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I ’ m sur et hatmostr eader s wi l lbe f ami l i arwi t ht he name Wi l l i am Tel l .Many wi l l aut omat i cal l yassoci at ei twi t ht hel egendar y14t hCent ur ySwi ssmar ksman.I nt hater a, t he cr ossbow wast he weapon ofchoi ce,butsever alhundr ed year sl at er ,t he name Wi l l i am Tel lbecamesynonymouswi t hexcel l encei nai rdef ence,bei ngadopt edf ort he f i ght erweaponsmeett hati nvol veduseofcannonandmi ssi l ear mamenti ncompet i t i on. Li ndsayPeacockdel vesi nt ot hear chi vef orGAM. I nf ac t ,t hi sev entbeganatYuma,Ar i z onai n1954 and was or i gi nal l yc onc er ned onl y wi t h ai r t oai r r oc k et r y .Subs equent l y ,i n1958,i tmov edt oTy ndal l , Fl or i da and ex panded i ns c ope t o embr ac e ot her f or ms ofmi s s i l e ar mamentas wel las ai r t oai r gunner y .Tr adi t i onal l y an Ai r Def ens e Command ev entf ormuc hofi t sl i f e,i tc ont i nuedt of or m par tof t he Tac t i c al Ai r Command c al endar f or s ome c ons i der abl et i me,al t hough Ibel i ev ei thas now l aps ed,nothav i ngbeens t ageds i nc e2004.Some30 y ear sago,Iwasf or t unat e enough t o at t end t wo s uc hmeet s–i n1980and1982–atat i mewhen c l as s i cf i ght er sl i k et heF106Del t aDar twer es t i l lt o bes een and when c ol ours c hemeswer es omuc h mor ev i v i dt han t hos e oft he moder n er a.Hav i ng r ai dedt hear c hi v e,Ipr es entj us tas mal ls el ec t i onof t hei magesIt ookdur i ngt hos et wov i s i t st oTy ndal l .
A cl earl i nkbet ween t hemoder n dayFi ght erWeapons Meetandt hel egendar ymar ksmanoft he14t hCent ur y i spr ovi dedbyt hi spi eceofar t wor kwhi chador nedt he nose wheel door s of al lf i ve Mi chi gan ANG F4C Phant oms i n 1980. Al most i nevi t abl y, i t al so i ncor por at est hecel ebr at edSpookofPhant om phame…
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I naddi t i ont ohost i ngt heweaponsmeet ,Tyndal lwasal sohomet ot heAi rDef enseWeaponsCent er( ADWC) ,whi ch oper at ed a mi xed f l eetofai r cr af ti n 1980,i ncl udi ng exampl esoft he F101,F106 and T33.Thi si sone oft he dwi ndl i ngnumberofVoodoost hatr emai nedonst r engt hi n1980.
Bel ow -Headi ngbackt ot hef l i ghtl i neatt he1980meet ,t hi sNor t hDakot aANG F4D f r om t he“ HappyHool i gans� at Far go t ows i t s col our f ulbr aki ng chut e past F106 Del t a Dar t s and F101 Voodoos f r om Guar d uni t si n Massachuset t sandNew Yor k.
Above -Rar i ng t o go… Pi l otand Weapon Syst em Of f i cerofa Mi chi gan Phant om wai tcl ear ance t ot axi .An ai r combatmanoeuvr i ng i nst r ument at i on pod i svi si bl e on t he i nboar d pyl on,whi l ei nt he backgr ound F101sand F106sf r om ot herpar t i ci pant sst andi dl ewai t i ngt hei rt ur nt oseesomeact i on.
Lef t-For1980,Canadasental ongacomposi t et eam wi t h CF101B Voodoos. The t eam consi st ed of t he usualf i veai r cr af t–consi st i ngoff ourpr i mar ymachi nes and a spar e – whi ch i ncl uded 101030 shown her e movi ngcl earoft her unwayatt heendofacompet i t i on pr of i l e.
Ri ght-Pr et t yt ai l sal li n ar ow – a sequent i alr un of F106Asf r om t he 49t h Fi ght erI nt er cept orSquadr on. I nt i mespast ,t hef i nbadgewoul dhavebeent hatofAi r Def enseCommand,butby1980,t hi sor gani sat i onwas hi st or y,wi t hf or merasset snow assi gnedt oTact i calAi r Command,whosebadgei scar r i edont het ai l .
