TYNDALL AFB PICS
Wed Dec 29, 2010 2:22 pm
We are still here at Panama City Beach FL for our Christmas/New Year vacation, in staying with the theme, here are some Tyndall AFB Panama City FL pics 
Tyndall Field was opened on 13 January 1941 as a gunnery range. The airfield was named in honor of 1st Lt Frank Benjamin Tyndall (1894–1930). Lieutenant Tyndall was a World War I pilot, Silver Star recipient, and commander of the 22d Aero Squadron. Lieutenant Tyndall shot down four enemy airplanes in combat over France during World War I. He was killed on 15 July 1930 near Mooresville, North Carolina, in the crash of a Curtiss P-1 Hawk. With the establishment of the United States Air Force in 1947, the facility was renamed "Tyndall Air Force Base" on 13 January 1948.
The 53d Weapons Evaluation Group (53 WEG), is an Air Combat Command tenant organization that reports to the 53d Wing (53 WG) at nearby Eglin Air Force Base. Among its subordinate squadrons at Tyndall, the 53 WEG manages offshore weapons ranges over the Gulf of Mexico, manages target drone programs ranging from sub-scale target drones to a fleet of QF-4 Phantom II Full-Scale Aerial Targets (FSAT), most of which are converted F-4E and F-4G aircraft. The 53 WEG will also have management of QF-16 as older F-16A and F-16C aircraft are converted to FSATs. The 53 WEG also serves as primary manager for "William Tell," the annual U.S. Air Force Air-to-Air Weapons Meet and competition.
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Tyndall Field, when it was still a part of the Army Air Forces.
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U.S. Air Force Weapons Handlers Tech. Sgt. William Gilge and Tech. Sgt. Kenneth Smallerz, both assigned to the 119th Fighter Wing "The Happy Hooligans", North Dakota Air National Guard, upload training AIR-2 Genie weapons onto a McDonnell F-101B-80-MC Voodoo aircraft (s/n 57-0252), under the watchful eye of a competition judge, during the "William Tell" weapons competition at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), in 1970.
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U.S. Air Force Weapons Handlers Tech. Sgt. William Gilge and Tech. Sgt. Kenneth Smallerz, both assigned to the 119th Fighter Wing "The Happy Hooligans", North Dakota Air National Guard, upload training AIR-2 Genie weapons onto a McDonnell F-101B-80-MC Voodoo aircraft (s/n 57-0252), under the watchful eye of a competition judge, during the "William Tell" weapons competition at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), in 1970.
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U.S. Air Force personnel assigned to the 119th Fighter Wing "The Happy Hooligans", North Dakota Air National Guard, pose for a photo with winning trophies at the 1970 "William Tell" weapons competition at Tyndall, Air Force Base, Fla. Left-to-right are Capt. James P. Reimers, Capt. Arthur E. Jacobson, Maj. Wallace D. Hegg, Maj. Allan B. Eide, and Col. Alexander P. Macdonald.
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Two Canadian Air Forces McDonnell F-101B Voodoo aircraft (101012, USAF 57-293; 101042 USAF 57-375) intercepting a U.S. Air Force Boeing B-52G-125-BW Stratofortress (s/n 59-2580) during exercise William Tell '80 near Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA). The F-101B 10142 is today on display at the Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, New Brunswick (Canada), the B-52G 59-2580 was retired to the AMARC as BC0400 on 6 July 1992 and later scrapped.
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A U.S. Air Force Ryan BQM-34F Firebee II drone (s/n 70-1432) leaves its launch pad during the air-to-air combat training exercise "William Tell '82" at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), on 9 October 1982. The drone served as a target for aircraft participating in the exercise.
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A U.S. Air Force McDonnell F-101B Voodoo from the 111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 147th Fighter Interceptor Group, Texas Air National Guard takes off from Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), during exercise "William Tell '80".
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A Firebee drone returns to the ground by parachute after having served as a target for aircraft participating in the air-to-air combat training exercise William Tell '82.
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A U.S. Air Force Convair F-106A-80-CO Delta Dart (s/n 57-2467) aircraft from 101st FighterInterceptor Squadron, 102nd Fighter Interceptor Wing, Massachusetts Air National Guard, arrives at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), to compete in the air-to-air weapons meet WILLIAM TELL '84 on 1 October 1984. The F-106A 57-2467 was retired to the AMARC as FN0167 on 29 December 1987. It was later converted to an QF-106 (AD209) and expended as a target on 9 August 1996.
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Convair F-106A-135-CO Delta Dart 59-0148 456th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron; Tyndall AFB, Florida 1961 WILLIAM TELL.
