“Old Shaky” hadn’t shook much when this photo was taken.

The one and only XC-99 decided to break at MacDill AFB in the late 40’s, and, as the photos illustrate, it took all hands to get the thing back in the air. A B-29 (44-62023) of MacDill’s 307th Bomb Wing is dwarfed by the broken down brute XC-99.

The 1st was stationed at MacDill AFB when this photo was taken in 1950. 45-57734 was later sold off to an oil company in Guatemala where I expect it led a rather tough life.

“Hangar No. 2” is still in use today. For the sake of accuracy though, and for those who say “hey, I work in that hangar!”, the “Hangar 2” in this photo is no longer “No. 2”.  When I arrived at MacDill in 1978, the hangars looked exactly like the one seen here. Same lettering, everything. Very classy.  But after I departed in 1980, the USAF said “get out the brown & tan and paint everything not moving.” They also re-numbered the hangars: The former #2 (as seen here) is now Hangar 4.

Oh, and the reason they renumbered them is that as one walked down the flightline back in the old days, the hangar numbers were not sequential, i.e., they went 5,3,1,2,4. I admit that the renumbering is less confusing.

51-9304 was written-off at Moody AFB in 1964, 55-4391 is supposedly the T-Bird on a stick at Lewiston, Id. 51-4404 went to the Danish Air Force, where it is preserved today. 52-9495 was retired, 55-4394 crashed at Craig AFB in ’64.

Photo taken by a young man in pilot training at Vance, and even now I can hear him saying “yep, that’s what I’m going to strap on my ass.” Well, not this particular 104 – it was destroyed in a mid-air the following year.

This T-Bird, 51-9127, survives to this day and can be viewed at the Warbird Heritage Foundation in Waukegan, Il.

RF-101C (56-0184), and F-101A 54-1480. The latter is a long way from its home at RAF Bentwaters, UK. It carries no external tanks, and it beats me how it attended this Oklahoma airshow in 1959.

F-89 Scorpion (53-2580), F-86L Sabre (53-0916), WB-66 (55-0393), Bomarc missile, C-133 ( 54-0142), and a veteran B-25, 44-86723.

KC-135 of the 902nd Air Refueling Squadron, and a KC-97.

Despite their less than stellar quality, I humbly submit these photos for your viewing pleasure.

56-0747 (x 2) and 56-0785 of the 83rd FIS, Hamilton AFB. It bears the name “Lil Shaky II” on the nose.

55-3779 (x 2) of the 366th TFW, and 55-3796 from Nellis AFB.

At the open house. In order: 57-830 of the 482nd FIS,  54-1351 of the 71st FIS (The first TF-102 built, it is now on display at the Selfridge Museum), and 56-1195 of the 71st FIS.

Fledgling birdmen of the 3576th Pilot Training Squadron, Vance AFB.  Coming soon to a sky near you.

On September 23 1958, F-101A Voodoo 56-0039 flew non-stop and unrefueled from Carswell AFB, Texas, to Bermuda – a distance of 1,896 miles.

As hardcore Phantom phans will tell you, there was a brief moment in time when the F-110A Spectre was part of the Air Force inventory.

Four members of the USAF Fighter Tactics Team visit Itazuke Air Base to brief pilots on the latest ways to blow apart Soviet MiGs. L-R: Lt Col Robert E. Dawson, 35th Fighter Bomber Squadron commander, Lt. Walter Druen, Lt. Don L. Pascoe, Col. Orville Rehmann, 8th FBW commander, Capt. Brooks J. Liles, Maj. Frederick “Boots” Blesse.  The four team members (in flight clothing) had shot down their fair share of MiGs in Korea – Blesse being a double ace – and were touring bases to bring their success stories to their fellow pilots.

Seen in its early days of the late 1950’s.  I say ‘early days’ because this particular aircraft is still flying six decades later.