The White Falcon - 25.02.1961, Blaðsíða 2

2
WHITE FALCON
Saturday, February 25, 1961
Calling Lomay
A few days ago an Air Force colonel picked up his telephone
and dialed the Pentagon Command Post. He asked if they were
in contact with “Talking Bird.” This was confirmed. Seconds later
he was saying, “hello, LOMAY 22, hello LOMAY 22, this is ‘Dark
Star’ calling. How do you read me? Over.”
Thus began a radio-telephone communication reaching half
way around the world, as quickly and as easily as the colonel
would call his wife at home.
Such a call should be common place as a result of Project
“Talking Bird.”
This project is to test and evaluate a prototype aircraft fitted
with the combined communications equipment needed in recent US-
AF emergency deployment operations.
A C-97E is being used as the test platform. However, the most
suitable type of aircraft for such USAF command and communica-
tions employment will also be determined in these tests, conducted
for the USAF jointly by Tactical Air Command, Military Air
Transport Service and Air Material Command.
TAC, utilizing its Nineteenth Air Force—parent of the USAF’s
Composite Air Strike Force (CASF) units—is acting as operational
test manager.
“Talking Bird” left Seymour Johnson AFB, N. C., Jan. 5 for
a 45-day, around the world, goodwill flight scheduled for 25 count-
ries. The route ran through Central America as far south as
Santiago, Chile, to Rio and Recife, Brazil, then to Ghana, Africa,
through South Africa, into the Middle East; to Pakistan, Ceylon
and India.
The “bird” visited also towns in Australia and New Zealand.
The route then swung north through the Philippine Islands and
the Far East, including Formosa and Korea. Then came the Aleut-
ians, Canada and finally, on Feb. 19, home again to Seymour
Johnson AFB.
During the 45-day test the communications equipment with-
stood the rigors of temperatures spanning a 200-degree range,
140-degrees F, during a fuel stop in Saudi, Arabia, to a minus
40-degrees F in the Aleutians.
All “Talking Bird” equipment was taken from existing USAF
stocks. Installation was made by Air Force military and civilian
employees at the Oklahoma City Air Material Area in 82 days.
The test aircraft contains eight single band radios; six walkie-
talkies; one VHF-FM station set; one each VHF and UHF air-
to-ground set; a telephone switch board; a control panel and con-
sole; five teletype terminals; an HF receiver; a minimum of five
miles of field wire and 20 telephones; an air operations facility,
tables, chairs, display board; two power units (which operate out-
side of the aircraft); an air conditioner and tactical antenna.
TAC’s CASF forces and MATS are expected to be the primary
users of “Talking Bird” and it is also expected that it will material-
ly improve the execution of such missions as the Lebanon and
Formosan CASF deployments; the MATS deployment to the Congo
and earthquake relief missions in Chile and Morocco.
★ ★ ★
Flu Shots Still Needed
From available newspapers w$ learn that England is witnes-
sing a flu epidemic that should be cause for concern to all military
and civilian personnel assigned to this area. While London reports
only a few scattered cases within the city proper, the incidence
in the North and Midlands areas of the ountry has become rather
alarming.
Since we, assigned to Iceland, do have contact with the con-
tinent, and since the 1-9 flights do stop in Scotland and England,
it behooves each of us to protect ourselves and our families from
this disease to the greatest extent possible.
While Air Force Clinic immunization teams have visited all
organizations on the base on four different occasions during the
past six months, there are always a few individuals, who for one
reason or another, do not avail themselves of this protection.
And by the same token, many families neglect to participate
in this Air Force recommended program. Certainly our children
should be given the highest consideration, particularly if a trip
to the continent is planned.
The Air Force Clinic will administer flu immunizations, and
any others that are required and authorized, any afternoon of the
week and all day Saturday.
★ ★ ★
It’s Your Responsibility
Know how to tell what a person is really like? Just watch
him or her drive. Most anyone can apply the whitewash to give
all appearances of being a lady or a gentleman.
But when the chips are down, when just one driver cuts in
front of him or robs him of his so-called “right of way” .... then
you’ll see the sparks fly and his true nature....in many cases
the nature of a self-centered boob!
Remember this... .your driving reflects you. If you want to be
considered by your friends and family as a responsible person,
then act like one behind the wheel, as well as elsewhere. Safe
driving is a moral responsibility.
When you drive, you’re responsible, not only for your own
safety, but also the safety of others you carry with you or meet
on the road.
Just as you hope they will watch for you, so you must watch
for them. Be a good guy — and a safe one. Be a responsible driver.
Aerospace Power for
The
Commander
Calls
Is Tactical Air Command’s
Composite Air Strike Force as
good as everyone says it is?
A rare opportunity, short of
an actual demonstration, to judge
for yourself is presented in
“CHECKMATE”, a full color, 28-
minute film scheduled for state-
side Commander’s Call audiences
in December, and for March, ov-
erseas bases.
As soon as it received here,
Commanders will be notified.
In actual points of demonstrat-
ed fact the speedy deployment of
CASF to such widely separated
points as the Middle East and
Formosa in 1958 has been a major
factor in averting serious danger
to world security. The sudden and
dramatic appearance of these
strike forces is visible evidence of
the United States’ strength and
determination to protect freedom
and maintain world peace.
“CHECKMATE” is a simulated
deployment of one of the Com-
posite Air Strike Forces to an
overseas area in support of a
friendly nation threatened by ag-
gression. The action is fast paced,
and authenic beyond anything
Hollywood could do.
