The White Falcon - 20.05.1961, Blaðsíða 3

WHITE FALCON
Saturday, May 20, 1961
Saturday, May 20, 1961
WHITE FALCON
More Than Money
By Lt. Gen. Joe W. Kelly
Commander, MATS
The annual Campaign of personal solicitation to promote the
sale of United States Savings Bonds is being conducted throughout
the Air Force during the month of May.
The program theme for 1961 is: “You save more than money
with United States Savings Bonds.”
Financial soundness of our Federal Government is every
American’s personal concern. The twin challenges of placing more
of the public debt into the hands of individuals, and persuading
more Air Force personnel to practice the prudent habit of regularly
saving a part of their income, must be met with positive action.
During this period, a special campaign will be conducted on
all MATS installations. We have an obligation to both our military
and civilian personnel to insure that they understand the advantages
and possibilities available to them through use of the Payroll
Savings Plan as a basic savings device.
Members of MATS tenant units should be encouraged to be-
come active campaign workers in their host base campaign as well
as participants in the Savings Bond Program itself.
Your personal interest and support will do much to insure
a successful campaign.
★ ★ ★
Tactical Air Discussed
(This is the third in a series of articles based upon testimony
before Congress by the Secnetary and Chief of Staff of the Air
Force, covering Air Force policy. Editor.)
On tactical air, General White lauded the recent develop-
ment of the F-105. “Its high and low speed stability, its all-weather
navigation system, and its ability to attack targets under adverse
weather conditions,” he said, “make this aircraft the most versatile
tactical fighter in current history.
“It can perform exceptionally well in air-to-air combat and in
the delivery of conventional or nuclear weapons against ground
forces. The F-105 will permit us to do a better job in close support
of the Army in ground battles as well as in other phases of the
tactical mission.”
On another facet of tactical air, General White told senators:
“I have personally discussed the joint Army-Air Force combat ef-
fort with General Decker and I have proposed to General Decker
that certain of our tactical air units, now programmed for dele-
tion, be earmarked for retention and equipped with aircraft optim-
ized for the close support role. General Decker has agreed with this
proposal and the details are now under study.”
On the Strategic Air Command, the Air Force Chief of Staff
told of great efforts that are being made to protect the nation
against a surprise ballistic missile attack by increased SAC alert
potential.
“Our plan is to have approximately one-half of the total force
on alert at all times,” he elaborated. “One-eighth of the B-52 force
can be placed on continuous airborne alert under the present budget,
if so directed.”
General White noted that a first-generation ballistic missile—
the Atlas—has been operational in SAC for more than a year;
that a second ballistic missile, the Titan, while still in the develop-
ment stage, will have an emergency combat capability later this year.
“The backbone of our intercontinental ballistic missile force
will be the Minuteman, a solid propellant missile, smaller in size,
lighter in weight, and less complex, than any other ballistic missile
system,” he said.
(Next week, the final article will cover The Future.)
★ ★ ★
Supervise Those Kids
Because of crowded or inadequate playgrounds for their young-
sters, many parents have set up their backyard playgrounds. But
how many of these parents know anything at all about, their new-
found roles as playground supervisors?
Do you turn your children loose to survive by trial and error?
That’s the way accidents happen.
The National Safety Council reports show frequent bashing
of the head by youngsters walking into swings or gliders, children
getting deep gashes from protruding bolts on hastily-put-up equip-
ment and so on.
If you have or are going to have backyard playground equip-
ment, there are two important things to remember .... use and
maintain the proper equipment for the ages of the children, and
supervise its use.
Most of this equipment is for pre-school youngsters, and if
that’s the case in your family, select equipment that provides the
maximum of fun and a minimum of danger.
And supervise for safe play.
THE WHITE FALCON
Col. Benjamin G. Willis, USAF
Commander, Air Forces Iceland
The WHITE FALCON <* an official Clast 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
AFNB 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
ls&foldarprentimiaja h.f.
Aerospace Power for
Commands have been warned
against holding overseas certain
first term airmen who reenlist or
extend to participate in the re-
enlistment for retraining pro-
gram.
“Many first-term airmen are
assigned overseas with insuffici-
ent service retainability to com-
plete full overseas tours,” the Hq.
USAF announcement said. “Some
of these airmen will reenlist or
extend their enlistments, while
serving overseas, in order to par-
ticipate in the reenlistment for
retaining program.
“The acquisition by such air-
men of additional service retaina-
bility for this purpose will not
serve to increase their overseas
tours,” Hq. USAF said.
