WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1951
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
PAGE FIVE
Six-Footers Mark F-80 Group While Others Get Trampled
An Airport in Korea—(U.P.)—Put away that old fashioned notion that fighter pilots must be little squirits in order to fit into the cockpit.
There is a jet fighter squadron out here in which 45 per cent of the pilots are more than 6 feet tall.
The commanding officer, a shaver of 6 feet and around 240 pounds, says he has no trouble at all slipping into the driver's seat of a F-80 Shooting Star. He uses a greased shoehorn (that's what he says).
The commanding officer is Lt. Col.
Charles H. Williams, 30, of San Antio-
nio. Tex: He does more than just
command the squadron. He's the
lead'off man in its rainy day department
of barbed wit and banter.
While the rain beat steadily on the roof of the wooden barracks, the jet jockeys sat on their iron beds around a squat iron stove and poked fun at themselves and their work. Colonel Williams, the C. O., spread a smile over his ruddy face. He thrust his fingers in his hip pockets, tilted his iron folding chair back on its hind legs, crossed his stockinged feet on the cement floor, and sighted along one finger toward the squadron deputy commander.
Maybe you've wondered whatighter pilots do on a soaked-in-daywhen they have to sit around on theground. They spend the time tossingsouped up insults at each otherfor laughs.
"You think we've got some big guys in our outfit," he said. "Look at that major over there. If they get any smaller than that, we throw 'em back."
Maj. Clyde E. Good, 31, of Columbus, Ohio, the deputy commander, smiled back. His slight build was a strange contrast to the huge frames of the men around him. He said he weighed 140 pounds and was 5 feet 4 inches, the shortest height the air force allows.
The colonel's booming voice continued: "We had to make him deputy commander to keep the rest of the guys from trampling on him. We got
Capt. Robert L. Eckman, 26, of Houston, Tex., who is 6 feet 3 inches tall and wears a size 13 shoe, grinned from his cot. He has 1,300 hours of flight logged in the F-80.
guys in this outfit with feet bigger than he is. Show the correspondent your feet, Eckman."
"It's no problem for a big man to fly a jet fighter, once he gets used to it," the colonel said. "Take a guy like Eckman. He bailed outta one once. You know what he did? He just kicked the airplane away from him—that's all—with that size 13 shoe."
"I don't have any problem squeezing in" he said. "You just can't take setting up exercises while you're in there, that's all."
The colonel was asked if he didn't have to leave something out in order to get his huge body into the cockpit. He smiled slowly, and his eyes twinkled under his cropped hair.
The toughest thing about flying a F-80 is "walking to and from the plane before and after missions," Colonel Williams said. "Finest damn plane I've ever flown."
Dr. Walter M. Kollmorgen, chairman of the department of geography, will be in Baton Rouge, La., Friday, Feb. 2, through Sunday, Feb. 3 to attend a meeting of the geography committee of the Office of Naval Research.
The group meets to appraise research proposals submitted by various institutions of geography from all over the United States. If the project is deemed worthy of an appropriation by the committee, it is turned over to the O.N.R. for final consideration.
Kollmorgen To Attend Meeting
A special problem to be studied during this session concerns recommendations for the handling of geographical personnel during the present critical situation. The proposals made by the navy deal with such problems as how many geographers should be called to Washington, D.C., should they be put in uniform, and what tasks are the most pressing.
The K.U. geography department is at present completing a study of population distribution in western Kansas for the O.N.R. Another plan submitted by the University, that of mapping the vegetation of the eastern coast of the United States, is currently under consideration.
Ratings Awarded To 13
Thirteen of the 16 women who received basketball officials' ratings at the rating clinic sponsored Jan. 13 by the University rating board were University women.
The national rating was given to Miss Martha Trate, instructor in physical education, and Joyce Herschell, education junior. Jane Cunningham, education sophomore, received the local rating.
Jerre Mueller, Darlene Schindler, Jane Schindling, Peggy Wayman, and Shirley Wilkie, education sophomores. Ratings were based on the results of written and practical tests.
Those who received intramural ratings are Virlee Reardan and Barbara Smith, education seniors; Sydney Ashton, education junior; and Vinita Bradshaw, Betty Clinger,
The practicals consisted of trial officiating at games played by women's intramural teams judged by three University students and physical education teachers.
Take a 15 minute break and drop down for a fresh, tasty, Sandwich and a hot cup of coffee
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