Goodfellow AFB, San Angelo

[Tom Crawford]

I was looking at Goodfellow on "Google Earth" a few minutes ago, reason being I've always understood, fairly recent history they were not an active air base, but my "Free Google Version" shows (2) C-130's, one on the ramp & one on the East end of a runway(?) that look operational. The main runway is "Xed" out but there seems to be an E/W runway, albeit fairly short, that looks like plenty of concrete for these birds. Plus what is the mission at Goodfellow, looks like some burned out airframes on the Northside, maybe firefighting?
Tom

[Beachy]

I was looking at Goodfellow on "Google Earth" a few minutes ago, reason being I've always understood, fairly recent history they were not an active air base, but my "Free Google Version" shows (2) C-130's, one on the ramp & one on the East end of a runway(?) that look operational. The main runway is "Xed" out but there seems to be an E/W runway, albeit fairly short, that looks like plenty of concrete for these birds. Plus what is the mission at Goodfellow, looks like some burned out airframes on the Northside, maybe firefighting?
Tom

I think so. It used to be, in the 90s.

[MX304]

I learned to fly at Mathis Field, and overflew Goodfellow on a regular basis back in 89-90. The two C-130s were there then as well, and we never saw them gone. They were often parked in different spots, but did not appear to be flown. Part of Goodfellows mission was as an intelegence training base.

[george]

Tom - If I understand it correctly, those C-130s flew in about 20 years ago, and were the last flights into the base. It does seem odd that there would be such a large active air base, with those long runways, but no flying.

[Rogue]

http://members.tripod.com/airfields_fre ... goodfellow

[Tom Crawford]

Thanks for the responses. Very interesting, Tom

[JBoyle]

Back in the 80's the DOT tested tires on t he old runways...towed with a special rig. In the late 80s, USAF fire fighting training moved there when Lowrey in Denver was closed.
During my period there (early 85- fall of 87) e did have aircraft land occasionally...a Merlin turbo prop and Bill Cosby's Mitsubish Diamond jet (Beech 400, T-1A, etc) both landed on the field when the pilots thought thery were at Mathis field south of town.
Also a Navy Sea King spent a couple of weeks there when it blew its transmission on a cross country.

Brief history of the base: pilot training ended heree in 1959 (T-28s and TB-25s...plus some H-21s for weather balloon recovery)
Then it became the joint service training base for crypto training (I had to get a TS/SCI clearance to go into the classroom buildings).

Then in the late 80s, the USAF moved its intel school there.

When it was announced that intel training was coming to the base, I was asked by the Tech Training School Commander (a one star) to draw up a list of aircraft for static displays.
So i produced a wish list having to do with intel. Everything from an RF-101 to RC-130s to a SR-71.
I hear many of the planes were eventually acquired.

Up until then the only planes on base were a pedestal mounted TB-25 rescued from a downtown park, and a F-100C in Thunderbirds markings.

[Old SAR pilot]

All of the runways at Goodfellow have either been obliterated, or have construction of varying forms on them. For example, the N-S runway is now Kearney Blvd, the main street through the base.

As for the aircraft seen in the overhead photo, all are used in conjuction with fire training/emergency procedures training at the Lewis F. Garland Fire Academy (Now the DoD fire school, formerly the AF Fire School from Chanute AFB, IL). Their status/origins are:

2 x C-130 - Flown in from the (I believe) Tennessee Air NG, and made unserviceable for further flight. Used for emergency procedures training.

F-15A - "Flown" in from Sheppard AFB, under a Texas Army NG CH-47. Used for crew extraction.

F-14A - (Not pictured) Flown in to Mathis Field, SJT, and towed by road to GAFB. Was used fro same purpose as F-15. With the withdrawal from service of the F-14, future is unknown.

CH-53 - Used for emergency procedures training.

Other airframes extant at that location are used for the same purpose.

Other aircraft resident on base include:

MiG-29A (ex-Moldovan AF - complete to include instruments, ejection seat, etc.)
MiG-23 (ex-East German AF - same as MiG-29)
TB-25/B-25J (gate guard at South Gate)
RF-4C (from now-closed Bergstrom AFB)
T-28A (from now-closed Reese AFB)
BT-13 (from USAF Museum)
EC-47 (from USAF Museum/Davis-Monthan AFB)

Base missions (all non-flying) include cryptologic training, AF general intel and imagery, seismic, the fire academy, and others. Also resident on base is the DOT test track (the oval adjacent to the fire academy).

This info, and $.60 will get you a soda from the machine.

[Tom Crawford]

.60 cents in the mail....thanks for the responses. Tom