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Caughtont het r ansi entl i nei n1980,t hei mposi ngbul koft heVoodooi scapt ur edi nt hi svi ew ofavi si t i ngF101F f r om t heTexasANG’ s147t h Fi ght erI nt er cept orGr oupatEl l i ngt on.TheVoodoowasst i l laf ai r l ycommon si ghti n 1980,butwi t hi nt woyear s,t heonl yoper at i onalVoodooswer et hoset hatcont i nuedi nser vi cewi t hCanada.
St i l lwi t h us t oday,al bei ti n much r educed number s,t he F15 Eagl e was a newcomer t o Wi l l i am Tel l compet i t i oni n1982,wi t hexampl espr ovi dedbyt hr eemaj orAi rFor cecommands.Di spl ayi ngt hebadgesofal l t hr eeassi gnedsquadr ons( 12t h,44t hand67t hTact i calFi ght erSquadr on) ,t hi spar t i cul arai r cr af thai l sf r om t he18t hTact i calFi ght erWi ngatKadena,Oki nawa.
Nor mal l yr esi dentatLangl eyAFB,Vi r gi ni a– coi nci dent al l yt heheadquar t er sofTact i calAi rCommand – i t ’ s har dl ysur pr i si ng t hatt he 48t h Fi ght erI nt er cept orSquadr on made t he pr oud boastofbei ng “ Def ender sof TAC” .Di spl ayi ng t ypi calcol our f uluni tmar ki ngs,abr aceofF15Asgetai r bor nei nf i nest yl eatt hest ar tof anot herWi l l i am Tel lmi ssi on.
Above-Havi ngpr evi ousl yt akenpar tdur i ngt heF102Del t aDaggerer a,t he57t hFI Sr et ur nedi n1982,by whi ch t i me t he Kef l avi kbased uni thad t r ansi t i oned t ot he mi ght y F4E Phant om.Seen f r om t he i mposi ng vant agepoi ntoft hecont r olt ower ,t wooft hei rai r cr af tt akef l i ght .
Lef t - Range i nst r ument at i on pods ar ej ust vi si bl e beneat h t he wi ngs of t hi s pai r of 57t h Fi ght er I nt er cept orSquadr onF4Esr unni ngi noverTyndal lf or t hebr eakatt heendofanot herdemandi ngmi ssi on. Bot t om l ef t-Eachoft hef i veF4Csf r om t heMi chi gan Ai r Nat i onal Guar d t hat t ook par ti n t he 1982 compet i t i on f eat ur ed di f f er entnose ar t .Thi si s F4C 637460“ Puf ft heMagi cDr agon” . Bel ow -Wi l l i am Tel lwasn’ tj ustaboutt hepar t i ci pant s, f ort he base atTyndal lal so wel comed a consi der abl e numberofvi si t i ng ai r cr af tdur i ng t he dur at i on oft he meet . Some wer e f r om uni t s engaged i n t he compet i t i on, exempl i f i ed her e by t hi s handsome Lockheed T33A ( 58613)f r om Langl ey’ s48t h Fi ght er I nt er cept orSquadr on.
Ri ght-Di spl ayi ng addi t i onalf usel age mar ki ngs t hat mayi ndi cat eassi gnmentt ot hesquadr oncommander , F106A 90082 i sf r om t he 49t h Fi ght er I nt er cept or Squadr on atGr i f f i ss AFB,New Yor k.Typi caloft hose uni t st hatoper at ed t he ‘ si x’ ,t he ext er i orf i ni sh was not hi ngl esst hani mmacul at e,despi t et heai r cr af tbei ng mor et han20year sol d.
El eganceper soni f i ed… Wi t houtdoubtt hemosthandsomeofal lt hecel ebr at ed “ Cent ur ySer i es” ,t heF106A Del t a Dar tj ustl ooked so r i ght ,especi al l ywhen vi ewed f r om an el evat ed posi t i on.Tyndal l ’ scont r olt owerwasaboutas el evat edasyoucoul dgetwi t houtact ual l yf l yi ngandt hecl eanl i nesofa318t hFi ght erI nt er cept orSquadr on‘ Si x’ar e di spl ayedt oadvant agei nt hi sst udyofoner et ur ni ngt ot hef l i ghtl i neoncompl et i onofaWi l l i am Tel lsor t i e.
