Dear Editor,

This was when I was assigned to the 6th Air-refueling Squadron 6h Heavy Bombardment Wing, Walker AFB, Roswell ,New Mexico.

Not sure why this occurred to me, but I was at one of my favorite "watering holes", and I thought about a TDY (Temporary Duty) assignment from many years ago; perhaps when I was 24- maybe 26, to Alaska. Not sure now whether it was Anchorage, or Fairbanks, but we were not assigned a flight for the next day, so we went to the local establishments - a bit of liberty, so to speak.

Anyway. we chose this particular adult entertainment Saloon; we had to show ID to get in so, the pleasant woman at the door asked our Navigator for his ID -- He was the oldest. He was so grateful he gave her a hug - my buddy Chet - Petty cool, right. As we entered the saloon with sawdust on the floor we found seats at the bar. The first beer always tastes like two, so we are on our second. The entertainment is starting.

Guess what, our door girl - perhaps older than any of us, but a Betty Grable type physic - is one of the entertainers. The thing that stuck out was the "pasties" on her she wore. O.K. --- contrary to previous critiques, I do know what a female looks like. Our lady was rather unique - she wore pasties with tassels. But the good part - when the music started she twirled them counterclockwise one going like the clock and the other counterclockwise. Quite a trick I thought.

Later in my aviation career, I thought, perhaps this was a lesson in aeronautics. Now hang with me here. On many twin-engine commercial aircraft, the right engine spins clockwise and the left engine counterclockwise. What is the sense of that? Well, when you study aeronautics you know that on a normal aspirating (or a turboprop) engine the downstroke of the propeller has more lift (thrust) than the ascending side. So if one fails the yaw is not as severe. The common method of determining the failed one - as the instrumentation may not give the correct clue - is "dead foot, dead engine". The countering force is pushing the proper rudder control. So besides entertaining me and our crew, she provided a lesson in aeronautics.

Yes sir. Some memories come back when you least expect them.

Regards,

John Stiegelmeyer

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DC April 16, 2022, 1:40 pm Good story John. I wonder how Siskel and Ebert will critique your writings. You recall the 2 guys that NEVER made a movie themselves, but critiqued all movies.

Later
Dave
LW April 18, 2022, 2:52 pm Thanks for sharing this very entertaining memory John, couldn’t help but laugh!
Linda Wood
JS April 25, 2022, 6:54 pm My former UGPT roommate tells me it was Fairbanks,

thanks to Alan K.