Warbird Information Exchange

Anyone know if this place is still open? I find conflicting info about its status.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

There are several threads here about Pate, just type in pate museum to the search engine here.

It was still open as of about a month ago. It just isn't what it used to be. As far as aircraft go, the C-119, F-101, CH-21 and HU-16 were still there. Lots of nice cars there though.

Here it is in December of 2008:

went by pate yesterday, only the c-119 and hu-16 were there. wonder where the dc-3 went?

The VC-117A went to Goodfellow AFB around February 2005. It was still there this past April.
Andy Marden

USAMOOS

That VC-117 is now cleverly disguised/displayed as an EC-47, in Viet Nam-era colors. The newest addition to the GAFB "petting zoo", btw, (dedicated today) is a Predator.

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Bob

I think all the planes are probably in better hands now than they were at Pate's. But it's still sad for them not to be there. I've seen them there for 40 years. [yeah i'm old] They are kind of the planes that made me be a warbird nut. They were in a lot better shape 40 years ago. I heard that a few of those planes were actually landed there in the field next to the museum. They are amost all gone now.

Is there also a B-52F at GAFB?

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Had God intended for man to fly behind inline engines, Pratt & Whitney would have made them.

CB

http://www.angelfire.com/dc/jinxx1/Desrt_Wings.html

No, not to my knowledge.
Andy Marden

If there's a B-52 here at GAFB, it qualifies as a true stealth model, 'cause noone's seen it!

No, there are the following aircraft at GAFB (display as well as training aids):

EC-47 (Display)
B-25 (Display - on a mount)
RF-4C (Display - on a mount)
T-6 (Display)
BT-13 (Display)
T-28A (Display)
C-130E x 2 (Fire Academy)
F-15B (Fire Academy)
F-14A (Fire Academy)
MiG-29A (Training Aid)
MiG-23 (Training Aid)
RQ-1 Predator (Display)

As well as:
SA-4 GANEF (Training Aid)
PAT HAND radar (Training Aid)

Correction on the EC-47. It was NOT a VC-117 (Super Gooney). A pic of a C-117 is below:
http://www.pimaair.org/images/collectio ... 2298_a.jpg

The Goodfellow EC-47 can be seen at:
http://www.ec-47.com/204goodfellow.htm

And is possibly this aircraft (from Joe B's site)
43-15204 (c/n 19670) converted to EC-47Q

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Bob

Thanks for the info on the BUFF, I doubted there was one there but had to verify.

The Gooney Bird is indeed a C-47A, but C-117 does not automatically mean a Super DC-3. The original C-117s were C-47Bs built as staff transtorts and designated C-117A, B and C. The C-117D was the Super DC-3.

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Had God intended for man to fly behind inline engines, Pratt & Whitney would have made them.

CB

http://www.angelfire.com/dc/jinxx1/Desrt_Wings.html

Just to clarify the earlier answer, the Goodfellow machine is indeed a VC-117A, as I stated. It was originally a C-117C before being redesignated.
The C-117D series were the Supers.
Andy Marden

Bob,
Do you know the tail numbers of the Fire Academy stuff?

I show:
54-1637 Lockheed C-130A ex 155th TAS/TN ANG Oct90 May08
56-0524 Lockheed C-130A ex 155th TAS/TN ANG Oct90 May08
57-0727/ST Lockheed GC-130B Apr07 May08
61-2364/ST Lockheed GC-130E Apr07 May08
161275 AB/114 Grumman F-14A Aug04 Apr09
71-0284 GD McDD YF-15A Jan94 May08
153308 06 Sikorsky CH-53A (Apr99) May08

Regards,
Andy Marden

USAMOOS

>ahem<...I stand corrected on the Gooney! <chuckle>

Andy, as for the tail numbers on the Fire Academy aircraft, may take a bit, but I'll see what I can come up with! (The place is fenced in)

Also, the F-15B should read F-15A, which was sling-loaded to GAFB from Sheppard AFB under a Texas Army NG CH-47.

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Bob

I went by the Pate Museum today and there were no changes...the Voodoo, the C-119, HU-16 and the Banana are still there. They were open...just very sleepy.

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Zane Adams
There I was at 20,000 ft, upside down and out of ammunition.
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i guess i missed the voodoo, watching traffic or something.