steveno
Member
some airplanes and flight crews you don't hear much about
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVJwUTdtvps[/ame]
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVJwUTdtvps[/ame]
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RC-135
- Thread starter steveno
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Targets Guy
US Veteran
Great airplane and an important mission. Worked with them for many years.
Those guys in the back are indeed unsung heroes. So are the guys upfront. I got to brief all the "bad guy" reaction to them to my general for three years. Scary stuff.
Those guys in the back are indeed unsung heroes. So are the guys upfront. I got to brief all the "bad guy" reaction to them to my general for three years. Scary stuff.
Looking Glass or J Stars?
THE PILGRIM
Member
One time I ran into a RC crew down in Ft. Worth.
They had just arrived from Shemya and GD was doing some mods to their plane.
They were so glad to be in Cowtown it was just like Christmas.
Sara once said she could see Russia from her house.
From Shemya you can see it!
Boeing RC-135 - Wikipedia
They had just arrived from Shemya and GD was doing some mods to their plane.
They were so glad to be in Cowtown it was just like Christmas.
Sara once said she could see Russia from her house.
From Shemya you can see it!
Boeing RC-135 - Wikipedia
I remember one morning about 3 AM I got a call into work. I ran the SATCOM terminal at HQ SAC back then. seems a couple of Lybian Migs were chasing an RC out into the Med and kept locking onto it. luckily for them the USS Kennedy was nearby and launched a couple of F-14s. they tried to warn off the Migs, but had to shoot them down. my nephew was a weapons loader on the Kennedy at the time. the messages coming from the RC had all sorts of misspelled words and I could tell the pucker factor was about 99 at the time. those guys flew for 24 or more hours at a time on some missions out of Offutt, NE. lee
onebadvet
US Veteran
Hickham AFB Hawaii, 15th, Blue Eagle Squadron.
We flew EC135P, Airborne Command Post. We certainly flew the hell out of the airframes, I was Crew Chief on 58-0022, and we had 46,000 flying hours in 1974. Those were the days.
We flew EC135P, Airborne Command Post. We certainly flew the hell out of the airframes, I was Crew Chief on 58-0022, and we had 46,000 flying hours in 1974. Those were the days.
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Ivan the Butcher
Member
Thank You All!
steveno - here's another similar rare bird I saw pull into the hanger where I was working in South Africa in either 1971 or 72. It was all grey, no two tone gray/white.
EC-135N ARIA (Apollo Range Instrumentation Aircraft)
One of the crew told me the white patterns on the black panel were for calibrating cameras. The smallest pattern wasn't much bigger than my hand. Some cameras in 1972! Makes you wonder what they can do now.
EC-135N ARIA (Apollo Range Instrumentation Aircraft)
One of the crew told me the white patterns on the black panel were for calibrating cameras. The smallest pattern wasn't much bigger than my hand. Some cameras in 1972! Makes you wonder what they can do now.
Attachments
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onebadvet
US Veteran
I worked on them at Patrick AFB Fl. from 1970-1972, they would go down range so we talk with Apollo Astronauts in space, yes the marking on the side was used to set up our orbit. Those planes at the time were so I high tech, and if you listen closely when they were the astronauts were in space would here Apollo Ariel to Houston control, Ariel was the plane, we go different locations all over the world to communicate with them in space.
Today there in Boneyard and one on display at the Air Force Museum in Ohio.
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onebadvet
US Veteran
Here is tribute to the men and women flight crews and maintenance personnel who kept these airplanes flying.
There is a replica of the National Security Agency's Wall of Honor at
the National Cryptologic Museum, Fort Meade, Maryland. It lists 148
cryptologists killed in the line of duty. Many of them during aerial
reconnaissance missions. U.S. Air Force Security Service was established
in 1948. The National Security Agency (NSA) in 1952. U.S. Air Force
Security Service was re-designated Electronic Security Command in
1979.
In the 1950s the RB-29, and the RB-50 (an upgraded B-29)
was used for aerial reconnaissance missions. The Navy also
flew Reconnaissance missions flying PBYs and Neptunes.
