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ARDF Practice at Vasquez Rocks on Monday, Presidents Day
by Marvin Johnston 21 Jan '15

21 Jan '15

For our next ARDF session, we will mix in with a classic orienteering meet at Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park on Monday, February 16, 2015 (President's Day). ARDF will be suitable for both beginner and intermediate level transmitter hunters. Try your hand at some easy two-meter transmitters set by Joe Moell K0OV, then take on a 5-fox two-meter international-rules course of moderate difficulty, set by Marvin Johnston KE6HTS. A fox transmitter on the 80-meter band may also be set up to try, as well as a foxoring course. The ARDF course will be "advanced" level, about the same length as typical national championship courses. Although it is intended as training for experienced radio-orienteers, it can be completed by newcomers who are capable of walking or running for at least 5 kilometers. This is the first time in ten years that we have done radio-orienteering at Vasquez Rocks, between Newhall and Palmdale, California. The 745-acre site is best known for its incredible rock formations. Even if you’ve never been there, you’ve seen them in more than 150 movies and TV shows, including Blazing Saddles, Flintstones, Star Trek, etc. Many trails weave throughout the rocks. Off-trail vegetation is fairly low, and almost all of it is runnable at a good speed. Constant map contact will be the skill to practice while you’re reading off cliff faces and rock piles. Vasquez Rocks was the site of the two-meter ARDF event at the 2004 USA ARDF Championships. Our radio-orienteering session is being combined with a classic orienteering meet of the Los Angeles Orienteering Club (LAOC). That's why it's not on Saturday as usual. Because Marvin has duties for LAOC during this event, there will not be an antenna and attenuator building workshop this time. However, if you want to pick up a kit for antenna and/or attenuator to take home, contact Marvin by e-mail (marvin(a)west.net) and he will bring it to this event. Beginner transmitters will be on at 9:30 AM. The 5-fox hunt will commence at 10 AM. Hunters may start out on the courses at any time until 12 noon. Courses close at 3 PM. Orienteering flags and electronic scoring will be used at each transmitter. If you have an "e-stick," be sure to bring it. For non-LAOC members, there will be a $13 donation per adult and $10 per youth for the full ARDF course to cover LAOC's map and e-punch expenses. For LAOC members, the donation is $8 per adult and $5 per youth. No donation is requested for the beginner course or the 80-meter transmitter hunt. If you have them, bring a handi-talkie, receiver, or scanner covering the two-meter band for each person who will be going ARDFing. If you have directional antennas, attenuators, or other on-foot RDF equipment, be sure to bring that too. Make sure that all batteries are fresh. For those with no radio gear, some extra ARDF receiver/antenna sets will be available. Remember to pack anything you'll need while going after those radio foxes, such as munchies, bottled water and sunscreen. For map plotting, you'll want your own compass, protractor and pencil. Be sure to wear sturdy shoes. All ages are welcome, but young children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park is near the town of Agua Dulce, just north of the Antelope Valley Freeway. From the Los Angeles metro, take the 5, 210, 405, 170, or 118 freeway north until it becomes the northbound I-5. Continue north, then go east on Highway 14 for about fifteen miles. Exit at Agua Dulce Canyon Road and go north. Follow the road as it turns right and becomes Escondido Canyon Road. Continue past a stop sign for 1/4 mile. The park entrance is on the right. (See the map at www.homingin.com) Continue on the dirt road to the large parking area. Call K0OV on 146.52 MHz simplex if you have trouble finding the gathering area within the park. If heavy rain is forecasted, check www.homingin.com on February 15 for possible cancellation. 73, Joe Moell K0OV

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January SBARC meeting - Tomorrow night!
by Jay Hennigan 15 Jan '15

15 Jan '15

Welcome to the new year! Our first program for 2015 will be presented by Julianne Walsh KI6DYX on 3-D printing, when software makes hardware. In addition we'll have a roundtable discussion on the direction of SBARC and how members can become more involved. Please join us at the Goleta Union School District office, 401 North Fairview Avenue (across from the library) Friday January 16 at 7:30 PM. -- -- Jay Hennigan - CCIE #7880 - Network Engineering - jay(a)impulse.net Impulse Internet Service - http://www.impulse.net/ Your local telephone and internet company - 805 884-6323 - WB6RDV

