The White Falcon - 11.03.1961, Page 1

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Volume XI, Number 10 Headquarters, Air Forces Iceland, Keflavik Airport, Iceland—A MATS Unit Saturday, March 11, 1961
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Bishop John Gunnarsson of
Reykjavik will conduct the 4:30
p.m. Mass at the Keflavik Air-
port Chapel Guadete Sunday,
(that’s tomorrow.) The 25-voice
Cathedral of Christ of Reykjavik
will sing the High Mass. A good
turn out is expected for this
event.
* * *
Eight USAF C-130s and nine
C-124s were engaged in the Congo
Airlift that, from late January
through Feb. 6, had flown 38
sorties transporting more than
435 tons of food.
The airlift was initiated to car-
ry food donated by various count-
ries in response to an appeal
from the United Nations Com-
mand in the Congo and the Food
and Agriculture Organization in
Rome, Italy.
* * *
Restricted heretofore to recruit
induction testing, the USAF mod-
ern languages aptitude test is
now being given to all personnel
who are slated for language train-
ing. USAF officials explained
that this test measures language
ability—hearing of sounds, rote
memory, and grammar and syn-
tax—-without direct relation to the
knowledge of a particular foreign
language.
ijc * *
U.S. Air Force surplus C124
Globemasters are now being as-
signed to the Air Force Reserve
troop carrier fleet.
Delivery of the first of eight
C-124s to the 77th Troop Carrier
squadron, Donaldson AFB, S.C.,
signaled the start of the transi-
tion of Continental Air Com-
mand’s Reserve fleet, comprising
over 700 transports, to four-en-
gined aircraft.
The 305th TCS, Tinker AFB,
Okla., and the 706th TCS, Barks-
dale AFB, La., will each receive
eight of the big transports, while
an undisclosed number of the air-
craft are marked for delivery to
other reserve squadrons in the
near future.
ifc Jfc
The 1200 flying hour military
portion of the T-38 Talon test
schedule has been completed at
Edwards AFB, Calif. The testing,
conducted by USAF and Northrop
pilots, began in April, 1959. It
amassed some 2,000 flights as it
finished one month ahead of
schedule.
The T-38 supersonic jet trainer
will be assigned to the Air Train-
ing Command. The Talon provides
speeds of more than Mach 1.2,
altitudes up to 60,000 feet and a
rate of climb of 30,000 feet per
minute, and will replace the T-33
“T-Bird” trainer.
Fund Drive Ends On $2,723
CUB SCOUTS HOLD BANQUET
Keflavik Airport’s Cub Scout Pack 64 held its annual banquet at the
NCO Club last week. Attending were Cubs and their parents. Here,
Col. Benjamin G. Willis, IDF Commander, and Mrs. Willis, look on
while their son David prepares an exhibition for the affair.
Grass Grows
Green at KA
That grass you will soon see greening up around the
dormitories didn’t get there by chance—it was put there
by choice. And the man responsible for putting it down,
along with about 231 more acres’
around the base, is Mr. Palmi
Arngrimsson of the Civil Engin-
eering Squadron. Mr. Arngrims-
son has been working steadily
since late 1956 in an effort to
seed and sod as much of the base
as possible. He has succeeded very
well in his project, according to
a letter of appreciation he recent-
ly received.
The grass around the barracks
and other buildings was brought
from Reykjavik and laid out on
specially prepared areas where it
takes root and becomes a solid
lawn. This comprises a total of
some 71 acres.
In addition, a commercial firm,
Thytur Inc., of Reykjavik, was
hired to seed and fertilize ap-
proximately 231 acres of ground
on the airfield. This project was
carried out by aircraft.
The main purpose of the seed-
ing-sodding program is for dust
control and beautification. Lawns
and other areas planted with the
grass seldom need watering.
The letter states, in part: “Mr.
Arngrimsson, Agronomist, 1400th
Civil Engineering Squadron, is
further to be commended not only
for his part in the preparation
of the revised land management
plan, but in addition for his dili-
gence and technical proficiency in
the development and supervision
of the overall land management
program. It has been reported
that his persistent efforts have
been instrumental in transform-
ing the community and dormitory
areas from a dusty, rocky waste-
land, to a reasonably large and
pleasant living space of lawns,
turfed recreational areas and
limited landscape plantings. His
success in adapting known techni-
ques to the unusual climatic and
soil conditions made it possible to
establish low density vegetative
cover for dust control of approxi-
mately 231 acres of airfield
grounds.”
