My Dad was the Navigator in the F-89 Scorpion, flew from say 1951-1956...at Moody, Duluth, etc....His name is James A. Bridger, Jr...Jim Bridger, anyone know him or fly with him, let me know. Thanks.
Tim Sawyer (MSgt, USAF, retire, e-mail, 14.10.2011 07:57
My dad worked on F-89Ds at Earnest Harmon AFB in Newfoundland somewhere between 1955 and 1957. He was a weapons troop. Anyone stationed there at this time who may have known him please respond. His name was Ben Sawyer, Jr. from Morgan, Georgia. The sergeant who took him "under his wing" was named Sgt Moe and I believe he was from Tallahassee Florida. My dad said he practically knew everyone on the base. Daddy was friends with a fellow named Robert Poe from St. Louis Missouri and Bill Norwicky (spelling?) who I believe was from New York. I just recently visited my dad in Georgia and we were sharing some good stories about our Air Force times. I retired in 2001. Aim High - Air Force!
Like Galen Burke I flew with the WisANG 126th FIS and 176th FIS 1958 to 1965. We flew Ds and Js. We kept the Russians from coming over the Canadian border. During an over-night at El Toro MCAS the ground guys wanted to tie the 89 down and I told them not to waste their time. The dash one said it would take 160 knots of wind to move it from a static position so by then the hangars and everything would be gone.
The F89F model was a proposal by Northrup to the USAF however the plane was never built. It's design was a swept wing with a six degree to their leading edge. Also there were to be pods under the wing 1 /3 of the way out from the fuselage. These pod held armament, fuel cells and the relocated main landing gear. The armament was to be 42 2.75 inch FFAR and six Falcon missiles. The referenced book shows 2 drawings one a straight wing design with the pods and another swept wing version without the pods.
Reference: "Northrup F-89 Scorpion, A Photo Chronicle" By Marty J Isham and David R McLaren Schiffer Military /Aviation History Schiffer Publishing Ltd 77 Lower Valley Road Atglen. Pa. 19130
I am looking for info. on the F89F (I think this was the model that carried guided missiles mounted on the wing tip pods. Any data on these, pictures, comments from maintenance people or others would be greatly appreciated. This info is needed for a project of building a model from scratch., Thanks
I was stationed at Goose Bay from Nov 54 to Nov 55 with the 59 FIS. Was radio maintenance on first f-94b's and then the F89D's when they replaced the F94's. Remember quick radio service on the F89 right after landing because the radio compartment was just aft and above the engine exhaust and it was still warm in that compartment. Later served 1 yr in Albuquerque and then 5years at the 7625th Ops SQ, USAF Academy.
Was RO in 94b and c in Moody AFB then Newcastle. On to Ladd in Fairbanks in 89c and 89d. Set record for longest flight in 89D (all day). A few moose were shot and sheep rounded up. Gold panning just north of base. Watched AK pipeline being built. Calculated how much larger we would be at 636mph using Einstein's formula (less than a cm.)
It was my great pleasure to be the radar crew chief on F-89D #300 stationed at Moody AFB, 3630th A & E Maintron, Valdosta, GA.--1953 to 1956. While the guys in the F-94 section ribbed us about our "flying bombers" we knew the F-89D was a great aircraft. I'd love to hear from anyone who was in the 3630th at that time.
I was at Hamilton AFB in the 84th FIS during 1952-1953 flying in F-89 B and C models. Was a back seat crew member (radar observer officer). Also flew F-94 B and C models. 84th FIS HAFB, CA 1952-1953 2nd Lt 666th ACW Squadron Mill Valley, CA 1954-1955 1st Lt
For Dick Pucket your post 21.04.2010 Hi Dick remember your name I was in the MG-12 shop also, 4 /58 to 11 /60. 412 Camron / 445 FIS. Drop an email if you read this jeffjos@gmail.com Any other Wurtsmith troops out there these years?
Flew over 3000 hrs in the backseat of the B,D, and J's with USAF and the ANG's (ID, WA, IA, and ND). Wouldn't trade any of it for a month of Sundays with MM in her heyday.
Buddy Pope died. Bob Perkins had a stroke. Carrollton, Ga water co. has put a notice on your door that you owe them money. ($114.46) You have a new great grand daughter in Colorado Springs
I was a R /O at PQI AFB from Sep 1953 to Jan 1956. I flew in both the C's and D's and was in 3 squadrons; 74th,318th and the 75th. 40 below zero was cold which I found out in survial school in Feb. Making passes at B-36's was something to remember.
Attn Paul Chute and Claud Underwood, I was stationed at Griffiss AFB from 1956 until Aug 1959. In either 1957 or 1958 I was on a skeleton crew sent to Presque Isle to pull their alert duty while their squadron went to Yuma for rocket fire. Presque Isle was a trip! We worked 12 on and 12 off for the duration. We stayed in an open bay, two story barracks and the alert hanger. one night my best buddy and I were bored(as usual) and went outside to shoot at any available targets with our slingshots. Well, at the upper end of the alert hanger was a little shack. The shack had no lights on and we had never seen anyone around it. It immediately became a target. We shot at it for several minutes until we got cold, it was November, and went inside. About 30 minute3s later we saw a search lite shining around in front of the hangers and wondered where that was coming from. Upon going outside we discovered that there was a search light on top of the shack and it was on and looking around. We never knew if someone was in that shack when we were shooting at it but they let us know to quit shooting at it. Evidently the permanent party skeleton was as bored as we were. Their main game was trying to penetrate our security and we were trying to catch them. Once they wrote "bomb" in the tailpipes of a couple of birds. We never figured when they they did that but most times we caught them.
1958-59, MG12 Tech. F89J's with 326 Fighter group at Paine Field, Everett, Wa. Cross trained with 106's at 429FIS George AFB, Victorville, Ca. Could never get the Gar 1 & Gar 2 Weapons to work. People ask what I did, my answer was to ensure you "never had to duck and cover"! We did a damn good job of that !! All the bases I was stationed at are now gone, hope I wasn't the cause !!
Hi Randy. I’m researching a Cold War project involving the F89, would appreciate talking with you about it.
-Jon Billman
906-373-7397
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