The retirement of the Commanding General of Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) occasioned a massive and costly flyover at Andrews AFB, just outside Washington, D.C.. Our group was tasked to participate.
Dozens of planes participated in the flyover, practically every then-current type of plane that the General had been associated with in his career. Fighters, bombers, trainers and transports came from all across the country to join the parade. It was quite a gaggle of disparate birds.
Someone in the planning grouped decided that flights of single pilot craft should be led across the flightline by larger aircraft with navigators aboard. The theory was propounded that timing, spacing and general air safety could be improved by having the larger craft control the flow of traffic and manage the timing and spacing of flights. I was elected to navigate a C-141.
Of course the practice flight did not match the actual event, because our C-141 was down for maintenance. We had to practice in a T-39, which had no navigator station or equipment. My job degraded to map reading and stopwatch timing. Fortunately, the C-141 was ready for the real show and things went smoothly. We flew in the middle of a stream of fifty or more planes, a mixed parade of large and small planes flying over the Andrews AFB flightline.
It had to be a very expensive affair, with the costs of airplanes flying to and from their home bases and participating in the practice as well as the real event. Lots of aircrews, support people and TDY expenses were incurred. And that was just to honor one man that most of us barely knew. I am glad that there were no incidents or crashes, a testament to the thorough planning of the organizers. But was that expense really justified?