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What Became of 63-7885?


TSgtRet
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When I was at Pope (73-75), in the Radar Shop, I remember 7885 was a law unto itself because it was the AWADS test bed/initial aircraft. Anyone know the subsequent history on her?

You must have known Bill Blalock then. He was the AFETS civilian that was supposed to be the AWADS god. He would come over to Germany to teach AWADS and SKE classes while i was there from 77-81. I'm sure I spent many hours on that bird, removing and replacing AWADS parts, among other systems.

I took his position in 1992 after he retired, and he died shorly thereafter.

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I knew Bill Blalock. I was working for Texas Instruments from '65 to '71. My last T.I. job was working as a Tech Rep on the APQ-122(v)8 at Lockheed-Ontario, CA. Blalock was on the 122(v)1. I wound up hiring on with Lockheed-Ontario in 1973 and replaced the T.I. rep that was there at the time.

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Bill Blalock had his office (closet) back in the corner of the front shop. On one occasion he helped me design a radome stand to prop the radome into a more vertical postion (for AWADS antenna removal). This was prompted after we nearly got a radar troop badly injured when the CC on an AWADS bird operated the ramp while the radome was propped up on the rail of a stand. (Think I got some suggestion money from the stand when the AFTO 22 was was approved for the radome stand). Bill was never too busy to help out a new 3 level with a problem, regardless of the system. He taught me a few shortcuts on the old ARN 21. He also helped me change a SKE antenna pedestal when there were no 5 levels available to go with to the line (I remember that smelly, brown, sealant to this day!). Sorry to hear he's gone though I shouldn't be suprised as I'm 57.

Edited by TSgtRet
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  • 3 months later...
  • 2 years later...

I was assigned to this aircraft while stationed at Rhine Main ab from '88-'91. She was painted the desert camo pattern when I first got there if I remember correctly, then was painted the woodland camo, and later repainted again to the European grey. I have a picture of her with some nose art (spaceman spiff, calvin's alter ego), but I don't remember who holds the copyright to the photo.

Paul Bettes

Ok, as the photo says, Paul Jarvis is the copyright holder.

Edited by Muaddib67
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