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jUMP sTORY
We were taking off in a C-123 from Neubiberg German AFB outside of Munich enroute to a Jump at Grief DZ in Bad Toelz. The aircraft lost one engine on takeoff. We knew something was wrong when the loadmaster said something into the ear of the JM. He stood us up and we hooked up, they opened the door and stood us in the door. I was leading the stick and remember looking fown and seeing the twin spires of the Frauen Kirsch and thinking of the scene in "The Longest Day" where the jumper was hanging from a church tower in St. Mere Eglise. I don't think the plane ever got over 300 feet. They finally got us back into our seats. I think we would have jumped but they figured an airborne assult on beautiful downtown Munich would have been bad PR. To top things off the plane made a very steep descent (dive) and we all assumed the kiss your ass good-bye attitude. Suddenly he flared out and made one of the smoothest landings I have ever experienced.
As we were taxiing the crew walked down the aisle with their hands in their pockets as nothing had happened. I'd bet a drawer inspection would have revealed something else.
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