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immediately told me, “Of course, you’ll need to jump first.’ I told him that I thought I could handle that.”Even though Bontrager was more than just attracted to the idea of jumping from an airplane, during the rush of war he was never given the opportunity. Ultimately and instead, he was required to pass a written and oral exam on chute rigging.“I would have much rather jumped,” he said. “It would have been easier and a whole lot more fun.”At first, lacking an adequately equipped parachute loft, the chute riggers at the Hutchinson NAS utilized some floor space in the city’s central post office. By the time an air-conditioned drying tower was up and running at the airfield, Bontrager was packing 15 to 20 parachutes a day. While very seldom actually used, the chutes required constant packing and repacking. They were susceptible to mildew, not to mention that as seat parachutes, there was some soiling from the rigors and stress of flight training.“You had to sign and date a card attached inside the chute pack,” he said. “They always told us that if the chute failed to open, you’d better leave the country.”Chute riggers at Naval Air Stations were considered essential duringwartime training, and they actually received flight pay.“Butthenwehadtogoupin the Stearmans at least four hours a month,” he said. “It actually was kind of dangerous, but I loved every minute of it. There were no radios, and planes were coming in and going out on different runways. There wasone pilot by the name of Stucky who always tried to make me airsick. We’d go up and he’d do loops and barrel rolls, but I never did get sick. It was just a lot of fun.”Flight instruction at the Hutchinson NAS began in October 1942 and continued until March of 1944. During that time, only nineYingling Air- craft Half Page 4/C AdJULY 2011TWIN & TURBINE • 51