Lovelock NV F-86??

[tele1]

Re: Lovelock NV F-86??

There is also an EF-111 sitting at the Silver Springs, Nevada airport. Last time I drove by it looked like somebody may have been working on it.

[DWYER]

Re: Lovelock NV F-86??

I drove by Battle Mountain a couple weeks ago, the C119 and F111 are still there, the T33 and the F4 are gone.

Wow, after all these years. I'm surprised, hopefully they went to a good home.......

I wonder if one were to stop at the Battle mtn air port and inquire about it if they could get access to it...

If memory serves me, you can walk right up to them. Pretty much a ghost town at the airport.

[MARK SHANE]

Re: Lovelock NV F-86??

Wow, after all these years. I'm surprised, hopefully they went to a good home.......




If memory serves me, you can walk right up to them. Pretty much a ghost town at the airport.

I remember at one point when there three of the C119s sitting out there, they were all matching units too, but unfortunately two of them made their way to the wrecking yard thats next to the little Motor Cargo freight dock a couple miles down the road, the fuselages sat over there for awhile then disappeared eventualy.

[split-s]

Re: Lovelock NV F-86??

The F-86D's disposition has been addressed in another thread, it's being restored somewhere.

The T-33 is now found at a veterans' memorial in Fort Garland, Colorado. Joe Baugher's register indicates that the ac was originally purchased by the Navy as a TV-2 but, interestingly, the AF sn matches its naval buno.

Far as I know, the Aardvark and the C-119 are indeed the only ones remaining at Battle Mountain. I'd love to see the 119 fly again; I have a soft spot in my heart for the type, even if my uncle almost died in one at Travis.

$

[N29131]

Re: Lovelock NV F-86??

If I remember right, I was doing research one day on the Thunderbirds and I learned that the F-4 at Battle Mountain is a retired Thunderbird aircraft. I thought that was pretty cool (yet kinda sad!) since I had been looking at these aircraft everytime we drove past Battle Mountain since I was a wee little one! I wish it could be restored and displayed to honor that heritage.

[GregS]

Re: Lovelock NV F-86??

There is also an EF-111 sitting at the Silver Springs, Nevada airport. Last time I drove by it looked like somebody may have been working on it.

Mmmmmm... they may have been working on it...but I'm afraid it was due to the 9-G landing it looks to have endured. Not pretty...thinking wings "overstressed"...


Greg

[supercub]

Re: Lovelock NV F-86??

How'd these airplanes end up at Battle Mountain?
Brian

[AirDOGGe]

Re: Lovelock NV F-86??

If I remember right, I was doing research one day on the Thunderbirds and I learned that the F-4 at Battle Mountain is a retired Thunderbird aircraft...

You just stirred up a question in my mind. How often to Air Force (T-birds) and Navy (Blue Angels) teams change aircraft?

Do they use the same 6-8 planes year after year for several years, even when team members have completely changed, or do they cycle planes through military inventory every few years so that they all get approximately the same "wear & tear" from airshow practice and performance use.

If the latter, then there must be quite a few "Former Thunderbird" or "former Blue Angel" aircraft out there.

[GregS]

Re: Lovelock NV F-86??

How'd these airplanes end up at Battle Mountain?
Brian

I may be totally wrong..but wasn't Batlle Mountain either a airtanker
( fire/forestry ) base or training facility years ago...??? The name rings a bell....'n I don't remember why. Sure nothin' out there but gold & copper mines. I worked out that way last winter, hauling ore,etc. Cold, desolate, cold.

Greg

[split-s]

Re: Lovelock NV F-86??

Are you familiar with Battle Mountain's tag-line, GregS?

"Half-way to everywhere!"

Yeah, that's a nice way of saying ...

$

[GregS]

Re: Lovelock NV F-86??

Are you familiar with Battle Mountain's tag-line, GregS?

"Half-way to everywhere!"

Yeah, that's a nice way of saying ...

$

Boy..ain't you right! It's astonishing how much mining is going on ( well DUH...$1900/oz) for gold...but I'm told the loads that are scrutinitzed the most are Molybdenum ( & I can see that ), as well as copper. We were hauling about 130k per load ( 55K tare + 40T+_ ) you see.

Heavy, dirty, sticky, and some high-grade gold ore was appaerently very caustic...but smelled ( NO KIDDING ) like chocolate. I have hauled sugar to Nestles in Salinas.....Chocolate me boys. I know.

[race9]

Re: Lovelock NV F-86??

You just stirred up a question in my mind. How often to Air Force (T-birds) and Navy (Blue Angels) teams change aircraft?

Do they use the same 6-8 planes year after year for several years, even when team members have completely changed, or do they cycle planes through military inventory every few years so that they all get approximately the same "wear & tear" from airshow practice and performance use.

If the latter, then there must be quite a few "Former Thunderbird" or "former Blue Angel" aircraft out there.

Just went to the Pensacola Naval Air Museum last week. From what I remember the tour guide saying, they have 12 aircraft at any one time. When they come out of the factory, they go to carriers for a certain amount of time. Then, they go to a navy base for a certain time. After that, the best ones are used in the BAs until they break enough that they can't fly again. The ones that don't make it to the Blues are rotated back to a carrier.

[Arctic Cat]

Re: Lovelock NV F-86??

A few years back I would make frequent trips between Sacramento and Salt Lake, just outside BM, in the middle of absolutely nowhere, there was a truck facility and nothing else for miles. I got a kick out of the sign on the building "drivers wanted, home every night"

[AirDOGGe]

Re: Lovelock NV F-86??

Just went to the Pensacola Naval Air Museum last week. From what I remember the tour guide saying, they have 12 aircraft at any one time. When they come out of the factory, they go to carriers for a certain amount of time. Then, they go to a navy base for a certain time. After that, the best ones are used in the BAs until they break enough that they can't fly again. The ones that don't make it to the Blues are rotated back to a carrier.

Thenk-yew fer that info, dear friend. They fly 'em til' they break...now I know. Good also to know that our Naval aviators at sea get first shot at the planes while they are still fresh. Only the best for them.