Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Happy Fathers' Day



Ricky and Kent arrived at noon.  We had brunch at JD, then we were off to the Air Museum at Grissom Air Base.

 Kent in the pilot's seat of an F-4.  I once "flew" an F-4 in the flight simulator at Spangdahlem Air Base.  I did a good job, too, according to the instructor; but with one mistake.  I landed about 1000 yards short of the runway, an error which tends to be fatal.

 This is the deadliest device ever created.  It is a nuclear bomb which can generate the explosive force of nine million tons of TNT.  That would be 600 times more powerful than the A-bomb dropped on Hiroshima.


Notwithstanding the fact that it makes no sense for these behemoths to fly through the air, there is a large array of military hardware on display.  This KC-97 Statotanker has its refueling boom attached to the F-84F  which you can see behind the fuel ship.  They say this is the only display of its kind in the country.

During the Korean conflict in the 1950s, the Air Force acquired this site from the Navy.  Over time, stationed here were B-47s, B-58s, and the KC-97 Stratotankers, among others, under the control of the Strategic Air Command.   The site was known as Bunker Hill Air Force Base until 1968 when it was renamed Grissom Air Force Base.  It is currently a reserve facility.

This is the F-4.  Son Carl was Weapons System Officer on this machine throughout much of his service in the US Air Force.



There was a car show in Kokomo, right on the way home.  But that is another post.

9 comments:

Secondary Roads said...

I like the shot of the '49 Ford. I learned to drive in a '50 Ford.

Shelly said...

Looks like it was a grand time, especially when shared with loved ones! We are a military town here, so we are used to those orange and white jets flying over!

vanilla said...

Chuck, I learned to drive in a '41 Chrysler, took my first license in a '36 Ford, but the first car I owned was a '50 Ford!

Shelly, back in the day, we had lots of flyovers, but since it is now a reserve base we have much less activity.

Murr Brewster said...

Does the simulator also simulate crashing and burning? Because that would have a good training effect. Your car pic reminded me of our family's Studebaker with the suicide doors. Always looked like an airplane to me.

vanilla said...

Murr, no, not really; but that would make a lasting impression!

Lin said...

what a great day! Nothing like checking out the hardware with the guys. :)

Have you ever been to the Air & Space Museum in Washington DC? Lots of guys like that place.

vanilla said...

Lin, a great day! I have not been to the Washington ASM, but I have been to Wright-Patterson facility.

Sharkbytes said...

That one "kid" is vanilla Jr, eh? I'm not such a fan of airplanes- just never developed the taste, I guess, but I like old cars.

vanilla said...

Shark, I don't like to be in airplanes, especially if they are not on the ground. These two "kids" are stepsons, offspring of BBBH and Jim.