Three Development
Deployments
1967
Three Development Deployements - 1967 page, was originally part of the opening Batcat page first created on 6/8/99, moved to its own page 4/21/02, Last updated 03/21/20.
Operation "Pot Lid"
Chuck
Silverstein, part of the initial
group of airmen assigned to Batcat, provided me with information
and images of two Batcat TDY's to Howard AFB, Canal Zone.
This first TDYoccurred from April 28, 1967 to May 31, 1967.
Purpose of these TDY's was to evaluate the sensor/aircraft
combination, and refine initial techniques to be used when Batcat
went overseas. Here are some photo's, all provided by
Chuck Silverstein, of the first TDY code named operation "Pot
Lid." Note the aircraft used has what appears to be a
U.S. Navy paint scheme, carries the word "U.S. Air
Force" and the tail number 67-21472. Tail number indicates
this is the second EC-121R. View the images below carefully as
you will note the antenna system on 21472 is slightly different
then later "production" version of the EC-121R.
Follow Up - Chuck
Silverstein passed away on October 9, 2015.
Operation "Dune
Moon"
Al Bosse provides information about "Dune Moon" which started in late May, 1967 and took place at Eglin AFB. "I can only give you information from a maintenance stand point. The Crew chief types were Msgt Jones, Ssgt Hopkins, Steve Litchfield, a guy whose last name was Dillon, nicknamed Mat, and myself. They were doing some testing on the R models in conjunction with the sensors. The aircraft we had with us was 67-21472. An interesting side story was we had the nose gear door and the prop spinners painted with the Wonder Bread dots.
"We were quartered on, I believe field nine in WWII officers quarters. Only had full baths no showers. They constructed outdoor showers for us because of the complaints. I used the bath tub. Couldn't get over my fear of snakes to walk outside and take a shower, who knows what a snake would bite. Near the quarters was a short runway. It was said that Jimmy Dolittle used this runway to practice his takeoffs for his raid over Tokyo. I stayed there for about 45 days and returned to Otis, I believe, in mid July. This deployment lasted until just before our move to Korat."
My thanks to Al Bosse
at mbosse1@tampabay.rr.com for
the Dune Moon information.
Updated information from Bob
Bulen, Batcat operated out of Eglin AFB Auxiliary
Field 9, also known as Hurlburt Field. Hurlburt Field was used at
the beginning of WWII by Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle and
his Raiders as they practiced taking off with their B-25 Mitchell
bombers using the short cross-field runway near the southern end
of Hurlburt Field's main runway. This complex is now named
the Doolittle Runway. The Doolittle Raider's also used other
runways at Eglin AFB.
Bob Bulen provides these images. The Outdoor
Showers which Al Boose mentions above. The Day room
at Eglin AFB. One of the Barracks
at Eglin AFB. As you can see from the images the facilities
used by Batcat while at Eglin AFB were very basic. Images are
color, about 90K, 87K and 80K respectively. Added 12/27/08.
Here is a view of an
EC-121R on the ramp at Eglin AFB. My thanks to
Mike Doran for this image.
Color, about 140K, added 04/26/15.
Second Batcat Deployment to Panama
Chuck Silverstein also participated in the second TDY to Panama, from Aug 25, 1967 to September 2, 1967. Purpose was "to participate in test and evaluation of aircraft." The aircraft used on that TDY was 67-21496. This image shows Lockheed Super Constellation receiving Maintenance in Panama. That is SSgt. Vasquez with his head in the accessory section; Engine specialist TSgt. McCoullough facing the camera; Crew Chief A1C Larry Curran in the fatigue shirt; and hydraulic system specialist SSgt. Benoit. Constellation Engine Maintenance. TSgt.McCoullough on the maintenance stand.
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