◆ SpookStack

Connie Seigrist one of the few North Americans who would fly a B-26 in action over Playa Giron had some particular objections, not to the B-26 itself, but to the modifications that had been built into some of the aircraft which were acquired during the course of the JMATE operation. Going back to the initial request of 11 August 1960 it was suggested that long-range ferry tanks be installed in the bomb bays of the B-26's, Seigrist pointed out: About six replacement B-26's arrived at TIDE at the same time of evening as we (Price, myself, and 4 Cuban flown B-26's) returned from our strike at the Bay of Pigs. These replacement B-26's had ferry tanks strapped permanently in the bomb bays. In my estimation, they were flying bombs -- we never used presented in terms of an emergency bail-out. Thorsrud, in a discussion of this subject for example, pointed out: [One of our contract pilots] had bailed out in Indonesia ... He went over the top of the canopy and he hit the horizontal stabilizer and broke his leg ... which probably saved his life •.• because when he got on the ground, he had his carbine and his pistol with him ... and he was in such shock that •.. he probably would have tried to fight his way out of it if he hadn't done that. It was not an easy air- craft to get out of though. There is a recommended technique ... if all goes well, but if your speed is up, it is going to carry you right up and into the horizontal stabilizer. 61/ - 47 -