^ ^ •I’
Airmen personnel occupying on-
base sleeping quarters while on
TDY or delay en route will not
be subject to service charges.
This reminder was sent to all
major commands by Hq. USAF.
It was noted that some service
charges had been made by bases
to defray costs because of the
otherwise laudatory morale boos-
ting efforts to provide better
transient quarters and service.
Paragraph 1150-5 Joint Travel
Regulations says no, and the rule
applies to all types of charges
connected with the occupancy of
sleeping quarters by airmen or
NCOs, including charges for ser-
vices above the required minimum,
the Apr. 28 edition of TIG Brief
stated.
* * *
Commands were told to go
ahead with the selective reenlist-
ment program for airmen with 20
or more years service whose en-
listments expire during FY 1962.
“Denial of reenlistment will be
for quality control purposes; there
will be no quotas imposed,” the
Pentagon announcement said.
Virtually all personnel affected
are senior non-commissioned of-
ficers.
Commands were told, however,
to assign a separation date to
those who have not progressed
beyond airman first class or
equivalent grade during their 20
years of service under provisions
of AFR 39-19, paragraph 2.
* * *
The Air Force policy on accept-
ing gifts to the Air Force is that
military or civilian members may
accept a proffer of a gift but
that only the Secretary of the
Air Force, major air commanders,
superintendent of the Air Force
Academy, and director of the Air
Force Museum may actually ac-
cept or reject the gift.
“When the gift has an intrinsic
value of $100 or more, or accept-
ance and maintenance costs will
be more than negligible, authority
is reserved for the secretary
alone,” the Apr. 28 edition of
TIG Briefs reminded.

*4lR
Academy Rates Tops
To date, the Air Force Academy has graduated only two classes,
but already it is evident that its graduates are ably meeting the
high requirements set forth in its mission.
Academy planners have many indications to prove that their
basic educational policies are sound and provide cadet students
ample opportunity to develop academically. This belief was bornej
out as early as 1959 when the school received and unprecedented
early accreditation by the North Central Association of Colie
and Secondary Schools in time for its first class, that of 1959,'
graduate with accredited degrees.
Cadet performance was found to be above the average, and
the examiners report showed that standard achievement, compared
to other selected colleges, was higher than even the relatively excel-
lent abilities of the student body would indicate.
The opinion of the examining board has been borne out by the
showing made by three of the Academy’s classes on the graduate
record examination. Composite scores for all three tests of the
examination showed that the two graduating classes of 1959 and
1960 were excelled by only one civilian college among the 187
senior classes taking the examination. The then sophomore class of
1962, which took the tests toward the end of their second year at
the Academy, was excelled by the seniors in only three colleges.
Academy graduates prove they are working from a firm academic
footing when the records they have made in advanced work at
the California Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Oxford and Princeton are viewed. Top man in the class
of 1959, Lt. Bradley C. Hosmer, was selected for a Rhodes Scholar-
ship and is now attending Oxford University, studying politics, phj
sophy and economics. Another member of that class, Lt. Ge:
Garvey, studying international relations at Princeton, will compl?
requirements for a doctorate there next year.
In aeronautics, two former cadets now at MIT will complete
three-year requirements for professional degrees in two years. Both
are former star football players. One of them, Lt. Brock Strom,
was the first All-America named in football from the Academy.
The other is Lt. Charles Zaleski, who was a first-string guard.
Reports from Air Training Command indicate that the per-
formance of Academy graduates in pilot training is superior in
both academics and flying training to all others. The elimination
rate for graduates is much lower than that of other trainees.
Academy planners are convinced that their policies and methods
are working well and that the general balance of the curriculum
should be preserved. The record to date bears out this belief. The
years to come will bear witness to the results of constant evaluation
and search for improvement.
★ ★ ★
Up From The Pit
The Air Force’s Titan I intercontinetal ballistic missile has
been fired successfully for the first time from an underground pad
146 feet below the earth’s surface, proving the feasibility of the
silo principle.
Fundamental purpose of the underground silos, Air Force of-
ficials say, is to provide maximum protection of the missiles
against nuclear attacks.
The two-stage, 110-ton test missile with 300,000 pounds of
thrust, was purposely destroyed three minutes after take-off. Dur- 1
ing its brief flight, it rose 200,000 feet and travelled about 35
miles over the Pacific Ocean.
Evaluating the test, Air Force observers said, “This was all
that was needed to establish that all aspects of the test had been
passed.” The tests included the silo capability, missile stress and
control factors.
