn’t broken?” “There sir.” “You, Reach 456, stop loading now, push what you have out, and ready for immediate departure!” Slammed with a new call sign, new diplomatic clearances, new destination filed, and a weary norm takes a new direction.



I believe the jet knows it too. Com 1 has been scratchy and not transmitting from the co-pilots side? Cristal clear. Ramp and door needing a manual override to seat and settle? Locks first time. Number 1 engine lagging on EGT rise after fuel flow? Spools faster off the APU than ever before. Left air conditioning pac discharge temp high? Blows cooler than a Manas Kyrgyzstan winter.



For all the different missions a C-17 can quick turn to perform, I get no greater satisfaction than riding along with a successful Air Evac medivac run. The sum of all the players is greater than the whole to get care to those who desperately need it.







017 – Air Evac medivac







018 - Traded for a kickass patch.







020/022 - Quigley van!











027 - Wasn't sure at first, but this flag has grown on me.







031 – Another day found my crew to be two female pilots and two female loadmasters. I was requested to wear a bow to fit in.







034 - Trouble on my left, trouble on my right,

I've been facing trouble almost all my life.

My sweet love, won't you pull me through?

Everywhere I look I catch a glimpse of you.







035 – You keep that contraption away from me.







036 – Aircrew problems.







044 - She's gassed up and wound up tight ready to ride.

 

I should have gone to Korea or Japan when I was in my 20's -- I have an inherent weakness for Oriental women! My "hottie alert" warning system would be going off 24/7.....

 

046 - And they said in second grade I'd never get paid to stare out a window!







051 – Riding the roof rack.







052 – All are safe with extra guns on the ground. Love me some Ravens.







059 – Sexy triple seven.







070 - Sat 14 hours on the ground waiting for a passenger, and now it's time to Uber him home.







074/086 – 6 - Bombs over Bagdad hero shot.



























091/098 - 4 - The Bagram Bowl. Few other places in the world test men, or machine, on both sides of the trigger, with one of the most challenging approaches and departures for heavyweight airlift. Millions of years of terrain with thousands of years of fighting stack into that one possible shot being a golden BB. Everyone staring closely at the view looking for a smoke trail of a rocket with the motors at max fighting for every foot to get as far above as fast as we can. Sharp eyes looking out mix awe inspiring views with threats to livelihood, but our greatest risk is also own doing. The greatest safety of a crew driven airplane is when the sum of the parts equals greater than the whole. “Hey man, will you double check that …” “Where are we on completing this …” “Can you remind me for …” “How can I help you do …” “What do you think about …” And the possible scenarios list on to get one more load in and out and over the mountain. Ya know, this place wouldn’t be bad for a ski resort, but gotta stop 4000 years of fighting first. ‘Till next flight – Adrianspeeder



















099/104 – 3 - Tough to get the shot with a high speed, TRs over the hump, and belts pulled up tight dive that ole 534 loved every bit of. 15-20 degrees nose down, and a vertical velocity that flirted over 15,000 feet per minute. Non NEAT doors worked like a boss!















109 - Brought you your toys that go boom.

 

111 - Brought you your toys that go boom.







112/120 – 9 – Mr. Moose riding along for a FullSizeBronco member.







































122/128 – 2 - Crew hero shots.











130 - Desert dawn.







137 – 3 – Crew hero shots.















147/153 – 3 Desert dawn.















154 – Mr. Moose riding along for a FullSizeBronco member.

 

155/159 – 3 - Mr. Moose riding along for a FullSizeBronco member.















171 – Leave that dusty spot behind. We gotta go!







177 – Good drivin’.







178 - "In Soviet Russia, plane flys you!"







182 - Always good to meet old school Team Dover people on the other side of the world. "Ma'am, you've been upgraded to first class seating, but there is a catch."







184 - "I'm a bit tired, so you have also been deputized to be this flight's Flying Crew Chief." Nap time for me.







186 - Nothing puts a smile on a face like a $220 million dollar ride winding up 160,000 lbs of push to lift 585,000 lbs in the air.







189 – 2017-03-12 Hero shot! Thanks for flying Moose Air.







190 – Heavy metal.







