The AF headquarters Commander in Panama was General Britewizer when I got there. He was hard to work for, a tyrant that read at many thousands of words per minute, he would reject in seconds a draft you had labored over for hours or maybe days. He demanded a lot but gave very little guidance, he was a tough read, I never understood him nor his logic, I was just one of the many staff officers that went to the front office to catch hell for something we most probably did not know much about his preferences, so we would go back to our offices and try a different approach. Some times it worked, but I don’t remember any attaboys. He also never came to the cockpit on any of the trips to places we took him and the word was don’t any one enter his compartment without first calling him on the inter phone. His staff stayed in a state of terror. So among us, when we got word of his transfer, we rejoiced, I mean we really had a party. His replacement was General Clisby, a mild mannered gentleman with a Grace Kelly like wife that was equally likeable. Wow what a change. General Clisby visited the cockpit often and we had plenty of trips those first few months of his tenure because he wanted to meet with every one of his counterparts in every country in Central and South America. No, I did not go on all the trips but I got to pilot a lot of them. But each one was a pleasurable experience. He was a joy to work for and fly for, we had visited enough in the cockpit that we became buddies as good as a Captain and a Two star can become, I knew my place but I knew we had much in common and could “communicate”. One of the nicer trips was to San Carlo de Bareloche, Argentina, the Aspen of South America. Totally Alpine but they spoke Spanish. The town is on the west side of a long lake oriented N-S and nestled between two mountain ranges so the approach was interesting but not all that difficult. Arrive well above the highest terrain in the area, get close enough to receive the two radio beacons and then enter a figure eight pattern descending between the two radio beacons. As I remember our initial altitude was about 20,000 ft and the airfield was nearer 5,000 ft so, yes it was a long and arduous approach but still safe and easily done.

We only had one glitch, the airport would not accept a DD form 15 as
payment for fuel or services and we owed over $900 just for fuel and then there were parking and other fees. The Generals aide came up with the
money but on the morning we wanted to depart we had to be deiced and
several of the crew used our credit cards to buy the deicing fluid, it wasn’t cheap but General Clisby promised we would all be repaid promptly
and we where. Baraloche was a really nice place, the accommodations were very comfortable and the food especially good. One lunch all I wanted was some tomato soup, it was not on the menu but after a while it arrived spiced with basil and having a sprig of parsley floating in the middle, croutons were on the side. Yeah, I even got a yeager snitzel there. That was one of those trips that one really remembers because everything worked out almost perfectly. Google it up and see for your self. Of course there has been much development since I was there but I still find it fascinating. Just think I got paid to fly to such places. Wow what a job. Yes, I count my blessings every day. Bob