It had been an early flight. They had departed the ship at first light. Half an hour later they arrived Bahrain. The pilot banked the Sea Knight helicopter through a curved approach, and landed next to a stack of yellow duffle bags that were labled U.S. MAIL. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqWvYTqOgFb
The crew chief and junior crewman lowered the cargo ramp and quickly brought the duffles on board. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3U3nrk5fqY
The rising sun was already heating the air. The crew chief closed the lower half of the cabin door. The junior crewman pulled a hydraulic lever in the back and the cargo ramp rotated upward to the closed position. He left the upper hatch open for ventilation and returned to his bench seat along the left side of the cabin. He strapped the wide gunners belt around his upper chest and slapped the metal buckle closed. He grabbed the leash that was attached to the back of the belt between his shoulder blades and clipped the hook end to a tie down ring on the deck. This was the aircrew equivalent of a seatbelt. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbvEIJJBIu
The crew chief sat by the cabin door facing aft with the upper hatch locked open. He positioned his helmet microphone and keyed the intercom button “Ready for takeoff.” 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUG5r2KL7HT
The pilot picked the craft up into a hover, checked the gauges then departed back toward the ship. The air flow through the cabin was a relief.311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbb1xaf27A3
Once they cleared the shore the crew chief motioned for the junior crewman to trade seats with him. The crewman unclipped his leash from the deck. Took his place by the cabin door and clipped into the tie down beneath the seat.311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvprmOsTEr
The crew chief laid down on the bench seat and promptly went to sleep. It was against regulations to sleep on a mission but what could go wrong on a routine mail run?311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Nx7sHVMD6
The pilots continued to banter and joke on intercom. Soon enough, they directed a comment to the crew chief. When he did not respond, the pilot glanced back from the cockpit. “Is he sleeping?” He asked. “Yes, Sir.” the crewman replied. “Do you know any good pranks?” The copilot asked suggestively. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnCIsJIuFg
“I have an idea.” the crewman announced. He turned the yellow handle on the cabin door and slowly let it open. He then released the gunner’s belt from around his chest and tossed it out the door. The empty belt hung from the leash as it flapped and twisted the wind. He walked to the back of the cabin, and buried himself under the pile of mail duffles.311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0B61GgdATw
The pilot jerked the flight controls. The abrupt motion woke the crew chief. He was still half conscious when his gaze came to the empty seat by the open cabin door. The pilots took covert glances over their shoulders to watch the developing reaction.311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡai2OhDZtZb
He sat up in a daze, looked to the back of the cabin and saw nothing but cargo. He looked back to the seat and his eyes widened. He crossed the cabin and looked out the door. To his horror he saw the empty gunner’s belt trailing in the wind against a backdrop of white capped waves a thousand feet below. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqiZPmBWsV
He recoiled from the door hands on his helmet. “Oh my God!” He exclaimed in panic. The pilot looked back over his shoulder. “What?!” The crew chief moved back to the door and scanned the waves. “He is gone!” he answered. “What do you mean, ‘he is gone’?” the pilot demanded. “The door is open and he is not here!” The crew chief said as he pulled the gunner’s belt inside.“What happened?” The pilot asked sternly. “I don’t know!” the crew chief replied as he closed the door. “How can you not know?” the copilot joined in the psychological torture. The crew chief stuck his head into the cockpit. “We have to go back!” 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡilwBHewLJ6
The crewman stood up from under the mail bags and made his way to the front of the cabin. He strapped on his gunner’s belt and took his seat by the door. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjx5IZc3pT9
“We are not going back. We do not have enough fuel for a search.” The pilot said with finality. “What are our coordinates? We have to radio the ship and tell them to send another helo.” The crew chief demanded desperately. “YOU radio the ship and explain how you lost your junior crewman on a mail run!” The copilot retorted.311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd7pDKxbEna
The crew chief backed out of the cockpit with his hands on his helmet. “F@#k! F@#k! F@#k!!!” The expletives vented out. He caught sight of the crewman sitting calmly by the closed door staring outside as if nothing had happened.311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUOLIhcgF0
”What the hell?!” The crew chief exclaimed. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBcj3qk6e9z
The crewman turned. “What?”311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7Tzqpbdxu
The crew chief stared. “Where were you?!”311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwfxzAujyk
”What do you mean?” the crewman replied with a straight face.311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5iqx349wx
”You…” He looked back at the pilots who were casually flying and navigating as if the whole episode never occurred. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpN8Lxo6uGq
Now he was really doubting his sanity. Then he caught a glimpse of a slight smirk on the pilots face as if he was holding back a laugh. He realized he had been pranked.311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfNuAG8Tr2
You f@#$%rs! He cursed as he kicked the crewman in the leg. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5NCTXqzfr
“Haha! Gotcha!” The pilot laughed.311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUE18sqrRH
The crew chief sat heavily back onto the bench seat with his hand on his heart trying to come down off of the adrenaline and deal with the mix of relief and humiliation. He knew the entire squadron would hear of this one. He would be the 'bad example' story used to teach future aircrews to never sleep on a mission.311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLjPl4YMS4
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