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Some Blasts from the Past

falcon409

falcon409

Moderator
Staff member
Some aircraft pics from an Open House at Wheelus AFB, Libya, circa 1962/63. The airport, if it even still exists after all that's gone on over there, was renamed "Mitiga".

C124a.jpg


C124.jpg


Voodoo.jpg


Otter.jpg
 
Neat pics Ed.

Oddly enough, I was excited to see what looks like a 1959 Schwinn Traveller with the optional detachable tire pump and rear carry rack parked next to the Beaver. :encouragement:

This one has the saddle bag option.
ncylvLJ.jpg
 
Moses03 said:
Neat pics Ed.

Oddly enough, I was excited to see what looks like a 1959 Schwinn Traveller with the optional detachable tire pump and rear carry rack parked next to the Beaver. :encouragement:

This one has the saddle bag option.
ncylvLJ.jpg
Click to expand...
Good eye, lol. Aside from motorcycles, bikes of this type were easily the most popular mode of transportation. You could rent them on-base and if you were adventurous (and long winded enough) you could even ride into Tripoli to see the sights.
 
Moses03 said:
Neat pics Ed.

Oddly enough, I was excited to see what looks like a 1959 Schwinn Traveller with the optional detachable tire pump and rear carry rack parked next to the Beaver. :encouragement:

This one has the saddle bag option.
ncylvLJ.jpg
Click to expand...

AND the generator for the headlight it appears.
 
I'm wondering why the pilot is wearing an orange flight suit. I remember those being worn by Air Sea Rescue personnel. Well, our 815th TCS Stan/Evaul Loadmaster like to wear them. I guess it made him stand out.

RD
 
rdaniell said:
I'm wondering why the pilot is wearing an orange flight suit. I remember those being worn by Air Sea Rescue personnel. Well, our 815th TCS Stan/Eval Loadmaster like to wear them. I guess it made him stand out.
RD
Click to expand...
Those photo's were taken about 3 years before I arrived so I can't say for sure, but I don't remember seeing this type aircraft at all when I was there. Although the aircraft markings don't imply this, I would guess he was Assigned to an ARS Unit and flew his "Steed" to the base for the Open House. If that's the case, flying over water might have facilitated his need to wear the orange flight suit also. We did have several "Huskie" helicopters for Air Sea Rescue Missions, but that's all I ever saw in the 2 years I was there.
 
Geez, Ed, these pics take me back to my youth. We were at Wheelus from 63-66... my father was NCOIC of FM for and a USAF adviser to the RLAF when it came into being in the summer of '63. And quite an Air Force it was... a Gooney Bird and 2 T-33's :biggrin-new: . But Idris was proud, and we kept an ally happy. Thanks for the blast from the past, and if'in ya got any more it would be great to see them.

Greg
 
falcon409 said:
We did have several "Huskie" helicopters for Air Sea Rescue Missions, but that's all I ever saw in the 2 years I was there.
Click to expand...

Ah! The "Huskie." They were everywhere as the primary rescue helicopter back when I was in the Air Force. Seems like I remember something about the blades being made from some kind of wood and the helicopter wasn't supposed to fly in rain.

RD
 
rdaniell said:
I'm wondering why the pilot is wearing an orange flight suit. I remember those being worn by Air Sea Rescue personnel. Well, our 815th TCS Stan/Evaul Loadmaster like to wear them. I guess it made him stand out.

RD
Click to expand...

Yes. If you're in the water, you'd certainly stand out for a rescue pickup.
 
That F-101A makes me tingly. And sad that such a great aircraft has one of the worst panel layouts ever conceived by anyone.
 
n4gix said:
You ain't kidding! This is fugly:
Click to expand...

He, he, your post made me think of another story from my days at Charleston AFB, Charleston, S.C. There was an Air Defense Squadron located there which flew the F-101. One of them stayed "broke" for so long once the squadron commander had the chaplain do a funeral for it.

RD
 
Bjoern said:
That F-101A makes me tingly. And sad that such a great aircraft has one of the worst panel layouts ever conceived by anyone.
Click to expand...

An ex-419 squadron CF-101 pilot I knew said, "I was told once that McDonnell engineers set up the panel layout by throwing gauges into the cockpit and mounting them where they landed. I said that wasn't possible because random chance would have been a better layout than that."
 
Rallymodeller said:
An ex-419 squadron CF-101 pilot I knew said, "I was told once that McDonnell engineers set up the panel layout by throwing gauges into the cockpit and mounting them where they landed. I said that wasn't possible because random chance would have been a better layout than that."
Click to expand...

And there goes my hope that the canuck F-101s might have had a better layout (because the "B" was basically a different aircraft).
 
You should try skinning a 101 panel sometime....it's an acquired taste....[and I still haven't....though there are worse out there]..;)

attachment.php
 
Which AS Voodoo panel is that Jafo?? Looks phabulous (sorry, spent too long on a Spook:adoration:)

Great photos Ed, thanks for posting them. I read once that the 81st TFW used to haul bootleg booze and cigs back to the UK in the cannon ammunition boxes. Well they never used them for ammo AFAIK!

DaveQ
 
DaveQ said:
..... I read once that the 81st TFW used to haul bootleg booze and cigs back to the UK in the cannon ammunition boxes. Well they never used them for ammo AFAIK! DaveQ
Click to expand...

Well we never used ammo boxes but we did love to stop by the Azores on our way back home from a trip to Europe when I was a loadmaster with the 76th ATS.
Since custom forms was my responsibility, I also always appreciated it if we had some passengers who were not interested in their monthly tax free alcohol allowance.
I simply took advantage of their allowance for myself and the crew.

Thanks for the memories, Falcon 409.

RD
 
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