Chapter 465

Over the next 90 minutes Cliff and his crew regaled Harold with their trials, and triumphs in loading and unloading these huge flying cargo machines. They talked about 'Old Shaky,' the C-141 Starlifter. It wasn't sexy; it just came to work every day, and got the job done. The new ultra-sophisticated C5/M Galaxy, which could carry 380,000 pounds of cargo to any point in the world nonstop.

The workhorse, Hercules C-130's that every Allied nation used to move troops and cargo around their country. And when they started talking about their C-17, Short field takeoff and landing aircraft, they could not stop. If it were prom night, they would take it with them. They were that proud of it. It was the same thing you heard over and over again throughout the age of flight: pilots only borrow an aircraft. The mechanics, the people who work on the guts of the aircraft, own it.

There was a loud 'boo' from men off to their left, and Cliff said, "Who