In the film, the commander of
TAC receives instruction from
the President to send a CASF
to a troubled area. Putting “Op-
eration Check Mate” into opera-
tion, the CASF commander im-
mediately departs for the over-
seas area and establishes a fore-
ward command post in his C-130
Hercules.
From TAC bases all over the
U. S. fighters, fighter-bombers,
reconnaissance and weather air-
craft, along with tankers and
troop carriers, deploy to predeter-
mined sites. The force is equipped
to maintain a 30-day operation
overseas.
As “CHECKMATE” progress-
es, tactical fighters and fighter-
bombers are refueled in-flight on
non-stop trips from the U. S. to
the overseas area. As aircraft ar-
rive, operation plans are checked
and missions assigned.
With jet speed and watchmaker
precision, every element in the
CASF goes into smooth action to
give a sound endorsement of the
effectiveness of the long, hard-
hitting striking arm of TAC.
See the film at your Command-
er’s Call.
AEROSPACE EVENT
Jan. 1-7, 1929 — An unofficial
endurance record for refueled
airplane flight was set by Maj.
Carl Spaatz and Capt. Ira C.
Eaker in the Question Mark, Fok-
ker C2-3 Wright 220, over Los
Angeles Airport, with flying time
of 150 hours 40 minutes and 15
seconds.
Congress Gets Bill
A bill that would exempt regular officers retired for length-
of-service from the so-called dual employment law was introduced
in January in the new, 87th Congress by Rep. Craig Hosmer (R-
Calif.). In general this would permit such officers to accept federal
employment.
In addition, the bill would suspend, in a few instances, the
dual compensation limitation, currently pegged at $10,000 annually.
No newcomer to Armed Services legislation, Rep. Hosmer in-
serted, in part, into the Congressional Record on Aug. 9, 1957 a
statement about dual employment and compensation, “These statutes
are extremely complicated; some are overlapping; some are incon-
sistent; and a number no longer realistic in light of present-day
economic conditions.”
The Hosmer bill—introduced as H. R. 974—is not part of the
official DOD legislative program. USAF and its sister services have
had under study for some time proposals to ease dual employment
and compensation restrictions applied to regular officers on length-
of-service retirements.
The bill would repeal Sec. 2 of the Act of 31 July 1894 which
bars any regular officer retiring for length of service from accept-
ing employment in the federal servie, if his retirement income or
the income from the prospective employment is in excess of $2,500
per annum. This act exempts retired regular officers from its
provisions if they are serving as elective members of the federal
government or if they are serving in appointive positions that re-
quire the advice and consent of the Senate.
It would amend Sec. 212 of the Act of 30 June 1932 to give
the Civil Service Commission authority to make exceptions in indivi-
dual cases to the $10,000 per annum compensation limitation. But
for those officers, not designated by the Civil Service Commission,
the old options would remain in force: (1) to accept retirement
entitlement only; (2) to accept the salary only; (3) to accept a
combined retirement entitlement and salary not to exceed $10,000
annually.
Whenever such compensation limitations are warranted on the
basis of government needs, the Hosmer bill would empower the
Civil Service Commission to permit exceptions by a certificate of
the appointing officer for not more than 30 days in the event
of an emergency.
A wide range of military personnel are currently' exempted
from one or more of these provisions. They are:
° Regular Officers on disability retirement incurred in combat
with the enemy or by an instrument of war in time of war, who
are exempt from either provision.
° Regular Officers on disability retirement in line-of-duty who
are exempt from dual employment restrictions but are subject to the
dual compensation statutes.
° Regular Enlisted Men are not subject to either provision.
° Regular Warrant Officers are subject to dual employment
but are not subject to dual compensation.
0 Most Reserve Officers are not subject either to dual em-
ployment or compensation restrictions. An exception to this is a
handful of Reserve Officers who retired for peacetime disability
under the Act of 3 April 1939. They are subject to dual compensa-
tion limitation only.
Question: Then, what categories of regular officers would the
Hosmer bill help?
Answer: Regular Officers retiring for length of service would
be able to accept federal employment. They would be affected,
however, by the dual compensation restrictions, unless relieved of
these individually and only for a 30 day period, by the Civil Service
Commission.
★ ★ ★
They Tried White Lights
Distinguishing instrument and map colors has long been a
problem in night flying, and what promises to be the answer might
be the obvious—white illumination of the cockpit.
White light has been used experimentally in the cockpit before,
but now the white light is being put to its first operational use
on T-38A jet trainers.
The current cockpit illumination set-up is diffusion of light
through a red filter. In this method, only black and red markings
can been seen.
The white light system will use a blue filter, but to the eye
it will appear white. More importantly, the white light will enable
the pilot to distinguish color on instruments and maps.
The red light has been used primarily because experts have felt
it caused less eye strain, but now engineers think the color of
light makes little difference. An obvious gain would be the addition
of color vision to night flying.
The first T-38 Talon trainers with white light cockpits are
slated for delivery to TAC this spring.

^4/R FO*C
THE WHITE FALCON
Col. Benjamin G. Willis, USAF
Commander, Air Forces Iceland
The WHITE FALCON is an official Class II Armed Forces newspaper published weekly at
Keflavik Airport, Iceland by Air Forces Iceland of the Military Air Transport Service for
all contingents stationed at Keflavik Airport. The WHITE FALCON receives AFPS and
AFNS materials, 'views and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the
Department of Defense.
Information Officer................Capt. Warren J. Papin, USAF
Editor ............................... TSgt Wylie Mason, USAF
Isafoldarp-.-entsmlOja h.f.
Peace Through Deterrence