We did a short notice wake on Friday. Really good for everyone. A couple of the U-2 pilots here were very good friends with Mark from their days at El Forko Grande.
Lots of good stories were told.
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A quick story: Mark was scheduled to fly high, i.e. in the space suit, about 18 months ago. There was an outdoor change of command on the flightline for an O-6 here.
Now you need to know that after you put on the suit, and get all the pressure and O2 checks done, they put you in a large bread van with 2 lazy boy chairs in the back, and drive you out to the jet. Well, Mark decided HE should drive the van, and somehow convince the airman to let him do it. So, Mark jumps in this bread van, in the space suit, with his portable O2 and air conditioning cooler, and goes driving to the flightline. In the process of this, he passes the CoC gathering, with the Wing Commander, Vice, and Ops Group Commander looking up to see Mr Space Suit driving a GOV around the flightline. Needless to say, the OG got a funny look from the Wing Commander. Mark later got an ass chewing of epic proportions from the OG.
I still laugh thinking about this.
