Langley AFB Gate Guard PICS...

[Shay]

Just thought i would share. I took these back in Jan of '05 and had been meaing to post them. So here they are.....

http://photobucket.com/albums/f321/ChimChim3

One little mystery is that the F-105D 61-0217 is listed of Joe Baugher website as being shot down over North Vietnam. Perhaps the aircraft is mismarked.

Shay
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Semper Fortis

[RickH]

Thanks for posting , Shay.

I wonder who authorized the F-86, F-105 to be painted in current LoViz markings ? Thank goodness the F-4 has retained her SEA camo !

[Randy Haskin]

I think the idea behind that 4-ship formation on the sticks is to show the heritage aspect -- all the jets in the same paint scheme in route formation indicating that the ghosts of the past are still flying with us today. That's what I get out of it when I see it, at least.

The guy who authorized it? I'm betting on the 4-star ACC Commander who lives there at Langley.

[Shay]

I'm willing to bet that the decision to paint all the aircraft in the LoVis paint was probalby due to Large quantities of it already onhand or in the USAF stock system. But I'd prefer to see all the aircraft in their own accurate scemes and markings.

Update:

-Turns out that F-86H 53-1483 is actually 52-5747. I wonder why the Number change?

Also found out that F-105D 61-217 is actually 61-0188 and might have some combat history:

Name : Bruce Cox
E-Mail : bruce.cox.ctr@luke.af.mil
Website :
Duty Station : Luke AFB Arizona
Position i.e., Pilot, Crew Chief, Ops : Pilot
Comments : This is a great site! I flew Thuds as a young First Lieutenant in 1969-1970 with the 354TFS at Takhli. My aircraft was 61-0188 and was named Stephanie Allison after my daughter.

taken by Don Mcdavid


Here is F-16A 78-001 in her original 2 Tone.
http://www.f-16.net/modules/pnGallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=63891&g2_serialNumber=2

and here is F-15A 71-0281 as a NASA test platform.


Shay
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Semper Fortis

[TAdan]

I would have to agree with the "lots of Lo-Viz paint laying around" theory.

Shay, I see you are a pontiac fan. Is pic #49 a Gold 70 Judge? Thats a pretty rare car.

[wendovertom]

Wow, I have never seen a B-52 on a "stick" before!

kinda cool to see!

Tom P.

[global111]

Wow, I have never seen a B-52 on a "stick" before!

kinda cool to see!

Tom P.

Reminds me of German museums, if its not 50ft in the air its no good I think is their idea

[Shay]

I would have to agree with the "lots of Lo-Viz paint laying around" theory.

Shay, I see you are a pontiac fan. Is pic #49 a Gold 70 Judge? Thats a pretty rare car.

Yes that is the remains of a '70 Judge. I saw it couple of years ago in a junk yard in VA. She's long gone since about a year back. Someone must want to breathe life back into her.

Wish I find aircraft in junkyard like that. Found the fuselage of a Cessna once in a salvage yard. That's about the extent of it.

Shay
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Semper Fortis

[Shay]

I talked with Mr. Bruce Cox who was the driver of F-105D 61-0188 from '69 to '70, via email. Seems like a very nice interesting guy with a wealth of knowledge pertaining to F-105's. Anyhow this is what he had to say:

Hello! Thanks for the email. I will have to be brief, but I can shed some light on your puzzle. F-105 61-0188 was indeed mine during 1969-1970 at Takhli RTAFB Thailand. I think the aircraft went from there to the Virginia ANG. From there the path is fuzzy, but the jet ended up at Luke AFB and was used for General Risner’s retirement ceremony. It was repainted as his aircraft, including the number. After the ceremony, the F-105 was displayed near the main gate of Luke AFB, and then it was sent to Langley for their display area. At that time, Langley was the first F-15 base in the USAF, and “air superiority blue” was in vogue. My guess is that someone thought it was cute, or appropriate, or whatever to paint all of the display aircraft in this color. It is repulsive to me to see a Thud in that color. The aircraft on display here at Luke are in their correct colors and schemes.



Please let me know your interests in F-105s, and I can perhaps send some information to quench your thirst.



Bruce Cox
F-16 Chief Instructor
Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training & Support

It never ceases to amaze me the feeling you get when you hear it from the folks who were there.

Shay
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Semper Fortis

[B-29 Super Fort]

Are those areas where the gate guardians are located open to the public?

[Paul Krumrei]

Wow, I have never seen a B-52 on a "stick" before!

kinda cool to see!

Tom P.

A B-52 is still on a stick ( actually 2 sticks ) at the Gate at Offutt AFB where I was stationed in Omaha, Nebraska. The old SAC now STRATCOMM's Kenney Gate.

[JBoyle]

There is also a B-52 on several sticks at the Air Force Academy (aka the scandal factory)

I agree with you... all the Langley gate guards are painted the same is because they have the paint....when I was last there even the Phantom was gray. But don't discount the theory that some general liked it.
(Lots of statics at various bases have really unauthentic schemes...usually because some general wanted it).
Witness the T-38 painted in SEA camo complete with painted over rear canopy pretending to be a F-5, a rare B-57A in SEA markings...and an Army UH-B as an USAF UH-1F all at Lackland. Of the H-19B at NMUSAF marked as a H-19A...yes, there is a difference. Don't get me started.

[Randy Haskin]

Witness the T-38 painted in SEA camo complete with painted over rear canopy pretending to be a F-5

While there's something goofy with the rear cockpit being painted over, it's not a T-38 in drag. In fact, the fact that it's an F-5B is painted right on the side.




There are numerous differences between the T-38 and the F-5; here's a T-38 shot for comparison:



Intakes: F-5s are squared-off and vertical, T-38s are slanted forward and rounded.

Wings: F-5 wings have leading edge slats and a leading-edge root extension that ends at the base of the intake. T-38s have hard-wings and no root extension. The F-5 also has larger wheels/tires with antiskid brakes and the T-38 does not.

Empennage: The F-5 has a louvered engine vent section on the empennage. The T-38 does not.

Tail/Exhaust: The F-5 has a square area at the base of the vertical stab which houses a drag chute. The T-38 does not.

There are several other differences between the two that aren't obvious in these two photographs.

What is apparent is that the Lackland aircraft is an F-5B and not a T-38.