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A Six minute flight??? Dynomite!!!!

Another Buz Dryfoose best seller...

My shortest flight in the Antarctic was 1/10 of an hour on the yellow sheet.......a six minute flight. It came about in this fashion: 99853 was sent out to supply an IGY trail party taking seismic shots. They needed some more dynamite. Not being able to carry dynamite and blasting caps in the same airplane, we looked the other way and put the caps in the tail cone and 1,000 lbs. of dynamite in crates in the cargo area.

As luck would have it, in the early days, there were always some VIPs around who wanted to impress their constituents and so it happened that Sen. "Scoop" Jackson from WA or OR (can't remember which) wanted to go on a flight.....and we were it. We threw a blanket over the dynamite crates and strapped a seat belt so he could sit. He had no idea what comprised his bench.

Starting, taxiing, and warm-up were uneventful. On take-off, at about 200 ft., the sump warning light on #2 engine came on, indicating metal filings in the oil. We turned immediately and, while feathering the engine, called the tower for a downwind landing (only 5 knots of wind)..... proceeded to land and taxi back into the line.

The senator, meanwhile, had brushed the blanket off one of the crates and, as the crew departed the aircraft, a very white-faced senator was trying desperately to get up from his seat. As I passed, I said, "Senator, it works much better if you'll release the seatbelt." He did, and exited the plane in one hell of a hurry.

Maintenance found some cylinder head bolt threads in the sump and that was all. We refilled the oil, started the engine, and had the OK for the flight.
Upon inquiring about our passenger, we were told it was like he vanished from the Ice. He was nowhere to be found.....so we proceeded without him.
But I'll bet he had stories to tell when he got home! He probably said, "They sat me on DYNAMITE and wouldn've had me fly out to the trail party in that condition!! Those men are crazy down there!"

Buz