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January 24: Mini Flea Market on the Mesa - K6LCM
by Levi C. Maaia 14 Jan '15

14 Jan '15

While doing some winter cleaning (got to get those Christmas ornaments put away), I put together quite a few items for a general garage sale including a *substantial collection of ham radio gear* that needs a new home. I will be hosting a Garage Sale with a *Mini Ham Flea Market* and area hams are invited to join in the fun. Here are the details: *Garage Sale & Mini Ham Flea Market on the SB MesaSaturday, January 24, 2015, 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM* 50% from the proceeds of the sales from *my* Ham Radio Table will be donated to the Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club Staion Fund. SB area hams are welcome to set up a table to swap their own ham gear and are encouraged to donate a portion of their sales to the Club. *Call me in advance to make table arrangements and for location information:Levi, K6LCM: 805-604-5384* (Note: it will *not* be at my QRZ address) *Here are just a few items that will be on my Ham Radio Table:* [image: 2015-01-11 13.33.11] <http://levi.maaia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/2015-01-11-13.33.11.jpg>[image: 2015-01-11 13.33.54] <http://levi.maaia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/2015-01-11-13.33.54.jpg>[image: 2015-01-11 13.34.04] <http://levi.maaia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/2015-01-11-13.34.04.jpg>[image: 2015-01-11 13.34.12] <http://levi.maaia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/2015-01-11-13.34.12.jpg>

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Impulse is hiring
by Jay Hennigan 04 Dec '14

04 Dec '14

Impulse Advanced Communications is looking for both customer support reps and a network engineer. Positions are full-time with benefits. If anyone on the list is interested or knows of a suitable candidate please email jay(a)impulse.net or call 805-884-6323. -- -- Jay Hennigan - CCIE #7880 - Network Engineering - jay(a)impulse.net Impulse Internet Service - http://www.impulse.net/ Your local telephone and internet company - 805 884-6323 - WB6RDV

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Equipment trailer
by Bill Talanian 27 Nov '14

27 Nov '14

To: All recipients From: Bill Talanian Subject: Equipment Trailer Over the past number of years my former HEMEC van with 2000 lb lift gate has been the vehicle of choice for hauling racks and heavy electronic equipment. After 250K miles it will be replaced by a new vehicle and not available for hauling. Basic need: A 4X8 single axle trailer, 2000+ lb capacity, with 3-4 ft sides and rear loading gate for collection and relocation of electronic surplus. The club could definitely use a full time trailer to be used for hauling hardware, field day equipment, or heavy equipment during a disaster or emergency. Storage of the trailer is available next to the club cargo container. Option: 1 If you are so inclined toward making a year end 501(c)3 tax-deductable donation for purchase of trailer then now is the time. Another option is to partner with others for this donation. The estimated cost of a new trailer is about $2400. Option: 2 If you have a surplus heavy equipment trailer (minimum 4X8) that has been sitting for a long time in your yard without further need then consider donating it to SBARC and take a year end 501 donation as a write off. All options considered. Contact me for discussion if you have interest in supporting this need. []

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Popular Electronics
by Levi C. Maaia 27 Nov '14

27 Nov '14

This Web site has posted free archives every issue of the old Popular Electronics magazine from 1954-1982. Thought this would be of interest to hams young and old! http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Popular-Electronics-Guide.htm Levi, K6LCM

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Flying Fortress Miracle !!!
by Marvin Johnston 22 Nov '14

