found myself sitting next to retired Delta pilot

N

notawannabee

New Member
at a local restaurant/pub near my house. He now flys in airshows. Their website is www.starfighters.net

He did not go into specifics about all his experiences in his aviation career, but by reading his bio. on the website, I can see why his persona left such a positive influence on me.

The site shows some of the aircraft they fly, but I believe he mentioned something about high performance prop planes as well. If you get the chance, check out one of their shows. I know I will.
 
which guy was it? i don't see anyone on the crew that says "retired airline pilot"...

so what all did he say that left a positive influence on you?
 
which guy was it? i don't see anyone on the crew that says "retired airline pilot"...
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Look at [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Univers,Zurich BT,sans-serif]Dave “Shark” Waldrop[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Univers,Zurich BT,sans-serif] on the crew list.

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I got to fly with Dave several times. One of the finest people I ever worked with in a cockpit. Not a hint of ego. I never heard the "Shark" handle. His Vietnam buddies called him "Mig Killer" as I remember.

If you ever see the Wings (Military Channel now) show about the F-105 in Vietnam, Dave is prominently featured. Including the day he got two Migs in one dogfight. Keep in mind, the F-105 was a bomber, not a fighter. But they often had to fight their way out after hitting targets in the north.

Good to hear he's still flying.
 
105s were not known for their air to air superiority either. Anyone who can take out two MiGs and make it back to base in a "Thud" (that's the sound they make when they crash) is a pilot.
 
Foxcow said:
They were also practically industrcutable.
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The F-105 took the brunt of the air war. Pilots were generally fond of the big, sturdy, powerful machine, giving it names such as "Lead Sled", "Super Hog", "Ultra Hog", "Iron Butterfly", and most of all "Thud". Most of the dangerous bugs that had plagued the type early on had been worked out, and the Thud could take a lot of punishment and come back home. In 1966, one F-105 was hit with a flak round that took out a chunk out of its wing 1.2 meters (4 feet) across, and the aircraft still limped back to base.

http://www.faqs.org/docs/air/avf105.html

They were tough, but had a terrible loss rate in Vietnam because of their mission. Lots of Thud drivers in the Hanoi Hilton.
 
I never said publically that I work for Delta. Lemme get that straight off the bat and have you refer to the sticky thread about the "Delta Connection Academy Update".

I do, however, know a guy who's got a seniority list dating back from the mid 1990's...
 
flyover said:
I got to fly with Dave several times. One of the finest people I ever worked with in a cockpit. Not a hint of ego. I never heard the "Shark" handle. His Vietnam buddies called him "Mig Killer" as I remember.

If you ever see the Wings (Military Channel now) show about the F-105 in Vietnam, Dave is prominently featured. Including the day he got two Migs in one dogfight. Keep in mind, the F-105 was a bomber, not a fighter. But they often had to fight their way out after hitting targets in the north.

Good to hear he's still flying.
Click to expand...

He's a great guy. He definately has an " aura " about him that say's " I've done some great things " , but not a hint of ego. How / when did you get to fly with him ?
 
Kristie said:
which guy was it? i don't see anyone on the crew that says "retired airline pilot"...

so what all did he say that left a positive influence on you?
Click to expand...

He told me ( almost word for word ) what my father in law ( retired captain for ANA .....a Major in Asia ) told me about flying. In a nutshell, it was about total dedication/focus and not teetering ( I'm from the south..it's a word down yonder ) back and forth about going into the industry. He was also telling me how, I believe it was United, used to go to career day at colleges and try to recruit pilots and even PAY FOR THEIR TRAINING. Now that's an acronym we probably will not see for awhile. Then there's the obvious, how the industry has changed. He said he's having a blast now, with starfighters.
 
notawannabee said:
He's a great guy. He definately has an " aura " about him that say's " I've done some great things " , but not a hint of ego. How / when did you get to fly with him ?
Click to expand...

Dave was one of a number of 'Nam vets that were in the right seat when I started as a flight engineer in the late 70s. He stood out and I always enjoyed flying with him. Had to learn about his exploits from other people. I'm pretty sure they threw a big party for him when he retired. I saw lots of posters around the crew lounge. Just a hell of a guy.
 
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