Info Sheet - Stanley E. "Stan" Allen
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I started the Night Hawk mission as a volunteer, sometime in early 1969. I was working the night shift, in the hanger. They came around and ask for a volunteer, that was crew chief qualified, so I volunteered. I was told not to, by most of the night crew. They said it was a suicide mission. I told them, that I came over here to fly, so it was my chance and I was going. This was in early 69.
When we finally got the mission, as a permanent mission. I was ask by the CO, if I wanted it on a permanent bases, as I had the most time as Crew Chief for that mission at the time. I said yes, so I became the first permanent Night Hawk Crew Chief that the unit had. I do not know the exact date but I would say sometime in June or July of 69. The picture of the mini Gun was taken sometime latter, I would say late 69 or early 70.
Yes, we used Navy Flares a lot, while I flew the mission. For awhile, I kept a tub fastened down in the aircraft and filled it every time we needed more flares. The lanyard from the flare, was fastened to one of the cargo tie-down rings on the floor of the aircraft and I would toss one out when needed, then we would follow it down, circling just above the parachute so we could not be seen as we were in the shadow of the parachute.
The flares as I remember them were about 6 inches in diameter and about 3 and a half to 4 feet long.
As to the pilots, the only one that I remember was Steve Zorger. He was assigned as the permanent Night Hawk Aircraft Commander and I was assigned as the permanent Night Hawk Crew Chief. I did fly with Randy Meade some; both on Night Hawk and also some daylight missions, when my bird was in Maintenance or waiting to go back on Night Hawk, after maintenance. He flew as copilot for awhile then I believe that he became a Night Hawk Aircraft Commander, who filled in when Steve could not do it for some reason; like R and R or running out of hours that he could fly in 30 days. If I remember we were restricted to 100 hrs in 30 days, then you had to take a mandatory "Stand Down" for 3 days from your regular job.
I flew with several of the other pilots as they were scheduled to fly by Operations. Some liked it and did it more than others. Some like Randy became Night Hawk AC qualified and flew it some whenever Steve was not available to fly it.
I left in the middle of April, of 1970.