02SSofdeath

Just wondering if anyone at Kadena knows the story behind the ZZ

jmill96Z

iTrader: (3)

It has to do with the pilots packing up and leaving the maintainers for death. Those actual planes were never allowed to touch US soil again by Presidential order.

02SSofdeath

Yeah thats about all i know im trying to find like the full story thanks for your help

jmill96Z

iTrader: (3)

Guess it's all fake.

Straight from the link...

"A popular rumor claims the wing patch has a chicken and is yellow because of an alleged act of cowardice during the Korean War. The fact that the patch has been worn since 1932 certainly disproves this rumor and should dispel any doubts about the record of the 18th Wing. The wing patch has undergone some changes since it first appeared in 1931. However, the "fight until you prevail" attitude is as strong today as it was over 60 years ago."

Legend has it that Kadena AB was getting taken over and the pilots left the crew chiefs, the crew chiefs were then hung with safety wire, my fellow co workers tell me the safety wire is still hanging from the ceilings in the hangars. I don't find it likely for the base to keep safety wire up on the hangar that a body was hanging from. Then people claim that the safety wire is hanging in Osan, what does that have to do with Kadena? Why do people believe this story?

Florida Boy

wow thats a sweet urban legend. i guess

PotentialZ28

I heard a different story, my old supervisor came from there and he had the chicken patch.

I heard it that the base was getting overrun and the crew chiefs risked there lives to get the airplanes off the ground, all the planes and aircrew made it out alive and none of the crewchiefs did. I never heard the safety wire part but i do know that they still have the chicken patch

camaroguy_02

after being stationed in kadena and runnin thru some of the hangers, i had never seen any wire hanging from the rafters. as someone eluded to earlier - that'd most likely be a safety issue (knowing the AF and our safety rules and regs).

JUICED96Z

iTrader: (2)

I have heard both stories, regardless if its true there are crew chiefs that take pride in if it came down to life or getting planes off the ground they would get them off the ground.

Splitz

iTrader: (1)

I heard this same rumor from a TSgt that left Kadena for Lakenheath.

Then answer this?

Where did the USAF get the ZZ from to begin with?

Most other Tail Numbers make sense?!~?!?

LN = Lakenheath, RAF
SJ = Seymour Johnson AFB
MO = Mountain Home AFB
BT = Bitburg (at the time), AB
LA = Los Angeles AFB
BA = Barksdals AFB
EG = Eglin AFB
TY = Tyndall AFB
FF = Langley AFB (First Fighter Wing, thus the FF)
WA = Nellis AFB (<- this one is strange?)
AK = Elmendorf AFB (Alaksa)
SL = Missiouri Guard (based at St Louis Int Airport)

So, where did the ZZ Come from?

jmill96Z

iTrader: (3)

From F-16.net

the ZZ tailcode is just a holdover due to the age of the unit. Historically in the USAF there have been a number of units that used a Z* series. It just happened to get the last one.