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About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 27, 1963)
fZfU -iV f . tl ; ; - - JtsssS!??! JETS READY FOR TEST Voodoo jet fighters nearly 70 feet long appear as tiny models along the flight line dur ing the William Tell worldwide missile firing competitions held Oct. 7 through 14 at the Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. RELIC OF A BYGONE WAR Four Kingsley Field air men observe an outmoded fighter plane of World War II parked on the Tyndall AFB flight ramp. From left are A. I.C. Lynn F. McAfee, A.3.C. John C. Choate, M.Sgt. SKYWARD FROM A SMOKEY BLAST A Ryan Aircraft Q-2C Firebe jet target, re mot controlled, roan from its ground launching pad at Tyndall AFB to test the marksmanship of jet fighter squadrons which soon after sought to destroy it. The fire bees, sole targets during the shootoff, simulated enemy bombers. KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON, Kingsley Field's jet fighter squadron is parked in the cen ter section among other squadrons participating in the competitions. James W. Benson and S.Sgt. Larry L. McGinnis. The P-51 prop operated fighter plane appears as a toy compared with today's supersonic twin-engine jet fighter interceptors. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1963 Si LOADING CREW PLACES FOURTH Nearly at Important to Kingsley at a flying mission was the loading competition. The 408th Fiqhter Group emerged fourth among 14 units In this category, and its competing crew was (left to right) A. I.C. Bruce R, Blondin, T.Sgt, Jimmy L. Scott, and A.2.C. Robert L. Richardson. The crew members are preparing to load an MB-lT rocket. KINGSLEY MARKSMEN SHATTER STEEL BIRD Kingsley's "drone kill ers" compliment each other after blasting a winged guided air missile from the air. Capt. George H. Greaves, left, piloted the plane which hit the flitting drone, and Capt. Newton A. Acker, right, was the radar ob- Jet Pilots By 1ST LT. TOM HANLIN Kcw of the implements of war have changed faster or more significantly than all-weather fighter aircraft since the end of World War II. Nothing was more evident to the idle onlook er at the 1963 USAF World-Wide Fighter - Interceptor Weapons Meet at Tyndall AFB, Fla. The meet, known as "Wil liam Tell," was held at Tyndall, near Panama City, during the week ending Oct. 13. Of four competing F-101B fighter units. Kingsley's 322nd Fighter . Interceptor Squadron placed second. It was certain ly a near-miss for first place, and the result was not known until the last firing. Out of nearly 7,000 points scored, King sley came within 3(3 points of top spot. Far back in the com petition, the other two F-101B outfits battled for third place. Today the peaceful scenes and sounds of Florida are quiet once again: 'tlie interceptors from USAF's far - flung world bases have knifed back to their home stations for normal alert duty. William Tell 1963 is finished. The now lonely scoreboard bakes in the warm sun with only the insects for companionship. Just days ago it was surround ed by the anxious faces of hun dreds of airmen wailing tensely for scores to be posted. The very first such score board was lacked up at Vincent AFB. Ariz., in 1954. The event was the Air to Air Rocketry Phase of the Third Annual USAF Fighter Gunnery and Weapons Meet. Again in .1955, lll.W, 1958. 1959. and 1901. score boards were erected, and hopes and disillusionment rode on the outcome of each plane's private "world series." The tradition continued in the 1963 meet, as three winners proudly accepted their trophies. In F-101B competition, the 445th Hold 'World Series' At Tyndall AFB - JET TRIGGERS MISSILES Three Hughes Falcon mis siles are launched from an F-I02A interceptor of Port land's 460th Fighter Squadron in the 1963 William Tell shootoff. Jets from the unit, which placed fifth among FIS from Wurlsmith AFB, Mich., nudged out Kingsley for a very close win. In F-102s, the 14Mh FIS of Greater Pitts burgh Airport won, while Port land's 4fi0th FIS placed fifth. The 318th FIS of McChord AFB (Tacomal, Wash., easily swept the K-106 competition. Flying for William Tell offi cially began Oct. 7. It ended on Oct. . 13, and an open house and airshow followed. Awaiting an Oct. 14 awards ceremony, air and ground crews were treated to the fine airshow and public open house at Tyndall. The show was a fine anticlimax to the World-Wide Fighter Meet, tmm .....4iS' and featured top entertainment. Static displays, the USAF Drum and Bugle Corps, and a model plane flying demonstra tion preceded the fantastic avi ation feats of daredevil pilots. First on the flying program was an F-51 aciial demonstra tion by a North American Avi ation pilot. The old plane spun, twisted, and loocd, as onlook ers became spellbound. There after a Lockheed test pilot flew a supersonic F-104 "Starfighter" and performed many of the same tricks at three times the speed. , The Air Force's Immensely colorful Thundcrbirds ended the show. Flying red, white, and blue supersonic F-100 aircraft, t h e Thundcrbirds blasted through their usual split-second, hair raising precision maneuvers, such as clover-leaf patterns and low-level head-on approaches at 1,200 miles per hour. Many a bystander ducked his head as the screaming jets came in "on the deck." PRELUDE TO A SHATTERED TARGET "Thumbs up for victory," shouts Capt. Lowell D. Bilyeau as he and radar observer Lt. Michael R. Pickett p r e p a r to scramble on Kingsley's last mission. Bilyeau and Pickett scored, bringinq the 322nd Fighter Squad ton's points within tight of Wurtsmith AFB's 445th Fighter Squadron. The 445th alto scored on its last few missions and edged Kingsley out of top spot by lest than four hundred points out of a possible 7,000 score. servor. Direct hits were unusual, as the drones are only 15 feet long. An enemy bomber, immensely larger, would be an easy mark for a trained crew. The smallness of the drones was one reason that the squadron's score was not as high as had been anticipated. F-102 squadrons, frequently pass over the Klamath area and use Kingsley Field as a recovery base during incle mont weather. The fighters are capable of discharging the GAR-1 I nuclear Falcon missile. The Thunderbird pilots showed amazing skill In upside down flying tricks. All loo soon the sjcclacular flyers peeled off and landed in formation, and by standing cliildrcn of all ages were reluctant to go home. The weather for William Tell was ideal, as was the location of the base. Near Panama City, Tyndall is located on St. An drews Bay and the Gulf of Mex ico. Pure white sand, bluegrcen waters, and abundant fresh-water swimming pools abound in this area. The town was entire ly receptive to its Air Force guests, and all of them had an enjoyable time. As to the airplanes, all three types of interceptors participat ing in the Weapons Meet wero powered by Pratt and Whitney Aircraft turbojet engines. Kingsley's McDonnell F-101B is )owered by two F&W .1-57 engines with afterburners. The F-lOls were the only dual en gine jets in the meet, and boasted the fastest acceleration. The Convair F-102 is powered &m7- I by a single J-57 with afterburn er, and the F-106 is powered by a single J-75 engine with after burner. Botii the J-57 and 75 engines were produced and developed by Pratt and Whitney for planes needing high thrust. Versions of the J-57 engine used at King sley power a wide variety of military fighters and bombers for the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. The same en gine also powers some types of Boeing commercial 707s and Douglas DC-8 jetliners. The incomparable "57" is an axial-flow, dual compressor tur bojet engine developing 13,500 pounds thrust. With afterburner, it develops up to 18,000 pounds thrust. The engine has accumu lated an outstanding record for durability and reliability and has powered a host of fighters, bombers, tankers, and trans ports to world speed and dis tance records. The first engine In power an (Continued on Face !)