Titan I, largest of the nation’s ICBMs, spewed orange flames
as its pointed nose zoomed skyward for a minute and 15 seconds/
At this point the liquid-propellant missile arched 90 degrees and^
nosed its way due west.
The giant missile travelled 7,000 feet a second (about 5,0
m.p.h.). This, Air Force officials said, allowed engineers to see
what pressure extremes the missile could take. According to ob-
servers, “It appeared to pass the test better than expected.”
Developed as a “back-up” to the Atlas ICBM, the Titan embodies
developments gained from knowledge accumulated through scientific
progress with both the Atlas and Thor missiles. This includes the
potential for increased range and load-carrying ability.
Titan I has an operational range of at least 6,325 stutute miles.
★ ★ ★
AF Given Vital Role
The Air Force contributes to most aerospace developments.
Development costs of Atlas, Titan, Minuteman, the B-70, Agena B
and Discoverer, as well as other national programs such as Polaris,
Saturn and Mercury, are being reduced both in terms of money
and time by tests at the Air Force’s Arnold Engineering Develop-
ment Center in Tullahoma, Tenn.
Gen. Thomas D. White called attention recently to this
Force contribution to national aerospace advancement. “Withou
the andvanced equipment found at this center, many phenomena of
reentry and high-altitude, high-velocity flight would have remained
undetected until actual fight tests had been attempted.
“We are proud,” said General White, “that the center is pre-
sently supporting, or scheduled to support, major components of
every top priority project of the Air Force, Army, Navy and
NASA in which aerodynamic factors apply.”
Peace Through Deterrence
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Air Forces
In Europe
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United States Air Forces in
urope currently is making maj-
or command changes that will
place all tactical wings under the
operational control of the Seven-
tennth Air Force by July 1.
The major action in the reor-
ganization involves the transfer of
five USAFE tactical wings based
in England from Third Air Force
to Seventeenth Air Force, head-
quartered at Ramstein, Germany.
This means that the Seventeen-
th will boast a strike force in
England, France, Germany, Italy
and Libya of 11 tactical units, in-
cluding six tactical fighter wings,
two tactical reconnaissane wings,
a tactical bomb wing, a tactical
guided missile wing, and an air
defense division.
Third Air Force headquarters
svill remain at South Ruislip, Eng-
land, “continuing to function as
the single point of contact in
Great Britain for policy matters
and area support concerning the
U. S. Air Forces and other U. S.
agencies as in the past.”
The reorganization of USAFE
has been under study since Sept-
ember and is part of the overall
Air Force effort requested by Air
Force Vice Chief of Staff, Gen.
Curtis E. LeMay, to streamline,
simplify, or eliminate command
functions which duplicate or over-
lap each other.
USAFE manpower require-
ments at headquarters will be re-
duced by more than 300 military
and civilian jobs.
There will be no physical trans-
fer of units involved in the com-
mand reorganization.

Captain King
Is Awarded
Honor Trophy
Capt. Jerome F. King, an air-
craft commander with the 53rd
Troop Carrier Sq., Donaldson
AFB, S. C., has been awarded
the Air Force’s Koren Kolligian
•trophy, for saving his crippled
C-124 Globemaster and crew on
a flight last Oct. 24.
The trophy is the Air Force’s
top individual aircraft accident
prevention award and was donat-
ed by the family of the late 1st
Lt. Koren Kolligian Jr. It is
given annually by the Chief of
Staff to a pilot or aircrew memb-
er who successfully copes with an
emergency during flight.
In winning the award, Capt.
^H&ing was cited for landing his
^^heavily laden Globemaster at a
base in a densely populated loca-
tion.
The flight, which originated at
Westover AFB, Mass., was bound
for Lajes Field in the Azores.
A half hour after takeoff, the
'plane lost its first engine with
the second one going out a few
minutes later. By then, the flight
had been diverted to Quonset
Point NAS, R. I., and as the
plane began its descent, power on
a third engine had to be reduced
considerably.
With only the remaining en-
gine operating at full power, King
continued his approach and land-
ed the big Globemaster safely.
CHANGING TIMES
As plans are under way for the Navy’s assumption of host responsibility
for Keflavik Airport from the Air Force, one of the last evidences
of Army days here has disappetred. The remnants of an old obstacle
course opposite Meeks No. 4 dining hall were removed recently.
Research Paid Off In
Historic Space Flight
Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AFPS)—W'hen Cdr. Alan B.
