• Monthan Memories - Part Two •
All images Neil Aird © 1966 - 1968 except where noted by Tom Baillie © 1968.
Updated: 18 August 2013
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My first trip to Davis-Monthan was back on 10 September 1966. I was not sure about security at this huge facility, so I made do with a drive along the fence-line early in the morning. Had I known what I know now, images would have been better. I watched the fence-line patrols go by, and tried to look "innocent" in my rented big Ford Thunderbird. I made a few snaps of "Celebrity Row" and scribbled down us much as I could. Film was scarce, numbers were too plentyfull and it was - oh so hot, hot, hot! |
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Smoke emanating from smelting operations!
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Soon it was over. I returned my rental "tank" and as I sat back in my Convair 580 N73140, Frontier flight "581" to Phoenix departing Tucson at 10:15 - I took one last snap of distant Davis-Monthan. "I will be back" I smiled - indeed I was, two years later, clutching a coveted USAF Entry Pass!
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Above photos: Neil Aird © 10 September 1966
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With not enough money for much colour slide film, I had to make do with black and white, hoping to develop and print the negs someday. Well, that day has finally come. I don't even have to go into the darkroom to make the prints. |
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"Desert Tigers" two rows of the fine beasts. 141818/3L-641 Grumman F-11A Tiger USN VT-26sq.
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When NAF Litchfield (now Goodyear Airport) closed, many of these airframe were transferred to MASDC. Here 139531/4B-109 North American AF-1E Fury (209-151) Navy/Marine of VT-86sq is on display by the perimeter fence in an early version of "Celebrity Row".
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53-1525 North American F-86H-10-NA Sabre USAF. To Pima Air & Space Museum. |
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53-0965 North American F-86L Sabre Dog (201-409) USAF ex 354th FIS. To Pima Air & Space Museum. |
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53-1589 North American F-100D Super Sabre USAF Arizona ANG. |
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45-8612 Lockheed P-80B Shooting Star USAF. To Pima Air & Space Museum. Displayed as 22nd FBS, 36th FG.
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52-6563 Republic F-84F-40-RE Thunderstreak USAF. To Pima Air & Space Museum. Now painted in Thunderbirds c/s. |
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53-2674 Northrop F-89J Scorpion USAF. To Pima Air & Space Museum. |
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What a difference colour makes. Photo: Tom Baillie © 09 September 1968 |
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50-980 Lockheed F-94C Starfire (880-8025) USAF. To Pima Air & Space Museum then Wright-Patterson AFB displayed as 50-1054. Colour image Tom Baillie © 09 September 1968
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53-2135 Boeing B-47E Stratojet (44481) USAF. |
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49-0372 Boeing KB-50J Superfortress (16148) USAF.
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44-70016 Boeing TB-29-75-BW Superfortress (10848) USAF 4715th REVRON (ECM). Now at Pima Air & Space Museum. |
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43-27712 North American TB-25J-1-NC Mitchell (108-34710) USAF. Later to Pima Air & Space Museum. |
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43-22494 Douglas A-26C Invader (18574) USAF. Later displayed at Pima Air & Space Museum. |
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44-77635 Curtis C-46D Commando (33031) USAF. |
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41-7723 Douglas C-47 Skytrain ( 4201) USAF Minnesota ANG. |
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42-72488 Douglas C-54D Skymaster ( 10593) USAF - PACAF. |
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49-0157 Fairchild C-119C Flying Boxcar (10394) USAF.
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144044/01 Beech T-34B Mentor (BG-351) USN, Now resides in NMNA Museum. 49-0236 Douglas C-124 Globemaster (43165) USAF - scrapped. |
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49-2908 North American T-6G Texan (84-7624) "TA-908" USAF. Now at Pima Air & Space Museum. |
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53-0151 Boeing KC-97G Stratofreighter (16933) USAF - SAC. To Pima Air & Space Museum.
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141262 Grumman HU-16c Albatross (409) US NAVY - CURRITUCK. Allocated PCN (Product Control Number) 1U0028. Later became the much travelled N7025N.
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51-0022 Grumman SA-16A/HU-16B Albatross (G-96) USAF. To Pima Air & Space Museum.
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128362/S Lockheed P2V-5F Neptune USN/NATC. |
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39213 Beech SNB-5/UC-45J Expeditor (4297) USN 7L/213. MCAS El Toro. To Pima Air Museum. |
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133220 Grumman TS-2A Tracker USN. |
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124629 Douglas TF-10B Skyknight (7499) US NAVY NJ/196. To Pima Air & Space Museum, now painted as F3D-2T2 in Marines c/s. Coded LP-12. |
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134748 Douglas F-6A Skyray USN. To Pima Air & Space Museum, as F4D-1. |
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144426 Grumman RF-9J Cougar MARINES 7X/45. To Pima Air & Space Museum, as F9F-8P in VFP-61 c/s. |
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141363 Chance Vought RF-8A Crusader US NAVY GA/909 VFP-62 Squadron. w/o 18 July 1977 when with VFP-63 Det 5.
Colour image: Tom Baillie © 09 September 1968
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145445 Chance Vought F-8B Crusader US NAVY/MARINES 6A/11. SOC 29 July 1974.
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145470 Chance Vought F-8B Crusader US NAVY/ MARINES 6A/4. Production Control Number (PCN) 2F108 Photo: Tom Baillie © 10 September 1968
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Ten Chance Vought F-8 Crusader aircraft, including 144614/CY MARINES VMCJ-2sq; 146845 US NAVY; RF-8G 144608 US NAVY Johnsville; 145425/6A; 145473/7W/26 RAW-93sq; 143762/UA; 145483/7W/24 RAW-93sq. |
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143190 Lockheed EC-121K Warning Star (4464) United States Navy AEWBARONPAC SH/23. Sold to Kolar Inc., 09 October 1974 and broken up.
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48-0614 Lockheed C-121A Constellation (749-2606) USAF "Colombine". Now in Pima Air & Space Museum. |
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145842 Bell HTL-7/TH-13N (2119) US NAVY HT/22 HC-4 Squadron. To Pima Air & Space Museum.
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56-2159 Vertol H-21C Shawnee (C.321) US ARMY. To Pima Air & Space Museum and now in 93rd Transportation Company, South Vietnam, 1962 markings.
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145221 McDonnell F-3BA Demon United States Navy VF-13 Squadron AK/104 USS Shangi-La. Note Tom in the distance, his shot below! Photo: Neil Aird © 09 September 1968 |
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145221 McDonnell F-3BA Demon United States Navy VF-13 Squadron AK/104 USS Shangri-La. Photo: Tom Baillie © 09 September 1968 |