Ice Cap Recovery of Aircraft
57-492 – Page 5
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On the following morning, the aircraft was flown
to Sondrestrom Air Base, where it received another inspection. We had tightened down the main
landing gear shoes while we were installing the landing gear so that the main
landing gear could not be retracted during flight; however, to prevent any
anxious moments by the flight crew, we also chained down the left gear. On the next day, I left with the aircraft, with main
landing gear down, to ferry the aircraft to Hayes Aircraft at Birmingham,
Alabama for permanent repairs. |
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I
have to compliment all of the members of the recovery team, as they worked
very hard, sometimes as much as twelve-hour days to complete the repairs in
time. I had agreed to have the
aircraft flying in six weeks but we did it in five weeks. I didn’t hear any grumbling or
complaining from anyone, with the possible exception of one or two. I didn’t know it at the time but I
understand that one or more told the Dye Site Manager that I was nothing but
a slave driver. I never felt too
bad about our hard work, as I did as much hard work as anyone during the day
and wrote reports, ordered parts and made coordination calls at night. I had promised all of the Civil
Service workers that I’d recommend them for a bonus if they did good work and
I made good my promise when we returned to Elmendorf. I also recommended all of the Air
Force workers for commendations as I had promised them. |
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To add icing to the cake about the hard work, I
found out after I returned to Elmendorf that on the day after we left the Dye
Site, the weather closed in and stayed that way for a month, with the winds
reaching up to fifty miles and hour at times. We made it out just in time. (Editor's Note: According to Col. Robert E. Tinney, 17th TAS Commander from September 1967 through October of 1969, the final decision to repair 57-492, rather than follow AFLC's recommendation to salvage it in place, was made by General Tom Moore, Commander of the Alaskan Air Command.) |
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Photographs courtesy of Earl Huddleston |
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