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A U.S. Air Force McDonnel F-4D-26-MC Phantom II aircraft (64-0976) from the 178th Fighter Squadron, 119th Fighter Interceptor Group, North Dakota Air National Guard, landing at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), for the air-to-air weapons meet "William Tell '86" on 10 October 1986. Note that the aircraft carries the gunpod on an underwing station.
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U.S. Air Force personnel assigned to the 119th Fighter Wing "The Happy Hooligans", North Dakota Air National Guard pose with their 178th Fighter Squadron emblem in front of an McDonnell F-4D-26-MC Phantom II aircraft (s/n 64-0970) at the 1980 "William Tell" weapons competition at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA). Left-to-right are Capt. Bernie Kring, Capt. Ronald Sandborg, Capt. Steven Brosowske, Capt. Ronald Saeger, 1 Lt. Richard Gabe, and lower row from left to right, Capt. Lyle Andvik, Capt. James D. Nelson, Maj. Gary Kaiser, 1 Lt. Thomas Larson, and Capt. Daniel Redlin.
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Two U.S. Air Force McDonnell F-4C Phantom II aircraft from the 136th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 107th Fighter Interceptor Group, New York Air National Guard, prepare to land upon arrival at the base for the air-to-air weapons meet "William Tell '86" at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), on 10 October 1986.
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A U.S. Air Force Convair PQM-102A Delta Dagger target aircraft (s/n 56-1254) near Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), in 1980.
An U.S. Air Force North American QF-100D Super Sabre aircraft (s/n 56-3414) over Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), in 1981. This aircraft had been retired to the MASDC on 17 April 1979 and was converted to a target drone.
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A U.S. Air Force McDonnell F-101B-85-MC Voodoo aircraft (s/n 57-0274) near Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA) in 1981.
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A row of U.S. Air Force North American QF-100 Super Sabre target drones on the flight line Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), on 25 April 1990. The first five aircraft are single-seat QF-100Ds (s/n 55-3784, 56-3365, 56-3112, 55-3741, and 56-3093) and a double-seat QF-100F (s/n 56-3865).
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A U.S. Air Force McDonnell Douglas QF-4E Phantom II (s/n 74-643) aerial target aircraft launches during the "William Tell 2004" competition at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), on 10 Nov 2004.
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F-15C 80-060, 325th Operations Group, Tyndall AFB, Florida 2007.
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First Lt. Charles Schuck fires an AIM-7 Sparrow medium range air-to-air missile from an F-15 Eagle here while supporting a Combat Archer air-to-air weapons system evaluation program mission. He and other Airmen of the 71st Fighter Squadron deployed from Langley Air Force Base, Va., to Tyndall AFB, Fla., to support the program.
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Employees at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company assembly plant at Marietta, Georgia, paint the first operational F-22 Raptor #01-4018 to be delivered to the Air Force. The jet, Raptor 18, will be used to train pilots in the 43rd Fighter Squadron at Tyndall AFB, Florida.
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NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Lt. Col. Jeffrey Harrigian lifts off here during his first flight in an F/A-22 Raptor. He commands the 43rd Fighter Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. The 43rd FS will be the Air Force's first F/A-22 squadron. As the Raptor continues operational tests and evaluations in Nevada, officials plan to train a cadre of pilots from Tyndall to be the initial flight instructors
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(Note; I worked offshore in South Louisiana on helicopters in the late 70's early 80's, & I know how it is on a drilling rig, that things can go to sugar in a heartbeat! GOD BLESS all involved & affected by the DEEPWATER HORIZON accident & disaster.)
Aviation Coordination Command airspace managers coordinate airspace activity on the ACC Operations floor July 9, 2010, at the 601st Air & Space Operations Center at Tyndall AFB, Florida. The ACC was created to provide support to the Coast Guard during Deepwater Horizon Response air operations.
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F15 Strike Eagles and a F22 Raptor from the 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall AFB, Fla. participate in an aerial refueling mission with a KC-135 Stratotanker from 117th Birmingham Air National Guard, 23 Jan 09.
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Tyndall Field was opened on 13 January 1941 as a gunnery range. The airfield was named in honor of 1st Lt Frank Benjamin Tyndall (1894–1930). Lieutenant Tyndall was a World War I pilot, Silver Star recipient, and commander of the 22d Aero Squadron. Lieutenant Tyndall shot down four enemy airplanes in combat over France during World War I. He was killed on 15 July 1930 near Mooresville, North Carolina, in the crash of a Curtiss P-1 Hawk. With the establishment of the United States Air Force in 1947, the facility was renamed "Tyndall Air Force Base" on 13 January 1948.