193 – Ole Christine!







207 - Haulin' *** from tanker gas.







216 – Aluminum overcast.







221 - Something wicked this way comes.







223 - We'll take the long way round.







234 - "Alright Lt, you got a 16,000 foot runway. Make it work."







236 – Iraqi dawn.







240 – Dusty desert dawn.







245 – Stopped at an ole stomping ground from the first FCC stage.

 

Ok -- now everyone flush their toilets on three!

 

248 – Mission was to pick up a clapped out 6.4L. Of course, it wouldn’t crank so we had to winch on.







249 – Factory deleted emissions.







251 - I'd rather be in a snow storm.







252 – Let’s ride!







253 – Crew hero shot.







256/258 – 2 – A cool pair that always ended up on my jet for a pickup or dropoff in the less than ideal locations.











261 - Kickin’ back buildin’ frequent flyer miles.







264 – That’s not where that goes!







275 – Aluminum overcast.







276 – There was an ISIS birthday party coming up.







283 - Locked, ****ed, ready to rock! We gotta go Rooster!







289 - Little buddy might only be spraying two chemtrails, but he can get higher than us.







292 – I don’t know what in the JROTC was going on here, but that guy was pissed that his minions couldn’t figure out how to put gas in a generator and pump.







295 - Legacy doors, “Please work, please work, please work…”







297 - Tough to have a bad day at work when everyone else is so happy.







299 - Best job I’ve ever had.







311/313 – 3 - Blast off from the moon! Rooster get us out of here.

 

Not so sure about the food but the beer looks good!

 

361 – The whirly birds going off to play.







369 - “No you can’t have my sam’mach. Crazy.”







374 – Always a good look leaving, never a good time showing up.







382 - “How she runnin’ cap’m?” “All good up here. Great day to fly.”







384 - “Loadmaster report.” *pause* “Loadmaster report?” “Uhh, I think he’s busy boss.”







386 - Iraqi railroading.







402 - Paid to watch the world go by.







405 - "Tower, Moose 45, Exiting the active on Gulf, Request gun show."

"Moose 45 Heavy, Tower, Do you have tickets?"

"Tower, Moose 45, Got them on StubHub."

"Moose 45 Heavy, Tower, Gun show approved. Proceed on Gulf to park."

"Crew, Op Stop checklist please. Chief get up top and show ‘em them guns!"







406 - Busted taking the last of the tinfoil.







409 - Barcode again?!?







410 – Getting loopy in the trailers.







412 – Tough.







413 - 'Murica.







416 – Post mission beers are the best.







418 - "I won?!?"

"The fine print says it's a trip to Iraq."

"Damn it!"







420/421 - Well, they say imitation is the greatest form of flattery.

"Ya'll look like a Habitat for Humanity work crew."

"Doublemint gum."

"Bob Vila's Home Again TV show extras."











422 – Finally got one!







423 - Nightlife of Doha.







433 – Not my normal seat. Can't see **** down here.

 

437 - “Loadmaster report.” *pause* “Loadmaster report?” “Uhh, I think she’s busy boss.”







439 - Ma! The meatloaf! ****!







441 – How much fun can we pack into one airplane? Motor swap mission.







442 – The poor Army dude trying to back a hummer and trailer on the jet was having a rough start. Jack knifed before even getting near the ramp. Our loadmaster was also having a struggle bus of a day giving directions as we were all pretty tired. “Hey, do you just want me to do it?” “Thanks chief.” Had a peanut gallery of four passengers sitting on the side wall that were laughing the whole time, but met a new friend from it!







443/447 – 5 - Diyar Al Muharraq























448 - Bet this has some stories to tell.







449 – Good morning.







450/453 – 4 - The trip I headed home. From Hell to paradise.



















454 - Still no coors lite, but war is hell. Homeward bound in Germany with the fourth flying stage in the books at 34 combat missions totaling 231.5 hours, and a **** ton of work. Now someone come pick me up!







455 – I need a haircut!