22 Nov '14

University of Social Training World War II Archives FLYING FORTRESS MIRACLE!!! B-17 "All American" (414th Squadron, 97BG) Crew Pilot- Ken Bragg Jr. Copilot- G. Boyd Jr. Navigator- Harry C. Nuessle Bombardier- Ralph Burbridge Engineer- Joe C. James Radio Operator- Paul A. Galloway Ball Turret Gunner- Elton Conda Waist Gunner- Michael Zuk Tail Gunner- Sam T. Sarpolus Ground Crew Chief- Hank Hyland In 1943 a mid-air collision on February 1, 1943, Between a B-17 and a German fighter over the Tunis dock area, Became the subject of one of the most famous photographs of WW II. An enemy fighter attacking a 97th Bomb Group formation went out of control, Probably with a wounded pilot, then continued its crashing descent Into the rear of the fuselage of a Flying Fortress named "All American", Piloted by Lt. Kendrick R. Bragg, of the 414th Bomb Squadron. When it struck, the fighter broke apart, but left some pieces in the B-17. The left horizontal stabilizer of the Fortress and left elevator were completely torn away. The two right engines were out and one on the left had a serious oil pump leak. The vertical fin and the rudder had been damaged, The fuselage had been cut almost completely through Connected only at two small parts of the frame, And the radios, electrical and oxygen systems were damaged. There was also a hole in the top that was over 16-feet long and 4 feet wide at its widest; The split in the fuselage went all the way to the top gunner's turret. Although the tail actually bounced and swayed in the wind And twisted when the plane turned and all the control cables were severed, Except one single elevator cable still worked, and the aircraft miraculously still flew! The tail gunner was trapped because there was no floor connecting the tail to the rest of the plane. The waist and tail gunners used parts of the German fighter and their own parachute harnesses In an attempt to keep the tail from ripping off and the two sides of the fuselage from splitting apart. While the crew was trying to keep the bomber from coming apart, The pilot continued on his bomb run and released his bombs over the target. When the bomb bay doors were opened, The wind turbulence was so great that it blew one of the waist gunners into the broken tail section. It took several minutes and four crew members to pass him ropes from parachutes And haul him back into the forward part of the plane. When they tried to do the same for the tail gunner, The tail began flapping so hard that it began to break off. The weight of the gunner was adding some stability to the tail section, so he went back to his position. The turn back toward England had to be very slow to keep the tail from twisting off. They actually covered almost 70 miles to make the turn home. The bomber was so badly damaged that it was losing altitude and speed and was soon alone in the sky. For a brief time, two more Me-109 German fighters attacked the All American. Despite the extensive damage, all of the machine gunners Were able to respond to these attacks and soon drove off the fighters. The two waist gunners stood up with their heads sticking out through the hole in the top of the fuselage To aim and fire their machine guns. The tail gunner had to shoot in short bursts because the recoil was actually causing the plane to turn. Allied P-51 fighters intercepted the All American as it crossed over the Channel And took one of the pictures shown. They also radioed to the base describing that the appendage was waving like a fish tail And that the plane would not make it and to send out boats to rescue the crew when they bailed out. The fighters stayed with the Fortress, taking hand signals from Lt. Bragg and relaying them to the base. Lt. Bragg signalled that 5 parachutes and the spare had been "used" So five of the crew could not bail out. He made the decision that if they could not bail out safely, then he would stay with the plane to land it. Two and a half hours after being hit, the aircraft made its final turn To line up with the runway while it was still over 40 miles away. It descended into an emergency landing and a normal roll-out on its landing gear. When the ambulance pulled alongside, it was waved off because not a single member of the crew had Been injured. No one could believe that the aircraft could still fly in such a condition. The Fortress sat placidly until the crew all exited through the door in the fuselage and the tail gunner had climbed down a ladder, at which time the entire rear section of the aircraft collapsed. This old bird had done its job and brought the entire crew home uninjured. Please pass this on to someone who will also appreciate this amazing story. -- Jim Dooley, Ph.D., CAsP, FAsMACol, USAF (Retired)

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Next ARDF practice at Topanga State Park on November 22
by Marvin Johnston 04 Nov '14

