HERALD AND NEWS, Klamath Falls, Oregon
Sunday, July !1, 1963
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MULTI-USE OF KINGSLEY FIELD Kingsley Field was
activated in the spring of 1959 with the arrival of the
U.S. Air Force 408th Fighter Group. Today, F-IOI Voo
doos, jet fighter interceptors, and other military air
craft, crease the skies above the Klamath Basin, "co
existing" with the hundreds of civilian private and com
mercial aircraft that use the runways at the field which
serves the City of Klamath Falls. This base operations
building contains weather prediction facilities, communi
cations, flight scheduling and routing offices for the
present 408th Fighter Group now based at Kingsley
Field. There has never been an accident involving a mili
tary and civilian aircraft.
Kingsley Field Multi-Purpose Installation
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FLIERS WHO SERVE The Klamath Air Search and Rescue Unit IKASRU) is non
profit. It is one of the most important of the air organizations that operate from the
city airport. Its members save lives and property. It functions in the air, on land and
water without pay and coordinates with the Air Force on search and rescue, now
handling searches for Air Force aircraft since deployment of Air Force helicopters
elsewhere. The only reimbursement is for fuel used to seek downed aircraft under
auspices of the State Board of Aeronautics. Other expenses are paid from member
ship dues. KASRU members receive no pay, many of them also belong to the Klam
ath Chapter of Oregon Pilots which is dedicated to the furtherance of public interest
in use of the air for business and pleasure. Loft to right are Tony Steinbock, Sgt.
Jim Benson, Mrs. Benson, Chet Stinson, Rex Morehouse, Ervin Thornton, Ray Byrnes,
president, Mary McFarland, Mrs. Audrey Baxter, Dale Baxter and Pappy Newlun,
pioneer pilot. Maury Clark is flight commander and coordinator for KASRU; Cecil
Fitzgerald is ground commander and Don Phelps, water commander.
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PRIVATE PILOTS HOME BASE Men and women who
yearn to fly get instruction from flying services located
at the airport. Roy H. Felix, a Greyhound Bus Line em
ploye, taught to handle the controls and understand air
signals and maps by an instructor for Klamath Aircraft,
made his first solo flight from a runway at the airport re
cently. Numerous private planes are hangared there and
transient flights in and out of Klamath Falls are frequent.
Klamath Chapter Oregon Pilots fly many flights from the
runaways.
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KFPA AND CHEMICALS The Retardant Operation in the saving of valuable timber
is comparatively new to the Klamath country. With the Klamath Forest Protective As
sociation it involves the use of chemicals, dating back to I960 when 8,000 gallons
of borate was used. It jumped to 40,000 gallons the next year, 8,900 on KFPA timber.
KFPA has a contract with the Winema National Forest, Crater Lake National Park.
Fremont and Modoc national forests also received retarders. During 1962 KFPA
dropped retarders on 15 fires. Burned over areas were kept to a minimum of 268
acres. A new chemical mixer will handle -500 gallons o(; retarders in three minutes,
speeding up delivery. Left to right are KFPA Supervisor George Wardell, Nick Nichols
and Pete Sasstedt, KFPA employes.
SAVES VALUABLE TIMBER Nick Nichols stands in front of a "Bird-dog," or patrol
plane, leased by Klamath Forest Protective Association from June I o Oct. 31 each
year from Tony Steinbock of Klamath Aircraft Inc. Nichols of KFPA reports that about
12 per cent of first discoveries on fires are with aircraft. Plane is equipped with ra
dio communications to all KFPA stations and to mobile equipment, including Weyer
haeuser Company personnel. A transistor-powered loud speaker system can be heard
500 feet above the terrain. The plane is most valuable in guiding crews into fires
and keeping them informed of spot-fires that show up.
A SHARED FACILITY Federal Aviation Agency towermen, William Weber, fore
ground and Fred Baker, rear, are at positions at the local and ground control stations
in the Kingsley Field combined tower. The combined station-tower is manned by
Federal Aviation Agency personnel who control all military and civil air traffic In this
area. It is 68 feat nigh and is situated adjacent to the main landing strip.
" hALLS, OREGON
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UNMARRED SERVICE Weit Coast Airlines officials
are keenly aware of the excellent facilities at the Klam
ath Falls Airport, shared by many other private and
commercial services. On June 29 the airlines celebrated
its 1 0th anniversary of daily flying in and out of Klamath
Falls. The company has an enviable 17-year, accident
free record in seven West Coast states and Canada in
spite of a landing or takeoff by WCA planes every three
minutes, seven days a week in the areas served. The local
office is open from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., manned by, left
to riqht, Bob Moore, manager; Frank Pedersen, senior
agent; Hugh Meggs and Dick Anderson, agents. At
present WCA has three flights north, two south and one
east to Boise. In 1962 WCA boarded 8,957 passengers,
doubled flight schedules, add
and beverages on the F 27s
id stewardesses and food
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NAVY BUSINESS The Navy's Bureau of Yards and Docks is the construction agent
at the Kingsley Field activity for the U.S. Air Force, and works under direct super
vision of Air Force Regional Engineers, North Pacific District, with headquarters at
Portland. At this activity the Navy does new construction under the military construc
tion program. Left to right are Lt. Willis Pfluqh, chief resident officer in charge of
construction; Betty Dodson, secrotary, and Lloyd Cook, construction representative.
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AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL New training equipment to
be used in the training program at the airport tower,
left picture, is described by Lee Fiink, chief controller,
seated in his office, to Fred Baker, training officer. The
tower staff of 15 men, operating on a 24-hour basis,
365 days a year, handles all terminal air traffic including
military, civil and air carrier. Constant supervision pre
vents accidents and aids unlucky pilots who may be
caught above ground in inclement weather to land safely,
In right picture are air control specialists, right to left,
Glenn McFarland, Art Collier and Dave Senff, who aid in
keeping air traffic from colliding.
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ONE OF THE FIRST Crop dusting was In its infancy when Jack Mulkey went into
business in the Klamath Basin to start the Mulkey Spray Service. He converted
World Wal II Steermans to use as dusfrs and continues to fly from the Klamath
Falls Airport covering much of Southern O egon and other points.
MULTIPLE SERVICES Southern Oregon Aviation, established in 1961, is owned by
Dr. Mark Kochevar. The business offars shop service, maintenance and repairs for
aircraft, flight services including fuel dispensing equipment, storage for 70 aircraft
of private plane site, air taxi and charter sorvice to any point in the U.S., air am
bulance service, flight instruction, scenic fliqhts, air photos, timber surveys, fire patrol
and flight snrvices for government agencies. Members of the immediate employ
stalf in addition to numerous full and part-time pilots aro, left to right, Chet Stin
son, pilot in charge of aircraft sales; Frances Campbell, office manager; Vern Luk
son, chief pilot; John Kryeia, Adele Oubari, David Biehn and Doug Murray.
"ON THE CIRCUIT" A little-known orgmiiation of dedicated men at Kingsley
Field is the Electronics Division 13-22, a branch of the Ready Reserve of the U. S.
Navy. Its basic mission is to provide trained personnel who are available for imme
diate assignment to active duty in order to bring ships of the fleet to full wartime
strength in the event of hostilities. The men are all civilians from many occupations,
who train and practice each week and report for active duty when It is possible to
be relieved from job or school. Radiomen of the division are here manning radio net
work under supervision of Chief R. O. Bileu.