The White Falcon - 18.02.1961, Side 3

Saturday, February 18, 1961
WHITE FALCON
3
Key ft^AYSmen
Attend School
At Scott AFB
How does a machine think?
Key staff officers and civilians
at MATS headquarters found out
last week. Twenty-five members
of the first class in the Intro-
duction to Automatic Data Pro-
cessing Systems courses graduat-
ed at Scott AFB, Ill., on Jan. 27.
The week-long course, the first
of four, included applications and
potential benefits of automatic
data processing, plus first-hand
knowledge in the actual handling
of data by the big computers. Key
personnel from MATS headquart-
ers, AACS headquarters, AWS
headquarters and the 1405th Air
Base Wing, are attending the
series of classes. One group will
graduate each week, with the last
one slated for March.
Instructors for the course are
from the Army’s Ordnance Man-
agement Engineering Training
Agency of the Headquarters Ord-
nance Weapons Command.
Primary purpose of the classes
is to give key MATS figures the
basic aspects of automatic data
processing systems so that they
may participate in the planning,
development, utilization and eval-
uation of the systems.
Tentative plans are underway
to provide this training at other
MATS bases if instructors from
the Ordnance command are avail-
able, a headquarters Personnel
spokesman said.
Just Don't Draw!
The lightweight M13 survival-
type .38 revolver must not be
transferred, donated, or reported
for screening to an Armed Forces
supply support center or General
Services Administration when
pronounced excess to AF needs.
Instead, surplus revolvers of
this type must be mutilated ac-
cording to the procedure laid
down in AFM 67-1.
Reason: This weapon has an
aluminium cylinder and is poten-
tially very dangerous if used with
standard ammunition, or if sub-
jected to sustained firing.
DOWN BOY!
These tropical belles and their admiring friend will be flying into
Keflavik this afternoon to dish up slapstick comedy in a thing called
“The Mischief Maker.” They are scheduled to appear at H-l tonight,
the Service Club here Sunday night, and either at H-2 or again in
the Service Club Monday night. All performances will begin at 8 p.m.
AF Takes flying Saucers'
With ‘Big' Grain Of NaCl
Since June 1947 when the Air^
Force began a detailed, scientific
look at the phenomenon popular-
ly called “flying saucers,” it has
investigated 6,842 reports with
no evidence supporting the “sauc-
er” claims.
Pentagon officials are of the
opinion that most reports are
honestly made by sincere people
whose only fault is mistaken ob-
servation. Even experienced air-
men make' claims that are later
easily explained as natural pheno-
mena or familiar objects such as
VORTAC IN OPERATION
balloons, aircraft, or low-orbiting
satellites.
High-flying balloons launched
to sample atmospheric conditions
at extreme altitude are sometimes
whipped along in near horizontal
position at speeds beyond 200 mph
when caught in a jet stream. Even
experienced flyers are unnerved
by the sight of a 200-foot dia-
meter balloon, flattened by weath-
er forces, travelling at high
speeds, festooned with navigation
lights, and trailing scientific gear.
With some 4,000 balloons being
launched daily in the U. S. it is
only natural that some will be
confused with something else.
Regardless of who reports an
unidentified flying object, to give
them their less adventurous but
accurate name, all are analyzed
by Air Force experts. No report
is dismissed as “crank” before it
is held up to scientific scrutiny.
How this assays out is shown
in the following report:
UFO Report Evaluation - by Cate-
gory and Percentage Breakdown
July 1 1960—Dec. 31 1960
Astronomical
Aircraft
Balloon
^Insufficient data
Other (birds, hoaxes,
search lights, etc)
Satellites (re-entry
of same)
Unidentified
38.58%
10.37
.83
33.61
25 10.37
10
.5
241
4.16
2.08
100.00%
A new radio navigation facility was placed in operttion at Keflavik
Airport this month. This facility, called VORTAC, is a combined
VHF omni direction range (VOR) system and Tactical Air Navigation
System (TACAN). Shown above on commissioning day are Mr. Walter
T. Ernst of the Federal Aeronautics Authority from Washington, D. C.;
Col. Oscar B. Steely, Defense Force operations officer; Maj. Lucian
G. Whitaker, commander of the 1971st AACS Squadron which is re-
sponsible for maintenance of the new facility; and Mr. Agnar Kofoed-
Hansen, director general of Civil Aviation in Reykjavik. The VORTAC
facility will furnish radio signals that will be used by commercial
and military aircraft to determine the azmuth and distance from
Keflavik Airport.