04 Nov '14

The next southern California on-foot transmitter hunting session will be Saturday, November 22 in the Trippet Ranch section of Topanga State Park. This session is sponsored by the Fullerton Radio Club in cooperation with the California Department of Parks and Recreation. If you are a beginner, there will be entry-level two-meter "fox" transmitters, set by Joe Moell K0OV. Once you're proficient at finding them, try the 5-fox two-meter international-rules course, set by Marvin Johnston KE6HTS. One or two optional 80-meter fox transmitters may also be on the air. If you have receivers, scanners, directional antennas, attenuators, or other equipment suitable for on-foot RDF, be sure to bring it. Make sure all batteries are fresh. A limited amount of RDF gear will be available for loan. Trails are primitive in some areas of the park, so wear sturdy shoes. All ages are welcome, but young children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. For those who want to build RDF gear for use with their own two-meter hand-held radios or scanners, Marvin will have kits for measuring-tape yagis and active attenuators. Also available is an assembled and tested assembly that includes the power switch, BNC connector, housing and battery, ready to install as the tape measure beam is built. There will be tools and soldering stations for building. If you're not an electronic technician, don't worry because there will be experts to help you. Send e-mail to Marvin (marvin(a)west.net) to pre-register and get more information about equipment. The building session will only take place if there are sufficient advance registrations. If you already have equipment and just want to hunt transmitters, you don't need to pre-register -- just show up. If it takes place, the building session will start at 9:30 AM. Please be prompt. Beginner transmitters will be on the air at that time. The main 5-fox hunt will start about 10:30 AM. Hunters may start the courses at any time until 1 PM. Courses close at 3 PM. For the advanced 2-meter course, electronic scoring will be used. If you have an "e-stick," be sure to bring it. An optional $5 donation is requested for the advanced course to cover expenses related to the use of Los Angeles Orienteering Club's e-punch equipment and maps. The beginner course and the 80-meter transmitter hunt are free of charge and e-punch is not required for them. Topanga State Park is in the Santa Monica Mountains. From Highway 101 in Woodland Hills, go south on Topanga Canyon Boulevard (Highway 27) about 8 miles. From Pacific Coast Highway, go north on Topanga Canyon Boulevard to just past Old Topanga Canyon Road. Either way, watch for a "Topanga State Park" sign and turn east onto Entrada Road. (This is a dangerous corner.) Go about a mile, bearing left at the fork. We will gather at the end of the parking lot in the shaded picnic area. Look for the orange and white orienteering flag. Talk-in is on 146.52 MHz simplex. The state day-use fee for entry and parking is $10 per vehicle. A map to help you get there is at www.homingin.com. For your GPS navigation system: 20829 Entrada Rd, Los Angeles, CA. Please note that dogs are not allowed on the park trails, fire roads, or in the back country. If moderate-to-heavy rain is forecasted, check www.homingin.com on Friday 11/21 for possible cancellation. 73, Joe Moell K0OV

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Re: [Sbarc-list] SBARC-list Digest, Vol 136, Issue 1
by mst56 02 Nov '14