Between 1950 and 1956 7 (2 Navy & 5 Air Force) reconnaissance
planes were shot down. All the crews MIA.
I know this is ancient history. But I am ancient, so forgive me.
I think of them often, and all of our heroes, especially at this
Memorial Day weekend. All gave some. Some gave all.
the National Cryptologic Museum, Fort Meade, Maryland. It lists 148
cryptologists killed in the line of duty. Many of them during aerial
reconnaissance missions. U.S. Air Force Security Service was established
in 1948. The National Security Agency (NSA) in 1952. U.S. Air Force
Security Service was re-designated Electronic Security Command in
1979.
In the 1950s the RB-29, and the RB-50 (an upgraded B-29)
was used for aerial reconnaissance missions. The Navy also
flew Reconnaissance missions flying PBYs and Neptunes.
Between 1950 and 1956 7 (2 Navy & 5 Air Force) reconnaissance
planes were shot down. All the crews MIA.
I know this is ancient history. But I am ancient, so forgive me.
I think of them often, and all of our heroes, especially at this
Memorial Day weekend. All gave some. Some gave all.
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Where were they lost, and who shot them down? Korea?
midkansmithfan
SWCA Member
steveno,
Your three recent posts bring back wonderful memories.
6985thSS 1964-1966
I wasn't an Aircrewman but I processed a lot of the
material they brought back.
Back then I didn't think much about it but over the years
I have realized the risks they took and have developed
great respect for the men who flew those missions.
I am glad to know there are USAFSS veterans on this forum.
Warm Regards,
Don
Your three recent posts bring back wonderful memories.
6985thSS 1964-1966
I wasn't an Aircrewman but I processed a lot of the
material they brought back.
Back then I didn't think much about it but over the years
I have realized the risks they took and have developed
great respect for the men who flew those missions.
I am glad to know there are USAFSS veterans on this forum.
Warm Regards,
Don
PPS1980
Member
Lots of folks like that in the service. Missilemen (I'm old -sue me), submariners, Bears, EWOs, etc. They all serve.
CATI1835
US Veteran
One of many unappreciated, because they are little known, platforms in our Air Force.
Kind of an interesting, ironic side note - the opening music in the video in the OP is actually performed by the Red Army Choir.
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIiGj9llVKY"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIiGj9llVKY[/ame]
Kind of an interesting, ironic side note - the opening music in the video in the OP is actually performed by the Red Army Choir.
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIiGj9llVKY"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIiGj9llVKY[/ame]
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April 1950 Navy PB4Y shot down over Baltic Sea. 10
crewmen MIA.
November 1951 Navy P2V Neptune shot down over Sea of Japan. All 10 crewmen MIA.
June 1952 USAF RB-29 shot down over Sea of Japan
12 crewmen MIA.
October 1952 USAF RB-29 shot down north of island of
Hokkaido, Japan. 8 crewmen. 7 MIA and one KIA.
July 1953 USAF RB-50 shot down over Sea of Japan.
17 crewmen. Capt. John Roche survived. 13 MIA. 3 KIA.
April 1955 USAF RB-47 shot down over coast of Kamchatka
(over Pacific Ocean) 3 crew all MIA.
September 1956 USAF RB-50 disappeared over Sea of Japan
during typhoon. 16 crewmen all MIA.
War in Korea was from 1950-1953 so some of the above
would have been shot down by China and some by Russia.
North Korea had MIGs but mostly piloted by Russians.
Those in 1955 and 1956 were probably shot down by Russians.
I was in USAFSS and NSA 1952 - 1956 but, fortunately,
I wasn't on any of those missions.
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THE PILGRIM
Member
Yes PILGRAM, I think there were others before and after
the one's I mentioned. Then of course there was Francis
Gary Powers (?) shot down with ground to air missile over
the Soviet Union. That was in 1960. He was flying a U2
spy plane. Long before we had the SR71 "Blackbird".
By the way the Blackbird would do Mach 3. I read that
they are working on an SR72 that is supposed to appear
in 2018 that will go twice the speed of the SR71. It
will go across the Atlantic in 45 minutes.
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