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LAC C.J. Kopp

Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 2:05 am
by georgetanksherman
I have a question, this is a first time that I have seen this term within the RCAF but while researching the Crew of Douglas Dakota KN563, one of the crew members was LAC C.J. Kopp, R/178240. Virgil, Ontario, Canada. and they have him listed as a "Kicker", Down here in the USAF, the term "Tire Kicker" meant the Crew chief of that particular aircraft, just curious if any one knows ! Figured it had to either be maintenance or maybe the crew member who pushes out the cargo on air drops.

Re: LAC C.J. Kopp

Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 10:13 am
by Temujin
georgetanksherman wrote:
Fri Oct 05, 2018 2:05 am
I have a question, this is a first time that I have seen this term within the RCAF but while researching the Crew of Douglas Dakota KN563, one of the crew members was LAC C.J. Kopp, R/178240. Virgil, Ontario, Canada. and they have him listed as a "Kicker", Down here in the USAF, the term "Tire Kicker" meant the Crew chief of that particular aircraft, just curious if any one knows ! Figured it had to either be maintenance or maybe the crew member who pushes out the cargo on air drops.
You guessed right, a ‘Kicker’ was “slang” for RCAF crew members who “kicked” cargo out the doors of Dakota aircraft. Here is a link to a story, and two photo’s from the same story that show “kickers” at work


https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton ... -1.2831677
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Re: LAC C.J. Kopp

Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 11:33 am
by Temujin
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Re: LAC C.J. Kopp

Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 3:39 pm
by georgetanksherman
Thank You Temujin for the info, out of all the 400 series squadrons that I have researched so far, RCAF 435, 436 and 437 Squadrons are, by far the hardest to get any info on lost Dakota's. I have so far found 5 acft for 435 (One from Squadron 165 before the number change), 2 acft for 436 and 6 acft for 437