Howdy all,
Just a little update. Believe it or not I was able to track down 58-0510's last crew cheif via the all and powerful internet. MSgt. (Ret.) Russ L. Sisco seems to be a real nice guy and was also able to to explain the circumstances that led to 510 arriving at Youngstown ARB. I've copied and paste'ed his email to me and am posting his pictures with his full permission.
Quote:
Hello Shay,
Wow, was this an unexpected email! Thank you for the link to your pictures of 510. I spoke to someone at Youngstown a long while back and they told me that she had ended up as a target at Avon Park range in Florida, but the picture on airliners.net seems to say that it is in Michigan. Hmmmm....
Anyway, on to the story:
I was assigned to 510 in 1984, as I recall. Before that I was Crew Chief of 58-0671. (See photo attached)
The pilot assigned to the aircraft was Lt. Paul Lockhart, who went on to become a Shuttle Astronaut. He flew twice before the Columbia accident, and has now apparently retired. Run a Google search and you will find info about him.
In December of 1985 a 2nd Lt. by the name of Glasgow took 510 on a cross country flight. While flying over Ohio the canopy suddenly departed the aircraft for no apparent reason. That was his story and he was sticking to it...) He IFE'd into Youngstown, a little cold but otherwise OK. We sent a team out to inspect the airplane and try to determine what happened and what was needed to repair it. Unfortunately, I was not able to go, but I was told by the team leader that there was nothing wrong with the canopy latching system in the aircraft, and the corresponding rollers on the recovered canopy showed no damage other that that received when it hit the ground. Lt Glasgow (afterward known as "Where'd the glass go?") wasn't disciplined for the incident, and went on with his career unimpeded and the cause, as far as I know, remained "unknown" As the T-33 was about to be phased out anyway, there wasn't a lot of effort expended in the investigation, and we were never allowed to repair the ship. It was just left at Youngstown, finally becoming a training bird for ABDR, apparently. I was hoping that it would have become a gate guard, at least...
The general consensus among the crew chiefs was this:
Lt. Glasgow hadn't been out of pilot training all that long, this being his first duty assignment and, as I said, his first solo cross country in the T-33. As such, we figured he was probably a little nervous. Now, in the T-38, which he had been flying in training, the canopy locking handle is in pretty much the same place as the T-33's, but it works in the opposite manner. That is, what is locked on the T-33 is unlocked in the T-38. We decided that he had what we all called a "Double "aw SH1T" experience".
While flying along in a relatively unfamiliar aircraft, he glanced at the canopy locking handle and, reverting back to his many hours in the T-38, instinctively felt that it was unlocked.
"Aw, SH1T..." he thought as he grabbed the handle and rammed it to the opposite position.
"Aw, SH1T!" he yelled as the canopy disappeared into the sky...
And with that, my beautiful airplane became a range target. Thanks a lot.
The 49th FIS was deactivated in 1987 and I went to McConnell AFB, Kansas as the first crew chief of B-1B #96, 86-0136. After two years I moved up to Flightline Expediter, and then retired in 1994 when I got orders to Barksdale. I had been there TDY, attending the NCO Academy, and knew that you were in a Gang War Zone as soon as you went out the gate, so I decided to take Bill Clinton up on his generous early retirement offer.The rest is pretty boring, so I'll spare you.
Attached are some pix that I thought you might like. One is a shot of 510 in a hangar at Youngstown with Lt Glasgow sitting in the pilots seat helping to perpetuate his new nickname. Also, a very bad B&W shot of 510 in better days, in the Hangar at Griffiss. Also a close up of my name on the nose door. You wouldn't have a corresponding shot of your own, would you? Or any others that you didn't post? I'd love to see anything else that you might have. Thanks.
Well, it was really nice to hear from you, and I hope you enjoyed my ramblings. Also, thanks for steering me to the Warbird Forum. I'll have to join and post some info there as well.
I look forward to hearing from you again.
Take care!
Russ
R.L. Sisco
MSgt, USAF, Retired
This is 58-0671 sistership to 510 and give you a nice idea of what 510 looked like in here hey day in full color.
Here is a black and white of 510 in a hangar up at Griffis AFB.
This is of 510 in a hanger at Youngstown minus canopy and tail tip.
Here we have a shot of 2ndLt. Glasgow in the cockpit of 510 explaining what happened.
This is the recovered canopy with future astronaut LtCol. Paul Lockharts name on it.
This is a shot of the starboard side nose door with MSgt. Sisco's name on it.
Here are some more of my pictures that I came across.
This is the same nose gear door 10 years later.
Here's a shot of 510's SIX.
A shot of 510's "Travel Pod". which attaches at the old JATO AND RATO attachment points.
This shot was taken from the front of the 76th Aerial Port Squadron's (my unit) Hanger. If you look closely under the C-130's No. 3 engien you can just make out 510 off in the distance.
And here is me posing as "Johnny Come Get Some" on 510's wing. Actually I was trying to keep from sliding off the snow covered wing.
Shay
____________
Semper Fortis
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I can understand how this whole deal has got you upset. Don't loose hope, someday you will come across one you can help save. 
