Okay, I’m back (physically anyway)… woke up at 0430 and that was it… sigh…
It was HOT over there the entire trip. How hot was it? Well at one point I was walking back to the barracks and I saw a dog, two cats and three lizards ALL sharing the same little piece of shade and they were all just sitting there panting…
On a bit of a historical note-
ADM C. R. Brown received a VIP airplane when he was assigned as CIC Allied Forces Southern Europe in 1958. His nickname was ‘Cat’ and he was well known and respected by all of his subordinates. When the original aircraft was assigned, there was a contest to name the aircraft, and the name CATBIRD was the ‘winner’. This is a picture of the original drawing done by Walt Disney Studios for an emblem to be used as the insignia for the “Catbird” callsign that was painted on the side of the airplane (and Disney only charged the Navy $1 for the exclusive use and rights).
And here it is today… On a C-20 (better known as a Gulfstream G-3); the Catbird is alive and well…
Somebody asked me what kind of rentawreck I had; so here is a picture…
It’s a Smartcar on steroids… It’s a four door Mercedes A 140, and trust me, it has NO room for luggage… I had one regular size suitcase and it was too big to go in the ‘trunk’. To/from the airport I actually had to put it in the back seat!!!
We put four people in it one night to run grab a bite to eat, and it was bottoming the shocks… The only ‘good’ thing? It got about 70 mpg!!!
The other ‘fun’ thing about Italy is driving through a roundabout, now I know you Yankees know what that is, and how to drive through one, but trust me, you would NOT like the Italian version…
In Italy there is no such thing as actually obeying those pesky little traffic rules/laws, like the person IN the roundabout has the right of way… Nope, you just drive on in, and as long as you don’t LOOK at the cars bearing down on you, YOU have the right of way…
Now it’s even MORE fun when you have four or five streets off each one, and multiple lanes on a couple of them, AND throw in a bus and truck or two, and the normal traffic and I’ll guarantee you would age about a year per roundabout…
And you know how the US Airports are paranoid about cars parking in front of the terminal for ANY length of time? Well, below is the drop off area in front of the airport I flew out of…
This is about 0630, there are supposed to be three lanes, and I’m standing in front of the handicapped “drop off” spots… People just pulled in parked and got out of their cars and went into the airport, doing who knows what…
And the horns… the horns… EVERYBODY was honking… and a bus was trying to get through and couldn’t fit, so the ramp was at a dead stop, and he started laying on the bus horn, and got ignored…
That’s a quick and dirty, not much chance to actually go see stuff since this was a working trip, but I am glad this one is over. Now it’s back to the daily grind… sigh…
yeah, Foreign Travel is *such* a wonderful experience, isn’t it?
That Mercedes would NEVER make it over here. lol
I LOVE roundabouts, but bet I wouldnt like theirs either.
If they have roundabouts do they have “Jughandles” too?? Remember those?
And what do you mean their airports are not at security level crimson/purple/omg color?? I guess they’re pretty laid back over there.
My mom taught me the “He who looks loses technique” growing up. She learned it in Mexico City.
Italian airports are very safe. They never have any terrorist attacks in them. Well only a few.
Gerry
Your posts brought back many memories; though if you want really “sporty” driving try Portugal. Last EU statistics I saw, the highway death rate in Portugal is TWICE that of Italy … and you only count as a “highway death” in Portugal if you die AT THE SCENE. The roundabouts in Portugal are marked for two lanes as well; again, perhaps twice as sporty.
Got to fly in the “old” CatBird from Italy to Portugal when Grog Johnson was CNE/AFSOUTH. Nice ride.
Does that rental offer a glimpse of our future if the greenies get their way?
Glad you are back safe and sound.
I can’t even imagine a round-about in Italy.
The ones in Australia are enough to give me the jumps.
Catbird symbol sure bears a close resemblence to my old units nose art.
Actually, that should be the other way around. Ours popped up in 1967.
Skul
You are not providing any motivation here to go see “The Old World.” In fact, you’re providing distinctly anti-motivating information about seeing Europe. More you talk about that, the less I even want to leave Alaska to enter the crush and mess that is the Lower 48.
Is there anything there worth putting up with the people, the crowding, the smog, the filth, the taxes, the people, and the culture?
