UK UK - USAF Sgt Paul Meyer, 23, RAF Mildenhall, 23 May 1969

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MelmothTheLost

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Mystery of the lost love plane: How could a drunken, homesick serviceman steal the giant Hercules... and did he really crash into the Channel?


The sight of a Hercules C-130 transport plane starting up its engines was nothing unusual, even at 5am. RAF Mildenhall in May 1969 was the home of the United States Air Force’s 36th Airlift Squadron, and it was flying missions around the clock.

Yet there was something about this particular aircraft that vexed Staff Sergeant Alexander, that morning’s flight supervisor.

He had not seen a pilot boarding the plane, only a mechanic. And if there was no pilot at the controls, why were the propellers turning?
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...homesick-serviceman-steal-giant-Hercules.html

This is a completely new case to me, and one for one of the more thorough podcasts to get their teeth into.
 
Sounds fascinating.

Marking my place to read tomorrow when I'm less tired.
 
alb1on said:
It is also worth noting that Meyer was a qualified pilot, only of light aircraft (so getting a C130 into the air was still a near miracle).
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And especially in the days before increasingly elaborate flight simulation software was available and before sophisticated auto pilots that could be programmed to take off and then fly the plane.
 
This is now getting some public exposure. The BBC has produced a long report on its news website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-43800089 . It contains a lot more information about the events leading up to the theft of the C130, including interviews with his widow and stepson. I did not realise he had patched through the radio whilst flying and spent an hour talking to his wife. It also contains more detail on the search to be carried out for the plane wreckage this year.
 
Cryptic said:
And especially in the days before increasingly elaborate flight simulation software was available and before sophisticated auto pilots that could be programmed to take off and then fly the plane.
Click to expand...

Rereading the recent BBC News story, it turns out that he often flew in the C130 and the pilot would let him take the controls despite not being qualified. So he had some experience of flying the plane, but presumably not piloting it at take off.
 
_100913665_meyer_976.jpg


In 1969, at the height of the Cold War, a mechanic in the US Air Force stole a Hercules plane from his base in East Anglia and set off for the States. Just under two hours later, he disappeared suddenly over the English Channel. Did he simply crash or was he shot down?

LINK:

The mystery of the homesick mechanic who stole a plane
 
I was stationed at RAF Mildenhall from May 1967 to August 1969. I remember the incident of the C-130. Meyer was on Temporary Duty from NC or VA for 90 days. He asked his Commander to be sent back to the US. Request denied. He was a crew chief on the C-130 and he was authorized to taxi the plane and order fuel. After taking off, two fighters from RAF Lakenheath were scrambled. They escorted the 130 out over the English Channel. The rumors has it the fighters came back with no ordinance.
 
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