02 Nov '14

Great story. mst On 11/1/2014 12:00 PM, sbarc-list-request(a)lists.netlojix.com wrote: > Send SBARC-list mailing list submissions to > sbarc-list(a)lists.netlojix.com > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://lists.netlojix.com/mailman/listinfo/sbarc-list > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > sbarc-list-request(a)lists.netlojix.com > > You can reach the person managing the list at > sbarc-list-owner(a)lists.netlojix.com > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of SBARC-list digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. U2 Pilot Cliff Beeler (Marvin Johnston) > 2. Re: U2 Pilot Cliff Beeler (Andrew Seybold) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 13:50:48 -0700 > From: Marvin Johnston <marvin(a)west.net> > To: SBARc <sbarc-list(a)west.net> > Subject: [Sbarc-list] U2 Pilot Cliff Beeler > Message-ID: <5453F628.6060009(a)west.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed > > > Some of you might remember Cliff Beeler since he had an airplane > dealership here in Santa Barbara for a while. I found this to be a > fascinating story! > > Marvin > > > > > Men like this guy never get any attention in the press, and that's > how they prefer it. > > Unfortunately, but understandably, not all U-2 pilots survived to > tell their stories in their old age. > > > > > > unknown.jpg > > GetImage.ashx_1.jpg > > > > > > > > > > Cliff Beeler was a spy. > > He didn?t hang out on shadowy street corners with his trench coat > collar obscuring his face. The Air Force major, now retired, spent his > snooping time in a plane. > > Beeler, 88, of Riverside , was a U-2 pilot at the height of the Cold War. > > His missions took him over Russia , Cuba and China , photographing > targets from nearly 80,000 feet in the sky. > > His planes crashed more than once. He was occasionally targeted by > MIG fighters, and he once landed on and took off from an aircraft > carrier in the Pacific using only a few feet of the deck. > > Beeler, who grew up in Santa Ana and spent most of his retirement in > Santa Barbara, is a resident of Air Force Village West, near March Air > Reserve Base. Recent back surgery has left him reliant on a walker, but > his memories are as vibrant as ever. > > He remembers enlisting at 19, learning to fly a P-51 fighter and > being on his way to Saipan to get ready for the invasion of Japan . Then > the United States dropped its atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki .. > > The war was over, and Beeler was sent home. Unlike many of his fellow > pilots who left the service, > > GetImage.ashx_2.jpg > > > > GetImage.ashx_3.jpg > > Beeler stayed in. He learned to fly the Air Force?s first jets and > then trained others to fly them. > > Then the U-2 program caught his eye. ?I wanted to fly the latest,? he > said. > > There were never more than 24 pilots in the program, he said. In > 1958, he entered the program. He spent seven years flying missions high > above the Earth ? out of the range of other planes and most other > defenses ? in the long-winged, lightweight plane. > > It was not an easy task, he said. > > As a plane climbs in altitude and the air thins, it must go faster to > avoid a stall. The higher it climbs, the faster it needs to fly. Above > 70,000 feet, the critical stall speed approaches the plane?s Mach speed, > or the speed of sound > > ? somewhere above 650 mph at that altitude. If that barrier is > crossed, the shock waves can break the plane apart. U-2 pilots usually > had a window of less than 12 mph between the two speeds. They had to > keep the plane within that window for hours at a time. > > CLOSE CALLS > > Beeler learned the hard way what it meant to violate that window. He > was above Louisiana on a night flight when he reached Mach speed. > > ?It tore the tail off,? he said. ?The plane flipped over, and that > tore the wing off.? > > The plane fell apart, he said, and at 78,000 feet, ?I?m out in space. > That?s a long way down.? > > Fortunately, he was in a pressure suit with oxygen and had a > parachute. After a long freefall, he opened his chute and found himself > floating toward the ground. To his right, he could see lights on the > ground. To his left, the same. But beneath him, all was black. > > He remembered he was over Louisiana > > ?I said, ?That looks like a swamp.? ? > > It was. > > ?I landed in a big cypress tree,? he said. ?My chute got caught and > swung me into the trunk.? > > Telling the story, Beeler reached down toward his calf, ?I always > kept a double-bladed knife in my pocket,? he said. He was able to cut > himself free of the parachute and