Pictures Donated by and are copyright © Tom Miller, except where shown as "USAF Photo."
Captions mostly by Tom Miller.
If you would like a full-size copy of the original file, or you want to discuss any of these pictures, contact Tom.

 

F-100s in transition from silver to camo. This was taken from the road that is adjacent to the chapel and parallels a few of the revetments. The unusual part of this picture is that the aircraft are loaded with 275 Gallon tanks on the wings instead of the usual 450's.

 

click image for larger version.

This is just a thin strip from a BIG picture - SEVERELY cropped so you can see the details. I think it's better than it would appear from the thumbnail !

79th Flightline from the Mainenance Control Office door, circa 1965. Note that the transition to Camouflaged Aircraft paint has not yet occurred. The background shows the Victor Alert Barns where four aircraft were kept on constant nuclear alert. Three other aircraft scattered through the revetments can be observed attached to MA-2 (Known as "Ma-Deuce") Drivable power units, which probably means they were scheduled to fly that day. One of the aircraft pictured appears to be a F-100F, the dual-seat version of the F-100D models.  This aircraft was used to train and evaluate squadron pilots. All the aircraft pictured are equipped with the 450 Gallon tanks under the wings. 

 

The following pictures were taken by Charlie Duberger.
It seems CD was a good shot with a camera too!

LIGHTNING BOLTS ABREAST

F100Ds in close "Line abreast" formation. Note the wing Tanks. "D" and "F" two-seat Models were the only models of this aircraft that were modified to carry these particular tanks, which held 450 gallons of JP-4 each.

These aircraft are all 20^th TFW aircraft, probably from RAF Wethersfield and the 79^th at RAF Woodbridge. The four abreast means that there were six aircraft in the formation as all fighter aircraft always traveled in pairs. The "dress" of each aircraft is its distinctive markings. There are several unique things about the picture:

First, none of these Aircraft are "dressed" up in camouflage. That means that this photo was taken prior to 1966, when the aircraft were rotated to Spain to be painted.
The lighting bolt on the tail is called a "Fin Flash" and was distinctive of the 20^th TFW. The 48^th had something very similar.
The Bar-like ribbon above the lighting bolt is the Air Force Outstanding Unit Citation, a distinction not usual for USAF Units.
The crest above that is the wing emblem.

 

SABRE SUNSET

This silhouette picture is of the same F100D aircraft.

This one is from Woodbridge’s 79^th TFS for sure..... I guess that some of the most obvious things that strike me about the silhouette is the cloud deck below.  My guess, since it looks rather smooth, it was taken over the channel.  It’s a hell of a shot.

 

THE LAST PUNCH

 The Aircraft being refueled are F-100D models. They are suckling off of the last KB-50H (I think it is an "H" model because of the extended tail.) It was a variant of the B-29 of which about 200 were made. They were supposed to replace the B-29 but never made it due to the coming of the jet age. 

As they were replaced by the jet engine bombers like the B-47, they were rotated back to the factory where they were equipped with "Probe and Drogue" refueling kits and re-formed as tanker squadrons. Even this allowed them to only last three or four years. There were two Squadrons stationed in the UK. (Don’t ask me where.) They went out of service shortly after I arrived at Woody. I was told that this is a photograph of the last "punch" ever made over Europe.