456 - Highs and lows.
I was happy to have left working in the desert, but sad to have left work still to be done. I was thankful to have gotten a rest in Germany, but regretted to not have met with all my friends there. I was excited to hear of an unscheduled early flight that would go directly to Dover, but somber to find out the priority cargo was a Dignified Transfer of a fallen Navy Seal. I was proud to have worked the airplane's issues for an on time takeoff, but emotional to tears as his brother and friends carried the flag draped transfer container down the ramp to Dover’s mortuary. Combat aviation is like nothing else in the world. We work the sum of all skills for the safe landing, but then curse the ground for holding us until the following time in the air. Looking to the next flight saying, "Best job I ever had."





460 - Home after a 106 day trip to the beach with no water.







461 - Let's see how many times finance kicks this one back.

 

Trip 131, Summer 2016, Djibouti



181/182 - Back to work from staying in the desert for 3 months hauling pallets of pallets to the desert.











183 - f/4.5, 45mm, ISO 200, 1/80







184 - f/3.8, 32mm, ISO 200, 1/50







185 - Another great Dollar Rider on this trip. Good sport about the little pranks along the way, and quick to learn as many things about the airplane as he can. Let us see if he’ll bite the “HUD alignment” hook?







186 - “Chief, this sounds made up.”

“Would I lie to you? Katie might, but not me.”

“Show me tech data for this.”

“Sure. Here is the job guide, but they don’t have the 8 million dollars of HUD alignment stuff here in Kuwait. I can get it pretty close just using the flat edge of the eyebrow sunshade if you hold it in the right spot.”

“Well ok…”







187 - All right, back a bit more. Straight edge to my left. There ya go.







188 - Good good, now the straight edge to your left.







189 – Come on LT, you fidget like a five-year-old. This is precision eyeballing work here.







190 - “Ok, now put your right foot in, and put your right foot out, do the hokie pokie…” “**** you guys. It’s hot out here.” “Heh heh heh, got you good!”







191 - One more hero shot as you only are a Dollar Rider once.







192 - Taking Katy’s jet for a walk.







193 - Ended up being stuck in FayetteNam for 5 days, so to salvage the situation we got a van and went to Myrtle Beach.







194 - After driving the whole trip, everyone else was pre-gamed, and ran straight into the ocean. I’ll head to the bar.







195/197 - Breakfast the next morning. This startled the **** out of me.















198 - One more hero shot with a dollar we all signed.







199 - Got ‘em!







200 - Great job friend. Dollar Ride complete.

 

Trip 132, Summer 2016, Afghanistan



201 - New trip and after spending a dreary day in Germany, let’s get out of here and head to the desert.







202 – Positive rate. Gear up.







203 – Pilot hero shot.







204 - Clear right.







205 – Copilot hero shot.







206 - Getting paid to watch the world roll by staring out a window.







207 - Sandbox stop was a bit toasty on the temperature.







208 - Getting paid to watch that fuel roll by.







209 - Next stop with a kickass crew rest seeing friends after a very long time. It’s a small Air Force world.







210 - Three days off in Germany? I’m getting a rental car. Who wants to go to Paris?







211 - Hammer down big time in the rental car rig. Only got one speeding ticket.







212 - Notre Dame de Paris.







213 - Full tourist mode. The line was ridiculous long in length, so let’s press on to find beer and food.







214 - Something or other historic statue that prolly is important. Look! Over there is beer!







215 - 1664 was what I drank for three months in Thumrate Oman a few years ago, so good to see it again. This place made a mean well done steak.







216 “Donny, do you know French?”

“No.”

“Well let’s ride the train ‘till we see the tall pointy thing.”







217/220 - For those that know me, it’s a rare event that I’m speechless. Stepping out of the station, and seeing the Tower in person was one of those times. Roll film!

 

Looks great to be a member of Uncle Sam's Travel Club....great pictures!

 

221/233 - For those that know me, it’s a rare event that I’m speechless. Stepping out of the station, and seeing the Tower in person was one of those times. Roll film!























































234 Full moon tonight.







235 Train system ran on rubber tires.







236 Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile







237 It’s a lot bigger than you think.







238 – Hi friends.







239/240 – I don’t speak French

 

Always surprises me that the Krauts didn't blow that thing up during WWII. My dad always talked about how fighter planes would fly through the bottom arc of that thing after the war!