Lef t - By no means as i mmacul at e as t hose oft he USAF,t hi sCanadi an CT133 Si l verSt arwasar guabl y one oft he mostcol our f ulexampl esoft he br eed and wasoneofanumberofCanadi anTeebi r dst hatvi si t ed Tyndal ldur i ng t he cour se oft he 1982 compet i t i on. Lacki ng any ki nd ofdi st i ngui shi ng uni ti nsi gni a,i ti s seen her e shor t l y bef or e headi ng back t ot he mot her count r y.
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Heal t h and saf et yl egi sl at i on woul d pr obabl y out l aw i tt oday,butt he hangarl adderof f er ed an excel l ent vant agepoi ntandpr ovedpopul arwi t hphot ogr apher s.Icer t ai nl yexpendedal otofener gycl amber i ngupand downi t ,buti twaswel lwor t ht heef f or t .Her e,aMi chi ganANG F4C t axi spastar at hermor ef ami l i arai r cr af t t o Eur opean eyes i nt he shape ofa Bi t bur gbased F15 Eagl e.Uni t st asked wi t ht he ai rdef ence mi ssi on gener al l ywer emuchmor ecol our f ult hant hei rt act i calcount er par t sandt hi spr i st i nePhant om i snoexcept i on.
Thenextgener at i onf ul l scal eaer i alt ar gethadst i l lt obecomeoper at i onali n1982,butsever alQF100Super Sabr eswer ei nevi dence.Mostoft hesemachi neswoul devent ual l yendt hei rdaysi nawat er yr est i ngpl acei n t headj acentGul fofMexi co.
The49t hTFW atHol l omanAFB,New Mexi cowasanot herout f i tt hatt ookEagl est ot he1982meet .Her e,t wo oft hei rF15Asgetyetanot hermi ssi onunderway.
By1982,t heF101haddi sappear edf r om t heADWC f l i ghtl i ne,butt heF106wasst i l lver ymuchi nevi dence. Si nce i twaspr i mar i l yconcer ned wi t ht r ai ni ng,i t ’ shar dl ysur pr i si ng t hatmostoft he assi gned ai r cr af twer e t woseatF106Bs,butsomesi ngl eseatF106Aswer eal soonst r engt handoneoft hesei sseenher eshor t l y bef or edepar t ur e.
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Amer i can cl ai mst hatWi l l i am Tel lwasan i nt er nat i onal meet wer ej ust i f i ed by t he r egul ar par t i ci pat i on of Canada. I n 1982, 425 Squadr on r epr esent ed t he nor t her n nei ghbourand one oft hei rF101Bs i s seen her e.Al t hough notqui t esuch al of t yvi ewpoi ntast he cont r olt ower ,a conveni ent l yposi t i oned l adderon t he si deofahangarof f er ed asomewhatpr ecar i ousper ch f or phot ogr apher s seeki ng a r at her di f f er ent per spect i ve.
The pr evi ous gener at i on ofaer i alt ar get s was pr ovi ded by t he F102 Del t a Dagger ,t he r at her mor e por t l y pr edecessort ot heDel t a Dar t .Thi sQF102A wasoneoft hedwi ndl i ng numberofsur vi vor st hatst i l ll i nger ed at Tyndal li n1982.Byt het i meoft henextWi l l i am Tel lcompet i t i oni n1984,al lhadgone.
The ADWC was al so t he l astst r onghol df oranot her l ongser vi ngt ype.Ir ef ert ot heLockheedT33A whi ch wasusedasat ar getf ori nt er cept i onexer ci sesamongst ot herdut i es.Mostwer ef i ni shedi nwhatmi ghtbestbe descr i bed as “ ADC gr ay� ,butt hi s exampl e( 58612) was unusual i n bei ng l ar gel y nat ur al met al . Coi nci dent al l y, i t r ol l ed of f t he assembl y l i ne i mmedi at el ybef or et heot herUSAFT33At hatappear s i nt hi sf eat ur e.
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