ARGENTINA: Supersonic President

As part of its participation in Argentina’s Twelfth Annual Aviation Week at Buenos Aires, the U.S. offered faster-than-sound joy rides in an F-102 fighter. For protocol’s sake, the first invitation went from the U.S. commander, Brigadier General Paul S. Emrick, to President Pedro Aramburu. Last week, to Emrick’s surprise, Aramburu stepped out of a helicopter at Buenos Aires’ Ezeiza Airport ready for his ride.

The President put on a pressurized G-suit and parachute. Emrick and the F-102’s pilot, Captain William H. ( “Scotty”) Scott, helped him into the cockpit, sand through an interpreter explained the workings of the ejection seat. “Be careful,” said the interpreter to Scotty, “we’ve only got one President.” Replied the pilot: “Yes, and we’ve only got one Scotty.”

Aramburu clapped on his bubble helmet and oxygen mask, and the plane climbed quickly to 26,000 feet. Somewhere around 700 m.p.h. the jet banged through the sound barrier, soon hit 800 m.p.h. Twenty-five minutes after takeoff, the President was back on the ground. How did he like it? “Fantastic,” said Aramburu. “There’s something about it you cannot explain.” According to Air Force officials, Aramburu was the first chief of state ever to break the sound barrier.