Cap’n Jim’s Logbook

I have been a flight test engineer for Lockheed Martin for 20 years, and sometimes in my work-a-day world where demonstrating new eye-watering aviation capabilities is normal and setting records becomes routine, its hard to remember why we build these weapons systems in the first place. Today I got a little reminder from an unexpected source.

Let me preface this by saying that 10 years ago I worked on a project to improve AC-130 Gunship survivability, and that today my son Jonathan is in Iraq working as a weapons mechanic on the same aircraft. This morning we had breakfast with Jessi (Paul was busy clearing a drain). During the conversation Jessi told us that Jonathan and I had received an unexpected compliment. Intrigued, I asked how. Turns out that one of the students in Paul’s fire science class is a former Marine and veteran of the Iraqi war. When Paul was telling him about Jonathan being in Iraq and that he works on AC-130 Gunships, this former Marine told Paul how he always loved to hear the Gunships orbiting overhead. He said that you could always catch some shuteye then because you knew that when Spooky was on the prowl you were okay. I nearly cried when I realized that a capability that I helped deliver and that my son maintains, means that when the skubalen hits the rotary air impeller and a grunt calls for air support the rounds are gonna be on target and somebody’s son/husband/daddy is gonna come home.