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Post by pat perry on Mar 26, 2015 2:25:08 GMT 9
I thought we had a thread for F-106 rides but it turns out they were mentioned in a number of different threads on other topics.
So here's one for all you Fixers who were fortunate enough to get a ride with a Flier. Now it's your turn to tell a story, F-106 or other Fighters. Here's one from Richard Burns.
From: rburns12@cfl.rr.com
To: Bobski9933@aol.com
Sent: 3/21/2015 10:50:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: Re: Flight in an F-106
Bobski, and F-106 friends,
That is almost exactly how I remember getting the TWO F-106-B rides. About the only difference is we did not have a wingman.
I am an “X” MA-1, ANASQ-25 Weenie 32271A and I did have a engine run-up license for the J-75 on the F-106 for troubleshooting on engine power. My first ride was in the 539th FIS at McGuire,NJ, over the Atlantic with our Squadron QC pilot. Got that ride for being runner up for Base airman of the month. Computer hung after leveling at 18,000 ‘. Made a couple pursuit passes on a T-33 and was the target for some other 6’s in the flight. The in flight highlight was seeing one of the flight 6’s pull up along side of us, then proceeded to do a canopy to canopy roll over us. WOW.
The second F-106-B ride I got was with the 95th FIS at Tyndall AFB to fire a GAR 3a at a Q2 Firebee drone. Major Richardson was my pilot. He gave explicit instructions to exit the A/C if something goes wrong on takeoff. He said,”Try to stay calm and look around for the least amount of fire because there will be fire, and run that direction”. Those words have stuck in my mind since that day in 1968. I had heard that he had a twin brother that was also a 6 pilot and lost his life in a take off accident.
Takeoff and Climb out was great. We flew a race track in trail until turned in on the target. Located and Locked on, selected radar missile in forward bay watch the range rate circle start to shrink,
range rate gap was steady, steering dot in the circle, continued closing and payload bay doors opened and BIG X appeared on screen and the missile left the rails leaving an orange fire and white smoke trail. Got the figure ‘8’ on the screen and started a hard right turn. Shot looked good, no direct hit but was told back on the ground we got an area 1 hit, That was within 7 feet proximity of the drone. The Drone cheated because he had a traveling wave tube generator to throw off our missile. If it had been an incoming bomber, 7’ would have been a hit or kill. Smiles all around. I got the stinger cable but lost it over the years.
On the return to base, the approach was normal but when he made the hard left bank, the turbulence in the pattern really jolted us into the seat cushion. Indubitably, the greatest Delta Dart flight an E-5 could have received, thanks to the arrangements made by my NCOIC ,SMSGT Foster. I think he went on the to the YF-12 program and I went to 12th TFW at Cam Ranh Bay, Viet Nam working on the F4-C.
Next choice assignment I was offered towards the end of my SEA tour was either Korea or Germany, Both unaccompanied. No explanation as to the A/C type. I assumed I would have stayed in TAC on the F-4C. I selected Discharge at port.
It was about 20 years after I got out that I would probably gone back on the F-106 in either Germany or Korea. I selected discharge at port because having one tour in SEA and then another tour
back to back without the family was more than my marriage could endure. Now in my 53rd year of marriage, had a very interesting career with NASA weather satellites, Broadcast TV at Goddard Space flight Center, Supervising engineer at PBS-WNVT-TV northern VA, Television production at the National Institutes of Health, Lister Hill Center, MD., Broadcast TV engineer at the Kennedy Space Center, FL and manager of the Kennedy Space Center, Flight Crew Equipment Office on the Space Shuttle from STS-1 thru STS-107 on board television and
Flight crew equipment for the Astronauts in the Space Shuttle crew compartment. Retired in 2004 in Titusville, FL..
Richard Burns, 27th FIS, 539th FIS, 95th FIS, 12th TFW
rburns12@cfl.rr.com
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burt49
F-106 Qualified
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Post by burt49 on Mar 31, 2015 20:18:11 GMT 9
What might have been. When I was informed by the Air Force that I would be separating in May as opposed to August 1974, I was a little ticked off. It had been my plan to start looking for a job before my separation date and to hopefully be employed by that time. To his credit, Colonel McWhorter at Griffis called me in to talk to me. After a little back and forth discussion, I asked Colonel Mac about a possible B ride. In fact, I told him I would reenlist if he made that happen. After all, you don't have to look for a job if you already have one. Colonel Mac told me there was a big backlog in training on the B's and that he could not pull it off at this time. I thanked him and also thanked him for being a great commander and the rest is history. I was in 7-level training at the time, how would my career have turned out?