That is not a car, but a over grown golf cart.
Happy you made it back.
Were you ever stationed at Wheelus AFB? I happened into a momento of that base, in mint condition, and it needs a good home. If you’re interested, get in touch with me.
drjim- uh…yeah, right… 🙁
peedee- I’ll bet we’ll see that car in the next year or so… They don’t have jughandles (or at least I didn’t see any). Re the airport, they just don’t give a crap.
Gerry- 1984 Rome…
Boat Guy- THAT is why I don’t do Portugal 🙂 I flew on the old Catbird (P-3A) It was nice 🙂
WSF- Yep, probably in the next year…
Skul- The Aussie ones are EASY 🙂 if y’all were using that nose art, you owe Disney a bunch-o-money LOL
Wing- They DO have some history worth seeing, but Italy is a filthy country. Friend of mine brought his wife out for a week, she left and came back after 2 days…
CS- Yep, but I think the golf cart would win in a drag race…
Paw- Will do.
Jim you are NOT going to believe this BUT, When I was stationed in bella Napoli I was attached too the A/C Maint. dept. there. I started out the AD-5N tow planes, moved up to the SNB-5’s used for pilot proficeincy (sp).Then after a particularly fortunate deployment for me, I wound up assigned as Second Wrench on Cat Browns R4Y-4Z Convair for my last year there! He also had a HUP-2 Twin rotor helo assigned to him for hopping around locally! We had a WWII ADR1 enlisted pilot as THE Plane Commander and a full commander as the co pilot.! He and Cat Brown had been together for years and he, the admiral, didn’t want anyone else planting that bird. He was also the last active duty enlisted pilot. The guy right in front of him as far as longevity was another enlisted pilot, an ADRC who was the pilot on the HUP-2!! Both birds had that logo on them! You know what 2nd wrench did right? Fill the tanks,wipe off the oil drips, all the “good stuff” that goes on with an A/C. This was in Undress whites in the summer and UD blues in the “winter”! Needless to say I spent most of my money on new whites once a week as I was known as PIGPEN around the hangar. God, this post just brought back a boat load of memories I had pretty much forgotten! Thanks Dude!!!
I am glad you have survived your trip so far.My Great Uncle worked for Disney during that time frame.He has passed on.But he used to tell stories about working for Walt Disney.
I agree with Conservative Scalawag on the car deal. >.< Glad you’re back, hope you get to stay long enough to remember where “home” is.
Um… Ev, the pilot wasn’t by any chance Chief Nap Jones was it???
Fuzzy- I’ll bet he DID have some stories!
Snigs- Thanks- At this point home is where ever the bag is… sigh…
I always thought Italian roundabouts had screwy right of way laws. Like the entering traffic had right of way and the guys on the roundabout had to yield. But that could just be the practice and not the law.
For Wing and a Whim;
Napoli is NOT Italy. Stay to the north of a line Venezia-Bologna-Firenze-Viareggio and you’ll find GREAT things.
Wine, food, scenery, history, LIVING WELL. Some nice folks too…
When I traveled in Europe, my friend and I were debating whether to rent a car or go with a Eurail Pass. When we got to Rome, we thanked our lucky stars that we chose the train, or we would have returned to the States in pee stained body bags.
Jim,I was about 21 when this was all going on and it was 50 some years ago. The name of Colbert sticks in my mind for the helo driver, and “Jim” for Adm Browns guy.In flight I was relegated to the ass end of the plane, and when on the ground in or under the guts of it. There was NO schmoozing with the guys up front except for yes, and no sir, even though they were enlisted and I was an E-5! I was in complete awe of both of those guys! Oh Yeah! the good old days!
Jim- Um… not so much… 🙂
Boat guy- You are correct!
Mrs. C- THAT was a good call, trust me!
Ev- I “think” Nap’s first name was Jim, probably the same guy. He was still flying as a PIC in the early 70’s when I joined. I worked for “Pappy” Harbs who had been one of his compatriots.
Gerry- 1984 Rome…
My tongue was firmly in my cheek.
I remember the Italians and Libyans being buddy buddy during those days as well.
Gerry
How the hell do you remember ALL the names? I look at old pictures and feel like I’m right there talking to these guys but I can’t remember what to call them!! Senility advances at a faster rate every day!!