use the ties to lash himself to the tree. > > He took off his helmet and dropped it into the darkness below. There > was a distant splash. > > ?All I could think about was alligators and cottonmouths in the > swamp,? he said. > > Lucky for Beeler, the breakup of his plane had been spotted on radar. > Within an hour and a half a rescue helicopter was overhead. > > Another close call came over Cuba . > > Beeler said MIG jets would fly beneath the U-2 planes, at about > 50,000 feet. The fighter pilots would sometimes attempt to reach the spy > planes by turning on their afterburners and flying straight up, higher > than the Mugs were capable of operating effectively. > > A Cuban pilot?s effort was particularly memorable, Beeler said. > > ?I look back and there?s this MIG tumbling about 50 feet off my > wing,? he said. The plane was so close that he could see the pilot?s face. > > Remembering, Beeler turned his hand cockeyed in front of his face. > ?His goggles were like this and his face was ? ? The sentence ends in a > grimace, Beeler?s eyes and mouth wide. ?He was sure scared up there.? > > Beeler took the U-2 on numerous missions over Cuba , providing > information on the country?s armaments and the strength of its air > force. Images from U-2 flights, he said, showed that Castro had only a > few dozen bombers instead of the more than 400 he had claimed. > > At one point, Beeler said, President John F. Kennedy stopped by the > U-2 headquarters in Del Rio , Texas , to talk to the pilots. > > ?He said, ?You guys gave me information that prevented World War III > at least twice,? ? Beeler said. > > AMAZING IMAGES > > Sometimes the U-2?s high resolution, long-range camera captured > images that had nothing to do with national security. > > During one Cuban mission, Beeler spent some time following the > coastline. Afterward, he was called into the lab by the man in charge of > analyzing the film. > > ?He showed me a picture of this Cuban gal sunbathing nude on the > beach,? Beeler said. ?It was so clear I could see she had blue eyes. > (The analyst) said, ?The only film these guys want to work with is your > film.? ? > > Returning from another mission, he took some images over San Diego . > Later, he was shown a photo of a man sitting in his backyard reading the > paper. > > ?I could read the headline on the newspaper,? he said. > > Beeler is semi-famous among pilots for landing his U-2 on an aircraft > carrier. The landing followed a mission over northeast Russia . The > U-2?s 80-foot wingspan meant it could only go a short distance before it > collided with the superstructure of the ship. Because of the ship?s > speed and a headwind, Beeler said he was able to touch down and come to > a stop in about five feet. > > ?When I came aboard they had a ceremony welcoming the Air Force into > the Navy. I said, ?I don?t have much I like about the Navy except one > thing,? ? he said. That one thing was the Navy pilots? leather jackets. > Before he left the ship the following day, the captain had given him > one.It lasted. > > ?I gave it to my son last week,? he said. > > AFTER THE U-2 > > Among the military photos and plaques on the wall of his room is a > framed row of medals from his service, including the Distinguished > Service Cross.He points to the photo of one plane, a B-46.?It was the > God-almighty bomber,? he said. But he declined a chance to fly those planes. > > ?I didn?t like the mission,? he said. ?Go out and drop bombs. I > wanted to shoot things up.? > > After he left the service, in 1965, Beeler said he worked on the > Apollo 5 program for three years. He was in charge of purchasing the > equipment for the swing arm on the launch tower, he said. > > He spent the next 25 years selling airplanes. He had his own > dealership in the Santa Barbara area. > > When his wife, Mary, developed Alzheimer?s disease, he retired to > take care of her. After five years, he felt he needed help, so he moved > with her to Air Force Village West, which has a nursing home on its campus. > > ?She lasted 11 days after I brought her here,? Beeler said. ?I guess > I kept her about as long as I could.? > > The couple, who were married for 65 years, had two sons. The elder > son lives in Corona and comes to see him most days, Beeler said. > > For Veterans Day, he said, he doesn?t have any big plans. > > ?I?ll probably sleep late,? he said. > > > > unknown_1.jpgunknown_2.jpg > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 23:49:25 +0000 > From: Andrew Seybold <aseybold(a)andrewseybold.com> > To: Marvin Johnston <marvin(a)west.net>, SBARc <sbarc-list(a)west.net> > Subject: Re: [Sbarc-list] U2 Pilot