27. RICHARD BALZER

I have to mention Dick Balzer in this book because he played a very important roll in Flight Test and because we traveled together several times to help a customer with a problem.  We went to New York Airways (before the accident) to look at some flight problems and a few times to Corpus Christi to work with the Army.. They were doing Chinook overhaul at that time.

I want to relate what happened with Dick on one of our Corpus Christi trips. There were three of us, Dick, a Navy commander and I.  We were coming home on a Friday afternoon, with a connection in Houston.  We were late getting off and it appeared we would be a little late for our connection in Houston.  We asked the Stewardess to request Eastern to hold our flight a few minutes since we were running a little late.  She confirmed that the pilot did that.

We arrived in Houston and the Eastern airplane was still there with about 10 minutes to take off. We ran thru the terminal and as we passed the Eastern counter they said go ahead, you still have time. We arrived at the gate about 3 minutes before scheduled departure and the airplane was taxing out. They departed early and we were stuck.

We returned to the Eastern counter, and asked if they had a request to hold the airplane since we were a little late, they had not.  Checking with the first airline they had the message from our pilot, but did not notify Eastern saying, “they never hold an airplane for any one”

Bear in mind that Dick is 6/4 and can be a little gruff at times.  He asked for the station manager and was informed that he was eating dinner in the terminal restaurant. Dick went in and found him, sat down, and had a talk with him.

He came out with a hand full of vouchers.  We had a taxi to a very nice motel, dinner, breakfast, taxi back to the airport and first class back to Philadelphia. I guess it pays to have a big guy along.

Dick was the original Project Pilot on the V-22 Osprey and made the first few flights. Unfortunately he was hunting deer on a private school property, may have fallen from a tree, but somehow shot himself in the groin.  He was alone and bleed to death. He wasn’t found until later in the evening. A tragic end to a great guy and a great pilot.

The picture was a presentation for lifting a yard locomotive for DuPont following an explosion.  They thought some one was underneath. From left, the Navy Commander that was with us, Dick, Crew chief, me and Leonard La Vassar, Chief Pilot.