Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Nov 3, 2011 10:09:36 GMT 9
The first USAF Thunderbird show I watched was in Schenactady, NY in the early 1960's with my Dad. I was just a young school age brat then. They were flying F-100's and they put on a great show. I recall the slot jet's tail was jet black from the carbon exhaust. The show was fast, loud, and very thrilling. After the show I spent lots of time walking around the F-100's and talking with the technicians. Most kids and adults were gathered around the pilots. I got lots of one on one time with the maintenance technicians. Those early airshow were great as you could get up close at touch the Thunderbird jets. I knew then what I was going to be when I grew up.
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Post by Mark O on Nov 3, 2011 10:12:17 GMT 9
There are folks that when they have a title try to hog all the credit - I'm not that type of person and never was. In or out of the Air Force. I always believed it was my duty and job to teach my job to others in my career field and insure they received credit when it was due. Thanks Bull. I had to pull this particular passage out of your response because it means so much. I couldn't agree more. It was the way I was trained as a young man in the Army, and guided me when I became an NCO. Sadly, I NEVER saw that way of thinking when I went into the USAF, and I never figured out why. It certainly never helped my USAF career, and when I tried to explain the philosophy to my peers I just confused them. (Of course my peers were several years younger than me since I was prior service.) The only thing I could relate it to was something I learned when I was a Colorado State Trooper. It was called, "What's in it for me?" Well, we all understand it here. Thanks again for your insight. Mark
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Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Nov 3, 2011 10:14:45 GMT 9
The B-52 Or as a few of us respectfully call then "The BUFF" Worked them at the Griff. 416th Bomb Wing (SAC)
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Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Nov 3, 2011 10:19:32 GMT 9
It was great that the museum had electric carts for people to ride. My wife never could have walked the museum grounds with her new ankle still healing up. She was real interested in the aircraft especially the ones I worked on and of course the UH-1 Huey she used to fly Medical Evac in.
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Post by Gene on Nov 3, 2011 10:21:19 GMT 9
great photos.... F100 was my favorite back in the '60's until i saw the dart in person...new a guy who flew f100's with yeager at march way back when...he had a lot of respect for the man...
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Post by Mark O on Nov 3, 2011 10:42:56 GMT 9
More great pics! Thanks!
Do they still have the volunteers there chasing the kids away from the aircraft? Maybe not since they put up the barriers. When I lived in Kettering, Ohio (a suburb of Dayton) any visitor could just walk up to every display. You could walk under, and all around them in fact. That's how I got some of those photos of the weapons bay of the Six.
One of the last times I was there with my kids there was this older, female "volunteer" that literally followed us around, as subtlety as she could, and whenever the kids even touched an aircraft she was all over me! "Don't touch! Don't touch!", she hollered! I sort of understood, I guess. If everyone rubbed the planes after awhile it would effect them. Oh well.
I guess they finally got tired of that, and put up the "ropes"!
Mark
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Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Nov 3, 2011 12:17:04 GMT 9
Belinda and I got there early about 10 minutes after it opened. Had the place basically to ourselves. There were museum folks walking around and watching but never bothered us except when we had a question. They were always eager to take a photo of Belinda and I together. It was a great visit.
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Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Nov 3, 2011 12:18:56 GMT 9
:fire_missle_ani
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Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Nov 3, 2011 12:21:29 GMT 9
Belinda found a Knight In Shining Armor,,too bad he is worthless. He's nothing like me. :lol
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Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Nov 3, 2011 12:26:15 GMT 9
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Post by Mark O on Nov 3, 2011 12:36:17 GMT 9
Belinda found a Knight In Shining Armor,,too bad he is worthless. He's nothing like me. That is "Iron Mike" and belonged to the 317th FIS! Our own Col Joe Rogers was the commander of the 317th FIS in Alaska when they "owned" that suit of armor. There is a very famous story of a unit stealing it in fact. This official "fact sheet" leaves a bunch out of the story! www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=1860A few more details are here... www.firebirds.org/menu5/mnu5_p13.htmMark
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Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Nov 4, 2011 11:28:00 GMT 9
:green-smile
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Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Nov 4, 2011 11:29:46 GMT 9
B-58 Now there is a blast from the past. Remember the movie "FAILSAFE" ?
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Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Nov 4, 2011 11:32:08 GMT 9
She asked, "Honey, whats that plane with the pretty stars?" My response, :
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Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Nov 4, 2011 11:34:36 GMT 9
Blackbird
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Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Nov 4, 2011 11:35:53 GMT 9
no pilot
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2011 12:07:32 GMT 9
Pretty Stars is B-47?
I have the movie Fail Safe, also have the comedy version with Peter Sellers and Slim Pickens, (YAHOO), Dr. Strangelove.
The blockhouse in Fail Safe, I believe, was the one at McGuire AFB, for the 21st AD, or First Air Force, or NYADS. They were all in there, and I wasnt on the need to know list. When I refused Vietnam orders I had to report there to explain why I shouldnt be court martialed.
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Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Nov 4, 2011 13:19:06 GMT 9
Now there is the makings of a good story for the forum.
My cousin served as a Marine in Vietnam. Agent Orange killed him in his early 50's. A close friend of mine was USAF and he is still alive but suffers from many medical problems. That likely was one of the best choices you ever made.
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Post by LBer1568 on Nov 4, 2011 22:45:10 GMT 9
Since I was MA-1 I never saw any Nam duty. We were stateside only with exception of Korea Duty. I was an augie doggie from Tyndall and went with 318 FIS to Korea. But my old boss from McGuire, Chief Foster went to ADC HQ after leaving McGuire. While there he informed HQ Staff that the fire control on Puff was a Hughes sytem and had MA-1 components. So all at once we had new faces to go. MA-1 folks got a few weeks at Lockbourne, now Rickenbacker, and off to Nam to fix Gunships. I never got selected for that and then cross-trained into Flight Simulators.
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Post by LBer1568 on Nov 4, 2011 22:55:53 GMT 9
Have any of you visited the USAF/National Atomic Museum at Kirtland AFB NM? I spent a couple months TDY to Kirtland when we installed the HC-130P Simulator there. Later we installed the visual system as well. On one of my down days I found the atomic museum. It send cold chills down my spine to see the actual nukes and pictures of the various blasts. They also had some Army big guns, mounted and the nuke shells. A lot of pics are in B/W, but it is well worth the visit. I think it's still there.
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