Flight Path

Frank Barker is one of the leading Presbyterian pastors in the USA. But God called him to the ministry while he was a fighter pilot on an aircraft carrier...

Before I got off active duty, I did two more cruises on aircraft carriers.

One was on the Kearsarge, a straight-deck carrier, the other on the Shangrila. It had a canted deck and was significantly easier to land on.

A landing signal mirror replaced the LSO (Landing Signal Officer) who used to be stationed on a platform at the left-hand side of the rear deck, directing the pilots with phosphorescent 'paddles'. This large, concave mirror reflected a beam of light that guided us. As the pilots looked at the mirror, there was a bright light like a small sun in the centre and a horizontal row of lights across it. We focused on the beam as we came down to land. If the bright glow was higher than the row of lights, we were coming in too high. If the beam was lower than the row, we were too low. If red lights suddenly flashed, we had to wave off and go around again. Instead of pulling the throttle off when we landed, like we did on the straight-deck carriers, we landed with full power. If our tail hook didn't catch a cable, we took off and came around again. It was hard to override all my previous training to throttle back and retrain my instincts to give full throttle as I came onto the carrier.

These cruises in Asia did not involve combat since the Korean War was over. On my nine-month cruise, we put in at Yokosuka, Japan, and went ashore for a few days. We also flew our planes to Atsugi Air Base and operated out of there.

The Japanese were friendly. We squeezed into the subways that were packed with more people than I had ever seen in one place. We toured various cities whenever we got a break from flying. One of our favourite sites was Mount Fuji. It was an amazing sight! Tokyo was huge, but we always managed to find someone who spoke English to help us get around!

Collision in the air

A tragic accident happened on our carrier's return trip. When we neared Okinawa, I and my wingman were assigned to map the Air Force airfield there. We flew back and forth over the field, straight and level, mapping it. Meanwhile, some Air Force fighters began harassing us. They made passes at us, turned loops and made our work difficult.

When we finished mapping I said to my wingman, 'Let's go get those guys!' If I could go back now and change the past, I would have flown straight back to our carrier. Who would have thought harmless pranks would cause such calamity?

I saw several Air Force jets taking off, and we dove down towards them. About the time they got airborne, we whipped under and zipped right out in front of them. 'That'll teach those Air Force boys not to mess with the Navy!'

Obviously, such antics were against the rules, but we often engaged in them. We pulled up to about 10,000 feet and headed back to the carrier not expecting a chase. However, they did come after us. They tried to get on our tail.

'Here they come', I said to my wingman. 'Get ready to break right. Now, break!' As we turned sharply to the right, I heard an explosion. I rolled to the left and there, just off my wing, was what looked like a blazing sun! I thought they had hit my wingman. The two Air Force jets had collided. There was not a piece larger than a dinner plate left. Both pilots were killed instantly.

I was ordered to the Air Force base for a court of inquiry a few days later, but was not disciplined in any way by the military. I couldn't stop thinking about those guys who died because of our pranks. When I closed my eyes at night, I saw that fireball over and over. I wished I could turn back time. God was getting my attention.

'God was listening'

Growing up, my mother and father had taught me to kneel by my bed every night and pray. It never occurred to me not to do it. Even on the carrier I knelt by my bunk and prayed like this: 'God, bless Mama and Daddy and Sister and the dog. Forgive me for doing all these bad things, and help me to be different'. My prayers had been no more than a rabbit's foot a kid carries for good luck.

One night I rattled off my prayer and had a strange feeling that God was listening. I didn't hear anything or see anything, but felt that he was saying, 'Do you really want to be different? Or are you just talking?'

It was a solemn moment. If I said 'yes', I believed he would do something inside me that would really change me. And I really didn't want to change. I didn't want to be different. I wondered, What is it going to cost in my lifestyle?

Then a shocking thought occurred to me. What are you doing? You are resisting God!! That's dumb! All he would have to do is snap his fingers and that catapult would throw your jet right in the ocean. Whatever changes he wants to make in your life, wouldn't that be the best thing? Can't I trust him for what he wants with my life? Can I even trust myself with my life? Didn't he love me and send his Son to die for me?

I prayed, 'God, it is foolish to resist you. I really do want your will done in my life, whatever it is'.

'Get me out of it'

My next thought was, when I say that, I am planning to do something next weekend that I know he doesn't approve of. How can I be sincere? That's right! I can't be sincere and still be planning on going through with something I know he doesn't want me to do.

Not to go through with my plan would involve a lot of flack from my squadron buddies. I really cared about the peer pressure. I prayed, 'All right, God, I won't do what I was planning next weekend, but you've got to get me out of it. I really care what my buddies think'.

I got up from my knees and knew God had heard me. I took steps to extricate myself from the weekend plans. I was conscious of God working behind the scenes making it not quite as tough as I thought it would be.

That became a pattern. Something would get on my mind to drag me down, so I would ask the Lord to help me by arranging circumstances that would allow me to overcome the temptation. Six months later I had made some sizeable moral changes.

Then I got the feeling God wanted me to go to a seminary and be a minister. I said, 'Wait a minute! You've got the wrong guy, Lord. I'm an Auburn engineer!'

But I couldn't shake the feeling that God wanted me to be a minister. I wrote my mother that when I finished my tour of duty, I planned on going to seminary. She was shocked and delighted. My sister didn't believe it. When Mother read my letter to her she said, 'What? Read that again!'

I knew I had told God I'd go to seminary, but I had no idea how to go about it. Where are seminaries anyway? I was supposed to go on another cruise before too long and thought, I need to figure out what to do. I'd better go home to Birmingham and ask my pastor for advice.

I had two weeks leave due, so I packed up my car and drove from California to Birmingham. It was good to be home, sleep in my own bed and eat Mother's cooking. But my mind couldn't rest until I got my plans settled. The second day home, I drove down to my old church fully intending to talk to the pastor. I parked the car and sat there looking at the beautiful, old, grey stone church. The longer I sat, the more I panicked. I couldn't make myself get out of the car and go in. I drove away quickly.

Every day for the next week, I drove back to the church and sat in my car staring at it. I just couldn't make myself go in. I feared that once I told the pastor I was considering seminary, I'd actually have to go through with it. So many doubts plagued me. I was afraid to take that first step.

At the golf club

The days went by quickly until only two days were left before I had to leave for California. On my last day I was playing golf at Birmingham Country Club. As I was getting ready to tee off on the sixteenth hole I thought, I don't know why I can't go down to the church and talk to my pastor. It's some mental block. If I could only meet the pastor here on the golf course, I could tell him.

I felt safe because I remembered once hearing the pastor say something about his annual golf game. I relaxed because I knew he wouldn't be on the course today. I drove my ball hard down the fairway, but it sliced and hit a tree. I shuffled around in the grass looking for my ball. When I found it, I looked right into my pastor's face. At first I thought he was a figment of my imagination. Then I realised God must have timed this 'chance' meeting.

Before I could change my mind I said, 'Dr. Mathis, I need to talk to you'.

'When you finish playing come on down to the church. I'll be waiting', he said.

I didn't even shower but went straight to the church and told him I was considering going to the seminary. He seemed really pleased.

This article is an edited extract from Flight Path, a biography of Frank Barker, published by Christian Focus, and is used with permission.

A biography of Frank Barker Jnr.

Collision in the air

'God was listening'

'Get me out of it'

At the golf club

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