Found this posted on JetCareers.com -
http://www.dhc-2.com/Monthan_Memories.html
Some awesome machines - kind of sad to see them all fading away in the boneyard. If they could talk I bet there would be some interesting stories to be heard.
Davis Monthan Boneyard - Pics from the 60's
-
Thumper
- Virtual Thunderbird Alumnus
- Posts: 833
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:00 am
- Location: Weslaco, TX
The Saddest part is that the majority of those pictures were taken in 67/68. Most of those aircraft have probably faded away. I feel lucky to have seen most of those aircraft in flyable condition and on static display at airshows when I was a kid in the early 70's.
Luckily, Texas had (and still has, though in fewer numbers) active Air Force bases and Naval Air Stations as well as several ANG units. I got to see the front-line stuff back in the day as well as all of the aircraft sent to ANG units as hand-me-downs. I wish my dad would have had a good camera!
I may have to dig through my dads old slides that were taken while he was in the Navy. He served aboard the U.S.S. Leyte during the Cold War and his carrier was engaged in ASW duties in the Atlantic, Carribean, Mediterranean, etc. If memory serves he had some cool pictures of flight ops from back in the days when the Navy was still operating Corsairs alongside the new-fangled jet aircraft. The Leyte operated Skyraiders rigged for ASW as well as S2 Trackers and choppers with sonar dipping and hydrophone dipping rigs.
Cool find, Ray. You can probably tell that I have more affection for the old stuff! When I was a kid I wouldn't build a model aircraft if it didn't have a prop. I didn't get over being 'mad' at jets until I was about 13 or 14... LOL.
Luckily, Texas had (and still has, though in fewer numbers) active Air Force bases and Naval Air Stations as well as several ANG units. I got to see the front-line stuff back in the day as well as all of the aircraft sent to ANG units as hand-me-downs. I wish my dad would have had a good camera!
I may have to dig through my dads old slides that were taken while he was in the Navy. He served aboard the U.S.S. Leyte during the Cold War and his carrier was engaged in ASW duties in the Atlantic, Carribean, Mediterranean, etc. If memory serves he had some cool pictures of flight ops from back in the days when the Navy was still operating Corsairs alongside the new-fangled jet aircraft. The Leyte operated Skyraiders rigged for ASW as well as S2 Trackers and choppers with sonar dipping and hydrophone dipping rigs.
Cool find, Ray. You can probably tell that I have more affection for the old stuff! When I was a kid I wouldn't build a model aircraft if it didn't have a prop. I didn't get over being 'mad' at jets until I was about 13 or 14... LOL.
I dragged my family around DM in 1997 during a 4 week US visit. I couldn't believe it. What most countries would be proud to call their entire air force would consist of one line of aircraft there.
Highlights included the 95 acres of recently retired P3 Orions that had arrived in the three months beforehand, the phalanxes of F111's F14 F15's and F16's just begging to be flown.
B52's with broken mainspars that could be verified by Russian satellites as part of the SALT II agreement.
They used to run a tour once a week there and I made sure our intinerary allow the drive down to Tucson. We passed the Marana civil boneyard on the way.
I remember all of it like it was yesterday. Aviation buff heaven!
Highlights included the 95 acres of recently retired P3 Orions that had arrived in the three months beforehand, the phalanxes of F111's F14 F15's and F16's just begging to be flown.
B52's with broken mainspars that could be verified by Russian satellites as part of the SALT II agreement.
They used to run a tour once a week there and I made sure our intinerary allow the drive down to Tucson. We passed the Marana civil boneyard on the way.
I remember all of it like it was yesterday. Aviation buff heaven!
