F-106 photo's I stumbled onto. (Read 22,960 times)

MA-1 more complex than many know




The first F-106 delivered had what we called Round-eye's. They were equipped with round, old style instruments. Many of these were later updated with the newer Vertical instruments. 
I was first assigned to the 539th FIS McGuire AFB NJ. This was the first Squadron to receive the six. So I learned the round instruments and how they worked and where all the background components were located. After 539th disbanded in summer of 1967 I PCS'd to Tyndall. That was first time I worked on vertical instruments. So I had to learn additional components and how they worked. Now, for those who didn't know it, when I first started on MA-1 we took care of most of electronics on six. That included most everything except engine instruments and pitot static and some of Armament stuff. But we did things like MB-1 electrical plugs, flight controls except rigging. Now let's add another "New" feature times 2...the B-Models. They were more complex than A-models and location of many MA-1 components were different.
For those MA-1 troops who came later, they did not have as many things to work-on. We added AFCS (Flight Controls) as subset, COMM/NAV took some work. And we no longer took care of all generators. Just the 400 HS MA-1 unique etc. 
Now to complicate things we started getting major modifications. These included swapping out all computer compartment, new Radar Hyd magnetron, updated IR system with self cooling, then a new Radar scope which reduced our manhours. Prior to this we had to open 05 belly door and remove the Radar camera film canaster and add new one. After new scope added, the pilot carried new film pack and took to debriefing after mission. Of course who can forget the new COMM/NAV suite we got. For those who didn't go through some of these mods and different configurations we had to maintain pre-mod and post mod birds as some of these were done at depot and full update took years. We even had to make sure Mock-up knew what part came from. A very easy one to overlook was the Tactical Situation Display (TSD). That was the big map thing between pilots legs. These were different between Round-eye and Vertical birds. The selector switch on upper right has different selections. A lot of people didn't know we even had to preform routine maintenance on pressurized Radar system. The Radar was mostly in forward left compartment and under Radome. But we had to replace/dry the desiccants (2) located in 05 belly compartment.
So what else did we occupy our time doing. We had a brand new Yellow Barrel test unit to help us maintain Radar/IR and Computer Systems. It became our 25 hour PM. 
Every time we got new/updated systems we had to get trained on them. So our FTD and Factory schools became an everyday thing. I actually kept all those Certificates of Training blue attaboys. Counting initial tech school and 6 months of FTD after getting to McGuire I collected over 2000 of official training during my 8 years as MA-1.
So in Jan 1971 I started cross training into Flight Simulation maintenance and Operation. After all the extensive training we got as MA-1 I ended up by-pass training the 10 weeks of basic electronics. At the time I cross trained we had 4 other MA-1 MG-10/13 guys who did the same. So 5 of us show up to "Sets" portion of training 10 weeks before they expected us. So we started Flt Sim training. First 5 weeks were basic computer training. So we 5 also took by-pass test and erases another 5 weeks. Next was two weeks of paperwork. So yes we took those tests. Now we get 2 weeks on test equipment...ditto. But wait for it. We had two weeks on Flight Instruments and things like TACAN, IFF, so another week passed. About this time CBPO was told of our rapid path through school. It was time for assignments. I was given assignment to Myrtle Beach on new A7 simulator. It was being built in England and after talking to folks in sim shop they wanted me to got TDY in route and get trained on new A7 Sim. But as fate would have it, the Chanute Tech school decided we were so good they would red-line us as make us Instructors. Well my first thing was Tech Instructor classes. 6 weeks. So when I got finished I was back in same Sim school, but as Instructor. I was assigned to take first class with experienced guy, So I got the course teaching guide and showed up ready to watch him and learn. As it turned out the students were the ones in my original class in Electronics. They had caught up to me. Well at 0600 I got pulled out of class and told the Instructor went on emergency leave and I would have to take over. He came back on my last day teaching for first time. So I got my materials for next block and told I could teach and he would be available if I needed help. Well I spent next couple months getting prepared night before teaching for first time. We had a SMSgt in class who I found out after I finished with that class that he was our new Teacher Supervisor. He wasn't aware that I had never taught any of the classes before, and had not even sat through most as student. 
The best thing about cross training was I met, and married my wife Brigitte there. The second best was MA-1 Pro-Pay was ending, but Flt Sim just started so I kept my $60, then $75 a month extra pay. As a side note, I didn't get a Diploma for Flt Sim School until my class graduated. But I had already got my seven level because my OJT boss was the instructor I started with. He signed off on everything as I taught it.
So was Flight Sim easier than MA-1...mostly. But the thing about Flt Sime was every Sim was different. Many had different computers, manufacturers and each plane was different. We had to learn how everything worked and mission profiles. So in that respect it was as hard. I worked F-4 C/D/E/G, F-111E, C-130, C-141 and briefly C-5.
Nice weather again. We had nasty wet, cold weekend and start of week, but last 2 days has been great.
Gas is at $3.45 
Lorin