The 32-year Gap!

They brought in a VAQ-129 EA-6B Prowler 160609 modex 911 from Whidbey Island, WA for static display. As is the current regs, in joint-manned outfits they say "NAVY" on the left and "MARINES" on the right.
They didn't bother to clean or shine-up this airplane, so it came right off the boat! Boot marks, smoking rivets, and corrosion-control multi-shade paint. I found it attractive!
On arrival, they needed help getting the boarding ladder down and getting bags out of the birdcage aft. I was more than pleased to help!
Getting the airplane out of here was a different story. The EA-6B does not just start itself and towing it requires a specialized bar. The Blue Angels' maintainers had guys and the bar so they towed it over, but they couldn't wait for the start!
I got a quick GSE class and they literally ran for the C-130 and were gone.
Cape G. has a part-time tower. The controllers are city employees and when the tower closes the field is uncontrolled. As soon as the airshow air boss got the show planes out and ended the "waiver", the tower closed. That means all movement on the airport and takeoffs/landings are dependent on each pilot reporting his position and intentions on a common traffic radio frequency. It was working very well, everybody yakking away, until we put power on the Prowler! I got a steady tone on my radio centered on the traffic frequency of 125.525 Mhz. I grabbed the pilot and told him he had the frequency blocked, but he didn't think it was his aircraft. I shut the power off after a bout five minutes and asked him to do a button check in the cockpit. Sure enough, his Comm radio was in "tone" mode. Military radios have a "tone" mode that puts out a steady 1000 -hertz tone. This is used for adjustments of microphones, but is primarily for other aircraft to home on in a emergency if the microphones and voice don't work. Really old technology, and probably never used, but still there. Problem solved.
I briefed with the Cdr. and then briefed the ground crew on the sequencing needed to start and clear the Prowler.
It takes 115VAC at 400-hertz to get electricity on the ship, then high-pressure, high-flow air to turn the turbines. The electricity come from a big diesel generator on wheels, but the air comes from a small jet engine mounted on a cart with a hose hooked in the side of the Prowler. The coupling gets hot! Three-hundred degrees and no-fingerprints left hot! So I showed a guy how to start/stop and disconnect the hose with the chain and handle. Briefed everybody to stay clear of intake/exhaust and for a very brief period became an Intruder plane captain after a 32-year hiatus. I was tickled pink!
We successfully manned, closed, started and launched a Navy Intruder(OKAY Prowler!). And didn't hurt anybody or cost the government money or paperwork!