Old Shaky's Sky
C-124 Globemaster 2 (Old Shaky)

by James Ebb Huggins, Jr.

 It was a privilege to fly in Old Shaky's sky - many years ago.
When she was queen of the airlift fleet - many good men helped make her so.
From early in the morning - and all through the night,
Old Shaky did what she was asked to do - and she did it right.

She could lift twenty thousand pounds of stuff - and then fly it away
To a place somewhere way out there  - by the end of the day.
She moaned and groaned ever now and then - and sometimes let out a cry,
But she never failed to do the job - of lifting cargo into the sky.

She weighed one hundred and eighty-five thousand pounds - at her max gross take-off weight,
With fifteen thousand two hundred horses - to see her to the gate
Of making airlift history - of hauling what needed to go
To any place around the globe - a record of airlift to show.

There were times when she did not perform well - times when things did not go right;
Times when she would act up a bit - and give her crew an awful fright.
Sometimes she would have oil all over her - as well as all over her crew.
Some say the oil lubricated a hole in the sky -  for she and her crew to slip through.

She would often resist becoming airborne - when the density altitude was high,
And the weight she was carrying was excessive - and resisted being lifted into the sky.
She would roll, and roll, and roll, and roll - until the runway was about to say good-by,
Then just at the last moment become airborne - taking her place with birds in the sky.

Old Shaky had brakes that made a loud squeal - every time they were applied,
And made one wonder if they were working right - when reversing momentum's stride.
They normally worked fine and seldom failed - when stopping was the thing to do.
It's said the sound was not from the brakes - but from the screaming crew.

Old Shaky was a stable instrument platform - when meteorological conditions were bad,
And would deal with Mother Nature's wrath - and make her pilots glad
When she would make an approach in the middle of the night - when visibility was at it's worse,
And break out over the approach lights - escaping calamity's curse.

There's no wonder that so much love and respect - is given to her by her crew,
After spending many hours flying with her - after going through all they went through
To get the job done, to get it done right - to put their lives in her keeping,
And thanks to Old Shaky who helped them get through - without experiencing disaster's weeping.

She's gone now and will not be back - except in the memories of many good men,
Who flew her around this sweet earth - dealing with the mighty wind
That blew them home safely, time after time - that allowed them to fly,
And be with those who touched the face of God - in Old Shaky's sky.

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