Newsgroups: sci.aeronautics.airliners Path: news From: Robert Dorsett Subject: More _Legend_and_Legacy_ X-Submission-Date: Thu, 3 Dec 92 5:57:18 CST References: Message-ID: Approved: kls@ohare.Chicago.COM Reply-To: rdd@rascal.ics.utexas.edu Sender: kls@ohare.Chicago.COM X-Submission-Message-Id: Date: 04 Dec 92 22:30:37 PST This was posted to rec.aviation.misc in October... --------------- From: mtc@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Mark Cousins) Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 08:42:00 GMT Subject: More _Legend_and_Legacy_ Message-ID: <87330001@hpcc01.corp.hp.com> Organization: HP General Systems Division Newsgroups: rec.aviation.misc Okay, now it's my turn to post my favorite parts of _Lengend_and_Legacy_, the book about Boeing that Geoff Peck reviewed a while back. I have two: "Frye ordered six Stratoliners for TWA, and Pan Am signed for four; the only other potential 'launch' customer was the Netherlands' KLM, which expressed enough serious interest to send a technical delegation to Seattle for evaluation. Lindbergh, too, arrived at Boeing as a technical consultant for Pan Am, and secretarial hearts fluttered enough to generate a strong breeze. As was his custom, he went through the charade of using a fictitious name, a transparent device because he was easier to recognize than any movie star; at Boeing he was knwn either as 'Mr. Charles' or 'Mr. Morrow.' "He showed up ahead of schedule for a meeting one day, found Marge Blair rearranging some chairs, and offered to help. While they were lifting a chair together, his hand accidentally brushed hers. Lindbergh's face turned beet red, he mumbled an apology, and fled the room. "'Talk about being bashful and shy,' Marge laughed. 'You would have thought he tried to assault me. Most of the time he looked like a young farmer lost in the big city.'" ===== To be sure, I don't have that effect on secretarial hearts, and he flew better than I, but the story struck a resonance in me. I'm pretty bashful also and probably would react similarly (smile) . . . ===== This next one is, so far, my favorite of them all. "Another early 707 was involved in an incident that might be termed the Great Boeing Air Raid. This was Pan Am's second airplane off the line, being flown by Boeing's Lew Wallick and Water Haldeman, an FAA check pilot. They were doing some tests around the Los Angeles area and just before heading back to Edwards Air Force Base for refueling, Wallick remembered that the DC-8 was to make its first flight that day. "They were about 20 miles from Long Beach where the maiden flight was scheduled to take place later that morning, and Wallick asked the Long Beach control tower for permission to fly over the airport. He requested a modest 5,000 feet but the tower turned out to be more cooperative than requested. "'What is your identification number?' "'Seven-oh-seven Peter Alpha.' "'Are you a Boeing 707?' "'Affirmative.' "'Well, you're cleared to cross the airport at one thousand.' "About one mile out the tower controller, apparently a Boeing fan, changed his mind. "'You're cleared to cross the airport as low as you want,' he decreed. "At this particular moment, the airport coffee shop was jammed with media people having breakfast before covering the long-anticipated first flight of the DC-8. Wallick came screaming over the field at 500 feet, rattling the coffee shop windows. Everyone rushed outside in time to see a four-engine jetliner clawing skyward, four black plumes streaming in its wake. Reporters did the natural thing; they phoned their offices to report that the DC-8 had just taken off on its maiden flight. "Once that news was broadcast, Douglas employees planning to attend the first-flight ceremonies stayed away by the droves. Donald Douglas was livid; Wallick heard later that he called Bill Allen, raised hell, and when he found out that Wallick's copilot was an FAA employee, tried to get Haldeman fired." ===== Enjoy! Mark -- Mark Cousins Hewlett-Packard Co. mtc@hpsemc.cup.hp.com HP-UX VAB programs 19055 Pruneridge Ave., MS 46T5 (408) 447-4659 Cupertino, CA 95014 FAX: (408) 447-4364