* This category includes 40
sightings reported by individuals
and in each case there were no
supporting witnesses and no ad-
ditional information or facts
available to allow valid scientific
evaulation.
AEROSPACE EVENT
Feb. 1, 1958—Operational con-
trol of DEW Line transferred
from USAF to RCAF.
Three Shows Set
The Mischief Makers
To Open Here Tonite
A production of Moliere’s “The
Mischief Makers”, from the Uni-
versity of Miami, will arrive at
Kefavik this afternoon for a
three-night stand.
They are scheduled to visit H-l
tonight, the Viking Service Club
Sunday night, and round out the
tour Monday night either at H-2
or back at the Service Club.
All performances will begin at
8 p.m.
The group is sponsored by the
USO in association with the
American Educational Theatre
Association and the troupe will
be on tour for five weeks in the
Northwest area.
Scampering across the stage in
the 300-year-old French farce
will be five coeds and seven fel-
lows fresh from the tropical
warmth of sunny Florida.
Though Moliere wrote “The
Mischief Maker” in 1671, the
fast-moving action and ridiculous
comedy situations prove just as
funny to modern audiences as
they did to 'Parisians nearly three
centuries ago. Drama professor
Jack Clay, who directs, made a
special translation and devised a
modern acting version of this pro-
duction so that there is more up-
More Ml ATS men
Receive Pro Pay
MATS units set a new com-
mand high in December, with the
largest number of airmen receiv-
ing proficiency pay since the sys-
tem was instituted in 1958, MATS
headquarters announced.
Added to the pro pay list dur-
ing December were 736 MATS-
men, bringing the tally to 12,794
airmen earning the extra pay
each month. This is nearly 99
per cent of the command’s eligible
airmen, and includes 274 men
drawing added IP-2 pay.
During November, MATS units
accounted for 12,058 airmen earn-
ing the extra pay, with 236 in
P-2 status. The December totals
set a three-fold record in airmen
eligible for pro-pay, airmen act-
ually receiving the pay and the
number receiving the additional
P-2 pay.
to-date clowning and the conversa-
tion more current.
The show’s hilarity revolves
around the deceit of Scapin, a
gentleman’s servant, who uses his
wits to get his young master out
of jams and the gold of a crotche-
ty miser into his own pockets.
Playing Scapin will be Mike
Rogers, a senior drama major.
Others in the cast are Kenneth
McCarson, Joseph Disco, Carol
Swenson, Ivan Kivitt, William
Curtis, James Ashley, Jack Clay,
Yvonne Dardenne, Judith Paulich,
Patricia O’Neil and Harriet Sche-
man.
Korean Orphanage
Aided By AACS
The 1971st AACS Squadron con-
ducted a Fund Drive for the
AACS Orphange in Korea. The
drive was conducted to raise need-
ed money through the sale of
Christmas seals. This drive is
conducted in all AACS organiza-
tions throughout the world.
The lj)57th AACS Group at
Hickam AFB, Hawaii contributed
the highest amount with $475.00.
The 1971st AACS Squadron Kef-
lavik was second highest with a
total of $281.00 contributed to the
orphange.
This orphange is operated on
funds donated entirely by AACS
personnel throughout the world
and AACS is the sole supporting
agency.
Crack-Ups Down
SAC reports that 1960 brought
an alltime low in SAC’s flying
accident rate—2.19 accidents per
100,000 flying hours.
SAC Commander, Gen. Thomas
S. Powers, pointed out, “the drop
in SAC aircraft accidents since
1949 is an amazing 97 percent.”
AEROSPACE EVENT
Feb. 9, 1960—The USAF dedi-
cated the National Space Surveil-
lance Control Center at Bedford,
Mass.
EARNS EAGLE AWARD
James Fuller, 13-year-old son of Lt. Col. and Mrs. H. G. Fuller, re-
cently earned his Eagle Scout Badge to become one of the youngest
Scouts to gain this distinction. Making the award is Col. Benjamin
G. Willis, Defense Force commander. Pepper Joyner, Scoutmaster,
is on the left.