Immersed in the Culture

It was a Tribute to Robin Olds last night at Wings Over the Rockies air museum. More than 250 people were in attendance on the main museum floor in the former Hangar One at Lowry AFB. If you haven't been there in ten years you wouldn't recognize the former technical training center that funneled so many thousands of maintenance, munitions, avionics, traffic control and other specialty airmen into the USAF. The base is largely assimilated into modern Denver with curving streets of manicured lawns, middle class homes and comfortable looking condos. An amazing transition.

The reception was surrounded by late 20th century jets including an F-4E that looked like you could plug a -60 power cart in and roll it out the front door for takeoff. The F-105 seems to have grown over the years. I didn't remember it being that big! The B-1A seemed comparable in size...OK, maybe just a little bit bigger.

There were old warriors and new ones. The patrons ranged from four star general test pilots to MiG killers like Bob Titus and Steve Ritchie. There were active duty flyers and AFA cadets. Iraq and Afghanistan vets, a newly operational Raptor driver and old friends from my time on active duty.

A great chance to raise a toast to Robin, sign a lot of copies of "Fighter Pilot", tell a lot of memorable stories and reconnect with a fraternity that seems to never change but always evolve.

The old guys need have no apprehension about leaving the country in the hands of the new crop of jocks.