Thuds in Lackland

[Tulio]

Airliners Net, photo number 694473
shows a line-up of 10 or 11 F-105 Thunderchiefs (Thunderchieves?? : )


Jim Newton - Airliners.net- photo #694473
Date of photo is October 06, 1992

The caption indicates that these are used for the training of Air Force Security Personnel / Police.

Although the photo is a couple of years old, the aircraft look well kept...

Saludos,


Tulio

Last edited by Tulio on Mon Sep 26, 2005 5:43 am, edited 2 times in total.

[Randy Haskin]

For those who go to Lackland and wanna see this (or just check it out on Google Earth) it is in the southwest corner of the base.

EDIT: snapshot from Google Earth added...



I just visited another fake flightline at Lackland (on the west end of the base) less than two weeks ago, but there are no Thuds, unfortunately. There *are* three Huns, a Delta Dart, and a Voodoo on the ramp, though.

[Shay]

I brought this up a long while back no one replied. I used to see those Thuds almost every day when I went to Basic training there. My Basic Training Squadron (331st) is right near by, lil bit to the northeast. There are several display aircraft littered across the base that I used to go see after I transferred to tech school on the north side of Lackland. One part of tech school we had to work on a gutted wingless C-130 over on kelly to practice loading and unloading cargo. What really sucked about the whole thing was that we had to use the manual hydrolic hand pump to raise and lower the cargo door and ramp. I think the hydrolic system was low on fluid or crapping out completely but we wore our arms out trying to move those doors. Anyways brings back a lot of great memories. Thanks

Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

P.S. Maybe one day I'll tell you all about the time they help STD training in the Base Theater. The pictures were Bad enought to make a couple of guys vomit.

[JBoyle]

At the risk of sounding like an old codger "back in MY day....".....
When I went through USAF Officer Training School at Lackland's Medina annex...they used a lot of F-84Fs for security forces training. Must have been replaced by Thuds in the late 80s.

BTW, they had an XT-37 on display near some of the basic training squadrons...it was still natural metal with the prototype plexiglas nose light fairing. Is it still there...or more to the point...did some idiot paint it white to look like a current T-37?

[Randy Haskin]

they used a lot of F-84Fs for security forces training.

You wouldn't recognize Medina these days. That whole parade field where the '84s were located is all torn up...not sure where the airplanes are. Again, on Google Earth you can see where they used to be.

BTW, they had an XT-37 on display near some of the basic training squadrons...it was still natural metal with the prototype plexiglas nose light fairing. Is it still there...or more to the point...did some idiot paint it white to look like a current T-37?

The only Tweet that I saw at Lackland recently was an A-37 on the drive over by the west gate. It did not have the refueling probe, but did have the right seat gun modification, so it was obviously not this aircraft you're talking about.

[tom d. friedman]

clarify something.... these thuds are lined up to this day??? for what?? guard training??

[tom d. friedman]

sounds like a waste of our tax $$$$$$

[spookyboss]

If they are still there can we find out what the serial numbers are and hopefully they will end up in museums.

[Chris Brame]

Between enlarging and enhancing the picture and some a/c histories on the Baugher site, here are eight of the serials:

61-0108
61-0115
61-0199
62-4228
62-4259
62-4279
62-4318
62-4346

Some are listed as GF-105D; does the G refer to ground instructional airframe?

[Randy Haskin]

clarify something.... these thuds are lined up to this day??? for what?? guard training??

Yes, those airplanes are at Lackland AFB today, as we speak. They are in the Security Police training compound, used to train brand new USAF cops about flightline security procedures. Remember, new recruits may have never been around aircraft before, plus there *is* no real flightline at Lackland (unless you include Kelly Field), and there is certainly no piece of flightline that could allow training like that to occur.

So, Lord knows how long ago, this training flightline was created and is still used to this day.

sounds like a waste of our tax $$$$$$

How so? The police in training need a realistic looking environment to train in. The cops don't care what kind of aircraft are actually there as it doesn't affect their ability to train. The airplanes have been there for literally decades -- about the only money they need is probably an occasional coat of paint to keep them looking good. They also have a bunch of C-135 fuselages sitting out there to do the same thing, as well as that secondary flightline I mentioned with the Huns on it.

How is that a waste of money?

The waste of taxpayer money would be if they scrapped the airplanes because someone thought they were 'too old' and they paid to truck in a dozen old F-15s or F-16s from AMARC. It would also be a waste of taxpayer money to ship these things off to a museum somewhere in that same situation. New airplanes would have to be hauled out of AMARC (at taxpayer cost), transported to San Antonio (at taxpayer cost), installed on the flightline and prepped for sitting out there in the weather (at taxpayer cost).

Obviously, eventually that scenario will play out and the airplanes will be replaced...but if the airplanes are serving their purpose right now what is the problem?

[Originalboxcar]

Good points Randy and how cool to still see an actual flightline of thuds on alert! I was there in '82 and never knew they existed

regards,

t~

[tom d. friedman]

your points are well taken from experience randy, my points were from a lack of it. i stand corrected. regards, tom

[Tulio]

My hat's off to you, Tom.

It takes a lot of honesty to be able to recognize an error, and more so doing it in public.

Your stock has risen several notches in my book.

Saludos, Sir!!


Tulio

[Randy Haskin]

It takes a lot of honesty to be able to recognize an error, and more so doing it in public.

Indeed...and there are many fine people who post here on WIX...people I'm happy to know and be involved with.

Cheers.