Rope Trick is the phrase Huey pilot RoadRunner (returning from episode 227) drops almost an hour into Episode 230. It’s worth the wait. He joins hosts RePete and Kemo (guest-co-hosting for Fig this week) for a sprawling story. It runs from flight school cliffs in Texas to a Bangkok hotel room. Along the way there’s a cigar-chomping instructor and a Fort Rucker ejection seat. That seat compressed two of his vertebrae. His first medevac mission ends with a stretcher lost to a crossfire.
Furthermore, RoadRunner doesn’t soften the ugly parts of a combat tour. He talks about free fire zones, where a farmer’s water buffalo became fair game for gunners in training. He describes the moment killing stopped feeling like a big deal. Consequently, the episode swings hard between gallows humor and real weight. That’s exactly the tone this show does best.
The Rope Trick, Explained (Sort Of)
Actually, RoadRunner never fully spells out the Rope Trick on air. He teases it during an R&R stop. That trip starts with a hotel scrubbing so aggressive he compares it to a car wash. Listeners get the setup, the wink, and the aftermath. However, the specifics stay in the room, which is arguably funnier than any explanation.
The back half covers a second, very different milk run. This one happens aboard a converted Navy ship. It includes a “feet wet” radio call that RoadRunner didn’t understand at the time. He also shares hard-won advice from fellow Vietnam pilot Stretch. That advice closes out a long, honest hour of storytelling. RePete then wraps the show with thanks to sponsors, donors, and the crew that keeps this podcast flying weekly.
Stay Connected
Catch new episodes of So There I Was every week at sothereiwas.us. Follow along there for more aviation storytelling, sponsor spotlights, and behind-the-scenes updates from RePete and Fig.
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