The 53d Weapons Evaluation Group (53 WEG), is an Air Combat Command tenant organization that reports to the 53d Wing (53 WG) at nearby Eglin Air Force Base. Among its subordinate squadrons at Tyndall, the 53 WEG manages offshore weapons ranges over the Gulf of Mexico, manages target drone programs ranging from sub-scale target drones to a fleet of QF-4 Phantom II Full-Scale Aerial Targets (FSAT), most of which are converted F-4E and F-4G aircraft. The 53 WEG will also have management of QF-16 as older F-16A and F-16C aircraft are converted to FSATs. The 53 WEG also serves as primary manager for "William Tell," the annual U.S. Air Force Air-to-Air Weapons Meet and competition.
USFG PHOTOTyndall Field, when it was still a part of the Army Air Forces.
USFG PHOTOU.S. Air Force Weapons Handlers Tech. Sgt. William Gilge and Tech. Sgt. Kenneth Smallerz, both assigned to the 119th Fighter Wing "The Happy Hooligans", North Dakota Air National Guard, upload training AIR-2 Genie weapons onto a McDonnell F-101B-80-MC Voodoo aircraft (s/n 57-0252), under the watchful eye of a competition judge, during the "William Tell" weapons competition at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), in 1970.
USFG PHOTOU.S. Air Force Weapons Handlers Tech. Sgt. William Gilge and Tech. Sgt. Kenneth Smallerz, both assigned to the 119th Fighter Wing "The Happy Hooligans", North Dakota Air National Guard, upload training AIR-2 Genie weapons onto a McDonnell F-101B-80-MC Voodoo aircraft (s/n 57-0252), under the watchful eye of a competition judge, during the "William Tell" weapons competition at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), in 1970.
USFG PHOTOU.S. Air Force personnel assigned to the 119th Fighter Wing "The Happy Hooligans", North Dakota Air National Guard, pose for a photo with winning trophies at the 1970 "William Tell" weapons competition at Tyndall, Air Force Base, Fla. Left-to-right are Capt. James P. Reimers, Capt. Arthur E. Jacobson, Maj. Wallace D. Hegg, Maj. Allan B. Eide, and Col. Alexander P. Macdonald.
USFG PHOTOTwo Canadian Air Forces McDonnell F-101B Voodoo aircraft (101012, USAF 57-293; 101042 USAF 57-375) intercepting a U.S. Air Force Boeing B-52G-125-BW Stratofortress (s/n 59-2580) during exercise William Tell '80 near Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA). The F-101B 10142 is today on display at the Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, New Brunswick (Canada), the B-52G 59-2580 was retired to the AMARC as BC0400 on 6 July 1992 and later scrapped.
USFG PHOTOA U.S. Air Force Ryan BQM-34F Firebee II drone (s/n 70-1432) leaves its launch pad during the air-to-air combat training exercise "William Tell '82" at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), on 9 October 1982. The drone served as a target for aircraft participating in the exercise.
USFG PHOTOA U.S. Air Force McDonnell F-101B Voodoo from the 111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 147th Fighter Interceptor Group, Texas Air National Guard takes off from Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), during exercise "William Tell '80".
USFG PHOTOA Firebee drone returns to the ground by parachute after having served as a target for aircraft participating in the air-to-air combat training exercise William Tell '82.
USFG PHOTOA U.S. Air Force Convair F-106A-80-CO Delta Dart (s/n 57-2467) aircraft from 101st FighterInterceptor Squadron, 102nd Fighter Interceptor Wing, Massachusetts Air National Guard, arrives at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), to compete in the air-to-air weapons meet WILLIAM TELL '84 on 1 October 1984. The F-106A 57-2467 was retired to the AMARC as FN0167 on 29 December 1987. It was later converted to an QF-106 (AD209) and expended as a target on 9 August 1996.
USFG PHOTOConvair F-106A-135-CO Delta Dart 59-0148 456th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron; Tyndall AFB, Florida 1961 WILLIAM TELL.
UDFG PHOTOA U.S. Air Force McDonnel F-4D-26-MC Phantom II aircraft (64-0976) from the 178th Fighter Squadron, 119th Fighter Interceptor Group, North Dakota Air National Guard, landing at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), for the air-to-air weapons meet "William Tell '86" on 10 October 1986. Note that the aircraft carries the gunpod on an underwing station.
