Keeping busy with my wife Donna, whom I will be married to forty years in July 2009. We've traveled quite alot having gone to Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Austria in March 2006. March 2007 we drove my inlaws to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesotta. What a snow storm we ran into in Madison Wisconsin! January 2008 we drove to Florida. Visited some of the old TDY bases Tyndall and McDill. I always enjoyed TDY's, and it brings back good memories to go their. July 2008 we drove to Albuquerque New Mexico for a wedding, then up to Colorado Spings and Denver. As you can see I enjoy driving, so I took a part time job driving. One of my "FOX HOLE BUDDIES" Joe Fenton, convinced me to look into parts delivery. I work three days a week for an auto dealership and have a four day weekend. WOW, if I knew it would be that good, I would have done it forty years ago!!
When our children were young, it opened up an avenue to our social lives, so do our five grand children. In many ways re-aquainting us with people we lost touch with. Its true, you really get to enjoy them so much more than the hectic pace of raising your own. I finally have two sons! both are really nice guys and thank God, both marriages seem to be very sound.
Other Comments:
I graduated from Cape May Vocational Technical Institute in 1966 and went to work for Weaton Plastic Co. in Mayslanding as a design draftsman. I had a technical deferment from them to avoid the draft and one from my parents' family farm but felt an obligation to serve in the military. As a child who played soldier with my cousins and admired my uncles in uniform I was inspired to join the military. The Vietnam War was going on and everyone was saying "don't join", this didn't persuade me . I joined the New Jersey Air National Guard in August and left for basic in October 1966. After graduation from Chanute AFB as a hydraulic repairman, I was hired full time by the NJANG as a technician. From that day on I knew I made the right decision about joining the military. On January 26, 1968 the 177th TFG was activated for the Pueblo Incident and we were sent to Phu Cat, Vietnam for a one year tour. After 14 years as a hydraulic technician, I cross trained to flight line and was a crew chief certified on F-106s, T-33s and F-16s. I retired from my technician job with NJANG on my 55th birthday, December 27, 2000 and stayed on as a triditional Guardsman working in the Maintenance Control section (MOCC). The first plane flew into the World Trade building at 0910 and by 0925 hours I received a phone call saying we were activated and to report to base ASAP. I stayed on active duty for two years doing Noble Eagle missions and retired from NJANG military on December 27, 2005 at age 60.
From my first day as a technician until my last day as a traditional guardsman, I knew I had a job that was the envy of my family and friends. Exotic travel to places they only heard about and TDYs to warm climates in January and Feburary always seemed like greener pastures to them and for the most part, they were correct. I couldn't imagine working any other job and being any happier than with what I was doing in the Air National Guard.
Great aircraft, now I'm a Pneaudraulic Technician. Air leak, no problem, just call for a ground heater. I don't think anyone who has worked F-106s could talk about it without mentioning the missle bay doors. WOW, if you weren't prepared for the closing of the doors, your heart skipped a beat when you heard that sound. I witnessed a very close call with a bone head supervisor (DWARF) in the missle bay troubleshooting an air leak, "NO DOOR LOCKS INSTALLED"! He steps out and approximately 5 seconds later hose ruptures on the open side of center door actuator, doors closed as fast as if you hit the switch. I think my legs were shaking for the rest of the day. I can only imagine how he must have felt! 1986, my first plane as a crew chief. 59-0031 (Body by Fisher) See photo's. Easy aircraft to work on. 177th was last unit to fly F-106s. Great going TDY and the rookie troops who never saw the aircraft before were shocked to find out it was almost thirty years old. One beautiful aircraft in the air and on the ground. Had a back seat ride in one piloted by Col. Lynn Robinson and filled my puke bag damn near to the top. Can't say that I enjoyed any of it. See T-33. I always felt if you were maintenance, the pictures of aircraft should be on the ground. Sorry, only decent pictures of F-106s available on site are airborn.
Image
F-106 Delta Dart Details
Aircraft/Missile Information
Model Convair F-106A Delta Dart Length 70.70 ft | 21.55 m Width 38.29 ft | 11.67 m Height 20.28 ft | 6.18 m Engine(s) 1 x Pratt & Whitney J75-P-17 turbojet engine generating 24,500lbs thrust with afterburner. Empty Weight 24,859 lbs | 11,276 kg MTOW 41,831 lbs | 18,974 kg Max Speed 1,487 mph | 2,393 km/h | 1,292 kts Max Range 1,950 miles | 3,138 km Ceiling 58,005 ft | 17,680 m | 11.0 miles Climb Rate 30,000 ft/min (9,144 m/min) Hardpoints 4 Armament 1 x 20mm cannon
Mission specific armament may include:
2 x AIR-2A Genie Nuclear Rockets 4 x AIM-4 Falcon Air-to-Air Missiles Accommodations 1
Major Variants
* YF-102 - Single Delta Dagger prototype * YF-102A - Redesigned airframe * F-102A - Single seat interceptor * TF-102A - Two-seat trainer * F-102B - Redesignated to F-106 * YF-106A - Two prototypes produced * F-106A - Single seat interceptor * F-106B - Two-seat trainer variant