Shortly after my becoming an AEAN (E3), AE1 (E6) Paul Cunio was promoted to Chief Aviation Electrician's Mate (E7). That's the goal of every career enlisted man. Not everyone attains it. Chief Cunio sends me to Electronic Countermeasure Operator School and eventually to aircraft LK 10 as the crew electrician and ECM operator. Being assigned to a flight crew is lot of work! All it's electrical problems are primarily mine, the crew washes and fuels the aircraft, assists in loading weapons and stores, plus going flying in it! Way more work than being a shop electrician. The pay increase to $155 a month from $100 is some compensation. Maybe even a lot of compensation! Most of all it's fun and enhances your status in the squadron.
On the first flight, the experienced crew members teach you the basics. How not to walk through a spinning propeller. How and where to hold the fire bottle in case of fire when the engines are started. How to safely remove the metal pins from the nose and main wheel landing gear struts before taxiing the aircraft. Removing and inserting the tire chocks. Safe aircraft refueling practices. Avoiding jet engine intakes and exhaust. One will suck you in, the other will blow you over. Last, they teach you where to crouch in the takeoff and landing position inside the aircraft. The electrician and ordnanceman do not have seat belts like the other crewmembers so they sit you in a small compartment curled into a ball for takeoff and landing. Do NOT touch this handle! That handle is a failure on my first flight.
On takeoff the aircraft blasts down the runway, AN Gatch, the ordnanceman, and the electrician, me, are curled into a balls waiting for the pilot to tell us we can leave our takeoff station. After takeoff we hear, "Secure from takeoff stations." Reach up, grab the do NOT touch handle, it jettisons from the aircraft and hangs up on the outside of the plane necessitating an emergency landing. Embarrassing. No repercussions, just answer some questions, and a flight safety report is filed.
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