Alan C. Mack

But he did put me into Army aviation as an aircraft mechanic, worked on Hueys, Cobras, 58s. And it turns out it was good advice. And I did nine years. I reached the rank of Staff Sergeant, E6, in the Army. I was in Germany, West Germany at the time. And I decided I was going to get out. of the army, but I really wanted to fly. So I put in a packet.

So I had two kids, little kids, and my wife, Linda at the time, was a medical assistant. And I thought, you know, they're just going to send me back to Fort Bliss, El Paso, which I didn't want to do. And so I said, you know what, why don't we get out, but I'll put in for flight school first. If I get picked up, we stay. If not, we get out. And so I got picked up, which was amazing.

So I had two kids, little kids, and my wife, Linda at the time, was a medical assistant. And I thought, you know, they're just going to send me back to Fort Bliss, El Paso, which I didn't want to do. And so I said, you know what, why don't we get out, but I'll put in for flight school first. If I get picked up, we stay. If not, we get out. And so I got picked up, which was amazing.

So I had two kids, little kids, and my wife, Linda at the time, was a medical assistant. And I thought, you know, they're just going to send me back to Fort Bliss, El Paso, which I didn't want to do. And so I said, you know what, why don't we get out, but I'll put in for flight school first. If I get picked up, we stay. If not, we get out. And so I got picked up, which was amazing.

So I did almost four years in West Germany and off to Fort Rucker, Alabama. But that's how I got interested, really, was the Be All You Can Be commercials and the evening news.

So I did almost four years in West Germany and off to Fort Rucker, Alabama. But that's how I got interested, really, was the Be All You Can Be commercials and the evening news.

So I did almost four years in West Germany and off to Fort Rucker, Alabama. But that's how I got interested, really, was the Be All You Can Be commercials and the evening news.

So my first assignment was to South Korea, which is a whole other story we might get into later, because that was a military junta ran it then. It wasn't a democracy. And I went back many years later, and it was a big improvement. So a year unaccompanied there. I go to Fort Bliss, Texas, where I meet my future-to-be wife, Linda.

So my first assignment was to South Korea, which is a whole other story we might get into later, because that was a military junta ran it then. It wasn't a democracy. And I went back many years later, and it was a big improvement. So a year unaccompanied there. I go to Fort Bliss, Texas, where I meet my future-to-be wife, Linda.

So my first assignment was to South Korea, which is a whole other story we might get into later, because that was a military junta ran it then. It wasn't a democracy. And I went back many years later, and it was a big improvement. So a year unaccompanied there. I go to Fort Bliss, Texas, where I meet my future-to-be wife, Linda.

do three, three and a half years there, and then go to Germany on a three-year accompanied assignment. So we get there, have our two sons, and now the timing is that, and then flight school's almost a year long, so I count that in the nine years, and that's why.

do three, three and a half years there, and then go to Germany on a three-year accompanied assignment. So we get there, have our two sons, and now the timing is that, and then flight school's almost a year long, so I count that in the nine years, and that's why.

do three, three and a half years there, and then go to Germany on a three-year accompanied assignment. So we get there, have our two sons, and now the timing is that, and then flight school's almost a year long, so I count that in the nine years, and that's why.

Hueys. Because it... What I wanted to do was assault, right? Think of, you know, back then it was the Air Cav, you know, doing the big, big, you know, multi-ship assaults. And so that's what I wanted to do. And the Black Hawk was just coming out. As a matter of fact, in my class, we had like 72 students, I think, to start with. And 20, like 30 of us got Hueys.

Hueys. Because it... What I wanted to do was assault, right? Think of, you know, back then it was the Air Cav, you know, doing the big, big, you know, multi-ship assaults. And so that's what I wanted to do. And the Black Hawk was just coming out. As a matter of fact, in my class, we had like 72 students, I think, to start with. And 20, like 30 of us got Hueys.

Hueys. Because it... What I wanted to do was assault, right? Think of, you know, back then it was the Air Cav, you know, doing the big, big, you know, multi-ship assaults. And so that's what I wanted to do. And the Black Hawk was just coming out. As a matter of fact, in my class, we had like 72 students, I think, to start with. And 20, like 30 of us got Hueys.

10 of us got Cobras, and then most of the others got 58, and there were only six Blackhawks slots. So that's how new the Blackhawks were, showing my age. But yeah, so I learned to fly Hueys. So what did you, all right, so what did you get to fly? Well, I learned in UH-1 Hueys. By the end of class, So you know what's happening to the airlines right now where the pilots are aging out, right?

10 of us got Cobras, and then most of the others got 58, and there were only six Blackhawks slots. So that's how new the Blackhawks were, showing my age. But yeah, so I learned to fly Hueys. So what did you, all right, so what did you get to fly? Well, I learned in UH-1 Hueys. By the end of class, So you know what's happening to the airlines right now where the pilots are aging out, right?

10 of us got Cobras, and then most of the others got 58, and there were only six Blackhawks slots. So that's how new the Blackhawks were, showing my age. But yeah, so I learned to fly Hueys. So what did you, all right, so what did you get to fly? Well, I learned in UH-1 Hueys. By the end of class, So you know what's happening to the airlines right now where the pilots are aging out, right?

They're hitting age 65 and they can't by law fly. Well, in the army, Chinook pilots, a Chinook transition is considered a reward, right? So remember the Vietnam War had been going on, guys were flying Hueys, doing the assault work. If you survived it and got back and then they wanted to send you back, the reward was you could transition to a Chinook, right?