|
Post by Mark O on Mar 15, 2013 4:42:02 GMT 9
|
|
|
Post by pat perry on Jan 7, 2014 10:35:11 GMT 9
A message from Bobski - Pat P
All, Thought you'd all like to read this interesting story from Bill Livesay. I was also at Selfridge during this arctic blast in 1977. I remember working MA-1 out in the ccccold...... Yes we looked like arctic warriors! Thanks Bill for the cold memories!
Bobski
Bob,
Hope is well with you and your family.
Have been thinking as I have been outside moving snow around, about a similar time in the deep snow and bitter wind chills some many years ago. The ADCOM IG had scheduled the 191st FIG for ORI in mid January 1977. Couple days before the IG Team arrival the weather turned bad, even worst than today, with deep snow, temps below zero and wind chills that you see in the arctic. The snow plows moved the snow into huge piles on the far corners off the ramp.
We had 15 F-106s on station and after the scramble of the two alert aircraft, we went into the Mass Load exercise with the reintroduction of the AIR-2s flown in by a C-141. The wind was strong enough to move the AIM-4 missile coffins around on the icy ramp. If you were outside you wore full arctic gear, the parka coat, parka trousers, bunny boots, arctic mittens and the arctic hat with the pull down sides. Also the winter long underwear, winter socks and some even had ski masks that the SPs didn't want anyone to have. Needless to say all of this was liken to being in a space suit. We wore light gloves under the arctic mittens so we could take them off and tight fasteners and hook up connectors.
The flying portion was like 100 sorties in two and one half days which we flew. In all that the combat turns and keeping up with the wind chills of up to -55 was fun. Most equipment outdoors had to be kept running so it would not freeze up. That lead to servicing them with fuel and normal checks. The SIX had a way of dumping some fuel on engine shut down and this one particular jet did that without the waste fuel cans under the wings. Normal procedure was to call for a wash down truck (fire truck). Hard to believe that that happen and the ramp became an ice rink. This happen just once!!
The best story of this has to be that the "warm weather" IG guys didn't much like this and wanted to go back home and reschedule the ORI. The Group Commander told them they could do what they wanted but the 191st FIG would continue the ORI flying. Well, the IG stayed and we got a whopping "Satisfactory" rating. That summer of 1977 the 191st deployed to Alpena Field Training Site for our annual training. This time we deployed the alert force and sat 5 minute alert at the old barns at the north end of the runway. This was a first for a ANG Six unit. While we were there we learned that we would be the first of the six ANG Six units to convert to another aircraft, the F-4C.
No doubt that this ORI wasn't much different than what the Minot Six guys do very day during the winter. But this was our time in the depths of artic fun!!
Bill
From: billstoops1@yahoo.com To: Bobski9933@aol.com Sent: 1/6/2014 7:44:20 P.M. Eastern Standard Time Subj: Re: F106 - 1977 ORI at Selfridge - Bill
Hi I was on that IG team. I was in the 5th FIS at Minot prior to going to the IG team so some of us had been out in the cold. I was also at Selfridge from 1963- 1965. I can say it was cold during that ORI. We were not prepared or dressed for that bad weather. I don't think we wanted to do it on a warmer day any more than most sane 191st. troopers. That was my last visit to Selfridge I retired in 79. I enjoyed y time on the six it was a great aircraft. I was also on the six at Dover (95th), Langley (48th). Let me add I was a 431 so I was out on the line. Bill Stoops
|
|
|
Post by pat perry on Jan 7, 2014 10:45:14 GMT 9
Another relayed message from Bobski - Pat P.
Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2014 00:56:20 +0000 From: lsari48@comcast.net To: K_pacholka@hotmail.com Subject: Tail Number 58-0798
In my travels through the internet, I came across a letter from Bob Oberst that was addressed to you. At least I'm fairly sure it was addressed to you, dated 9-21-13. The subject matter was the crash of an F106A, based out of Selfridge, on June 13, 1966. The aircraft in question did crash, but nowhere near the mouth of the St. Clair River at the base of Lake Huron. The actual area of the crash was an area at least 10 miles north of Port Huron, people in Lexington stated at the time that they heard what sounded like thunder at the time of the crash, and Lexington is about 17 miles north of Port Huron. There was no attempted rescue or cable grappling by a barge, there was no barge present, or any other ship. Total lack of eyewitnesses to the crash, a few small items of wreckage were picked up on the surface by the search teams, but no aircraft, and no pilot. I don't have the articles anymore, but remember that Jon Lindbergh, the son of the famous Charles Lindbergh, working for a salvage group out of New York, attempted to find the wreckage, but failed. Since then, as far as I know, there hasn't been any organized attempt to locate the aircraft. Thank You for your time. Lee Sari
REPLY: From: oberstr@fibernetcc.com To: Isari48@comcast.net CC: Bobski9933@aol.com Sent: 1/5/2014 8:18:09 P.M. Eastern Standard Time Subj: Re: Tail Number 58-0798
Hi Lee Sari -- My name is Bob Oberst (oberstr@fibernetcc.com) and on the evening, I was a F-106 UHF radio at Selfridge AFB when one of the other technicians poked their heads in the shop and let me know that F-106 #58-0798 went over the base and then made a pass over the base cause of bad weather. Later on, I heard that the F-106 landed in Lake Huron and my shift was over. The next day I heard that the plane sunk and they couldn't find the pilot. About 2 or 3 days later, I left Selfridge AFB for a different base (Castle AFB) in California and I never heard anything else till many years later( 47 years later) and this crash came up in a conversation. I asked the Library in Stevens Point if they could look it up and they found at least 6 articles about it, but the F-106 and the Pilot was never found. Several boats were supposed to have went out , but nobody could drag it to shore. I got my best information came from the newspapers but a lot of the papers refused to send information to "Out-of-State" people -- if you have some information from a newspaper or some other information, I sure would be thankful. The plane is gone and I'm sure that the Pilot is gone too. The Pilot's name was Major William J. Vinopal (27 Aug, 1927 to 13 June 1966). He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery #24079563. He was born in Wisconsin. If you find any information concerning this (newspapers, etc.), please let me know about it. I have Stevens Point, Wisconsin Library, 54481 or 715-346-1289 and as for Diane Lang -- Reference/Interlibrary Loan.
My name is Robert. A. Oberst -- T/Sgt USAF Ret. -- 3812 Cardinal Drive -- Stevens Point, Wisconsin 54482 -- 715-341-1037-- oberstr@fibernetcc.com -- Thanks for your help ----
|
|