Explorers Soaring After Introduction to Careers in Flight

Veronica Carranza was set to take her first airplane flight Wednesday morning. She was understandably scared and nervous.

The 18-year-old from Oxnard would earn her first set of wings by flying in the same plane that carried 92 nervous young men at a time to battle in Vietnam, years before she was born.

“This plane is probably one of the best tactical airlift planes flying,” said Master Sgt. Ray Perkins.

The plane is a C-130 nicknamed “Lucky Six” after the pilot’s lucky number. And Carranza’s first ride was courtesy of the California Air National Guard.

The brief flight is part of the Ventura County Explorer program, an offshoot of the Boy Scouts of America aimed at youths 14-20. The program exposes boys and girls to a variety of careers in health care, law enforcement and computer technology. Recently the program has expanded to include aviation.

“The idea is they get them to explore career choices to see if they really like it,” said Leilani Bueltmann, who coordinates the program.

Before Wednesday’s 11 a.m. takeoff, each of the 13 Explorers was given earplugs for the noise and a plastic bag for unsettled stomachs.

As the engines wound up to a roar, three friends strapped one another into the seats made of latticed red cloth and smiled nervously.

“This is Veronica’s first flight,” said Jennifer Wilson, 17, pointing to her anxious friend across the aisle.

The C-130, usually used to move troops and cargo, lacks the luxuries of commercial aircraft.

Every bump and rock on the runway was felt, and during takeoff the landing gear provided two big thuds underfoot. There were no bags of peanuts. The only frill, aside from the neatly packed parachutes, was the hatchback--a large mechanical door that opens the back of the plane for loading cargo and providing paratroopers a place from which to jump.

Five minutes into the flight, however, Perkins, a load master for the Air National Guard’s 146th Tactical Airlift Wing, made a downward motion with his hand.

“Because there’s something wrong with the gauge, we’re going down,” he shouted over the loud engine hum. “We don’t want to take any chances.”

That has been the policy at the Air National Guard Base for decades. The base has the distinction of being the safest tactical base in the nation, according to Perkins. With more than 262,000 flight miles logged, there has not been an accident on the base near Point Mugu since October 1965.

After a few minutes of checking, the flight was cleared for takeoff again.

“I don’t want to go back up,” said a Corina Polo, 15.

However, half an hour later, the tail of the plane opened up to a vista of Vandenberg Air Force Base, revealing a near panoramic view that wavered slightly beyond the clear blanket of fuel exhaust.

“I like this,” Corina said.

Everyone else was momentarily transfixed.

During the return flight to base, friends were giving each other thumbs up, and a father and son team threw their hands up in excitement when the flight landed.

“Pretty neat,” is all that Josh, 16, and his father Russ Cobb, an Explorer leader, could say after their flight.

“It was my first time, but I was going to overcome my fear of flying,” said Carranza proudly.

Wednesday’s 75-minute flight was the third trip on a C-130 that Explorer leaders have arranged. It was one of many adventures that such Explorers as Jennifer and Corina have experienced since being with the group.

Several Explorers returned this week from a four-day conference in Washington, D.C., where they competed with other law enforcement trainees at the national level. Their trip was sponsored by the Oxnard Police Department.

While there, they also joined a SWAT team and were held hostage as part of a tactical exercise.

Although many of those along for the plane ride looked uneasy at first, their appreciation set in once their feet were again planted on the ground.

“It was very exciting,” Corina said. “It was a great opportunity.”