Shepard Jr. became the world’s first man to make a par-
tially controlled flight into space, it was the climax of 30
months of research and development to perfect a Mercury
capsule.
They Hunt The Hurricane
And Chart Its Progress
When Hurricane Donna hit Florida last fall leaving
wrecked buildings, uprooted trees and inundated highways,
there were only 12 lives lost through drownings—the low-
est number of fatilities due to a severe hurricane in recent
years. The citizens of the Florida^
communities as well as residents
The first Project Mercury cap-
sule was a boiler-plate model that
rode an Atlas rocket outside the
earth’s atmosphere Sept. 9, 1959.
This shot covered a distance of
1,300 miles from Cape Canaveral.
When the capsule struck the wat-
er the temperature of the surface
was 3,000 degrees and steam rose
as it bobbed in the waves.
The first Mercury capsule glow-
ed with heat from air friction,
although inside its pressurized
cabin, the temperature never rose
above 100 degrees.
Thus the first victory was
scored. The problem of cambat-
ting heat was solved in the first
launching. In later firings, us-
ing Little Joe and Redstone
rockets, ways were found to
eliminate other dangers to po-
tential passengers. In time two
monkeys called Sam and Miss
Sam and a chimpanzee named
Ham went aloft in Mercury cap-
sules to show it could be done.
The $500 million Mercury pro-
gram started two and one-half
years ago. The money estimate
by NASA officials includes the
cost of the entire program, from
the first design to the program’s
last orbital flight.
The modified rocket used to
send Cdr. Shepard into space
had a thrust of 76,000 pounds
on a 83-foot frame. This includes
the capsule plus an escape tower
that was ready to jerk Astro-
naut Shepard’s capsule loose in
case of a malfunction before the
power flight.
Young AF Officer Mamed
Outstanding Scientist
A young USAF officer with 10
years commissioned service, Capt.
Russell G. Langlois, has been
lauded by the Washington Aca-
demy of Sciences as the outstand-
ing young scientist from the
Washington, D. C., metropolitan
area.
Captain Langlois was awarded
a certificate of recognition by the
District of Columbia Council of
Engineering and Architectural
Societies of the Washington Aca-
demy of Sciences citing him as a
true professional.
Commissioned through the AF-
ROTC program at the University
of New Hampshire in 1951, Cap-
tain Langlois is presently assign-
ed to the Office of Aerospace
Research at Hq. USAF.
Paving the way for America’s
first venture into space were three
successful flights of the Mercury-
Redstone combination.
The first sub-orbital flight,
Dec. 19, 1960, was an instrument-
laden Mercury capsule. This
proved the capsule as a space-
machine. The second successful
test came Jan. 21 of this year.
The passenger was the now-fam-
ous chimpanzee Ham, who made
the space trip unharmed to prove
that the Mercury system could
keep a man alive.
The third firing on Mar. 24 was
to iron out the kinks of the Ham
shot, and a dummy capsule that
was not released from the rocket
went 100 miles high and covered
a distance of 311 miles. Scientists
called it an “unqualified success.”
of the entire Eastern Seaboard
were forewarned by weathermen.
Members of Det 3, 55th Weath-
er Reconnaissance Squadron, flew
their WB-50s into the eerie, calm
eye of Hurricane Donna to deter-
mine the force of the winds, plus
the course and speed of the storm.
This gave the Floridans enough
warning time to evacuate.
This is just one example of
how MATS Air Weather Service
operates in storms in gathering
forecast data to warn the people
of a forthcoming peril.
Air Weather Service (AWS)
with more than 10,000 officers,
airmen and civilians plays an im-
portant role for the Air Force in
the Aerospace age.
Commanding the Air Weather
Service is Brig. Gen. Norman L.
Peterson, a professional metero-
logist with a masters degree from
California Insitute of Technology.
With headquarters at Scott
AFB, Ill., the AWS is divided
into four major wings: The 1st
Weather Wing at Wheeler AFB,
Hawaii, supporting the Pacific
Air Forces and the Army in the
Far East; the 2nd Weather Wing
at Lindsay Air Station, Germany,
supporting the Air Force and
Army in Europe; the 3rd Weath-
er Wing at Offutt AFB, Neb.
supporting the Strategic Air
Command; and the 4th Weather
Wing, at Ent AFB, Colo., sup-
Freak Accident Caused Downing
Of B-52 Bomber In New Mexico
Freakish moisture seepage into
an electrical missile firing circuit
was responsible for the shooting
down of a B-52 bomber by an
Red Cross Checks
Emergency Cases
Servicemen are- reminded that
the Red Cross is the agency which
investigates family emergencies
in the States before emergency
leaves can be authorized.