Cliff Beeler > Message-ID: > <B1E6921BF36EBD4AB36C4C7EC3FEDA538971284F(a)mbx023-e1-nj-4.exch023.domain.local> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Thanks for sharing Marvin, great story and learned a lot, I was not yet living in SB when he had his airplane dealership in SB so I missed ever meeting him. > Andy W6AMS > > -----Original Message----- > From: sbarc-list-bounces(a)lists.netlojix.com [mailto:sbarc-list-bounces@lists.netlojix.com] On Behalf Of Marvin Johnston > Sent: Friday, October 31, 2014 1:51 PM > To: SBARc > Subject: [Sbarc-list] U2 Pilot Cliff Beeler > > > Some of you might remember Cliff Beeler since he had an airplane dealership here in Santa Barbara for a while. I found this to be a fascinating story! > > Marvin > > > > > Men like this guy never get any attention in the press, and that's how they prefer it. > > Unfortunately, but understandably, not all U-2 pilots survived to tell their stories in their old age. > > > > > > unknown.jpg > > GetImage.ashx_1.jpg > > > > > > > > > > Cliff Beeler was a spy. > > He didn?t hang out on shadowy street corners with his trench coat collar obscuring his face. The Air Force major, now retired, spent his snooping time in a plane. > > Beeler, 88, of Riverside , was a U-2 pilot at the height of the Cold War. > > His missions took him over Russia , Cuba and China , photographing targets from nearly 80,000 feet in the sky. > > His planes crashed more than once. He was occasionally targeted by MIG fighters, and he once landed on and took off from an aircraft carrier in the Pacific using only a few feet of the deck. > > Beeler, who grew up in Santa Ana and spent most of his retirement in Santa Barbara, is a resident of Air Force Village West, near March Air Reserve Base. Recent back surgery has left him reliant on a walker, but his memories are as vibrant as ever. > > He remembers enlisting at 19, learning to fly a P-51 fighter and being on his way to Saipan to get ready for the invasion of Japan . Then the United States dropped its atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki .. > > The war was over, and Beeler was sent home. Unlike many of his fellow pilots who left the service, > GetImage.ashx_2.jpg > > GetImage.ashx_3.jpg > Beeler stayed in. He learned to fly the Air Force?s first jets and then trained others to fly them. > > Then the U-2 program caught his eye. ?I wanted to fly the latest,? he said. > > There were never more than 24 pilots in the program, he said. In 1958, he entered the program. He spent seven years flying missions high above the Earth ? out of the range of other planes and most other defenses ? in the long-winged, lightweight plane. > > It was not an easy task, he said. > > As a plane climbs in altitude and the air thins, it must go faster to avoid a stall. The higher it climbs, the faster it needs to fly. Above > 70,000 feet, the critical stall speed approaches the plane?s Mach speed, or the speed of sound > ? somewhere above 650 mph at that altitude. If that barrier is crossed, the shock waves can break the plane apart. U-2 pilots usually had a window of less than 12 mph between the two speeds. They had to keep the plane within that window for hours at a time. > > CLOSE CALLS > > Beeler learned the hard way what it meant to violate that window. He was above Louisiana on a night flight when he reached Mach speed. > > ?It tore the tail off,? he said. ?The plane flipped over, and that tore the wing off.? > > The plane fell apart, he said, and at 78,000 feet, ?I?m out in space. > That?s a long way down.? > > Fortunately, he was in a pressure suit with oxygen and had a parachute. After a long freefall, he opened his chute and found himself floating toward the ground. To his right, he could see lights on the ground. To his left, the same. But beneath him, all was black. > > He remembered he was over Louisiana > > ?I said, ?That looks like a swamp.? ? > > It was. > > ?I landed in a big cypress tree,? he said. ?My chute got caught and swung me into the trunk.? > > Telling the story, Beeler reached down toward his calf, ?I always kept a double-bladed knife in my pocket,? he said. He was able to cut himself free of the parachute and use the ties to lash himself to the tree. > > He took off his helmet and dropped it into the darkness below. There was a distant splash. > > ?All I could think about was alligators and cottonmouths in the swamp,? he said. > > Lucky for Beeler, the breakup of his plane had been spotted on radar. > Within an hour and a half a rescue helicopter was overhead. > > Another close call came over Cuba . > > Beeler said MIG jets would fly beneath the U-2 planes, at