Headquarters Squadron AFI Leads
With Contributions Of $644.15
Headquarters Squadron, AFI, led the rest of the base
in contributions as the United Fund Campaign ended with
a total of $2,723.10 turned in.
AFI, with 425 men assigned,'
donated $644.15 to the campaign.
The best percentage was turn-
'Family Portraits'
Gives The Answer
To Many Questions
Do you know in what country
the devil accompanies Santa Claus
at Christmas time? Who does the
food shopping in Lebanon? You’ll
find the answers to questions such
as these on the new radio pro-
gram, “Family Portraits,” begin-
ning next week over the Armed
Forces Radio Service.
These are a series of panel dis-
cussions in which foreign ex-
change students discuss and com-
pare various aspects of life in
their individual countries. Topics
for discussion will include: life
in the home; life in school; life
as a young child; holidays and
special days; life while traveling;
the world of entertainment and
sport; etc.
Under the auspices of the Am-
erican Field Service, these young
people were the guests of Ameri-
can families for a year—and sen-
ior class students in various high
schools—throughout the United
States.
The 15-minute programs, “Fa-
mily Portraits,” moderated by
Jack Brown and Hal Davis, will
be heard over AFRS each Monday
and Tuesday morning at 9:15, be-
ginning March 13th.
In the first program, the panel
begins a series of discussions on
life in the home. One of the four
panelists in the first program will
be Miss Ragnheidur Olafsdottir,
of Reykjavik.
ed in by the Corps of Engineers.
There are only 23 members in
that organization and their total
turn-in was $83.05.
CAMRON, with 310 assigned,
donated $308, followed by AACS
with 307 people who turned in
$218.95.
Naval Air Facility, with 301
assigned, turned in $200.55, fol-
lowed by Supply with 175 people
who contributed $184.10.
Other contributors, their as-
signed strength and amount of
donations include IDF, 83, $172.75;
Air Base Squadron, 270, $166.90;
Civil Engineers, 213, $160.05;
Hospital, 135, $138.25; Transport-
ation, 175, $115.50; 932nd AC&W,
198, $82.35; 57th Fighter Inter-
ceptor Squadron, 57, $68.25; 667th
AC&W, 171, $62.40; Naval Secur-
ity Group, 58, $37.85; OSI, 22,
$33.15; Weather, 31, $31.50; and
Post Office unit, 16, $15.35.
The drive began Feb. 1, and
lasted two weeks.
Outstanding Award
Given AFI By MATS
Official word has been received
from Headquarters MATS that
the flying safety award received
by AFI is the MATS Outstand-
ing Unit Award.
AFI will receive a silver and
mahogany plaque symbolizing the
award. However, it does not aut-
horize the wearing of any decor-
ation by individuals.
The MATS Outstanding Unit
Award was received by AFI for
achieving a zero aircraft accident
rate in 1960.
During 1959 the command had
four major aircraft accidents re-
sulting in the loss of two air-
crewmen and the destruction of
three aircraft with a direct cost
of more than $6 million.
Meeks Two Officially Reopens
Meeks No. 2 dining hall was
reopened officially last week aft-
er completion of an extensive re-
habilitation project. Work will be-
gin soon on a similar project in
Meeks No. 4.
The bright, cheerful dining hall
features decorative dividers which
separate the airmen’s and NCO’s
dining areas from the serving
lines and kitchen.
Colorful pictures and planters
with ferns, vines and other orna-
mental plants add to the setting
which makes for relaxed dining.
The newly repainted walls are
set off with paintings of Iceland-
ic scenes donated by the 1400th
Air Base, CAMRON, Civil En-
gineering and Supply squadrons.
Rehabilitation of the dining
halls is being done on a self-help
basis. Civil Engineering furnishes
materials, supervision and some
labor, with most of the work
being done by the using organiza-
tions.
• Plans also call for the dining
halls to have taped dinner music
to provide added atmosphere.
* * * U.S. AIR FORCE — AEROSPACE POWER FOR PEACE * * *