LAC C.J. Kopp

[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.

[Temujin]

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

25C202DF-F414-4396-A204-92A06500B217.jpeg (295.08 KiB) Viewed 6137 times

A1F46C7E-90AF-400B-8AB5-D38C80537399.jpeg (373 KiB) Viewed 6137 times

[Temujin]

FD84C200-57D7-43F5-9758-CAF65F0800DA.jpeg (826.56 KiB) Viewed 6133 times

F8E96876-3AE7-473A-9B6D-E740FF1367AA.jpeg (337.6 KiB) Viewed 6133 times

11EA4196-D4B3-492B-87DB-964AEC693A06.jpeg (96.81 KiB) Viewed 6133 times

[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