about > 50,000 feet. The fighter pilots would sometimes attempt to reach the spy planes by turning on their afterburners and flying straight up, higher than the Mugs were capable of operating effectively. > > A Cuban pilot?s effort was particularly memorable, Beeler said. > > ?I look back and there?s this MIG tumbling about 50 feet off my wing,? he said. The plane was so close that he could see the pilot?s face. > > Remembering, Beeler turned his hand cockeyed in front of his face. > ?His goggles were like this and his face was ? ? The sentence ends in a grimace, Beeler?s eyes and mouth wide. ?He was sure scared up there.? > > Beeler took the U-2 on numerous missions over Cuba , providing information on the country?s armaments and the strength of its air force. Images from U-2 flights, he said, showed that Castro had only a few dozen bombers instead of the more than 400 he had claimed. > > At one point, Beeler said, President John F. Kennedy stopped by the > U-2 headquarters in Del Rio , Texas , to talk to the pilots. > > ?He said, ?You guys gave me information that prevented World War III at least twice,? ? Beeler said. > > AMAZING IMAGES > > Sometimes the U-2?s high resolution, long-range camera captured images that had nothing to do with national security. > > During one Cuban mission, Beeler spent some time following the coastline. Afterward, he was called into the lab by the man in charge of analyzing the film. > > ?He showed me a picture of this Cuban gal sunbathing nude on the beach,? Beeler said. ?It was so clear I could see she had blue eyes. > (The analyst) said, ?The only film these guys want to work with is your film.? ? > > Returning from another mission, he took some images over San Diego . > Later, he was shown a photo of a man sitting in his backyard reading the paper. > > ?I could read the headline on the newspaper,? he said. > > Beeler is semi-famous among pilots for landing his U-2 on an aircraft carrier. The landing followed a mission over northeast Russia . The U-2?s 80-foot wingspan meant it could only go a short distance before it collided with the superstructure of the ship. Because of the ship?s speed and a headwind, Beeler said he was able to touch down and come to a stop in about five feet. > > ?When I came aboard they had a ceremony welcoming the Air Force into the Navy. I said, ?I don?t have much I like about the Navy except one thing,? ? he said. That one thing was the Navy pilots? leather jackets. > Before he left the ship the following day, the captain had given him one.It lasted. > > ?I gave it to my son last week,? he said. > > AFTER THE U-2 > > Among the military photos and plaques on the wall of his room is a framed row of medals from his service, including the Distinguished Service Cross.He points to the photo of one plane, a B-46.?It was the God-almighty bomber,? he said. But he declined a chance to fly those planes. > > ?I didn?t like the mission,? he said. ?Go out and drop bombs. I wanted to shoot things up.? > > After he left the service, in 1965, Beeler said he worked on the Apollo 5 program for three years. He was in charge of purchasing the equipment for the swing arm on the launch tower, he said. > > He spent the next 25 years selling airplanes. He had his own dealership in the Santa Barbara area. > > When his wife, Mary, developed Alzheimer?s disease, he retired to take care of her. After five years, he felt he needed help, so he moved with her to Air Force Village West, which has a nursing home on its campus. > > ?She lasted 11 days after I brought her here,? Beeler said. ?I guess I kept her about as long as I could.? > > The couple, who were married for 65 years, had two sons. The elder son lives in Corona and comes to see him most days, Beeler said. > > For Veterans Day, he said, he doesn?t have any big plans. > > ?I?ll probably sleep late,? he said. > > > > unknown_1.jpgunknown_2.jpg > > > > > _______________________________________________ > SBARC-list mailing list > SBARC-list(a)lists.netlojix.com > http://lists.netlojix.com/mailman/listinfo/sbarc-list > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > SBARC-list mailing list > SBARC-list(a)lists.netlojix.com > http://lists.netlojix.com/mailman/listinfo/sbarc-list > > > End of SBARC-list Digest, Vol 136, Issue 1 > ****************************************** >

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A Blast from the Past
by Marvin Johnston 02 Nov '14

02 Nov '14

This happened back in 1996, and shows how Ham Radio helped out a boat in distress: http://pianosb.com/dennis-and-a-ham-radio-rescue/ Marvin, KE6HTS

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