Fully retired .Working around the house doing HONEY DO's.Spending more time with kids and grandkids.Trying to locate old friends from the military and school.Learning how to operate this computer.Taking trips back to Crete Greece to visit the wife's family members there..Above all haveing a good time in my old age.
PLAYING WITH SKYPE. My SKYPE name is garymac000
OCT 17 2012:
Just returned from a 5 week stay with the wife's family on the Greek island of Crete Greece.Took many photos and a couple videos.Much is on my Facebook page .LONG flying trip but well worth it.Love the beaches.Visited the closed USAFSS base there and cried again.What a mess.Was the best little base in the USAF..Working on my Photo History web site on that closed Intelligence base www.papoumac.shutterfly.com
Other Comments:
Joined the Marine Corps reserve in 1956.Went full time in 1957 until 1960.Joined the USAF in 1960.Stationed at Camp Pendelton Ca,Mare Island CA,MC CHORD AFB Wa,Crete Greece (2 tours USAFSS),Viet-Nam(x2),IRAN(MAAG),Mt.Home AFB ID,Tokyo Japan(AFRTS),Travis AFB.DUTIES: Armorer,PMI,Supply,Military advisor..Spent 16 years out of my 23 overseas.Saw much of the world on leave, and TDY as well as duty stations.Member of a small group of USAFSS people that tested and started the 1st EC47 unit in Nam.Advisory duty in Isfahan Iran was with the Navy F-14 Tomcat.The team was both Navy and USAF.
Retired from the military in 1979.Worked for World Airways in Oakland CA for a while..Odd jobs then went into law enforcement in 1981.Worked with Drug ID,County Gangs Task Force,Auto crashes,WMD instructor school,and trained police Aides in fire arms.Retired fufully in 2005....Member of small and big bore base shooting teams in the Marines and Air Force..Spent most of my young life in Yakima Washington.
My 1st trip to Viet-Nam was mainly due to my getting engaged to a Greek nurse from Crete in 1965.I had to leave Crete and while in TX I worked hard to get back.No such luck.Then the General (KLOCKO) (sp). told me if I volenteried to go to Nam and help test the EC47 program that all that went can go to what ever USAFSS base they wish.So off I went .True to his word I went back to Crete upon my return to TX.I still don't let the wife forget that I went to WAR so we could be married.Don't work very good anymore.LOL.
Aircraft/Missile Information
Model General Dynamics F-111F Aardvark Length 73.49 ft | 22.40 m Width 62.99 ft | 19.20 m Height 17.13 ft | 5.22 m Engine(s) 2 x Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-111 turbofan engines generating 25,100lbs of standard thrust each. Empty Weight 47,840 lbs | 21,700 kg MTOW 100,002 lbs | 45,360 kg Max Speed 914 mph | 1,471 km/h | 794 kts Max Range 2,900 miles | 4,667 km Ceiling 57,907 ft | 17,650 m | 11.0 miles Climb Rate Not Available Hardpoints 5 Armament 1 x 22mm cannon
Mission-specific ordnance can include any of the following:
* F-111A - Initial Production Model Designation; 23 pre-production models produced; Total of 158 at production end fitted with 18,500lb TF30-P-3 powerplants; 42 converted to EF-111A Ravens. * F-111B - Cancelled Fleet Defense Variant of which 5 pre-production models were produced. * F-111C - Australian Export Models of which 24 were produced. * F-111D - 96 Production Models fitted with TF30-P-0 powerplants generating 19,600lbs of thrust each. * F-111E - 94 Production Models of this type. * F-111F - 106 Production Models of this type fitted with TF30-P-111 capable of 25,100lbs of thrust each. * EF-111A "Raven" - Electronic Warfare Model Designation based on converted F-111 "A" models; retired in 1998. * FB-111A - Strategic Model Designation of which 76 were produced; fitted with 2 x additional hardpoints, increased wingspan and TF30-P-7 powerplants generating 20,150lbs of thrust; improved electronics. * F-111G - Converted FB-111A Models for European Theater use; RAAF usage of this model as well. * EF-111A - Electronic Warfare Conversion Models of F-111A series; 42 converted in this way.