Italia, niebla y nieve

In one of the multiple trips to Italy for the Navites program and more specific, the fourth Escuadrilla made the trip from Torreon a Cameri, an Air Base close to Milan in a typical European winter day, it had been snowing for two days and before leaving the weather in Cameri was bad with overcast but with the prediction of clearing during the following hours.

With a fly time of 1 hour and 30 minutes through the French air space, they arrived at Cameri with thick clouds up to 30,000 feet.

It was decide to land in two penetrations Tacan-GCA separated by pairs to the  run way in Cameri.

The first formation found, with some relieve that at lower altitude the fog was not as thick and could see the ground totally covered by snow, but finally they could see more that what was expected.

As they approached the runway and completing the procedure for landing in Cameri and about the head of the runway, the left wingman of the first formation, was keeping in a tight formation with his Chief, cockpit with wing to demonstrate to the Italians that they could do it better than any body.

Suddenly, and quoting the text of the pilot’s words:

    “With the corner of my eye, I took a look at the runway and I realized

    that the runway was very narrow, !GOOD HEAVENS! But it is very narrow

    to the point that… !BY GOD! I don’t have runway under my airplane,

    and there is only room for the Chief, and so Engine and to the air,

    and as it is said in English, !!Camei Tower, the number two is making a Go-Around!!

    And with all the procedure to take to the air, flaps in Take-Off,

    compensate and added engine power, I could dedicate my self to review

    what had taken place and relax a little.

    With about 1000 pounds of fuel left, with the added power it began to lift up

    an I was able to reach the traffic elevation and make a left turn and place myself

    with the wind behind me to attempt another GCA and land without any other problems”

The next formations had been alerted about the Go-Around and as they came out of the clouds started decelerating and deploy the brakes to get behind little by little until the security distance between the airplanes had been achieved.

Once on land it was found that the runway had about 70 centimeters of snow and the Italians had cleaned only half of the runway lengthwise. With the obvious result that there was only space for one F-104G and not two as a pair, not even on a closed formation as they were coming and the fact that they were not told, not even the Chief of the first formation who didn’t realized until he was on top of the runway.