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Bullhunter
Global Moderator 
318th FIS Jet Shop 1975-78
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Post by Bullhunter on Apr 13, 2015 0:42:06 GMT 9
I was told one evening that I had to go to Kingsley Field, OR to troubleshoot a flameout one a F-106A that was at Det 1. I was also told that I'd be going down and back in the co-pilot's seat of a B-model. Well, the next morning I got my flight gear and walked out on to the flight line and there was no B-model. On the far end of the ramp I noticed a crew chief waving at me so I walked down there. The B-model was rolled into phase that evening by an eager crew and had been de-paneled for phase inspection. So the CO arrived that early Sat morning and flew me down to Kingsley Field in a T-33. I never did get a F-106B ride, but I came close.  |
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Post by lugnuts55 on Jul 4, 2015 12:42:09 GMT 9
I was crew chief on our B-model 57-2545. I think the other one was at depot for something. I was a 2-striper coming up on Buck Sgt. The flight chief told me he wanted me to go up in the back seat to film in-flight refueling. It would be about 8 hours and would I be interested. What a silly question that was! He sent me down to the people who issued and maintained all the flight gear. They got me trained and fitted with a helmet and everything else I needed. I came back to the flight line with a big smile on my face! I was going to get a ride in a F-106 and I couldn't wait.
The ride was less than a week away when the flight chief came up to me and told me I wouldn't be going after all. They had a TSgt who had done this before and knew what he had to do and he out-ranked me. Talk about disappointing!
I was over that when the flight chief came up to me a few months later to see if I would still like to go up. Was he kidding? Of course I'll go. The mission was not as long but that was okay with me. Well the day was very close and I thought I was going to go this time. Nope, the same TSgt pulled rank on me again. I complained but I didn't want to come across as a cry baby. I never did get a ride in a 106 or any other fighter. I did get to fly in C-130's many times but that's not the same.
Oh, I did get to go up in a SAC Huey helicopter. They used it to shuttle missile crews to and from the sites. That was the first time I was in a helicopter and I enjoyed it. We spotted a herd of Antelope running across an open field. The ride lasted several hours and we dropped off three missile crews and brought back the crews going off duty. I never saw the sites until we were already landing. They didn't take up much space. It was a fun day.
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tmbak
F-106 Qualified
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Posts: 37
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Post by tmbak on Aug 24, 2015 0:48:52 GMT 9
I guess that I was very lucky to have had many rids in the 6. In 1966, after working on a B model 59-152 for several days for a power problem, I was ask to go on the FCF flight with Capt. Haygood. During the flight we went 2.2 Mach and 50,000 feet over Northern Washington. On another occasion, while stationed at McChord, one
of our pilots came to me and said he was taking a 6 to Pennsylvania to visit his sister. He knew I was from PA so he took me along for the ride. While stationed at Loring I went cross country to McChord with one of our pilots. I also got to fly from Loring to Goosbay, 21 minute flight, to fix a starter problem. There were at least six other rides I was lucky enough to have gone on to fix aircraft at other bases. Having an altitude card was a big advantage also. Having worked on the 6 for 15 years was the best anyone could have had for a career.
Tom
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Post by LBer1568 on Aug 24, 2015 10:53:40 GMT 9
I got to ride in the Six at Tyndall for check flights following the new Tacan/UHF etc mod. It also added Air Refueling. So I got about 5 rides in B-Models. We had a ton of them at Tyndall.
AS far as fixing broke Sixes, at McGuire in 539th FIS, our deployment base was Omstead AB PA. We had Crew Chiefs, Engine and Hyd troops stationed there. Plush duty as we only deployed there during exercises. But if MA-1 broke we would check out a few spare boxes and drive a big ugly Ford Station Wagon over to base from McGuire. Some exercises we would deploy for a few days to expedite repairs. No plush rides over just long car ride. But dorms were like Hilton compared to dorms at McGuire where we had 3 to a room designed for 2 and community latrines.
I went through McGuire back in early 80's on return from USAFE TDY and stayed in VIP suite at McGuire. Ir was a top 3 suite made from 2 of the same 539th FIS rooms we used to get six people into. Times sure changed.
Lorin
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