Such emergencies should be re-
ported by the family to the local
Red Cross chapter which investi-
gates promptly and advises the
field director at Keflavik Airport
of the situation.
Upon receipt of the facts per-
sonnel officials here arrange for
emergency leave if warranted and
the serviceman is on his way home
on the next plane—passenger or
cargo.
Communication outside Red
Cross channels serves only to de-
lay the return of a serviceman,
personnel officials emphasized.
Each new arrival at Keflavik
Airport is furnished information
on this subject to send his family.
Copies of the information sheet
are available at Centralized Per-
sonnel Administration, Bldg. T-
169, for those who have not al-
ready sent them to their relatives
in the States.
F-100 National Guard fighter
near Grants, N. Mex., Apr. 7.
This was the primary finding
of an investigation into the ac-
cident that claimed the lives of
three B-52 crew members. In-
vestigation was directed by Maj.
Gen. Perry B. Griffith, deputy
inspector general for safety from
Norton AFB, Calif.
The investigation also revealed
that:
0 The GAR-8 missile was not
intentionally or inadvertently
launched as a result of improper
procedures on the part of the F-
100 pilot, Lt. James W. Van
Scyoc.
° All reqired inflight arma-
ment safety checks had been com-
pleted by the F-100 pilot, who
was found fully qualified to per-
form the mission in accordance
with current USAF Regulations.
To prevent possible recurrence
of the same or similar malfunc-
tion, USAF has taken the fol-
lowing actions:
1. The electrical circuit is
being modified on F-100A air-
craft. No further F-100A flights
with GAR-8 missiles installed
will be made until the modifica-
tion is tested and approved by
the Air Force.
2. All other interceptor and
fighter type aircraft, and air-to-
air and air-to-ground missiles in
the USAF inventory, are being
carefully analyzed to prevent a
similar or related malfunction.
porting the Air Defense Com-
mand, Alaskan Air Command, Air
Force Academy, and the Army’s
Anti Aircraft Artillery Command.
Four independent Weather
Groups serve other major air
commands including MATS and
the Army. These are the 2nd at
Langley AFB, Va., the 4th at
Andrews AFB, Md., the 8th at
Randolph AFB, Tex., and the 9th
at Scott. One Independent squad-
ron in Washington, D. C. oper-
ates the USAF Climatic Center.
AWS headquarters directs the
operations of three weather cen-
trals, 14 forecast centers, 81 fore-
casting, 103 observation stations,
and 193 combined observing and
forecasting stations. USAF weat-
her men, stationed in 21 countries,
six small islands and major is-
land groups give a world-wide
24-hour-a-day weather watch.
More than 40 weather recon-
naissande planes stand ready at
strategic spots to ensure that all
organizations have the latest
weather information available for
operations planning.
Reconnaissance flights cover
35,000 miles daily in polar areas
and over oceans. Flying into the
eye of a typhoon or hurricane—
such as “Donna”—is one of the
most hazardous flights known to
pilots, yet it is common practice
among the AWS weather recon-
naissance crews.
Not all weather forecasting is
done from aircraft, however. Rad-
ar tracking has in the past few
years taken on a more important
role. Today radar is used to track
the path of storms, tell cloud
density and altitudes, as well as
their type and stability and am-
ount of precipitation present in
the cloud.
Other tools of the trade include
weather rockets, specialized radar,
improved transmitting equipment,
a semi-automatic weather observ-
ing and forecasting system and
the latest innovation for forecast-
ing: the TIROS Satellite. The
TIROS can spot turbulent weath-
er areas far in advance of normal
predictions. And, it proves to be
as invaluable as a data source
in weather forecasts of the future.
Newer, more accurate methods
of weather prediction and fore-
casting are assured in the months
and years to come. The new elec-
tronic computer located in Global
Weather Central of the 3d Weath-
er Wing, for example, is one step
in the advancement of weather
forecasting for the support of
USAF worldwide commands. Oth-
ers will follow.
(This is another in a series of
articles telling about the MATS
Family and was provided by the
MATS News Service. Editor.)
AEROSPACE EVENT
Jan. 13, 1913 — Beginning of
air parcel post demonstrated by
Harry M. Jones in a Wright B,
covering a route from Boston to
New York, carrying a cargo of
baked beans for governors along
the way.