USFG PHOTOU.S. Air Force personnel assigned to the 119th Fighter Wing "The Happy Hooligans", North Dakota Air National Guard pose with their 178th Fighter Squadron emblem in front of an McDonnell F-4D-26-MC Phantom II aircraft (s/n 64-0970) at the 1980 "William Tell" weapons competition at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA). Left-to-right are Capt. Bernie Kring, Capt. Ronald Sandborg, Capt. Steven Brosowske, Capt. Ronald Saeger, 1 Lt. Richard Gabe, and lower row from left to right, Capt. Lyle Andvik, Capt. James D. Nelson, Maj. Gary Kaiser, 1 Lt. Thomas Larson, and Capt. Daniel Redlin.
USFG PHOTOTwo U.S. Air Force McDonnell F-4C Phantom II aircraft from the 136th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 107th Fighter Interceptor Group, New York Air National Guard, prepare to land upon arrival at the base for the air-to-air weapons meet "William Tell '86" at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), on 10 October 1986.
USFG PHOTOA U.S. Air Force Convair PQM-102A Delta Dagger target aircraft (s/n 56-1254) near Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), in 1980.
An U.S. Air Force North American QF-100D Super Sabre aircraft (s/n 56-3414) over Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), in 1981. This aircraft had been retired to the MASDC on 17 April 1979 and was converted to a target drone.
USFG PHOTOA U.S. Air Force McDonnell F-101B-85-MC Voodoo aircraft (s/n 57-0274) near Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA) in 1981.
USFG PHOTOA row of U.S. Air Force North American QF-100 Super Sabre target drones on the flight line Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), on 25 April 1990. The first five aircraft are single-seat QF-100Ds (s/n 55-3784, 56-3365, 56-3112, 55-3741, and 56-3093) and a double-seat QF-100F (s/n 56-3865).
USFG PHOTOA U.S. Air Force McDonnell Douglas QF-4E Phantom II (s/n 74-643) aerial target aircraft launches during the "William Tell 2004" competition at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), on 10 Nov 2004.
USFG PHOTOF-15C 80-060, 325th Operations Group, Tyndall AFB, Florida 2007.
USFG PHOTOFirst Lt. Charles Schuck fires an AIM-7 Sparrow medium range air-to-air missile from an F-15 Eagle here while supporting a Combat Archer air-to-air weapons system evaluation program mission. He and other Airmen of the 71st Fighter Squadron deployed from Langley Air Force Base, Va., to Tyndall AFB, Fla., to support the program.
USFG PHOTOEmployees at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company assembly plant at Marietta, Georgia, paint the first operational F-22 Raptor #01-4018 to be delivered to the Air Force. The jet, Raptor 18, will be used to train pilots in the 43rd Fighter Squadron at Tyndall AFB, Florida.
USFG PHOTONELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Lt. Col. Jeffrey Harrigian lifts off here during his first flight in an F/A-22 Raptor. He commands the 43rd Fighter Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. The 43rd FS will be the Air Force's first F/A-22 squadron. As the Raptor continues operational tests and evaluations in Nevada, officials plan to train a cadre of pilots from Tyndall to be the initial flight instructors
USFG PHOTO(Note; I worked offshore in South Louisiana on helicopters in the late 70's early 80's, & I know how it is on a drilling rig, that things can go to sugar in a heartbeat! GOD BLESS all involved & affected by the DEEPWATER HORIZON accident & disaster.)
Aviation Coordination Command airspace managers coordinate airspace activity on the ACC Operations floor July 9, 2010, at the 601st Air & Space Operations Center at Tyndall AFB, Florida. The ACC was created to provide support to the Coast Guard during Deepwater Horizon Response air operations.
USFG PHOTOF15 Strike Eagles and a F22 Raptor from the 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall AFB, Fla. participate in an aerial refueling mission with a KC-135 Stratotanker from 117th Birmingham Air National Guard, 23 Jan 09.
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Re: TYNDALL AFB PICS
Wed Dec 29, 2010 3:37 pm
Great set of photos, thanks.
Re: TYNDALL AFB PICS
Thu Dec 30, 2010 1:34 am
FYI the Tyndall AFB F-15 is from the 1st Fighter Squadron "Fighting Furies" (My old squadron)!
Re: TYNDALL AFB PICS
Fri Dec 31, 2010 12:01 am
Great photos, I love the WW2 base sign shot! I grew up in Tallahassee, and went through Air Force Junior ROTC in the 80s and we’d do an annual all-day trip to the base each year. I remember seeing F-100s and 106s on the ramp and remember almost being deafened when our bus was passing down the flight line and we got line abreast of an F-4 (still in ‘Nam era camo) powering up then taking off. I thought the windows would blow out, followed by my eardrums. We also watched a drone launch from a fixed position near the shoreline there, I don’t recall what type but it wasn’t a Q drone. I also hit a couple of air shows in the late 80s and early 90s there. Such good memories.