The Marines, in their infinite wisdom, sent me to Oceana to go to school on the "new" radar system the Marines finally got. Only 20+ years out of date, but it was relatively new to the Corps. Well, "new" is relative. I'd already been working on this particular system for 5 years. "School" was a tad redundant for me. They gave me the final Practical test the first day. I started the bench up, moved the hand-controller a few times, and shut it down. They thought I'd been bragging, and was lost, until I rattled off the exact failed transistor they had put in to test me. It was a common failure, easy to diagnose, easy to repair.
After that, they arranged it so that I just came in in the morning, checked and repaired, as needed, their benches for them, before everyone else showed up. In return, as soon as I got done, I got to go do whatever I wanted. And I did, too! No school for me, and a 100% for the course on my record, as well as new MOS for me. Easiest course I ever took! Most of the "instructors" had less experience on the system than I did!! Sheesh...
Anywho, the base put on an airshow, featuring one of their Tomcats. It was great! On it's last pass past the audience, who were out on the flightline to watch, he got just a teensy bit...ummmm...hasty?? Ok, FAST. I thought it was awesome, seeing the waves of condensation around the bird, and the sound was just WICKED! I turned my friend/room mate to tell him how cool I thought a +Mach pass right in front of us was. He was MAD! It had broken his glasses! He didn't see the humor, no pun intended, but I thought it was hilarious. He had the famous issue BC glasses.
His weren't the only broken glasses, either.
The Navy made the pilot pay for every single broken pair brought in, civilian or military, military issue, or private purchase. The pilot didn't really care though. It was his last flight in the Navy, and he had a blast.
Most of us did too
Thanks for the great memories!
Pat☺
. After all if you know me, there are a good many who would view me as some sort of immortal alien given some of the things I pull off at Milviz as a developer, but I am just as mortal as you.
